200 Flag & General Officers Sign Pledge in Support of National Service

| March 09, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 9, 2017

CONTACT: Aly Ferguson, [email protected]

200 Flag and General Officers Sign Pledge to Make A Year of National Service a Common Opportunity for all Young Americans

Service Year Alliance is re-releasing the pledge, co-sponsored by eight leading military and veterans organizations, in response to potential cuts to national service.

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, in response to reports on the potential elimination of national service programs like AmeriCorps in the Administration’s budget proposal, Service Year Alliance re-released its Enlisting America Pledge. The Pledge has been signed by 200 flag and general officers and more than 50 senior enlisted veterans of the US military in support of making a year of national service a common expectation and opportunity for all young Americans.

General (Ret.) Stan McChrystal, the chair of the board of Service Year Alliance, shared the following message with the military and veteran community, encouraging them to join him in signing the pledge:

America is greatest when Americans step up. That has never been when times were easy or little was demanded of us. Reflections of greatness are seen most vividly when challenges cause our citizenry to pull together to overcome great dangers, or accomplish great tasks.

While our country has, over time, built the infrastructures necessary to support our goals and values, we have a lot more work to do. Young people want to serve our country, in both military and civilian capacities, but we don’t have enough opportunities for them to do so. Almost 70 percent of Americans who walk into a military recruiting station are unable to join the military, and five times more millennials want to serve their communities and country than there are positions for them.

We must increase the number of service year opportunities so every American has a chance to demonstrate “skin in the game” and give back to this country. When more people serve in civilian and military capacities, we’re a stronger, more connected nation. Please consider signing this pledge with me, and standing up for an America in which every young person has the opportunity — and expectation — to serve.

Very respectfully,

Stan McChrystal

To join the 200 flag and general officers and more than 50 senior enlisted veterans in signing the Enlisting America Pledge to make a year of service a common expectation and opportunity for all young Americans, visit: about.serviceyear.org/enlisting_america_pledge.

View the full pledge, co-sponsor organizations, and the list of some of the distinguished veterans and military leaders who have signed it here.

About Service Year Alliance
Service Year Alliance is working to make a year of paid, full-time service — a service year — a common expectation and opportunity for all young Americans. A service year before, during, or after college — or as a way to find your path — gives young people the chance to transform their lives, make an impact in their community, and become the active citizens and leaders our nation needs. Expanding service years has the power to revitalize cities, uplift and educate children at risk, and empower communities struggling with poverty. It can unite the most diverse nation in history, binding people of different backgrounds through common cause. Service Year Alliance is asking nonprofits, higher education institutions, cities and states, companies and foundations, policymakers of both parties, and people of all ages to join the movement. Learn more at serviceyear.org.

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About Service Year Alliance

Service Year Alliance is a nonprofit dedicated to making a year of paid, full-time service — service year — a common expectation and opportunity for all young Americans.