By JAMES COOK
The United States Army went into full retreat on Caleb Campbell.
It just didn't tell Campbell.
Three years ago, the Army implemented a little-known policy to allow athletes who could make the pros to forego their military service by instead being recruiters with their celebrity status.
So the Detroit Lions come along and pluck Army safety Caleb Campbell in the seventh round of this year's NFL draft. Campbell becomes one of the first cadets to use the loophole created just for this type of thing. The Army even informed all the NFL teams that is was OK to pick Campbell.
It was supposed to be a win-win for everyone.
Then the Army sends a letter that informs Campbell and the Lions that it has changed its mind, much like Brett Favre.
Oh, and the Army made this decision on July 8, but waited to give him the news until Wednesday -- the day before training camp started. The day before he could realize his dream of becoming an NFL player. All of this after he was at West Point for a week and nobody said a thing about it to him.
Classy move, Army.
OK, so the Army and the Lions are perhaps run with equal amounts of ineptitude.
Realize that the government -- which has been openly whining about not having enough translators -- is refusing the opportunity to have a recruiter with star power in a metropolitan area with one of the country's biggest Arab populations. Well played.
Campbell -- who has said he will accept the decision like a good soldier -- was a feel-good story that gave the Army tons of positive publicity in a time when the military doesn't exactly have a shiny record, so why not go ahead and rip that all apart? It's been pretty well demonstrated that our military doesn't need to be the most popular guy on the block.
Compounding one moronic decision is another that he won't even be shipped to Iraq. People could understand if he was shipped out, and it was a possibility Campbell was prepared for -- at least a few months ago.
Not now, as it looks like Campbell could end up serving as a graduate assistant for the Army's football program.
Where is the sense there?
So the Army made a bad decision and then added another on top of it. Kind of like invading a country for no reason, and then not knowing how to get out. Not in scope, but you get the idea.
The basic point is the Army went back on its word -- like it has done to so many recruits or to soldiers who were kept in combat well past their tour of duty.
Raw recruits are taught an about-face, but this decision just falls flat on its face.
