Posted on Mar 3, 2015
SFC Explosive Ordnance Disposal Specialist
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I'm having a hard time deciding whether the discipline and general day to day attitude of junior Soldiers is steadily deteriorating or if my perception has changed due to life experience and the maturation of my career.

While I realize that ten years ago my first platoon sergeant probably had the exact same thoughts about my generation of recruits, it seems hard to believe that I was as undisciplined and out of control as some of the Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen I've encountered recently. I am an instructor at a joint-service school, and the situation doesn't seem to be isolated to any particular branch. Don't get me wrong - there are still outstanding young men and women coming into service every day, but in general it seems like the quality of recruit is declining. I can't be the only one that feels this way, can I?
Posted in these groups: Discipline1 Discipline
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CW5 Desk Officer
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You make a good point, SFC (Join to see). I'm an old (retired) Soldier, so I feel what you are describing. I see Soldiers every day at my work. As you noted, there are some great Soldiers serving. That gives me hope. And then there are discipline issues that would not have "flown" in my day. I guess this is a generational phenomenon -- things just keep changing, and old timers think that the changes, especially when they relax standards, are for the worse.
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SSG Walter Corretjer
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You're are right.The Army in recent years,has gone very low on its standars,discipline and demands.
You can even see,in Basic Training,the limited push on privates,it was seen years ago.In these days,DI's are even prohibited of making privates pull on push ups,when
performing on a substandard way.
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SGT Josheua Cooke
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I can appreciate your plight. I believe it is a steady mixture of both. Look at work ethics and overall sense of entitlement in millennials born between 1983 and 1994. Generally speaking, people between the ages of 22 and 33 will be more matureized, responsible and feel less entitled than those born from 1995 on.

Keep in mind as an NCO, you have been through the ringer enough to be annoyed by junior soldiers acting up or whining when it will do the least to make the situation better. I had a myriad of better analogies and examples but the TBI kicked in.
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