Completely disagree. Our sons will be in the Army in August 2019 when they graduate and commission. Right now they are college students training to be Army officers. They are nondeployable, and I promise when your son is going through Ranger or whatever he decides, or in AFG you will consider that the real Army.
True, but with one little caveat. I'm not sure if your sons are at Westpoint or ROTC. But if they are at Westpoint; or any of the military academies; while it's true they are no "Deployable", the academies in the past have graduated cadets early because of war, the military had a strong need for junior officers.
Over the years, I've had a lot of parents tell me and believe in their hearts, that their son or daughter (At the academy) wasn't in the "Military". They saw them as "College Students". Just like spirit mom believes. Mind you, Spirit Mom's sons may be in ROTC and it's different in some regards to the academy. But my retort to all those who think this way, that their child is "Simply a College Student" and not in the military is:
"Are they SUBJECT to the Uniformed Code of Military Justice (UCMJ)"?
If they are....... then they ARE IN THE MILITARY.
Let's see. You are a college student at Colorado State University in Fort Collins Colorado. On the weekend, you and some friends go to a club, drink a couple of beers, buy some pot and smoke a few joints. You enjoy the weekend and go back to school on Monday. Professor asks what you did over the weekend. You tell him/her, and they say they wish they could have been with you.
or
You are a cadet at the United State Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs Colorado. You're a C2C or C1C. It's the weekend. You've got a million passes and you're over 21, so you go down town with a couple cadet friends to a club. You have the same fun time out. Go to a club, drink a couple of beers, buy some pot and smoke a few joints. You enjoy the weekend and go back to the dorms and back to class on Monday. Your professor asks what you did over the weekend. You tell him/her, and the next thing you know you're detained and pressing charges which will definitely include separation from the academy/military, and depending on the charges, they could include selling, distributing, etc. and you could go to jail.
There's a laundry list of rules under the UCMJ that a cadet must abide to that a "Traditional College Student or ANYONE NOT in the MILITARY has to". In other words....... "If you are bound by the UCMJ, and are subject to disciplinary action based on the UCMJ, then you ARE IN THE MILITARY. A parent can believe that their kid is a "College Student" all they want. They can think that their kid is "OFF TO COLLEGE". But they aren't. They ARE in the military. It just so happens that their first assignment is at the academy; and their first AFSC/MOS happens to be "STUDENT". Just like when my son graduated the air force academy and went immediately to Graduate School. His NEXT Duty Assignment was Los Angeles Air Force Base, and his AFSC was "Student" while he was attending the Parde Rand Graduate School.
Again; not knowing Spirit Mom's sons situation, I'm not speaking of her kids. But if your child is attending one of the military academies, then they are most definitely in the military. They aren't simply "College Students". The good thing is........ It's ok if parents want to think this way. It makes them less anxious and stressed worrying. But their Little Johnny or Joanie happen to "KNOW THE TRUTH". They ARE in the military. And as long as THEY know it; it's ok if mommy and daddy believe otherwise.