RallyPoint: the new bashing forum?

Ike, I commend your logic and wisdom and hope that you follow in your mentor's path and share the Faith as we said in the 60's and 70's, because when he passes you become the mentor as you are doing so now. As for those that rant and post negative comments they serve a purpose which is an opportunity for all to practice handling interpersonal communication and expression which is similar to what you experience when you go out the wire and you deal with the local populace and the unarmed enemy. Rally Point gives lower ranks an opportunity to question rank and those that claim experience. You got to give the devil his dues!

not at all SSG. I generally like poking fun at everyone too. no harm between brothers and sisters teasing each other. I don't like to see a Soldier asking why their Platoon Sergeant can miss PT and they can't. Maybe that PSG was busy and since when does the PSG answer to a private. I don't like seeing SSG saying that the CSM is only around to complicate things and that Captains can do the job better. I don't like another NCO saying that one of his peers is stupid and how his selection to SFC should have come prior to the moron he was under.
how I feel about the terrorists serving in our corps, give me the rope! Akbar and that MAJ need to be hung. Bergdahl, I don't know the truth. his BN CDR said some things about him, but I have served quite a bit and most BN CDRs don't have a clue about a SPC in their ranks. Would have been more believable to me if the PL/PSG had come out. since the boys in that unit said something, I tend to side with them. his story is quite shady and I wouldn't trust him. as for the ranger that recently died, I sympathize with he and his family. notice how there was no last video for him. he died remembering his oath. he died with honor. and I hope we kill every single bastard that had a hand in his death. we can complain, but remain loyal at the same time.

MSG (Join to see) , Yes, okay, I get your point. However about CSM comment and not walking on the grass, that is way too common for it to go away any time soon. I now work as a civilian professional now, I have an opportunity to see patients from other facilities and clinics and get some of the same responses about other professionals, which makes me negatively biased about their work. I keep my negative bias to myself...I stay professional. I never want to get a phone call from an attorney about a libel lawsuit, but I also want my peers to know I am a professional. I attribute that from a learned behavior from military service, see, another carry-over that helped me in my civilian persuits. Ranger On, MSG. Make it a great day.

"Out of the Mouth of Babes" as the saying goes, because some times the lowest ranks fresh to the service and full of hope, innocence and a spark of wisdom can enlighten us old souls and by the same token we Old Timers can impart some life learned lesson on our future service members and leaders.

(that was a joke)

I agree wholeheartedly with You, SGT Glenn. In just the past day, I have had several nice conversations with individuals who had a MUCH higher rank than I did, but they were speaking as individuals, not as if they were people in my rank structure or anything. Honestly, I have had almost entirely good experiences on here. I actually use this site as a form of therapy for me. I am medically retired and live in Phoenix, AZ, and everything you have seen on the news over the past several months regarding the PHX VA is true. I had a good friend of mine, whom I deployed with, kill himself last year because they were jerking him around so bad, telling him he missed appointments, cancelling others, and telling him he had yet others, and then telling him he didn't have any when he showed up, because nothing was ever entered in the system. I experienced this as well, over the last couple of years. Luckily, I found this site, and it has been very good for my psyche, being able to connect with the military community on this level, to be able to talk to people who have been through a lot of the things I have as well, and there tends to be a pretty conservative slant to most of the members. Not necessarily a Republican slant or anything, but people who have actual conservative values. Go figure, since this is a community of individuals who all stood up and said "Pick me, I'll go!", to offer themselves up to protect our country. There are, however those few individuals who think that rank has privileges on here. I actually had one 1SG (I won't name him, because I am not a gossip, and don't believe in dragging people through the mud when they aren't present to defend themselves) that actually said he was a 1SG, and didn't appreciate being lectured and berated by a SGT. I will freely admit that I kinda, sorta went off on him a little bit, but while I was screaming in my head and giving him a mental beatdown he probably felt through the computer, I still managed as much respect for his rank as i could muster. I firmly believe that respect is something that is earned, not given, and saying the things he said in the thread on religious zealotry was past a line to a point where I was not only personally affronted, but i felt that what he was saying directly impuned my faith, and my faith in my country. And then there was the CPT who wouldn't know Texas if it smacked him in the face, browbeating an LT who merely attempted to correct him on some facts involving dates and other historical items that are easily accessible to anyone with a computer. He then tried to pull the I know better than you because I outrank you card. I will never tell anyone they are wrong, or they are not as informed as I am, unless they first A) prove it, and B) I can PROVE otherwise with actual evidence via links or something else they can look up on their own to verify. I believe firmly that if you have a million people together, you are going to have a million different views on the same issue. People are unique, and they have different experiences in life, and those experiences shape their world view, good or bad. Having discussions on issues, we are generally putting forth our opinions on things. This is called debating. Some people have a tendency to mistakes opinions with facts, and therefore try to attack people and beat them into thinking the same way they do. having said all that, other than the 2 situations I mentioned, i treat everyone as an equal on here, from the cherriest Private, to the CW5s and other senior Officers and NONCOMs I have conversed with. And I always use the person's rank, not as a show of either subservience or power, but as a show of respect for what that person has done, which is volunteer to serve their country. If you come at me with respect and decorum, you will be accorded in return that same level. It is good to get to "know" people on here, from all different walks of life, ranks, services, eras, etc... It has been an eye-opening experience thus far, and I feel comfortable being myself. Unfortunately for some of you, I can be very passionate and opinionated, and long winded!!! Like I said, this is the best therapy for me I have experienced in years, maybe excepting my wife, but even more in some ways, because she knows me like noone else, but she is still a civilian and there are things she just can't understand without having experienced it. So, to all of you with whom I have conversed, and those of you I will talk with in the future, thank you for being here. I truly mean that!