line has been blurred between Peace corps and military

[dajoki]

NYT
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/04/opinion/04gearan.html?th&emc=th
Mission Creep

By MARK D. GEARAN
Published: October 4, 2005
Geneva, N.Y.

OF the many ways that Americans serve the public good, service in the armed forces holds a special pre-eminence. For obvious reasons, the tremendous personal risks undertaken and sacrifices made by armed service members on behalf of all Americans are elevated and more poignant during war time.

But there's another way to serve the public, and that's through the Peace Corps. The idea behind the Peace Corps, created at the height of the cold war, was a simple one: Americans - serving as representatives of the American people, not the United States government - would promote economic development and international understanding by working as volunteers alongside people in other countries.

Obviously the armed forces and the Peace Corps serve the national interest, but they do so in fundamentally different ways. Making this distinction clear - letting the world know that the Peace Corps is an independent entity - has been a basic tenet of American policy for decades.

Unfortunately, this line has been blurred. In August, the military began promoting a recruitment program that allows soldiers, after a period of active and reserve duty, to fulfill their commitment by serving in the Peace Corps. By 2007, about 4,300 recruits will be eligible for this option.