Why does Garrison life continue to interject itself into our deployments?

2015-06-02T23:28:31-04:00

I am currently on my 4th deployment and it seems that each time I am deployed more and more of garrison life follows. Things that would not be a good idea in areas where you have IDF (Indirect Fire) happening i.e. organized PRT runs, APFT, organization functions, etc. I don’t object to these things and I am sure risk mitigation is being done but it seems that now a days commands are more focused on all of these aspects of Garrison life rather than the mission at hand. If anyone knows why please inform me or if you are experiencing the same thing let me know.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 2 at 2015 11:31 PM

2015-06-02T23:31:14-04:00

Motor stables will come next my friend! Look out, here comes another police call!

Good luck over there brother!

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 2 at 2015 11:35 PM

2015-06-02T23:35:51-04:00

SFC Private RallyPoint Member Time, time, time...we have been in a place way too long and complacency has crept in, so now we are starting to come up with ideas that sometime don't pass the common sense test. Would like to say this is something new, but unfortunately, it isn't!

Response by SSG Roger Ayscue made Jun 2 at 2015 11:59 PM

2015-06-02T23:59:18-04:00

Because the CSM is bored? When you have rooms/bunks/a PX/etc it seems like garrison, even though there are those that would kill you right out the wire. War today is not like it was even 20 or 25 years ago. Troops have laptops and facetime with home and cell phones.
WOW
Perhaps, and I am just guessing as an Old retired fart that it seems more like garrison because it is more like garrison.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Jun 3 at 2015 4:36 AM

2015-06-03T04:36:58-04:00

Bloody Daft isn't it. Spit Shine, Pomp and Ceremony is all well and good back here in the Good Old USA but really has no place in a War Theater. I understand where you are coming from. It would be like us Painting the ship stem to stern while on Picket Duty. Makes more sense just before we pull into home port.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 3 at 2015 4:54 AM

2015-06-03T04:54:45-04:00

SFC Private RallyPoint Member, I feel that it's a sign of progress! Please hear me out... although I don't enjoy some of our garrison-standard activities, I like what it signifies. Ideally, there would be no "garrison standard" versus "combat standard."

If we were able to maintain our garrison standards (e.g. clean boots, saluting officers, weekly hair cuts, crisp and clean uniforms, PMCSing our vehicles weekly, etc.) at all times, 24x7x365, whether garrison or deployed, no matter our location, WE WOULD. However, if we're short-staffed or feeling overwhelmed by our enemies, our enemies can see that they are winning because it's obvious we're sleep-deprived, dirty, lacking discipline, and have ill-prepared equipment.

Establishing garrison standards in our war zones is a signal to the enemy. They can see that we consider them to be no big deal because we're doing business as usual and not sweating them at all.

Response by CSM Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 3 at 2015 6:41 AM

2015-06-03T06:41:36-04:00

Because if standards and discipline are not enforced Soldiers will do....for a lack of a better term, stupid shit!

Now I don't agree with unit runs, that's ridiculous however, MWR sponsored runs happen at least once a month. I am currently deployed to Bagram and the things I see Soldiers doing is out of control. There seems to be no supervision of enlisted Soldiers at all. The Green Bean is always packed, the MWR is always packed, Soldiers are wondering around aimlessly. It's pretty pathetic.

The APFT is a semi annual requirement. If the operational environment allows why wouldn't you conduct an APFT? Soldiers that are unsupervised by NCOs will sit around and do nothing for nine months, or they will lift weights and get so big they can't run 100 meters.

The reason discipline is so poor in the Army is because leaders let standards slip during deployments. It starts with little things like cuffing your sleeves, wearing eye pro that's not APEL approved, letting Soldiers un-tuck their P.T. shirts in the gym, etc. Once you let the little things slip you start a snowball effect.

I agree that some units go a little too far with some things in a deployed environment but discipline must be maintained whether deployed or back at home station in the U.S.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 3 at 2015 8:42 AM

2015-06-03T08:42:14-04:00

The thing to keep in mind is that a deployment today is not the same thing as a deployment back in 2005. While the "threat" does exist, it is not near where it was. We can implement the garrison life a little more into the deployed life because Soldiers generally have the time/ability to do it.