Military Leaders Say DREAM Act Would Benefit Armed Forces

With all eye's on Congress next week, as a vote on the DREAM Act is expected in both chambers, Military leaders have come out in support of passing the legislation as it will help increase recruitment for the armed forces.

Marcos Restrepo of the Florida Independent has the full story here:

Restrepo cites, a Think Progress post written by Andrea Nill. Nill notes that on a national conference call in which both retired and current military personnel waged their support.

Louis Caldera, former Director of the White House Military Office and United States Secretary of the Army, stated: The DREAM Act will materially expand the pool of individuals qualified, ready and willing to serve their country in uniform. Of the 50,000 youth coming of age every year in the terrible predicament of being ineligible to work, enlist,  or receive federal financial aid to attend college, many of those are not yet ready to pursue full time education. Military service is a highly appealing way to better themselves, give back to their country and earn their residency and eventually citizenship. I have no doubt many of these enlistees will be among the best soldiers in our Army.

On the same call:

Major General Alfred Valenzuela echoed Caldera’s call to action: I’ve seen the sacrifice that these immigrant men and women make  to this country. They come here with the dream of becoming citizens and sign up to die for the country they call home but yet are never granted citizenship. We should pass the DREAM Act so that those individuals willing to give their lives to the U.S. can also be called citizens of the U.S.

Restrepo notes that military personel are keen to pass the legislation because there is currently a shortage in military recruitment:

Margaret Stock, a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, and a former professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, who said,  ”In a time when several military services are experiencing difficulties recruiting eligible enlisted soldiers, passage of this bill could well solve the Armed Forces’ enlisted recruiting woes and provide a new source of foreign-language-qualified soldiers.”

Restrepo also cites a recent Pentagon report which cites the DREAM Act as a means for increasing military retention and recruitment:

The Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2010-12 of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness released in December 2009 supports the DREAM initiative.