Mission: Readiness | Military Leaders for Kids

ABOUT US

ADVISORY COUNCIL

Today we are confronted by a sobering statistic from the U.S. Army:

75% of young Americans are ineligible to serve their country because they have either failed to graduate high school, engaged in criminal activity, or are physically or mentally unfit.1

We need a bold strategy to inspire our young people to do better, and to increase the chances that they will succeed.

Mission: Readiness is the nonprofit, bi-partisan organization of senior retired military leaders ensuring continued American security and prosperity into the 21st century by calling for smart investments in the next generation of American children.

Ready, Willing, And Unable To Serve

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) met with members of Mission: Readiness from the state of Maine. Left to right are Major General Earl Adams (U.S. Army, ret), Senator Collins, Lt. General Robert Winglass (U.S. Marine Corps, ret.) and Brigadier General Robert Carmichael (U.S. Army, ret)

Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC, third from left) meeting with Mission: Readiness at the US Capitol. Pictured (left to right) are Mission: Readiness Deputy Director Saif Khan, Brigadier General John W. Douglass, US Air Force (Ret.), Major General James A. Kelley, US Army (Ret), Brigadier General Clara Adams-Ender, US Army (Ret.) and Mission: Readiness National Director Amy Dawson Taggart.

State Senator John Pippy (R-37; Chairman, Senate Majority Policy Committee) discusses the importance of early childhood education at Wednesday's Mission: Readiness press conference at the State Capitol in Harrisburg, PA. Behind him are (from left to right) State Senator Mike Stack (D-5), Spc. Jason D. Harrington (Iraq War veteran and Silver Star recipient), Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Joe Perugino (former commander of PA National Guard's 28th Infantry Division), Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Dan O'Neill, (former commander of PA National Guard's 28th Infantry Division), Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Williams Burns, Maj. Gen (Ret.) Wesley E. Craig and Amy Dawson Taggart, National Director of Mission: Readiness.

1 Survey by the Lewin Group, 2005, for the U.S. Army Center for Accessions Research

Report on Young People Unable to Serve in Military

On Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009 the generals and admirals of Mission: Readiness, along with US Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, released a new report that details the fact that 75% of young Americans are unable to serve their country because they have either failed to graduate high school, engaged in criminal activity, or are physically or mentally unfit.

For state-by-state data, the press release and report, go to our press conference page.



	Mission: Readiness Maintaining the strength of our military and our nation will depend on new generations of young Americans who are willing and able to serve our country with courage, compassion, and sacrifice.
	"As Former Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, it’s clear to us that our military readiness could be put in jeopardy given the fact that nearly 75 percent of young Americans are unable to serve in uniform. We joined Mission: Readiness because we believe that investing in our children through early education is not a Republican issue or Democratic issue. It’s a plain common sense issue critical to our National Security". -General John M. Shalikashvili -General Henry H. Shelton