Which direction is our military headed

I don't think that it's headed anywhere good.

I've seen a number of situations where NCOs ended up getting their butts handed to them because some holier than thou E-4 didn't like that he screwed up and got counselled or talked to and went and cried up the COC.

Everyone is afraid to say or do anything that might be remotely considered offensive, suggestive, or sexist/racist because the mighty hand of EO or SHARP could strike them down.

There's more division in this country in and out of the military than I can remember there being in my lifetime.

Same place it always has. Some ways with the "Black" Budget we are leading the way in Technology. In other ways dragging our feet into the future. With our Armed Force being a reflection of Society as a Whole, I am hopeful and a little envious and jealous of the next generation!

Toady's Army is of course trying to steer in a improved/ more disciplined direction, but with all the new policies put in place and the fact you have to watch your back around everyone leads me to beleive otherwise. Now everything is about paper. Everyone wants you to log deficiencies on a 4856 and then give the joes a pep-talk and think everything will be better. For some, yes, this might help them redirect. But for most it doesn't really give them an incentive. Whenever I screwed up I payed for it with time and pain, and I learned that if I goofed again, it would result in the same thing. That straightened me out real fast. Nowadays, you have to be sensitive of everyone's feelings and you can't be over agressive, or else you are "maltreating" your soldiers. How can you instill discipline and teach them to be accountable if all you can really do is give them some routine plan of action, write some little essay, etc...? This has been a big problem for me, and it has been really hard for me to adapt to this new way of thinking. NCO's should be able to fix the problems they see when they see them, and not have to worry about a soldier getting disgruntled and claiming false charges, crying wolf, etc. The Army is in the soldiers' favor and seems to support the new trend of whiny, undisciplined, lazy soldiers that BCT and AIT are producing. NCO's have become "scratching posts" for soldiers. I see it everyday. The problem can't be fixed unless everyone recognizes it and helps to correct it, and once we fix that, the military, and specifically the Army, can start to improve and redirect to higher standards of discipline.