How is it that most junior Soldiers claim to have never heard of Colin Powell or Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr?

CH (MAJ) William Beaver — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 15:33:59 -0400

I occasionally ask Soldiers if they know who Colin Powell or Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr. is. I am no longer surprised that most 18-24 year old Soldiers I asked do not know. In fact, many of them have heard about Ronald Reagan but can’t engage in conversation about him. Even sadder, most don’t know there were two Presidents George Bush. They don’t know much about daddy, and not much more about W. Call me crazy, but it seems to me that the public schools are no longer teaching history from the 1980’s forward, not spending much time showing how those eras are related and inform today’s era, or the Army isn’t really teaching any Army history. Perhaps that’s not the Army’s job, to teach Soldiers their branch heritage. But you would think Soldiers who serve in this great Army would be able to engage in a 5 minute conversation about key political and military figures of their branch, from at least Desert Storm forward. I know I’m “old” but still think it’s better for Soldiers to serve in the Army to have a sense of historical perspective, rather than just serve in a vacuum. I would think knowing one’s branch recent history would inspire and motivate. Then again, maybe not. But that’s just me.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 9 at 2018 3:38 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 15:38:06 -0400

To some, history just isn't important.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 9 at 2018 3:45 PM

CW3 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 15:45:01 -0400

it is a dilemma not only felt in the services, unfortunately. It seems today, History in general is foregone. I don't have a clue what they teach any longer, my children get a second schooling at home, as it seems the system has changed to a point where its more important to teach about Trans-gender, than actual historical events. I was desert storm/shield, and its sad to never hear of the commanding generals of that time any longer. My mother met and had her picture taken with General Schwarzkopf, she prizes it to this day. That was shortly after my return. I wish too, schools and the military would teach more about these great leaders.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 9 at 2018 4:02 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 16:02:22 -0400

I was in school from 1985 to 1998. There were parts of our history books that we completely skipped. We didn't hit much on the Indian Wars, the War of 1812, the Spanish-American War, the Mexican-American War, WWI, Korea, or Vietnam. Even in high school in the 90s we didn't touch much, if at all, on the 80s.

Response by Lt Col Charlie Brown made Oct 9 at 2018 4:08 PM

Lt Col Charlie Brown — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 16:08:57 -0400

No, the schools don't teach current history and perhaps that's a good thing given the progressive /antimilitary position of many of today's educators. We should be teaching this in NCO Leadership school and Jr officer professional education. Other thoughts?

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 9 at 2018 4:36 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 16:36:54 -0400

That's because they no longer teach history in grade school, middle school or high school. It's all called "Social Studies" and unless you are majoring in history in college, you don't have to take a history course.

It's a shame that people no longer are required to take history, government, or civics to graduate high school in the US. Those classes should be mandatory IMO along with math, science, and English. So that people can actually write and create a resume and get a job for instance!

Response by CW4 Angela Birt made Oct 9 at 2018 4:44 PM

CW4 Angela Birt — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 16:44:59 -0400

History in schools is twisted into the version of reality that teachers want to present. They don't like Storming' Norman, Colin Powell and Operations Desert Shield/Storm/Calm/Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom. There are kids in school not taught about 9/11. It's nuts. But once they join the USA, we need to teach them the realities of life - surviving it, combat, TTPs and yes, the true unvarnished history of this great nation (even the bad parts)

Response by SPC Casey Ashfield made Oct 9 at 2018 4:52 PM

SPC Casey Ashfield — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 16:52:36 -0400

I was a junior soldier. And not only know of both of them I got to meet Colin Powell once at a speaking engagement. Then again I was the educated, salty, and older soldier among my peers. So that is probably why.

By the time I was on my way out, I was working with soldiers who didn't even know who the president was. Even though his picture is on the wall of every military outpost I have ever been to, as well as key elements of the chain of command.

Response by SSgt Gary Andrews made Oct 9 at 2018 4:57 PM

SSgt Gary Andrews — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 16:57:17 -0400

When I went through Marine Corps boot camp in 1969, there was a lot of focus on the history and traditions of the Corps.....it really made you want to step up and do your part. I don't know if they still focus on it in today's training criteria. I agree with you, it does a lot to inspire and motivate.....it should be part of training for all branches.

Response by Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen made Oct 9 at 2018 5:23 PM

Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 17:23:51 -0400

I agree with you totally, but it's just not how our education system works in 2018. All the emphasis in school is STEM and the consequences of that is very little coverage of history. Anything less than 25 years isn't even considered history but perhaps gets glossed over a bit in what passes for Civics in high school classes, but only if they are AP level classes. I don't necessarily see military history as something 18 - 24 year recruits should get during basic training, they have a hard enough time just grasping the basics of their respective services. Follow on military training is an appropriate place to introduce military heritage, but only as it relates to the particular advanced training being covered.

Response by SGT Tony Clifford made Oct 9 at 2018 6:26 PM

SGT Tony Clifford — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 18:26:55 -0400

Sir, I think that this has to do with how young the junior enlisted soldiers are and the lack of actual history or civics taught in our schools. I guarantee that fully half of them can't name the first 10 amendments nor know anything about any historical events save for the revolutionary war, the civil war and WW2. The first gulf war happened years before most of them were born. Your average junior enlisted man was born in 1999. They were still in preschool during the initial stages of OIF. They weren't even in middle school when Obama became president. Colin Powell and Norman Schwarzkopf were commanding haven't been active generals at any point in their lives. Now consider that George H W Bush was a one term president and only had two real accomplishments to speak (as president) and it's understandable that they don't know who they are. Reagan has been maligned by schools since I was in school, so I wouldn't expect any reliable information about him to have been given to the Joe's.

Here's a fun thought experiment. Think back to when you were taught about the red scare of the 1950s. You were probably taught that Sen. McCarthy orchestrated a huge witch hunt and that he was behind the House Unamerican Activities Committee. What if I told you that it was impossible that Senator McCarthy ever sat on the HUAC because he was a Senator? He only said that he was aware that Soviet agents had infiltrated the government. This is easily corroborated by the fact that we definitely know that spies had done so (Julius and Ethel Rosenberg). As you can see, misinformation has been through our educational systems for years.

Response by LT Brad McInnis made Oct 9 at 2018 6:30 PM

LT Brad McInnis — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 18:30:52 -0400

I watched GEN Powell mow his lawn in a regulation white t shirt, shorts, knee high black socks and penny loafers. I was dating a woman in Virginia that lived next door to him... AS for why young people don't know... because the schools gloss over vast swaths of history in order to teach to the tests.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 9 at 2018 6:32 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 18:32:49 -0400

Worse is what people think they know, but don't.

Response by SFC Ralph E Kelley made Oct 9 at 2018 7:16 PM

SFC Ralph E Kelley — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 19:16:42 -0400

Response by SPC Douglas Bolton made Oct 9 at 2018 7:17 PM

SPC Douglas Bolton — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 19:17:39 -0400

CH (MAJ) William Beaver Great thoughts. Thank you for sharing.

Response by CW3 Kevin Storm made Oct 9 at 2018 7:22 PM

CW3 Kevin Storm — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 19:22:28 -0400

to young, and we have transitioned from a school system that teaches real meaningful history, to one where all the evil Europeans came and destroyed everything and we should be ashamed.

Response by SGT Philip Roncari made Oct 9 at 2018 7:23 PM

SGT Philip Roncari — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 19:23:15 -0400

Funny how both Colin Powell and Norman Schwarzkopf,Jr made their bones in little ole Vietnam bet that would blow their minds,Geez I forgot that’s Ancient History and that’s definitely not taught anymore,not to the politicians of that time anyway

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Oct 9 at 2018 7:27 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 19:27:17 -0400

We don't teach the enlisted military history. That was my experience.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 9 at 2018 9:23 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 21:23:54 -0400

CH (MAJ) William Beaver - Because most officers don’t bother teaching army history to their subordinates. That being said, the army as a whole does a very poor job, of passing on our history. In my experience, the Navy and Marine Corps do much better job.

Response by SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 9 at 2018 10:23 PM

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 22:23:42 -0400

I was at Camp Humphries a few years back, supervising the TOC night shift, and began talking to the OIC, a Major who had been prior service about our respective active duty days. The topic of Desert Storm came up, and a new soldier on the shift began listening in. We talked about the invasion of Kuwait, General Schwarzkopf and the other players. When we finished, the Private looked at me with a puzzled look and said “Sergeant, so that really happened?” My jaw just dropped.

Response by LTJG Richard Bruce made Oct 9 at 2018 10:27 PM

LTJG Richard Bruce — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 22:27:02 -0400

I'm around high school athletes a lot. Majority know nothing about the national anthem.

Response by Capt Jeff S. made Oct 10 at 2018 3:00 AM

Capt Jeff S. — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 03:00:50 -0400

You won't find Marines that don't know who Smedley Butler, Dan Daly, and Chesty Puller are. And I'd be willing to bet that they have studied Desert Storm and most all would know who General Norman Schwarzkopf is. Colin Powell was Chairman of the JCS, and I'm sure some might know him, but I'm less confident that today's troops would know who he is.

The Corps has always stressed studying history and that is one of the cultural differences between the Army and Marines. The Marines are very into history... especially Marine Corps history! I'm not trying to poke the Army in the eye; just stating a fact. PME (Professional Military Education) is a requirement for ALL RANKS of Marines. And 18 years ago when I left, there was a gap in Army leadership -- not as much with the Officers, but especially at the SNCO and NCO level. The Marines at the NCO level were definitely more schooled in history, warfighting, and leadership. Again, this was 18 years ago and the Army may have since emulated that PME aspect of leadership training and closed the gap.

As an aside, I'm not sure if the Marines have continued to progress or if they have started to regress... What I heard recently has me questioning what's going on in today's Marine Corps as far as discipline and conduct. Again, I'm not trying to poke anyone in the eye, but things seem to be slacker than when I was in. In two years, the guys coming in when I retired will be eligible to retire, so virtually an entire generation of Marines has grown up in the Corps since I left and things may have changed. Personally, I feel like Obama's use of the military as a social experiment may be the root cause of the lack of discipline.

My cousin is with the Myrtle Beach Police Dept and [being equally honest] he related an observation to me... He said, "We get groups of military guys down at the beach all the time and I can look at them and the way they stand and carry themselves and I can immediately tell if they're Army or Marines." He added, "If there's trouble and we ask the Army guys to leave, they tend to listen pretty well and they just get out of there. The Marines are generally younger and they don't listen to anybody; they just get loud, obnoxious, and stupid when they're drinking. When they're causing trouble and we ask them to leave, they tend to stick around and give us a hard time... and they end up getting arrested!" <@@>

I don't remember being like that when I was a troop, but we did have our share of belligerents. That said, if you were in a group out in town and one guy started acting stupidly, the others would intervene and give him the what for. They would try to keep him out of trouble so they wouldn't get in trouble! I'm not sure if we've gotten worse in this area with Millenials simply being more self-absorbed instead of being team players and not getting the whole look out for your buddy thing... or if things haven't changed at all? It could just be my faulty memory...

Response by Cpl Jeff N. made Oct 10 at 2018 6:32 AM

Cpl Jeff N. — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 06:32:09 -0400

It isn't just the schools. It is the Army too. You all do not teach enough history, customs and courtesies in boot camp or on an ongoing basis. Every Marine knows Chesty, Dan Daily, Alfred Cunningham, Archibald Henderson and a host of other historical figures. They know about Chapultepec, the Banana Wars, Belleau Wood, Guadalcanal, Iwo, Hue, Khe Sanh and a bunch of other places. The public schools do not and have not taught that level of detail even when I went to school. If you want them to know it, you have to create courses for it and teach it. I am sure the training schedule is packed with a host of less important things than knowing your legacy.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 10 at 2018 9:08 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 09:08:33 -0400

I've answered several questions on RP from guys wanting to know the difference between the Army and the Marines. Having served in both branches, I gladly offer my opinion. While there are pros and cons to each, the Marine Corps far outdoes the Army in this area. When I went to boot camp, Marine Corps history was the focus for about the first 4 weeks. Dan Daly, Smedley Butler, Archibald Henderson, Pappy Boyington, Opha Mae Johnson, Chest Puller, etc. etc. This list goes on. Part of the esprit de corps in the Marines comes from the history that's instilled in boot camp. The Army (and other branches) would do well to follow suit.

Response by LTC John Griscom made Oct 10 at 2018 9:38 AM

LTC John Griscom — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 09:38:43 -0400

Powell and Schwarzkopf aren't in any of the video games they grew up with.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Oct 10 at 2018 6:29 PM

LTC Stephen F. — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 18:29:01 -0400

Thank you my friend CH (MAJ) William Beaver for asking an intriguing question.
To be honest, I would expect that in public schools in the 1990s and early 21st century the focus in history was on popular figures. The focus on current events and figures as opposed to actual historic events and historical figures who actually affected the nation and the world has created a generation or two who is historically illiterate.
Desert Storm in 1991 was significant to those involved in that operation and Operation Desert Shield. However that short war and the no-fly zones was probably given short shrift in High School and Middle School/Junior High School. Most likely the students have learned about WWII [positive] and the Vietnam War [negative].
[Update] I expect each public High School student would have received the basics at least to understand WWII [causes, summaries, and results Marshall and MacArthur plans as a minimum] as well as the Vietnam War. Private school and home school students probably have a much better understand9ng of the causes and effects of WWII and the Vietnam war.
Thanks for mentioning me Capt Jeff S..
What do you think? COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC Private RallyPoint Member Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Lt Col Charlie Brown Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. 'Bill' Price Maj Marty Hogan SCPO Morris Ramsey SGT Mark Halmrast Sgt Randy Wilber Sgt John H. SGT Gregory Lawritson CPL Dave Hoover SSgt Brian Brakke 1stSgt Eugene Harless CPT Scott Sharon

Response by SPC Margaret Higgins made Oct 10 at 2018 6:39 PM

SPC Margaret Higgins — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 18:39:18 -0400

GENERAL NORMAN SWARZKOPF, JR., AND GENERAL COLIN POWELL: YOU TWO GENERALS ARE SOME OF THE BEST GENERALS THAT WE HAVE EVER HAD; in my humble estimation. CH (MAJ) William Beaver

Response by CPL Dave Hoover made Oct 10 at 2018 7:35 PM

CPL Dave Hoover — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 19:35:09 -0400

CH (MAJ) William Beaver Unbelievable and disappointing. They should be household names, but they should be taught by the Army leadership as part of U. S. and military history.

Response by MSG Frank Kapaun made Oct 10 at 2018 8:35 PM

MSG Frank Kapaun — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 20:35:16 -0400

To paraphrase an old expression, you could fill a book with what people don’t know. That said, the young in the army do not have any interest in their services history.

Response by Nicci Eisenhauer made Oct 10 at 2018 10:45 PM

Nicci Eisenhauer — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 22:45:03 -0400

US Army Heritage & Education Center... one of the founders, LTC (Ret) Rich Laskoski is one of my life's greatest mentors. https://ahec.armywarcollege.edu

Response by SSgt Boyd Herrst made Oct 11 at 2018 12:04 AM

SSgt Boyd Herrst — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 00:04:14 -0400

We can blame that on those types that are trying to wipe out history because certain things such war is offensive to people or for some obscure reason or not..

Response by MSG John Duchesneau made Oct 11 at 2018 12:56 AM

MSG John Duchesneau — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 00:56:25 -0400

Why should they? Is American history - particularly military history - taught in schools? No. Are they old enough to remember? No. A 20 year old Specialist of today was born in 1998 - 7 years after Desert Storm ended. Yes, the Army should teach its Soldiers more of its history - at all rank levels. There should be a history component to all professional education courses.
Its just an observation but I have known a fair number of Soldiers and a fair number of military history buffs. Guess what? - there are very few people who are both.
Sure, we should know people like Powell and Schwarzkopf but I honest don't expect too many people to know many famous generals beyond Washington, Grant, Lee, Jackson, Pershing, Eisenhower, Bradley, Patton and Mac Arthur.
Yes, I would like more interest in the likes of Nathanael Greene, Winfield Scott, Zachary Taylor, William Sherman, Nelson Miles and Matthew Ridgeway but I don't see that happening any time soon.

Response by SSgt Boyd Herrst made Oct 11 at 2018 11:52 AM

SSgt Boyd Herrst — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 11:52:39 -0400

I think those in all the Military just coming in learn about their leader’s history and an occasional survey through the years to see what is still remembered by the Soldiers, Sailirs, Marines, Airmen and Coast Guard members..

Response by CW3 Susan Burkholder made Oct 12 at 2018 10:08 AM

CW3 Susan Burkholder — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 10:08:19 -0400

You can't teach history before it happens. You can't even teach current events as historical-there would be no perspective. It would be controversial and emotionally difficult. So this applies to the age group you are referencing. The Iraq War is still ongoing. It would not have been taught to that age group while they were in school.

I can assure all the hand wringers out there, that the Gulf War is included in all Us History curriculum. Here's the thing: history has to be taught chronologically. Recent events like the Gulf War probably aren't going to make the cut, especially under the intense pressures schools face with standardized testing.

The in-depth portion of both the Gulf War and the Iraq War will come in due time.

Response by PO1 Chad Alcock made Oct 12 at 2018 2:33 PM

PO1 Chad Alcock — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 14:33:39 -0400

When I was in the Army, in 1999 or 2000, I went with a group of soldiers, all of us in our early 20s to the 6th floor museum in Dallas. They had a display that dealt with Cuba. The soldiers with me knew who Elian Gonzalez is, but not Fidel Castro. I actually asked where they had gone to school. So unfortunately, it's not a new phenomenon.

Response by SFC Steven Barry made Oct 17 at 2018 3:53 PM

SFC Steven Barry — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 15:53:16 -0400

When you address him it is Mr. Lastname. When you respond to him it is Sir.

Response by MSgt Grant Andrews made Oct 30 at 2018 9:14 PM

MSgt Grant Andrews — Tue, 30 Oct 2018 21:14:51 -0400

Men the likes of Swartkoff and Powel are far and few between. I’m retired military and find it difficult to believe that contemporary war-making and all the stuff that goes with it is not openly discussed and effectively analyzed with the goal of portraying the most important role any government can provide; the safety and security of its people. As far as ruffling the feathers of I’ll informed, educators who often fall short in understanding the actual goals of the war-fighter, let them eat cake, I hear it goes well with the crow they often eat.

Response by SPC Stephen Walsh made Oct 30 at 2018 10:35 PM

SPC Stephen Walsh — Tue, 30 Oct 2018 22:35:57 -0400

I recall during Basic 1964 we had to attend U S history classes (staying awake was not easy). Then with 7th Army Germany were had mandatory class on the Army in Europe WW 1 & 2. Plus tour of battlefields and graveyards.

Response by SPC Johnny Velazquez, PhD made Nov 5 at 2018 12:54 PM

SPC Johnny Velazquez, PhD — Mon, 05 Nov 2018 12:54:28 -0500

When I was in the Army, I knew who Patton was, heck, I knew who some of the top generals were in WWl. I was taught in school. The current divide and animosity toward the military by the education system is at fault.

Response by LTC John Griscom made Nov 7 at 2018 10:26 AM

LTC John Griscom — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 10:26:06 -0500

Two things: one, they are not on any of their video games; second, our education systems are only teaching political correct subjects that avoid what is, to the system, nonessential.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 11 at 2018 12:28 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 11 Nov 2018 12:28:34 -0500

Because important previously required academic subjects have been slowly and systematically removed from the curriculum. The administrators and teachers in our Education System, from Grade School through Colleges and Universities, are mostly Liberal and progressive far left democrats and very, very "Politically Correct." The BS started in the early 60's with segregation of schools and bussing of students. And, in most Colleges and Universities, students are far more interested in where the next party is than their GPA. The following would be a start for a fix; GET RID OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND RETURN CONTROL TO THE INDIVIDUAL STATES. QUIT GRADING ON A CURVE AND RAISE THE STANDARDS BACK TO PRE-1960 LEVELS. DRAMATICALLY INCREASE DISCIPLINE IN THE CLASSROOM AND ON THE SCHOOL GROUNDS, YEAR AROUND SCHEDULES, UNIFORMS, AND PHYSICAL TRAINING CLASSES, GET RID OF ALL THE TRIVIAL SUBJECTS AND TEACH MUCH MORE HISTORY GEOGRAPHY AND READING COMPREHENSION. DEMAND STUDENTS APPLY THEMSELVES OR MOVE THEM TO A STRICTLY CONTROLLED TRADE SCHOOL SO THEY CAN AT LEAST LEARN A SKILL THAT WILL PROVIDE THEM WITH A JOB AND KEEP THEM OFF THE WELFARE ROLES.

Our school system was good until the Liberal US Government, (John and Bobby Kennedy) and the ACLU/NAACP got involved. Over the years since, schools have been integrated even when parents of all races did not want integration. (Kids on Busses 2-4 hours a day) Also, the academic standards have been systemically lowered over the last 30 years. Presently, they are lowered to the point of stupidity, and no longer challenge the average student; which creates excessive boredom in the school environment. This is absolutely true. I watched it happen. (In 1962 I was a 101st Airborne MP on the steps of "Ole Miss" when Mississippi defied the law by not letting Mr. Meredith enroll in Mississippi State.) If I had school age kids today, they would be sent to a private school or home schooled.

I went to a one room country schoolhouse in Eaton County Michigan that was heated with a Coal burning pot-belly stove and no inside plumbing. Yes, we used “Outhouses” that were freezing in the winter and smelled terrible in the summer, but we got an education. In fact, I would put any of our students from the Eighth Grade up against most High School Graduates today. We studied Math, (add, subtract, multiply and divide whole numbers/decibels/fractions/memorized the multiplication tables/geometry, English and English Lit, World and US Geography, American and World History, Civics, and a host of other topics picked by our teacher. K thru 8th Grade was all in the same room. The Teacher would call each grade to a long bench in the front of the room and cover specific lessons/topics for the day. If one cared to listen, all of us got exposed to everyone else’s lessons. It was fun to listen to what the “Big Kids” were learning, and it peaked everyone’s curiosity level.
Remember, this was between 1946 and 1955. There were no electronic aides of any kind, not even TV. One actually had to learn how to write in legible cursive with real Ink. (That’s a real Bitch when one is left-handed).

I could not afford to go to College, so I joined the Army in 1961 and really didn’t keep up with what was happening to America’s education system. However, the last three years, (1979-80-81) I was an Army Recruiting Station Commander of a 6 man station on the north side of Flint, Michigan. It was required to recruit in all of the High Schools in that area. As Station Commander I visited all the schools multiple times. To say the least, I got a very rude awaking. Schools then, and even more so today, lack discipline. Teachers get little or no respect; parents seldom attend any conferences or meetings with teachers, and most are looking for a way to sue the school district. From school administrators to the lowest paid school employee, most are paranoid and politically correct to the point of being completely ludicrous. I fear that without some serious intervention, American Students are just going to get dumber and dumber until we do not have enough educated people to keep America alive. Hopefully, President Trump and his administration will correct this huge issue.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 11 at 2018 12:29 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 11 Nov 2018 12:29:06 -0500

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 20 at 2018 9:42 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 09:42:19 -0500

If it isn't related to entertainment, then most Americans don't know it.

Response by SSG Chris Gursky made Jan 8 at 2019 8:08 AM

SSG Chris Gursky — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 08:08:12 -0500

it’s just time turning hoss, these kids don’t know history, most of em don’t know their own much less military history or the countrys history. The machine doesn’t encourage them to learn any more than is required to pass standard tests

Response by SSG William Bruno made Dec 13 at 2019 4:50 PM

SSG William Bruno — Fri, 13 Dec 2019 16:50:51 -0500

Civics is no longer required for graduation from High School. Neither is going deep to understand the issues of today. I always wanted to know something about why I was deployed.

Response by SSgt Boyd Herrst made Dec 17 at 2019 4:32 PM

SSgt Boyd Herrst — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 16:32:38 -0500

The liberals want these kids to be naive so they have no facts to back their arguments with

Response by MAJ Ron Peery made May 18 at 2020 8:50 AM

MAJ Ron Peery — Mon, 18 May 2020 08:50:07 -0400

Few schools teach ANY history. What they call history is usually some left wing revision or so watered down that it isn't recognizable as a record of past events.