A Marquee Moment for Mission: Readiness & Examining Military Preparedness

Late this spring, en route to a successful legislative session for children’s priorities, Mission: Readiness Illinois members arrived at the Capitol in Springfield for an exciting opportunity – to present their newest report to the state House Veterans’ Affairs Committee at a specially scheduled subject matter hearing.

This was only the second time Illinois lawmakers have granted Mission: Readiness its own, dedicated hearing, and the first such event since 2015. Here’s how it came about: Representative Lance Yednock (D-76), Chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, met with Major General (Ret.) Randal Thomas, U.S. Army, of Springfield, and Major General (Ret.) William Cobetto, U.S. Air Force, of Hillsboro, earlier this year. He was shocked to learn that the percentage of youth nationwide (aged 17 to 24) who are ineligible for military service has increased by 6 percentage points according to the U.S. Department of Defense, rising from 71% to 77%. This is due to a combination of factors, including: health issues such as obesity, lacking the necessary academic requirements, and behavioral considerations, like having a criminal background or history of substance abuse. This meeting sparked Yednock’s interest in providing a setting for Mission: Readiness members to share the new report, Military Ineligibility is Increasing, Elevating the Need for Early Childhood Investments, with the rest of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

On April 27, three members — Major General (Ret.) William Enyart, of Belleville, U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, Major General (Ret.) Gary Dylewski, U.S. Air Force, of Peoria, and Brigadier General (Ret.) Roger Machut, U.S. Marine Corps, of Elgin — joined Gen. Cobetto in summarizing the report’s findings to the Committee. They drew the connections between our country’s national security risks, as military service ineligibility increases, and research-proven methods of addressing the causes of ineligibility through investments in high-quality early child care and education.

The Representatives shared the Generals’ concerns, with many echoing Chairman Yednock’s surprise over the Defense data and agreement that early childhood programs are an effective way to help youth lead productive, healthy lives. This included positive feedback from several Committee members with military backgrounds of their own, including Representative Wayne Rosenthal (R-108), himself a retired Brigadier General with service in the Illinois Air National Guard and U.S. Air Force. In addition, several TV, radio, and online media outlets provided statewide news coverage of the Mission: Readiness event.

The approximately $300 million in new funding allocated to early childhood initiatives in the FY24 state budget — finalized several weeks after the Mission: Readiness hearing — represents a crucial step forward in helping the children of Illinois receive much-needed, high-quality services, such as child care, home-visiting programs, and preschool. Research finds that these services support children via positive impacts on their health and nutrition well into adulthood, reducing children’s exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences – thereby decreasing their likelihood to encounter such challenges as drug abuse later in life, and better preparing them for the rest of their educational careers. Mission: Readiness’ support of these initiatives helped secure their approval this spring.

As the Generals stressed throughout their testimony, Mission: Readiness members care about the health, wellness, and foundational skillset of the state’s youth so that they may lead productive lives and have the ability to follow any career path they wish, including military service.