New Report Reveals That 75% of Young Americans Are Unfit for Military Service

Education Secretary Duncan, former NATO Supreme Commander General Wesley
Clark, retired admirals and generals say early learning key to reverse
security threat

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- According to a new report, 75
percent of young people ages 17 to 24 are unable to enlist in the military
because they fail to graduate high school, have a criminal record, or are
physically unfit. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, former NATO Supreme
Commander General Wesley Clark, and some of America's top retired admirals,
generals and other military leaders called today for immediate action to
address this threat to America's national security.

General Clark, Major General James A. Kelley (USA, Ret.), Major General James
W. Comstock (AUS, Ret.), Brigadier General John W. Douglass (USAF, Ret.), Rear
Admiral James Barnett (USN, Ret.), former Under Secretary of the Army Joe
Reeder and Secretary Duncan called for greater investment in high-quality
early learning programs to ensure more young people graduate from high school,
obey the law and have the option of military service if they choose that path.

The retired military brass are members of a new organization called Mission:
Readiness, led by nearly 90 retired military leaders, including two former
Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Hugh Shelton (ret.) and General
Shalikashvili (ret.), and six other four-star generals and admirals. The group
supports policies to help young people get the right start so they are
prepared to succeed in life.

"According to the new report from our organization, Mission: Readiness, 75
percent of young Americans are unable to serve in the military. These are the
same young people we depend on to serve in times of need and ultimately
protect this nation," Gen. Clark said. "Support for high-quality early
education will help ensure that more young people are on track for successful
careers, including military service. Congress is currently considering the
Early Learning Challenge Fund and must pass it so states can provide more
children with this essential opportunity for learning."

Secretary Duncan said that the support of retired military brass demonstrates
how important early childhood development is for the country.

"I am proud to be joining these senior retired admirals and generals who have
served our nation with courage and distinction," Secretary Duncan said. "We
know that investing in high quality early learning programs helps more young
children enter school with the skills they need to be successful. That is why
this administration has proposed a new investment in early childhood
development through the Early Learning Challenge Fund."

Major General Comstock said that he believes the early education of young
children should be an area of bipartisan agreement.

"I'm a lifelong political conservative, and I believe that government should
intervene on a limited and targeted basis," Major General Comstock said.
"Early education is not conservative common sense or liberal common sense --
it's just plain common sense. Reaching the most at-risk kids helps increase
graduation rates and cut crime, so early education is a matter of national
security."

While the military is currently meeting recruitment goals due in part to the
severe economic recession, the retired leaders said the challenge of finding
quality recruits will return when the economy recovers.

"The armed services are meeting recruitment targets in 2009, but those of us
who have served in command roles are worried about the trends we see. Our
national security in the year 2030 is absolutely dependent on what's going on
in pre-kindergarten today. We urge Congress to take action on this issue this
year," Rear Admiral Barnett said.

The retired admirals and generals cited evidence from prominent research
studies showing that children who benefit from early childhood education are
significantly more likely to graduate from high school and avoid crime as
adults.

For several decades, researchers followed children who attended Chicago's
Child-Parent Center (CPC) early education program. By the age of 18, children
left out of the program were 70 percent more likely to be arrested for a
violent crime than those who attended. By age 20, participants in the early
education program were 29 percent more likely to have graduated from high
school.

"Commanders in the field have to trust that our soldiers will respect
authority, work within the rules and know the difference between right and
wrong," Maj. Gen. Kelley said. "Early learning opportunities help instill the
qualities that make better citizens, better workers and better candidates for
uniformed service."

Many states have made substantial progress in providing early education
services to young children. However, more than half of all states are reaching
only 30 percent or less of their four-year-old children through state and
federal programs. Ten states serve 20 percent or less of the four-year-olds in
their state. Nationally, the federally-funded preschool program Head Start
serves only half of at-risk kids, and Early Head Start serves less than five
percent of infants and toddlers from eligible low-income families.

"The role of an admiral or a general is to look over the horizon, identify
future problems and pinpoint the best way to overcome these challenges," Brig.
Gen. Douglass said. "The research shows today's kids need early education, so
let's put that into practice now."

Congress is now considering a new initiative, the Early Learning Challenge
Fund, designed to help states provide more at-risk kids with access to quality
early learning programs. The proposal will provide grants to the states of $1
billion a year for up to ten years to improve the quality of early childhood
development programs and expand access to more at-risk kids. The U.S. House of
Representatives passed a bill in September that included support for the Early
Learning Challenge Fund, and it is awaiting deliberation in the Senate.

"Imagine ten young people walking into a recruiter's office and seven of them
getting turned away. We cannot allow today's dropout crisis to become a
national security crisis," former Under Secretary of the Army Joe Reeder said.
"Starting with early education will make sure young people have a foundation
that will prepare them for whatever path they choose, including the defense of
our nation."

The military brass called on members of the U.S. Senate to pass legislation
supporting the early learning proposal, so more young people will succeed in
school, obey the law and become contributing members of the community.

"The most important asset we have for our national defense is our men and
women in uniform. To be successful in their careers, in or out of the
military, young people need to get a strong start in life," said Amy Dawson
Taggart, national director for Mission: Readiness. "The question is not
whether we can afford to invest in high-quality early education. The real
question is -- can we afford not to?"

Visit www.missionreadiness.org to read the report "Ready, Willing and Unable
to Serve" and learn more about the organization's members and activities.

**SATELLITE UPLINK AND AUDIO NEWS CONFERENCE AVAILABLE, SEE BELOW**

AUDIO CONFERENCE: To join the conference through a live "listen-only" audio
conference at 2:15 p.m., call: 800-926-7358

Send your questions to Questions@missionreadiness.org.

VIDEO UPLINK: A video feed of the event will be available via satellite from
4:30-4:45 ET:

Sat Space - C- Band Analog
Date: November 5th, 2009
Time: 1630 - 1645 ET
Satellite: Galaxy 19
Transponder: 20
Downlink: 4100 (H)

SOURCE Mission: Readiness

Ted Eismeier of Mission: Readiness, Cell: +1-315-335-9222,
ted@missionreadiness.org