Why is the military so resistant to change?

SGT David T. — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 15:42:47 -0500

In the past few months we have seen homosexuals being allowed to serve openly. Talk of allow transgender individuals to do the same. The opening up of combat jobs to women. This is not new. If we look back to the Civil War we saw the same resistance to African-American Soldiers being able to serve. WWII with African-Americans being allowed to be fighter pilots. The ending of segregation in the military. As I read through the posts it's always doom and gloom and people digging their heels into resist. In the end, everything always works out. Why is that? Wouldn't it be better to simply embrace the change, treat people with respect and figure out how to make it work?

Response by SSG Audwin Scott made Dec 7 at 2015 3:46 PM

SSG Audwin Scott — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 15:46:08 -0500

Change is inevitable!

Response by Col Joseph Lenertz made Dec 7 at 2015 3:58 PM

Col Joseph Lenertz — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 15:58:59 -0500

Mostly because it's a big bureaucracy, and big bureaucracies turn around slower than a battleship. One piece is money. There is a fixed budget. You can spend money on making a fighter better, or you can spend it on Female Bladder Relief and ACES II modifications to accommodate females' smaller frames and lower bone density. In some cases, there are pragmatic cost-benefit analysis that should be done, but aren't, because politics and correctness override added cost and lower effectiveness. In the end, all your examples actually show the military does change, and ends up reflecting the society it draws from. Just takes a while.

Response by SFC Stephen King made Dec 7 at 2015 4:01 PM

SFC Stephen King — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 16:01:14 -0500

"There is no growth without change, no change without loss and no loss without pain." Author Unknown

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Dec 7 at 2015 4:04 PM

Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 16:04:23 -0500

All "organizations" are change adverse. Individuals generally are not, but when you have a collection of us, change causes "ripples" which screws up "order."

The Military is a minimally orderly organization or barely contained chaos, and we (individually) fear that any change will be the card that causes the entire castle to crumble. It's a completely unreasonable fear to the point of subliminal paranoia.

Basically, we just don't like change because it scares us. It's going to cause us more work. All the rules are going to change, and we're barely keeping up with all the rules changing as it is.

When you add in BIG changes on top of all the little changes....the "collective" pushes back hard.

Response by MCPO Roger Collins made Dec 7 at 2015 4:11 PM

MCPO Roger Collins — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 16:11:09 -0500

They are just like any other government agency. Led by civilians, most that have never served, and only know regulations. Don't think, just follow the rules and policies of the past. Let those below the rank of O-6 make the call and I would bet there would be lots and lots of changes.

Response by SGT Lawrence Corser made Dec 7 at 2015 4:33 PM

SGT Lawrence Corser — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 16:33:04 -0500

Good question, Only god knows or whom ever is the all knowing power. I was joking with my granddad this weekend about the same stuff he had to do at the end of ww2 and korea

Response by CPT Ahmed Faried made Dec 7 at 2015 4:50 PM

CPT Ahmed Faried — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 16:50:30 -0500

It is a generally conservative profession..that would be my guess.

Response by Capt Mark Strobl made Dec 7 at 2015 7:00 PM

Capt Mark Strobl — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 19:00:28 -0500

First, I like your perspective. However, I disagree with the way you couched the question... then, followed it up with all the social changes. Reason: In the many ways you cited, the military has been light years ahead of the civilian world. All things considered an (fill in the rank) gets the same pay as any other --regardless of sex, sexual orientation, skin color, religion, etc. The military has figured it out, sometimes slowly, because they've had to.

Response by SGM Steve Wettstein made Dec 7 at 2015 8:44 PM

SGM Steve Wettstein — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 20:44:37 -0500

SGT David T. That is an easy question to answer. We like a regimented life. Change makes us do something that is different and a lot of times out of our comfort zones. Some deal poorly with change because it is not what they are used to.

Response by PO3 Sherry Thornburg made Dec 8 at 2015 6:51 PM

PO3 Sherry Thornburg — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 18:51:58 -0500

Invoking tradition and "we have always done it this way."