U.S. Army Lieutenant Ryan Collins is a West Point graduate who now leads the 1st Platoon of the 556th Signal Company, which is part of the 25th Infantry Division’s 2nd Striker Brigade. He is from Alaska, and was appointed to West Point by two of the current members of the Alaska congressional delegation. He’s agreed to help our Alaska Youth Advisory Council get congressional co-sponsors and endorsements. And he’s even agreed to write a letter to the editor to the Anchorage newspapers – all the way from Iraq.

When asked why he was willing in helping us, here is what Lt. Collins wrote in an email to me:

“I believe in the necessity and the fulfillment that public service brings to people’s lives. The necessity of professional public servants leading our nation in a variety of different career fields cannot be overstated.  If we are going to be educating tomorrow’s leaders then it is a moral imperative that we see to an education that is equally steeped in virtue and professional ethics as it is a rigorous and well-rounded curriculum.  Personally, I would be satisfied knowing that I took an active role in modeling an institution that would mold civil leaders into educated, mentally tough, and ethical individuals.”

As we approach July 4, the celebration of our country’s independence, I hope you will keep Lt. Collins and his platoon in your thoughts and prayers.

By Emma Olson, Summer Intern and Minnesota Youth Advisory Council Member

This week, the Pentagon nominated Lt. Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody to be the first woman in U.S. history to be a four-star Army general. While this is a huge step for the women’s movement, we still have a lengthy climb in front of us: women makeup only five percent of military officers and only 15 percent of all military academy students.

Looking from a more academic perspective, women comprise 57 percent of today’s college and university enrollment. One cannot help but see the irony in these numbers. This nation has young, intelligent women enrolling in elite universities in large quantities, but only 15 percent of the student bodies at our renowned military academies are women.

Women are not averse to service. To the contrary, women compromise 71% of the extremely competitive Teach for America, a national teacher corps of recent college graduates who commit to teaching under-resourced schools.

This is not just a women’s issue it is a serious issue for our whole country. We need all of our most talented individuals, men and women, serving their country. These potential public servants will go on to work in the private sector rather than furthering the interest of the public sector.

Creating the U.S. Public Service Academy would help to bridge this gap. Creating a four-year undergraduate institution would show our nation’s dedication to draw all young people into public service. The government made a proactive step this week in nominating Lt. Gen. Dunwoody, now Congress has to truly show its dedication to the women’s movement and the service moment by creating the U.S. Public Service Academy.

Paul C. Light, the author of “A Government Ill Executed” and a professor at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service, wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post today pointing out the problems facing the public sector workforce, namely retirement, poor organization, redundancy, low-pay, poor morale… the list seemed to go on and on.  Mr. Light specifically points out that new government employees (many will be recent college grads),  “understandably wonder whether government service would give them a chance to make a difference and acquire the skills they need in an unforgiving economy.”  (Harvard grads were featured earlier this week contemplating how to put their excellent educations to work in public service, while rejecting the pull of hefty paychecks.)  Mr. Light also reminds us of “the the glory days of the 1960s and ’70s, when the call to service was bright.”

Most notably however, was the shout out he gave to Senators John McCain and Barack Obama “to strike a legislative deal to start repairing government.”  Well, we can help them with that: the best legislative deal going is S. 960, the bill to create the US Public Service Academy, the first national public college devoted to developing civilian leaders. The Public Service Academy will be a federally-subsidized four-year college modeled on the military service academies. More than 5,000 students will get an intensive undergraduate education focused on service and leadership development. Following graduation, they will be required to serve for five years in education, health care, emergency management, or other public service fields at the local, state, and national levels.