Colleges must help America keep the promise it makes to its military

The U.S. military is in the middle of its best recruiting run in more than a decade. The Navy announced this summer that it signed 45,000 new sailors, hitting its goal three months ahead of schedule, and the Army reached its target of more than 61,500 soldiers four months early. Congress has authorized the force to grow by roughly 26,100 troops this fiscal year. 

Hundreds of thousands of Americans are volunteering to put their lives on the line, and the country is promising each of them that service will open doors long after they take off the uniform. Higher education is where much of that promise is supposed to be kept. Too often it is not. 

More than half of our military say education benefits are a primary reason they join, yet only about three in 10 veterans hold a bachelor’s degree. Colleges and universities are critical partners in national security. The military’s ability to recruit and retain talent depends, in part, on a credible promise of opportunity after their service. Higher education must do more to help the nation hold up its end of the bargain. 

I know the value of college firsthand. I earned my master’s degree in organizational leadership from National University while serving as an Air Force officer overseeing missions abroad. That education changed how I lead and what I can offer the service. That was possible because my university was built for students like me. My courses ran for four weeks at a time and started year-round. Since they were entirely online, I could easily pick up my education wherever the Air Force sent me next.

Many........

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