President Donald Trump presented the Army Black Knights with the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy Monday, calling the group "star athletes and stars in every way."
The President then made some news, saying he's looking at "doing a waiver for service academy athletes who can get into the major leagues," adding that those players can serve in the military after they play professionally."I think it's a great idea, I think it's really fair, too," he said.
You might wonder why West Point has a football team if the academy's purpose is to produce army officers. The purpose is to produce good officers.
"Every cadet an athlete." That is one of the foundations of a West Point education. General George Marshall, Chief of Staff during World War 2, is quoted as
saying, "I want an officer for a secret and dangerous mission. I want a
West Point football player." Obviously every cadet cannot participate in intercollegiate athletics, but those who don't do so will participate in intramurals. This is in addition to required PE classes and more-than-a-couple-times-a-year physical fitness tests of one sort or another. Individual sports (boxing, swimming, wrestling, martial arts) build fitness, and team sports build leadership and teamwork. That these are attributes we want in young military officers should go without saying.
Our sports programs exist to help produce better junior officers. The men and women who attend our service academies are supposed to be there to serve the country. They can serve their country first and then "get into the major leagues" if they so desire. Reversing that, as the president has suggested, encourages "self" over the military and the country. That is not what our academies should be promoting.
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