Mixing the Peace Corps and the military is a bad idea.
Already, volunteers in the Peace Corps must overcome suspicion that they are really U.S. government agents up to no good. This, even as they teach English and help communities in some of the most difficult places in the world.
Last week, The Washington Post broke news that had been missed for years.
Three years ago, Congress authorized a recruitment incentive that allows volunteers for the military to finish some of their service obligation in the Peace Corps. According to the report, almost nobody- including the Peace Corps – knew anything about the program until the Department of Defense starting advertising it this year.
The Peace Corps was founded in 1961 and has worked hard to differentiate itself from other parts of the U.S. government, especially the military and spy agencies. According to the organization, more than 178,000 volunteers have worked in 138 countries as educators, scientists, health care providers and technology specialists.
For the volunteers, service in the Peace Corps can be difficult. They are immersed into foreign cultures, where their presence is an oddity. They can feel isolated even as they work to bridge the cultural gaps and help some of the world’s poorest people. They carry the weight of every U.S. policy decision and stereotype on their shoulders, and sometimes work alone miles away from familiar faces or friends.
These brave men and women don’t need the added worry of being mistaken for a soldier or a spy. And, besides, unlike the military, the Peace Corps has no trouble filling the number of volunteer slots it has available.
Congress needs to make sure the Peace Corps and the military stay separate. Blurring the bright line between the two will only turn Americans trying to do good works into bigger targets.
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