Today, 77% of young Americans are ineligible for military service. Missouri must help | Opinion

Fatherhood and military service have been two of the most fulfilling and meaningful experiences of my life. Both have shaped me in immeasurable ways. In my military career and now in my retirement, I have dedicated my time to try to strengthen America’s future. That effort begins with our youngest Americans.

A key component of improving our military readiness begins with high-quality early childhood education. Last fall, Mission: Readiness, a national organization of retired military leaders, released a new fact sheet highlighting the grim reality that 77% of young Americans people are ineligible for military service. This is because of a combination of malnutrition (most frequently manifesting as obesity), behavioral issues and educational deficits. According to the Department of Defense, this troubling figure has only increased in recent years.

In my military career and in my work with Mission: Readiness, we have looked critically at ways to strengthen America’s national security, including ways to improve military recruitment. We found that long-term investments are necessary to keep our recruiting pool strong.

Right now, our recruiting pool is shrinking, and, worse, the problems that have led to our recruiting challenges aren’t limited to the young people who wish to serve. The best way to start reversing these trends is to start early.

I believe that every Missouri child deserves the best opportunities for success, whether that be a military career or otherwise. Programs such as child care, prekindergarten and voluntary home visiting bolster development in infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Research proves these programs improve academic performance and decrease future crime and substance abuse. Pre-K in particular is shown to aid in kindergarten readiness — not only through higher test scores, but also in social aspects such as improved self-control and teamwork ability.

As a proud father and grandfather, I know firsthand that the early years of a child’s life are a key stage of development. Learning at this stage helps create the foundation for the rest of a young person’s academic career. I also know that raising children is not easy. Voluntary home visiting services in Missouri aim to help new parents during their transition from pregnancy to infancy and childhood, and provide trained professionals to offer parental coaching so kids can have the best possible start in life.

Unfortunately, there are too many barriers keeping families from accessing these life-changing services. Quality early learning is often expensive and providers are scarce, especially in rural areas of our state. More than half of Missouri kids live in “child care deserts,” — a term meaning there are more than three children under age 5 for every one licensed child care slot. Families who are able to access care and education are spending an average of $9,880 per year on infant care alone. This cost is just not feasible for many parents. These obstacles create unfair disparities for children from low-income families and children living outside of our major metropolitan areas.

When our kids are prepared for success, so are our armed forces. We need to invest further to close these gaps so that every child in Missouri has access to quality, affordable education. Our lawmakers must continue to support key resources for our young people, especially for infants and toddlers, in order to ensure our kids’ success and our nation’s security for years to come.

Retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Daryl McCall is a member of Mission: Readiness, a project from the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Council for a Strong America. He is a volunteer and was not compensated for this commentary. He lives in Parkville.