Against a backdrop of uniformed soldiers in Colorado Springs a couple weeks ago, Sen. Obama told the audience that national service "will be a central cause of my presidency." But what exactly does he mean by "service?"

Chastened by critics of his past speeches on the subject, Obama carefully included military service alongside non-military endeavors. With the exception of his call to expand the Foreign Service, however, his plan appears to ignore an essential element of non-military service: working in government.

Volunteering and short-term service stints, such as the Peace Corps, Teach For America, and AmeriCorps (I am a Teach For America/AmeriCorps alumnus), are popular and powerful ways to encourage talented young people to tackle some of our nation's vexing problems. They are not, however, a substitute for a strong, functional government.

It may be more lucrative to pursue private sector jobs and more charitable to go into non-profit, but we neglect our public sector at our own peril. The major challenges we face in the twenty-first century - from education and law enforcement to emergency response and foreign affairs - will take place in the public sector. We need strong public institutions and public servants to tackle those challenges. We should want - no, we should demand - that our best and brightest are at the helm of those institutions, and we should expect our presidential candidates to use their platforms to encourage our top young people to see government service as a noble calling.
 
John McCain, to his credit, has encouraged young Americans to work in government as one way to embrace "a cause greater than yourself." Yet neither McCain nor Obama have endorsed a grassroots initiative that offers the most promising way to attract a new generation into the public sector: the U.S. Public Service Academy.
 
The Public Service Academy will be the civilian counterpart to our five military academies, offering more than 5,000 students an intensive undergraduate education focused on leadership development and public service. Like their military academy peers, Academy students will receive a free college education in return for a commitment to serve for five years by working in public institutions in education, law enforcement, emergency response, and other essential fields at the local, state, and national levels.
 
Obama may not speak against a backdrop of gray-suited bureaucrats any time soon, but if service is going to be a central cause of his presidency, then we should expect him to address our government service as well. He could begin by embracing the U.S. Public Service Academy bill - which now has 21 senators and 108 representatives behind it.
 
You can help advance the Academy initiative. Visit the website to find out how you too can get involved.

Read More:

Guest Columnist: Chris Asch, U.S. Public Service Academy
The federal workforce of tomorrow
Raising the visibility of public service
How appealing is public service? A new poll has the answer
Obama urges grads to enter public service
Harvard Law School Boosting Interest in Public Service