What is your opinion about military being run by civilians?

Maj William Gambrell — Sun, 26 Jul 2015 16:31:40 -0400

During my career as an acquisition officer, I have noticed civilians run the show. I understand the concept of continuity, but it is frustrating watching the bureaucracy created stateside.

Response by PO2 Jonathan Scharff made Jul 26 at 2015 4:36 PM

PO2 Jonathan Scharff — Sun, 26 Jul 2015 16:36:31 -0400

I know this isn't the politically correct answer these days...but I am not a fan of all of these civilian jobs. As I have aged nothing has been more surprising then the utter incompetence of civilian government employees! Anytime someone suggests that a certain service be privatized I start to chuckle. I can't really point to anything the government does well. I for one would like them doing less and certainly not expanding into more military rolls.

Response by SGM Matthew Quick made Jul 26 at 2015 4:45 PM

SGM Matthew Quick — Sun, 26 Jul 2015 16:45:57 -0400

It's a Constitutional thing...some wouldn't understand.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Jul 26 at 2015 4:50 PM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Sun, 26 Jul 2015 16:50:13 -0400

It HAS to be. I worked in TRADOC a few years. Our tours are too short. In the amount of time it took a soldier to get proficient at his new assignment, it was time to go. TRADOC is continually filled with soldiers who either don't know their jobs because they are new, don't want to be there, or who don't have the time or inclination to do their jobs because they are leaving soon and are just looking forward to getting back to the "real Army".. If it wasn't for the civilians, it would be the blind leading the newly blind... The civilians are THE source of knowledge and continuity..

Response by COL Mikel J. Burroughs made Jul 26 at 2015 4:51 PM

COL Mikel J. Burroughs — Sun, 26 Jul 2015 16:51:25 -0400

Maj William Gambrell I've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly side of civilians in the military throughout my career. I use to have a presentation that I did for my civilian occupation about "Eagles and Ducks” Eagles were the ones that could soar and there isn't anything in the world they couldn't accomplish (I consider that to be most of the military personnel with high energy that get the job done without or very little supervision) and then there are the "Ducks", the ones that just sit around in the Duck Pond saying this is the way we've always done it - they just waddle around in the duck pond and quake all day. Now there are some military personnel that I've seen that can be right there with the Ducks, but for the most part I put Government (Federal and State civilian employees) in the big duck pond. If there are any RP members that are Government (Federal or State) employees and this don’t fit in the duck category and have "Eagle Wings" I send my apologies.

Response by SFC Jacob Hinkkanen made Jul 26 at 2015 4:57 PM

SFC Jacob Hinkkanen — Sun, 26 Jul 2015 16:57:09 -0400

Here's my take on it. Civilians aren't held to the same accountability standards as service members are. If we do not perform our jobs to standard things happen to motivate us to do better. When a civilian does poorly they do not get the same supervisory interaction, therefore not increasing the quality/quantity of their work.

I've argued this for a while and always get the, "we're here to support the community" response. There is not a single job on a military installation that does not have a MOS qualified Soldier that can fill it. Yet we pay million dollar contracts for random hero landscaping to butcher lawns in housing or not cut around barracks. That's what extra duty and the residents who lived there were for.
Soldiers are held accountable for their actions or inactions and civilians are not held to the same level. It grinds my gears.

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Jul 26 at 2015 4:58 PM

SSgt Alex Robinson — Sun, 26 Jul 2015 16:58:46 -0400

It's the price we pay for civilian leadership unfortunately