The Army appears to have solved an age-old problem with getting a college education: going to college. In its latest effort to attract recruits, the Army is now offering to award college credits for such things as basic training. Utlimately, a soldier could serve in the Army and walk out with a bachelor’s degree. Called the College of the American Soldier, the Army is working with colleges to gets its training programs accredited. This is the ultimate expression of the trend in instant degrees. It is treating a BA like nothing more than technical training. The fact that the government is now joining the market for faux degrees is distressing. There is more to a B.A. than a collection of hours learning a task. Moreover, if all employers can convert their jobs into “educational experiences” the B.A. will lose its meaning. I realize that it is not easy to get people to sign up for trips to Anbar or Basra, but the College of the American Soldier is one marketing ploy too far. For the full story, click here