Dear Colleagues,

I get a daily brief e-newsletter on Early Child Care and Education. It's
called ExchangeEveryDay, and there's often something that gets my attention.
http://www.childcareexchange.com/friend/?news_id=2421

Yesterday's article comes from a press release about military readiness in
the USA.
.
The house is ruined to its foundation, yet the master thinks of painting the
parlor.
Persian proverb
"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."
"This bold statement by General John M. Shalikashvili and General Henry H.
Shelton makes clear the challenge of the Mission: Readiness
<http://mail.ccie.com/go/eed/4004>  initiative.  The two generals, joined by
former NATO Supreme Commander General Wesley Clark, and nearly 90 other
military leaders, are promoting more attention to early childhood education
since a new report <http://mail.ccie.com/go/eed/4005>  has concluded that 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.  The generals are calling 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".

"Speaking for the group, Rear Admiral James Barnett (USN, Ret.) observed,
"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."

This message gave me a lot to think about.for instance:

1.	However one feels about the U.S. military and the uses the country
makes of it, this report on "recruitability" does provide a yardstick of the
"quality" of young people on health, education, and morality measures. It's
one way to assess health and well-being, similar to using infant mortality
rates or life expectancy rates or literacy rates.
		
2.	We could be using the same argument to support breastfeeding that
these generals are using to support early child education.
		
3.	The 75% number has great shock value. I wonder how it compares to
other eras. I remember learning that a large proportion of men in the UK
were too short for the military in World War I, a fact that raised national
consciousness about young child feeding.the men were stunted by early
malnutrition.

4.	I went to the press release about the new report
http://www.missionreadiness.org/press110509.html and looked at the
signatures. What a long list of masculine names! There are only a handful of
feminine or ambiguous names in this list of nearly 100 people at the top of
the U.S. military ladder. This, of course, tells volumes about gender
relations in the U.S. and in the military, but it's interesting to note that
the U.S. military has some of the best early child care and education
programs in the country. They are way ahead of private industry on maternity
leave and breastfeeding protection, too.
		
5.	I also took a quick look at the report itself
http://cdn.missionreadiness.org/NATEE1109.pdf . It has some very interesting
state-by-state info and graphs. Lots to think about.
		

Chris

Chris Mulford, BSN, IBCLC
Project Co-coordinator, the PA-BC Business Case for Breastfeeding
Co-coordinator, Women & Work Task Force, World Alliance for Breastfeeding
Action

 "When she gives birth, every woman has the potential resource of breastmilk
for two years or more. This ample food resource is perfectly targeted,
already distributed to households with the need, and should be controlled by
the mother and baby." --Helen Armstrong (1995)
Breastfeeding as the foundation of care. Food and Nutrition Bulletin, United
Nations Univ Press, 16:4, 299-312.



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