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Mission: Readiness Obesity Report: "Too Fat to Fight"

Retired Generals Shalikashvili and Shelton Hail Senate Vote on Child Nutrition As Step to Increase Pool of Qualified Military Recruits, Boost National Security

Washington, D.C. (August 5, 2010)—Retired Army Generals John Shalikashvili and Hugh Shelton, both former Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, praised Senate passage of new child nutrition legislation saying the measure will help make the nation stronger by combating child obesity and increasing the pool of young adults available for military service.

Press Release

Retired Generals Meet With Senator Harry Reid, Urge Vote On Child Nutrition Bill - 19 July 2010

Three retired generals, including the former Nevada adjutant general, met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today, asking him to help bring child nutrition reauthorization legislation to a vote in the U.S. Senate to help combat child obesity and improve America’s military readiness. Participating in the meeting were Major General Drennan Anthony Clark (U.S. Air Force, Ret.), Major General James A. Kelley (U.S. Army, Ret.) and Brigadier General Lawrence E. Gillespie (U.S. Army, Ret.) and Amy Dawson Taggart - Mission: Readiness National Director.

Press Release

Congressman George Miller - Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee (left) with Major General Paul Monroe, US Army (Ret.)

Former Head of California Army National Guard Tells House Panel Child Obesity Poses a Threat to National Security - 1 July 2010

Retired U.S. Army Major General Paul Monroe, a former head of the California Army National Guard, urged Congress to move quickly to pass new child nutrition legislation to help reduce the child obesity epidemic and expand the pool of healthy young adults available for military service.

Press Release

Testimony

Mission: Readiness Obesity Report: "Too Fat to Fight"

PHILADELPHIA NEWS CONFERENCE - 14 June 2010

Three retired Army generals from Pennsylvania, joined by District Attorney R. Seth Williams and Dr. Eugene J. Richardson, an original Tuskegee Airman from Philadelphia, will urge state and federal lawmakers to support high-quality early education programs as one way to increase graduation rates, cut future crime rates and ultimately expand the number of Philadelphia youth that qualify for military service and its advancement opportunities. The retired military brass will specifically ask Pennsylvania’s State Legislature to retain current funding levels for the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Program and other early learning continuum programs that are serving thousands of City children, and ask the state’s Congressional delegation to support the renewal of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act including incentives for states to provide more children with access to high-quality pre-kindergarten programs.

New Report: "Why Military Service is Out of Reach for Most Young Adults in Philadelphia"

Press Release

Event Advisory

MAINE NEWS CONFERENCE - 2 June 2010

On Wednesday, 2 June, retired generals from Maine held a news conference to highlight statistics from
the Department of Defense showing that 75 percent of American young adults ages 17 to 24 are unable to enlist in the
military primarily because they fail to graduate high school, have a criminal record, or are physically unfit.

New Report: "Maine's Young Adults: Ready, Willing and Unable to Serve"

Press Release

30 April 2010 - Washington Post Op-Ed by General John Shalikashvili and General Hugh Shelton

OBESITY NEWS CONFERENCE - 20 April 2010

Press Conference Video

New Obesity Report: "Too Fat to Fight"

Press Release

On Tuesday, 20 April, joined by U.S. Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, retired generals and admirals who are members of MISSION: READINESS, will release new findings on the dramatic increase of obesity among young adults age 17 to 24 – a trend that is reducing the pool of healthy young adults available for military service.

Media Advisory

MISSISSIPPI NEWS CONFERENCE - 22 April 2010

New Early Education Report: "Young Mississippians: Ready, Willing and Unable to Serve"

Press Release

 

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas J. Vilsack Recognizes Support from Mission: Readiness

"The argument for military preparedness that helped create the National School Lunch Program (in 1946) still applies today....Because of the troubling trends (including an increase in child obesity), a coalition of retired generals and admirals has formed to advocate for a strong Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill. I thank them for their leadership and welcome their efforts to promote this important legislative initiative. "
-From a speech at the National Press Club, February 23, 2010

Retired Military Brass Support First Lady's Call To Reduce Child Obesity, Improve Nutrition

On Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2010, General Johnnie E. Wilson, US Army (Ret.), and Lieutenant General Norman Seip, US Air Force (Ret.), said that preventing child obesity is a matter of national security, noting that being overweight has become the Number 1 reason why potential recruits are unable to enlist in the armed services. The generals’ comments came in support of First Lady Michelle Obama who announced a new national campaign to combat child obesity.

“Military leaders report that obesity is now one of the most common disqualifiers for military service. Economic experts tell us that we're spending outrageous amounts of money treating obesity-related conditions like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. And public health experts tell us that the current generation could actually be on track to have a shorter lifespan than their parents.”
-First Lady Michelle Obama, February 9, 2010

 

Mission: Readiness in the News

Richmond Times Dispatchh

70 percent of young people are unable to enlist
By: Peter Bacque
Sept. 2, 2009

Strong military needs early education focus
By: Gen. Hugh Shelton and John H. Dalton
January, 2009

Americans have always answered the call to service: to defend against powers who would threaten our security and to fight for the cause of peace in times of conflict.

Our country is fighting two wars and continually faces the threat of international terrorism. A strong U.S. military is imperative to keep the American people safe and to secure freedom, economic stability and human rights for the future.

Events

Press Releases:

Virginia's Retired Military Brass Concerned: 75 Percent of Young Americans Unfit for Service

Va. retired military leaders, bipartisan legislators back early education to strenghten military, boost grad rates.

Retired Military Brass Say Early Education Key To National Security

PA retired generals say early ed will strengthen military by boosting grad rates, cutting crime; urge state lawmakers to prioritize PA Pre-K Counts and Head Start Funding in 09-10 state budget.

Speeches:

Mission: Readiness member, Rear Admiral Jamie Barnett, US Navy (Ret.) - Keynote speaker at Kellogg Foundations "Linking Ready Kids to Ready Schools" event at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.