The cover story in this weeks Time Magazine is “The Case for National Service, with the cover image an updated “Rosie the Riveter” image here.  It’s a fairly well written piece by Richard Stengel featuring current and potential ways Americans can provide national service.  From existing programs like Americorps to their suggested versions like a “Green Corps, “Education Corps, or a “Health Corps” the article makes the case that Americans are very generous with their time and that there should be additional ways for all to help.  During WWII, there were many ways to contribute from drives for scarce resources to serving in the Civil Defense Corps.

One of the criticisms of President’s Bush’s response to the 9/11 attack is that he essentially said Americans should go shopping, that our Armed Forces, intelligence agencies, and other first responders would handle the situation. I think it’s a fair criticism and since that time, many pundits and commentators have asked how can Americans help?  One of the missions of EXCALIBUR Research & Development LLC is to provide a way for anyone to help with national security.  The intent is to get contracts from government or industry, and then allow people to work on these projects, collectively, using technology and processes to provide solutions.

I have been told by some people this concept is doomed to fail: that the government is not equipped to work with something like this; that there is no way to ferret the wheat from the chaff; that while it may have some good aspects to it, there’s no business case here.  I have been told this by retired senior officers, by former large government agency heads, and by CEO’s of very successful companies, they may very well be right. But I am heartened by the many other people that tell me the system has to change, it has to be more flexible, we have to use our brains and “think outside of the box.”

Watch this space.  If you haven’t signed up yet, sign up here, our network is growing.  And if you think it’s a good idea or even think it’s a harebrained idea, send a link to your friends and family. 

American writer Eric Hoffer wrote this quote that’s so true today: