When the president suggested last week that American cities should be used as “training grounds” for U.S. soldiers, a lot of us in Denver wondered who on earth they’d find to shoot here. Since these people by definition are sent into battle to kill people in war zones around the world, it’s hard to fathom what they’d use for target practice in LoDo, downtown, RiNo or along the Cherry Creek bike path.
I mean, exactly what kind of “training” does he have in mind if it doesn’t involve weapons? Burpees? Deadlifts? Goose-stepping?
Rest assured, it’s unlikely they’d come to Denver, especially since Gov. Jared Polis and Mayor Mike Johnston have made it clear that they don’t want them, and we all know how respectful the federal government is toward the legitimate authority held by elected state and local leaders under the Constitution.
And just in case Trump doesn’t fully appreciate their strong feelings about governing the city, Johnston vowed to launch a legal fight on “day one” to keep the troops out.
Then again, nobody wanted them in LA, either, and we all know how that turned out.
But I got to thinking, if we do end up with battalions of military troops deployed to the streets of Denver, we could find plenty for them to do.
Starting with child care.
Colorado has among the highest child care costs in the country, and availability has been in sharp decline since 2021. Parents of young children talk of calling more than 100 child care centers in an attempt to find a single opening and then having to pay fees comparable to tuition rates at private colleges if they get their kid admitted. It’s brutal.
A few hundred soldiers whose salaries are covered by the federal government could go a long way toward making working parents’ lives easier.
And since these people are trained to handle terrorists, and hostile environments where they are constantly at risk for incoming projectiles, explosive diaper bombs and unceasing round-the-clock demands on their attention, they’d be well-equipped to work with small children known for kicking, hitting, biting and screaming just because they missed their naps.
Another field where labor shortages are acute in the region is construction, and this comes at a time when housing inventory is woefully inadequate. The high cost of housing is one of the biggest concerns of Coloradans and has had a serious impact on the state’s economy.
Contractors, meanwhile, are struggling to keep costs down on building projects already underway as tariffs have driven up the price of materials. In this stressful environment, paying higher salaries to attract workers is a nonstarter. The industry is desperate.
Putting government-paid soldiers to work at building sites would be a huge boost to an industry that is critically important to the state’s future. It also would help the soldiers maintain the rigorous fitness standards Pete Hegseth is demanding.
Think about it: soldiers could lose weight and build muscle by framing apartment buildings, pouring concrete and hauling roofing materials up ladders all day.
It’s the perfect job, especially for the fat soldiers Hegseth has ridiculed so mercilessly.
Then again, few things can produce physical and mental toughness as reliably as caring for a roomful of toddlers for nine or 10 hours a day, so it’s a tough call.
Layoffs due to cuts to Denver’s city budget also have created worker shortfalls in city offices, park maintenance and all manner of public services. Once again, the influx of service men and women could be a valuable resource.
It would be great to have free services from soldiers who could trim trees, maintain flower beds, mow lawns, haul trash, fill potholes and answer phones from city residents seeking assistance.
They could drive the Access-A-Ride services for people with disabilities that RTD is struggling to provide. They could work in the Social Security office where long lines form of people waiting for help. They could do lunch duty in the schools so teachers and administrators can catch a breath. They could support the drastically reduced staff at NOAA, struggling to manage tsunamis of data as hurricane season reaches its peak.
They could make themselves useful.
They could quit looking for enemies in our midst, put their machine guns down and pick up a child. They could stop trying to dehumanize people who look or speak or think differently. They could stop spoiling for a fight and look for work that needs to be done.
They could make the city a better place.
I drove past a sign outside a nondenominational church last week that caught my eye. You don’t even have to be a believer to be inspired by it, which I think was the point.
It said, simply, “We need each other.”
Amen to that.
Diane Carman is a Denver communications consultant.
The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy. Learn how to submit a column. Reach the opinion editor at opinion@coloradosun.com.
Follow Colorado Sun Opinion on Facebook.