What are a country’s obligations to those willing to serve it?

It’s a question being asked today by lawmakers in the wake of news that the Pentagon is considering canceling the enlistment contracts for 1,000 foreign-born military recruits. This would expose the recruits, who do not have legal immigration status, to deportation – an action Illinois Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Army veteran who was wounded in combat, called “a breach of contract.”

Since 2009, according to The Washington Post, 10,400 troops have served in positions the Pentagon identified as vital but hard to fill, including language specialties such as Russian and Pashto. Rep. Betty McCollum (D) of Minnesota was set to propose an amendment today that would keep the Pentagon from canceling the contracts.

It’s a question that was asked last month, when as part of its budget, the White House proposed ending a Bush-era program that forgave college loans in exchange for 10 years of public service. In that case, though, the proposal would affect only those who took out loans on or after July 1, 2018 – fulfilling the government’s commitment to those who worked for years in low-paying but vital jobs in tough-to-fill locations.

And it's a question in need of urgent answers when it comes to health care and other assistance for veterans.

In a nation where service to country has become voluntary, the question of how to repay those willing to step in and fill society’s needs, both on the homefront and overseas, is worthy of perennial consideration.