John -

America is more polarized than ever before, and we need leadership to pull us together.

To give us a common mission and heal our divisions, I recently announced my plan for national service. I’m asking every young American to give a year to our country, through civilian or military service.

I was proud to roll out my plan at the Korean War Memorial alongside General Stan McChrystal, former commander of forces in Afghanistan. My plan quadruples the size of AmeriCorps, establishes a cabinet-level Secretary of National Service, and sets us on a path to national service for all young Americans within ten years.

From my own service as a Marine in Iraq, I know that national service exposes Americans to each other’s diverse backgrounds and perspectives, teaches them invaluable skills, and instills in them values like hard work and esprit de corps. Those same life lessons are learned by volunteers in programs like AmeriCorps.

Today only a small fraction of Americans has the opportunity to serve. Of the 3.6 million new annual high school graduates, fewer than 200,000 join the military and fewer than 100,000 Americans serve in AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps.

While expanded national service is voluntary under my plan, with the right leadership it will become a societal expectation that every young person should serve. With more of our youth serving, Americans – regardless of class, race, or political affiliation – can pull our country together.

Solving our country’s greatest challenges requires a bold new vision. Let's do this together!

- Dan