Posted on Sep 11, 2021
SGT Jose Perdelia-Torres
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Please do not comment if you are still serving in the Military in some capacity; a/o where potentially your job, livelihood, or position could be at risk.
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MSgt Charles Burks
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Lessons from my life in the Military (Army 1960-1968) & Air Force (1982-2000)

From my time as a Combat Engineer and Artillery Officer I came to realize that Rank (Income), Race, Religion, Gender, Education or Politics did not matter when the bullets, shells, and bombs started flying. We are brothers in arms, our lives depend on putting those things on the back burner. We are American soldiers, PERIOD! If you didn’t want to do that, your odds of coming back home were at risk! I cried when a soldier was wounded or killed, all I saw was the blood was red and they died fighting for each other! I cry when I see a soldier come home with an American flag draped coffin and feel the pain of the family that has sacrificed a loved one for this Country. It hurts to watch people kneel or burn the very flag they died for. I remember the pride I felted during a parade formation and hearing the National Anthem. I loved my country and still do, with all its faults and was willing to risk everything for it! I remember the treatment we got during the Vietnam Era when coming home, regardless which coast. I remember the spitting and name calling that greeted us. It hurt then, hurts now and is a scar that will go away when I die! It didn’t matter if you serve in Vietnam, it was the uniform they attacked! Sad part is, they didn’t seem to realize they elected the politicians that send us into these wars!
We lost in Vietnam because the politicians ran the war from Washington. We lost because we are a nation of different values and can’t understand those who would wrap their own children in explosives and send them into a group of GIs’ to blow them up, just like I’m seeing our voters do today. What would you do? tell them to halt (stop) when you see them coming and hear their parents tell them to go ahead! Do you shoot them or let them come over and watch your fellow soldiers blown to hell! Makes me think about America today, you’re willing to allow people with this mentality come to your country, infiltrate your government and destroy the country from within.
I have respect for Lt. Audie Murphy because he was the most decorated man in WWII who didn’t have a PhD and very little education but had common sense. I met highly educated Officers who couldn’t figure out how to turn on a military radio without reading the manual! I watched Officers play ball with the corruption in government to retire to a civil service job! Common sense makes a difference. Example, going through Officer Candidate School we had a college grad who, during a compass course came to a pond and lead the men through it. Which does damage to our equipment and the soldier as well based on the weather and time before you can change your cloths and clean your equipment? Once we got to the other side, the instructor asked why he didn’t shoot a reading to a point on the other side and a reference point on the point of entry side of the pond and just walk around the pond! Education doesn’t necessarily make you a good combat leader, but it can make them great planners and tacticians!
After going into the Air Force, I was assigned as a liaison to a government operated database operation. Here, I learned just how corrupt our government (politicians & employees) can be. I realized how deep state corruption worked. I found that they use statistics to their advantage to sway voters. Look at it this way, if I told you your favorite NBA team was racist for playing all white players, you would hear Racism. If players were all black, you won’t hear that. But, from a fan’s perspective, I want to see the best players on the court, the color of their skin doesn’t matter, the talent does. The government (politicians) would give you those same stats and leave out the number of players on the team who are of those same races. It’s a mind game with politicians and it works! They use this bait and switch at re-election time. Did you ever notice how much these career politicians claim they have been fighting for you their entire career, yet nothing has changed other than getting worse for the people and them getting rich? I met ladies who told me they used sex to get promotions and some who didn’t, they experienced sexual harassment but were afraid to report it! I watched members of the military come in and play ball with what was going on to get a civil service job after retirement. They have rules that require a six-month break after retirement before you could be hired as a civil servant at the same agency where you were a liaison, however, if you were a good old boy, they got you a waiver as mission essential! They get around regulations by simply getting a waiver to allow them to do whatever they want. I realized you had to be part of the system if you were going to advance or keep your mouth shut and get by. If you wanted to report the truth, even if it’s you job. Then, you became the target. They would go after the whistle blowers to destroy their characters and make sure if you were on active duty, you would not be reenlisted at the end of your tour and if you had a promotion coming, that was gone too! I’m seeing the same thing going on with President Trump and I know the reason is that the corruption must go on at all costs! Ever wonder how they can come up with all the money for a special council but can’t find enough to increase your social security! I heard programmers telling the top (SES) government official that what they were doing violated the agreement with the reporting agency, only to be told go ahead, I’ll take care of it! Privacy really doesn’t matter because we were told that if you had a social security number, the government is entitled to your information.
I had to be there when President Clinton was visiting to give a speech about how wonderful the closing of Fort Ord, California was for the people. As he spoke about the savings to the people, I wanted to know why the truth wasn’t being told! Fort Ord hasn’t saved a dime from what I could tell. First, the University of California, Monterey Bay is funded by taxpayers. The Army Reserve unit on Fort Ord is taxpayer funded. Defense Manpower Data Center, which has DEERS, DFS and DMDC are taxpayer funded. It still has a Commissary and Exchange which is taxpayer funded. It has military housing which is taxpayer funded. In 1987, taxpayers where still funding five million a year for base clean up. Politicians brag about things but don’t give you the facts about things. They don’t make decisions on anything unless it’s you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. Bottom line for me was that I came to realize that politicians only work for Parties, Special Interests and Donors, not the people! The real problems come from voters who either don’t pay attention, don’t care, hate the country or can’t see the truth! They continue to send the same bunch of politicians back year after year and then wonder why the government is so screwed up! They have no accountability in the government simply because voters never hold their politicians accountable!


I wish we still had the draft to require military service. It could be the answer for some of the problems we have today! It helps to realize that your life depends on one another regardless of race, income or politics!

If I learned anything at all it shows this country needs TERM LIMITS to get rid of corrupt politicians. We desperately need accountability in government which includes government employees. Corruption in our government is deep! Those states that hold their politicians accountable by voting them out are at the mercy of the liberal states who continue to send their liberal people back to Washington. It’s sad to watch the greatest country I’ve ever seen or visited being destroyed, from within and if you’re paying attention, you know it’s happening!
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LTC Force Development
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Thos who think liberals are the sole problem and those who think conservatives are the sole problem... are truly the problem.
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MSgt Charles Burks
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No, hell no! The military has been used at lab rat to long. We need to teach them how to defend the country, skills needs to have a chance of survival.
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PO1 Sam Deel
PO1 Sam Deel
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Yes!
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SP5 Michael Champion
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Any "theory" that is premised by segregating people in to two main categories - Oppressors or Victims - with the determining factor being based solely on skin color is flawed.

I guess that means that I am against our military academies and leadership courses should not be wasting time on a seriously flawed "theory".

I believe that racism and discrimination are 100% wrong. I am all for having military training emphasizing that.
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SSG Dale London
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Folks really need to look into what CRT is and where it comes from. It was introduced to the US by a group of Communist leaning German philosophers who fled Germany before WWII. Once they settled in the US they began teaching social theory grounded in the Frankfurt School which gave rise to Critical Theory -- of which CRT is a subset.
So, if you don't mind being indoctrinated in Marxist group-think and being taught that the United States is evil and systemically racist at its core, then sure -- go ahead and teach it.
On the other hand, if you believe that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land and that supporting anything that tends to undermine or subvert it is a violation of your oath of enlistment, then no.
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LTC Force Development
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BTW CRT is not taught in primary or secondary schools while there are all types of conterversial courses at colleges. So why argue over sonething that does not exist. And no one should feel bad about history or the faults of others but we all can acknowledge those faults and the harm they may have caused.
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PO1 Richard Cormier
PO1 Richard Cormier
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Sadly, they are pushing various aspects of CRT in Elementary, Middle, and High School over teaching History. It is one thing to inform the students how Native Africans (and other races) were used for slavery in the USA, it is another thing to tell the students that all their problems are because of white people.

Just my $0.02
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LTC Force Development
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I would ask that you identify the "they" and what aspects specifically. CRT is not about teaching... let's be real, black people that all of their problems are because of white people. However, this country was founded by white males and designed to protect white land-owning males' interests above all other people. This is why there was suffrage, the 14th amendment, civil rights legislation etc. A few irrefutable facts. African Americans were systemically denied access to state colleges (in the south) regardless of aptitude or ability to pay. Segregation existed and banks would redline communities for loans (people could deny selling homes to others because of race). There is a history of black people being overcharged and over sentenced in this country. Black folks have been disadvantaged by educational, legal, and financial systems for decades. So it is not unreasonable to take a critical look at these systems and their impacts today. BLUF This is a great country founded on great principles by mostly European males. And the history has been that since the signing of the Declaration of Independence this country has not treated all men including women as equals. The Army has been at the forefront of integration and diversity but when I enlisted women were regulated to certain MOS's, it was illegal to be gay, and if you lost a limb you got put out.
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SP5 Michael Champion
SP5 Michael Champion
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LTC (Join to see) - Lyndon

You are the one that claimed that CRT is not being taught in primary or secondary schools.

It is well established fact that CRT was being taught in primary and secondary schools. It became exposed when parents witnessed if happening during the mandated remote education policies.

Stop watching CNN (the Communist News Network) and you might discover what's really happening in this country.
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LTC Force Development
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Allow me to retort:
1. CRT is not taught in elementary schools is a generalization (Fact it is not taught in most schools)
2. CRT is not something new and was not a problem until recently
3. Those who understand education know it's more than just learning facts, but more importantly gaining understanding which requires critical thinking.
4. Many people commenting on issues of the day receive facts from, Media, political leaders, religious leaders, etc., but never reach understanding - this is why you are able to school this LTC with 39 years of enlisted and commissioned service who happens to hold a B.S. in Education.

Final thought: When you were born there were state universities that would not admit black people, not because of ability to pay or aptitude, but solely because of their race. So you should be thankful you had the privilege to attend. But let's not pretend it is good to remain ignorant.
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LTC Donell Kelly
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Since Critical Race Theory has been turned into a flaming Right Wing political trope, how about starting out with the phrase “teaching ACCURATE American history” instead? I used to think I’d had a fairly decent grade/high school education here in AZ, in the 60’s, but that turned out to be false. I’d never heard of the Tulsa black massacre, never heard of causes of/frequency/numbers of hangings of black men in the south (except for Emmett Till) never realized that the routing of the Interstate highways through predominantly areas of color in many cities was often because of either deliberate OR unconscious racism…or just didn’t give a damn because it was recognized that there was NO political down side. I only saw expanding the highway system as “progress” without applying the concepts of fairness or effects on the people displaced.
A fellow soldier, raised & educated in OK, in the 80’s, NEVER heard about the Tulsa massacre. A civilian friend, educated in OK in the 60’s & 70’s also had NEVER heard of the Tulsa massacre.
A Lynching Memorial opened in Alabama in 2018, with MORE THAN 4,000 PANELS, one for each lynching of a black man, woman, or child in the South. It opened in Montgomery, AL, on the site of a former slave wearhouse. It’s 1/2 way between the sale block & the wharf where 10’s of thousands of black slaves, were imported to the US.
What we SHOULD BE TEACHING IS CRITICAL THINKING as well as ACCURATE & TRUTHFUL AMERICAN HISTORY. Both can start (age appropriate) as early as grade school. Of all of our National institutions, I’d think that both would be ESSENTIAL for members of the DOD! I am a retired ANC, 25 yrs of combined AD & USAR Svc.
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SPC John Tacetta
SPC John Tacetta
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SP5 Michael Champion - Also, you'll see that Gray seems down with the rank thing if you read through his rants. C'est la Vie.
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SPC John Tacetta
SPC John Tacetta
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SGT Dan Gray - Marone! Do you think the PT test is some form of Olympic event? The Army doesn't keep track of that shit for any length of time or hand out medals for physical fitness. Besides, I never intimated that I maxed every PT test I ever took (not sure that would have left a record anyway). Seemingly, you read about as well as you think. Read through the statement: "at the end of which". I suppose I could have been more specific: I maxed every PT test in my last year of service. Apparently, practice does makes perfect.
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CMSgt Marcus Falleaf
CMSgt Marcus Falleaf
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There are plenty of the past that people don't know about. Tons of stuff during the Indian wars that no one knows or cares about. By knowing these things does not change the past or the future. Move on.
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SGT Bruce Savage
SGT Bruce Savage
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Wow, you made LTC and never knew that it was the democrats and their militant wing, the KKK, that burned down Black Wall St? You didn't know that it was the Dems who printed out lists of people they wanted to "talk" to, passed the lists out in the south, and when someone informed them where the person could be found the Dems sent out their KKK to kill them? Please tell me that being from AZ you knew it was Dems that were burning down Chinese imigrant neighborhoods. You knew that didn't you? Smh
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SSG Stewart Ritchey
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CRT falls right into line with Hitler's concept of race superiority. To paraphrase him, the bigger lie you tell, the more people believe you. A lust for power, nothing more
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LTC Donell Kelly
LTC Donell Kelly
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Uh, maybe #45’s massive & continuing lies would be a much better comparison!
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LTC David Howard
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If you are not against the lies and deceptions of Critical Race Theory, then you either hopelessly ignorant about history and facts, a Far Left White-hating ideologue, or just a sheeple following whatever those in authority are telling you without any critical thinking.
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LTC Donell Kelly
LTC Donell Kelly
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So sorry tRumpitis has infected you. Hope you recover soon.
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MAJ Elsie Shelton
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No
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