West Point Football Star Plays His Way Out of Iraq Duty

Traditionally, students who enroll at Army, Navy, and Air Force spend at least their first two years after college in the armed services. However, a new rule makes an exception for students with an opportunity to play professional sports, as they can now postpone their service instead of serving immediately after graduation.

Last week, the policy received its first test, as Caleb Campbell, a football player from Army, was drafted by the Detroit Lions. Hence, instead of heading to Iraq as a platoon leader, he will be headed to mini-camp to try and earn a spot on the Lions’ roster. Under the program, Campbell will still be on active duty for the Army, as a recruiter, presumably using his star power to help promote goodwill with the Detroit community.

However, he’ll be out of harm’s way and not fulfilling the same obligations as 99%+ of his classmates. Do you think that’s fair? Is the benefit of Campbell playing in the NFL a bigger win for the Army than having a well-educated and trained soldier in Iraq?