Why is the "military only" aspect on RallyPoint so important to you?

I love RallyPoint, because it connects the past, current and future vets together. Its awesome its Great!!

I agree with you. When I was active duty I made it my mission to learn from everyone, private to general, from great to horrible. What I have learned is that we all start at a lower level and sometimes we all have different opinions on what is right and what is wrong. Experience has a lot to do with that. A true leader is one who has made mistakes and learned from their mistakes. Keep on letting your opinions and questions flow. It is important to keep this up because you are the one to carry that torch after our seniors retire. Not all leaders are like what you have expressed.

Thanks, appreciate your service!

When I was an E4-E6 I was rarely asked for my opinion, although occasionally, the whole unit or team I happened to be on would be asked for 'input'. There really wasn't a good way to give input except sending a suggestion up through the chain. The chain is designed to keep information from going too high though. Once I made Chief, I found myself in a lot more meetings, but I was disappointed to discover that the higher ranking people mostly had meetings in order to have meetings and to plan for the next meeting. There was a pooling of ignorance more often in decision making rather than a pooling of knowledge. The thing that I found in dealing with the upper echelons was that they often could handle the political angles of a situation and the fiscal issues, but needed ground level input on practical things because most had either never done the actual job or they had done it so long ago that their skills were out dated.

Thanks for the higher level of intelligence comment...of course you forgot to tag me...but I know it was in your heart. :)

MSG Brad Sand Well YEAH! Of course I was talking about you. I don't think there was a doubt in anyone's mind. :-)

Well said

MSG Brad Sand especially when we talk in acronyms.  I gotta say, its nice to be able to talk in acronyms sometimes knowing your audience is more likely to understand you.  

Cpl Joseph Radzinski

People often for get what the Marines did do in the Civil War...oh, not long ago? :) I salute you as well. To your comment, I remember some in ANCOC talking about the kids today not having all the things you mentioned, and recalling someone else making a very similar comment...Socrates. I pointed out that they were right, and Socrates was right 2500 years ago and the group of senior NCO a couple decades ago were just as right when they were saying the same thing about us?

I think many of our fellow citizens have the seeds for all of these traits, but like a seedling in the forest, sometime trash needs to be burned away for these great things could take root. We do not have the same numbers of people with military service in our Nation and where else does a young adult get the chance to go through the crucible and become a 'man' or a 'woman'? How many children are living at home in these days?

LTC Hillary Luton

Of course there is another complete culture of acronyms I am way behind on...LOL, ROFL, WTF, OMG...but I do like ours much better.

haha MSG Brad Sand

Roger that, James!

MSG Brad Sand And? SPC James Mcneil Absolutely!

I think he's saying we have to sugar coat things for officers. *grin*

Other members MIGHT, but it is often hard to dig through and find it? Often things end up going down a rabbit hole.

Let's get a few tunnel rats to collapse those holes.

I love how I can talk to other military members and have an actual discussion and not feel so alone out or of place with my civilian friends/people/life. 

I feel connected and not so alone in a way

if u love information by comparison or just a forum for military discuss, then u would love RP.

I am way to political on FB.  half of my posts are political news or comments. A few people have blocked my posts.  Don't care.  Its my page.  

Sgt Packy Flickinger, I agree. While I still maintain a certain decorum on FB as I do here, I tend to be a bit more frank and zealous with my wording while still leaving out the emotionality. I've had several "left-wingers" delete me from their friends list because they couldn't stand my "hate" (their word). The irony is their verbage was replete with vitriol, insults and name calling including calling for the deaths of conservatives. Sadly, they resorted to those tactics when I pointed out, with real scientific facts, their fallacies and inaccuracies in their assertions. The really bizarre was those who NEVER served having the audacity to call me unpatriotic. SMH!!!

SSG (Join to see) Oh yea, I hear you there. I hear stupid things from libs all the time. One guy was calling Romney names and said he voted for Obama because "Romney was never in the military". When I brought up Obama wasn't either and Romney at least presented a valid birth certificate, the conversation ended. There is so much hypocrisy out there right now, it is completely mind boggling.

SFC Mark Merino, I completely agree. I have felt sidelined after leaving the military and RP helps me reconnect.