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A Call to Serve

photoLieutenant General Josiah Bunting III says that for too long, America's best and brightest have been stepping away from the country's proud tradition of military service. And, at a time when the presence of the U.S. troops around the globe is more prominent than ever, it is time for the most privileged families to embrace the military once more.

As superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute, Bunting oversaw the Supreme Court-ordered integration of women into the formerly all-male academy. The Rhodes scholar also served in Vietnam as an infantry officer the U.S. Army and was awarded a Bronze Star.

Hear a discussion on whether more highly-educated Americans should be in the U.S. military.

Guests:

Mark Mazzetti, defense reporter, The Los Angeles TimesLt. Gen. Josiah Bunting III, former superintendent, Virginia Military Institute (1995 to 2003), commissioned as an infantry officer in the US Army in 1963, served in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968 and was awarded a Bronze Star for his service, author of a new biography "Ulysses S. Grant" and president of the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation;

Ensign Tim Barrett, officer with the US Navy, graduated from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in 2003 where he was part of the Navy ROTC;

Jack Beatty, On Point news analyst and a senior editor at The Atlantic Monthly.

This program aired on February 9, 2005. The audio for this program is not available.

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