BY GREG MARKLEY
OPINION —
In the 2009 film “500 Days of Summer,” a young couple is the focus. Summer tries to avoid commitment with Tom, who seeks fidelity. The narrator declares: “Most days of the year are entirely unremarkable. They begin and they end without creating a single lasting memory. Most days have no real impact on the course of a life.” Yet for 500 days, these workers were linked in curiosity about each other.
Since last January, recruits at Fort Moore who have low scores on Army aptitude tests have been given a lifeline before they enter Basic Training. Called the Academic Skills Develop-ment Program (ASDP), it gives recruits the chance to get the job specialty they covet and bonuses as high as $7,500.
In contrast to “entirely unremarkable days” and “days with no real impact” in “500 Days…” the program’s leaders have been successful, with 80% to 90% of the students achieving their goal within those 21 days and securing an Army career more to their liking. A documentary movie should be in-the-works: “500 Days of Scholarship.”
“We are delighted with student performance and the program itself,” said 1st Lt. Donald Reed, executive officer, Company D, 1-46 Infantry, 197th Brigade, who along with 1st Lt. Cody Mann shepherded the new academic approach to success. “In total ASDP graduates have been able to secure monetary bonuses ($827, 975 in total), choice of duty stations or early admission to Ar-my schools like Airborne and Air Assault.”
As of late October, 525 students have graduated from the program. The students, when not in the classroom, have physical training and basic skills with drill sergeants. These NCOs stay in class with the students, to keep them focused. However, civilian instructors emphasize that the Academic Skills Development Program is a “low-stress environment.”
“Wokeness” is a slang term developed over the past decade in academia and is regarded by conservatives as being a negative for the military. It first dealt with racial issues and seeking social justice. Now, it is seen as hurting Army recruitment, which has dwindled so much that the number of recruits needed has not been met on a yearly basis.
“Exposing and dismantling the Biden administration’s woke agenda that is driving down military recruitment and retention is a priority,” said Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana.
He chairs the House armed services subcommittee on military personnel, so he has pull when addressing “wokeness.”
The ASDP should not be tied in with any “wokeness.” By saying a “low-stress environ-ment” is a feature, the drill sergeants and instructors are doing so for good reason. These students obtained low scores in Army tests, so they are not comfortable in taking exams and writing class notes. Why make it harder for them when their second (and possibly last) chance to get a dream score is on the table?
“You will have extra furniture and yard games to enhance your stay in the ASDP,” reads the brochure sent to enlistment offices. “Ask your recruiters! They will work to get the ASDP add-ed to your contract.” Categorizing extra furniture and yard games as frivolous or destructive to unit cohesion is not woke; it’s not even a joke, as all people need down-time.
Without ASDP, the Army misses out on many potentially good soldiers. A security guard in Columbus, Georgia, once told me that the guard aimed to be a carpenter, but he couldn’t get a good enough score for the Army. I hope he was able to realize his dream through military service. Proponents of wokeism are not people like that guard. It is the Department of Defense leaders who are doing that, mostly.
“In my case, everything went well,” said Pvt. Sara Pearson of Cleveland, Texas. “Fortu-nately, I progressed right through the entire course.”
Only 18 years old, Pearson changed her Military Occupation Specialty from Combat Engi-neer to Network Communication Systems Specialist and received a $7,500 contract renegotiation bonus.
“I loved it,” said Pvt. 2nd Class Alejha Tuff, 24, of Rome, New York. “I don’t think I had a bad day while I was here.”
She changed her military occupation specialty from fire control specialist to signal opera-tions support specialist and selected her duty station of choice as Fort Campbell, Kentucky. In addi-tion, Pearson and Tuff received the highest grades in their class.
Recall that in “500 Days of Summer,” there were “entirely unremarkable days” and “days with no real impact.” At the ASDP classrooms, between 80% to 90% of the students obtain their goals of transferring to an Army career they prefer. They are lifted up by the program, not held back due to political correctness or a lack of second chances.
Greg Markley moved to Lee County in 1996. He has a master’s in education from AUM and a master’s in history from Auburn University. He taught politics as an adjunct in Georgia and Alabama. An award-winning writer in the Army and civilian life, he has contributed to the Observer since 2011. He writes on politics, education and books.