How do you address any challenges with getting young soldiers involved and having pride in your unit?

Doing things as a group is a great way of building comraderie, but not if it is forced. Back when I was in my flight chief would have get together for just our work group at a Wings N Subs place for like Monday Night Football. There were like 20 on our shift, and most showed up those nights just to hang out, talk, drink beer and eat good food. As for our entire squadron, they had a picnic every year at our base park, and was for everyone, to include family, and that was ok. But, most don't really like hanging with the officers too much outside of work. Lol

Liberal attitudes have turned a Profession into a job.

Kick doors in, clear rooms, do it with air softsofts or paintballs. Do contact drills, ambush drills. Get out of the norm and train as warriors. Surprisingly simple to do and everyone loves pulling triggers and learning tactics. People pay to do this shit we pay them. Thing about Spartan week. Sign up Unit and live as Spartans and dress as Spartans then run the event as a Spartan. Units that train with innovative and outside the box thinking quickly become the place to be.

Friendly competition us a great way to instill pride. Company Org days can have platoons competing for a plaque, 4 day weekend, or just bragging rights, and on up to companies and BNs competing.

From a perspective of an enlisted Marine, I never minded working long hours. I only minded when others were allowed to leave early or we stayed at work for no apparent reason. For example, our Battalion would have an annual family fun day. The Marines that were married were able to leave early to go home and get their families, while we all had to stay and set up for the family day and the. Had to stay late to break it all down.

MOPP 4 softball sounds like fun. Entertaining just to watch.

I remember having family movie nights and cookouts at Battalion HQ. The families really got to know each other and the commeradiery was amazing.

Pride in your unit is not built by "mandatory fun days" or the Commander blathering on about past achievements.

One way pride and teamwork in a unit is built is through adversity. Challenging, realistic and exhaustive training exercises that prepare the unit for War. I grew up in the Ranger Regiment. I was never more proud of my unit and by extention my place within it than when I was dirty, tired and sore from some long range movement or tough live fire.

Get officers and NCO's to create and instill unit cohesion, esprit de corps by engaging in unit and family activities. Everyone needs to be involved and that doesn't mean rank dictates but collaboration is a must.

Thats easy sir, I got out in 2009 and the problems the military was having. Is it was being more ran like an organozation taking the power away from Non-Commissioned Officers to be able to discipline soliders. Im the professionalism, pride and sense of honor, the Armed Forces establishes. Since, I have been out also, their has been a wide variety of younger millenials who think (That I have seen). That, it is great to mootch off there parents, then live independantly. I got into a argument with my Fire Department younger generation becuase they were, "Laughing about mootching off there parents". Then had a problem with me living independantly from my family. Complained to my fire cheif and had me booted. Because, what I seen with them being disrepectful to there parents and then to the Fire Department Officials. They acted like, I had the problem, I didnt shed a tear when I left. To me I know it is a deeper root in society in this manner of new Junior enlisted. It is alot like a plague or cancer of the system that drags it down.