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Command Post What is this?
Posted on Feb 16, 2016
SSG Lon Watson
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LtCol Logistics Officer
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Edited 9 y ago
There is always room in the Army to tighten up just like in any other service. I've been a student of Army schools on numerous occasions and was impressed by the professionalism, engagement and intellect of the Army officers I was learning along side with. I also served in both Iraq and Afghanistan along side them, and depended on them numerous occasions. I was never let down. This is "my Army" too...and I'm just as proud of their service as I am the fellow Marines I serve with. I for one would like to see them tighten up on the discipline (in this case entry level training) and on the weight standards. The rest will/would fall into place. Nothing but respect for them though...they are our brothers, and I'd share a foxhole with any of them any time, any place, as I know they'd have my back as I would have theirs in a firefight. Just look at the population of the Medal of Honor recipients and numerable successes, up to and including the capture of Saddaam Hussein. I've got nothing but respect for our fellow green warriors.
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SPC Cesar Freytes
SPC Cesar Freytes
6 y
The Marines have a disciplinary problem, that's why the Japanese want them out of Okinawa, rape and assault to minor children for you army asses that want to be Marines JOIN THE FRINKING MARINES. I Don't get it
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SFC Dee Emswiler
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Why is this a better way to train? What are the statistics to back it up. How many more % marines get out or stay in after their first enlistment. What is the cost of training a soldier vs. a Marine? How does that make them more effective on today's battle field where most combat is fought at a distance with jets, tanks, artillery, and Multiple Launch Rocket systems? The perception that they think they are better doesn't make them better. They are trained for their job which is small arms combat, as are Special Forces, Delta and Rangers. But if you need a electronics technician to fix communications systems during the mother of all battles or a highly skilled interpreter to translate Arabic and decode the hidden meaning in a terrorist transmission that will save many civilian lives, you don't want an ground pounder who can say Sir Yes Sir. You want a technically trained expert who stayed in the Army for multiple years to hone their craft and increase their knowledge.
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SSG Lon Watson
SSG Lon Watson
9 y
You've missed my point entirely. It's not about cost, technology, or equipment. It's about an ethos!
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SFC Marcus Belt
SFC Marcus Belt
9 y
SSG Lon Watson - It's ALWAYS about cost, man!
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CPL Clyde Willis
CPL Clyde Willis
>1 y
SSG Lon Watson I think you missed the point. It has to be about the cost. Also, what about the other statistics? Have you seen them?
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SGT Richard H.
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SSG Lon Watson Having served first as a Marine, then as a soldier, I'm with you all the way on this one. A couple of things I'd sharpen to a finer point, though:
first, the Army 9-10 weeks and the Marine Corps 13 weeks are not exactly accomplishing the same thing. The Marine Corps 13 weeks results in every Marine being a basic Infantryman, and future MOS training comes on top of that, so I would argue the point about the luxury of time. Army Infantry OSUT is 13 weeks. I'd relate it to that instead of just a plain-jane 10 week boot camp. Time is of the essence for EVERYTHING in Marine Corps Basic training. Also, who told you that Marine Recruits get 30 seconds to put on their pants (Trousers)?? Hell, if they had given me 30 seconds to put on my trousers, I could have slept another 20 seconds!
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Cpl D L Parker
Cpl D L Parker
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Hell, if they had given me 30 seconds to put on my trousers, I could have slept another 20 seconds!...GOOD ONE :-D
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GySgt Infantry Unit Leader
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Marine Boot camp does not create basic Infantrymen - it creates basically trained Marines with a smidge of the basics on Infantry common skills. When a Marine goes to the School of Infantry the first (roughly) two weeks are the complete Basic Infantryman skills package creating 0300 Marines and then the remainder of the school is learning their specific MOS (0311, etc). But I am picking up what you are putting down - and just thought to add to your post.
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SGT Richard H.
SGT Richard H.
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GySgt (Join to see) - I definitely understand where you're coming from, and I was always aware that Marines that would actually serve in an Infantry unit would go on to an MOS Specific school...however, my records jacket still calls my primary MOS 0300 (my duty MOS was 6531). This may well have changed to some degree since I went to basic almost 33 years ago (before they called the Pendleton phase "crucible"), but I'm sure the USMC philosophy of "everyone's a grunt first" hasn't changed.
At any rate, the point of my post was to relate it to the army, which has a format of a 13 week OSUT (one station unit training) for Infantry which is 8 weeks of basic and the remainder of Infantry skills training. I didn't go to Army basic or AIT, but I can tell you that coming from a USMC aviation MOS going to the Army as an 11B, my "new guy" Infantry skills were at least equal to most guys I ran across who were coming out of Army Infantry OSUT.
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Sgt Joe LaBranche
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The Marine Corps breaks you down as an individual, to build you up as part of a team. This process makes you no less or more important than the lowest member of the team.
The Corps instills a sense of confidence and invisibility in every Marine. You are trained to believe there is nothing you can't achieve or accomplish, no matter how difficult the situation. You adapt, improvise, and overcome!
It doesn't mattet if we are the best or if anyone else thinks we sre the best; we know and believe we are the best and will accept any challenge.
There is something special about the title, United States Marine!
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Sgt Field Radio Operator
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Sgt Joe LaBranche Joe, the good thing is that the title is forever. Once a Marine, Always a Marine.
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Sgt Tom Cunnally
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I have been out of the military too many years to add to this discussion about the Army. But back in the '50s & 60s we Marines did not have a very high opinion of the National Guard. However a few years ago I was a volunteer fitness trainer working with the Wounded Warriors Program for the VA . All of the guys were in the National Guard and we had them try a new program that included a Green Diet, Cardio Exercise and Spirituality to combat PTSD, and Chronic Depression. I really had a lot of respect for these guys who had served multiple tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Some had serious issues. And they all thought the VA recommended Green Diet was cruel and unusual punishment. I think they enjoyed having a Trainer who was much older than they were and we built a pretty good repoire .. They nicknamed me "The Ole Sarge" and I think this program did help but I was not privy to their quesionaires or physical exams. This program was designed by Stanford Medical University and used by the VA in Palo Alto and in Minneapolis... The results have been favorable because the VA wants to get some PTSD patients off medications. And this program was a substitute because some medications had advers side effects including suicide or mixing the meds with alcohol...
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MSgt Roger Settlemyer
MSgt Roger Settlemyer
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Well Done Marine.................Simper Fi
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Sgt Nick Marshall
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No disrespect to the army, but I did not enjoy working with them, they tended to be slovenly and lazy. Working with the Royal Marines was a pleasure, very professional and incredibly fit.
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SSG Environmental Specialist
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Seems funny, I trained with Marine's and a few of them are exactly like you describe the army, I tend not to lump a people into one category because of a few. In Afghanistan I worked with some outstanding Marines, Air Force and Navy along with a lot of NATO troops being in a Liaison team. I would never disrespect any of the service because of a couple of bad apples.
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SPC(P) Jay Heenan
SPC(P) Jay Heenan
>1 y
Sgt Nick Marshall
"...No disrespect to the Army, but I did not enjoy working with them, they tended to be slovenly and lazy..."
You just grouped all Soldiers into a "slovenly and lazy" group, but you preface your statement by saying, "No disrespect to the army". How is anyone able to deduct anything other than disrespect?
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Sgt Nick Marshall
Sgt Nick Marshall
>1 y
SPC(P) Jay Heenan - I only with a few units, I'm sure it didnt represent the Army as an entirety, (at least I hope not!)
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SPC(P) Jay Heenan
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Interesting read indeed. Why did you join the Army? You clearly have a love affair with the Marines...I am not saying it is a bad thing, but you wrote this big article (as a U.S. Soldier) talking about how the Marines are better. Maybe this is part of the reason you think that we are "Army wrong". I was stationed on MCB, and I promise that there are plenty of 'ate up' Marines as well. Personally, I think that you are being part of the problem and not the solution to your own posting.
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SGT Matthew Einsla
SGT Matthew Einsla
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SFC Derrick Graves - Really, I met so many former marines in the Army. If they loved it so much they wouldn't have left in the first place.
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SFC Derrick Graves
SFC Derrick Graves
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Sgt (Verify To See) - Lame excuse to avoid the truth. That's a typical a response I would expect from a member of an organization where most of the members are insecure and have to lash out to make others acknowledge their identity.
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SPC(P) Jay Heenan
SPC(P) Jay Heenan
>1 y
Sgt Richard Buckner SFC Derrick Graves
Gentlemen, we are all brothers and sisters! Poking fun at other services is okay, let's not make it personal.
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SFC Derrick Graves
SFC Derrick Graves
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Sgt (Verify To See) - I also did my 20 and have nothing to be ashamed of either. I see you still suffer from that egotism just like that Colonel. But make no mistake the Army will endure like it always has despite the lip service from a few insecure folks
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1SG Paul Beal
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When you’re wounded and that Dustoff bird is coming in, I’ll bet you don’t care how well that medic coming down the hoist and the crewchief running can march. Or how tough the reception station was on those two warrant officers up front. Beal, 1SG. 4/421 Med Co (AA)
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SSG Lon Watson
SSG Lon Watson
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First sergeant you missed the whole point. We’re training Spartans.
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SFC Marcus Belt
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So you're asking why the Army can't make EVERY non-combat MOS like every Marine?

The same reasons as always: time and money. This really can't be an issue you're having, right? I mean, you see where our budgets are going, and the fact remains that nobody asks the Human Resources Specialist or Paralegal to walk a combat patrol anymore than I'd ask an 11B to process court martial proceedings. Does every MOS need to be proficient with basic Soldier skills and tasks? Of course, but the entire USMC is built around expeditionary warfare, whereas, we have a Corps within the Army (XVIII Airborne) for that purpose, and within the legacy divisions of that formation, I defy you to show a lack of discipline, tactical and technical expertise and esprit de corps.

And our special operations capabilities AND capacity are far larger, which we manage to achieve despite your assertion that our initial entry system is flawed.

Next question.
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SSG Lon Watson
SSG Lon Watson
9 y
No sir you've missed my point. I'm not talking about the combat skills of the clerks or support personnel. I'm talking about discipline. There is little or no discipline in support units/personnel. In the Marines corps and admin clerk has a high level of bearing and discipline. And the marines DO NOT start off with higher caliber applicants. They mold marines in a fiery furnace. Our mentality in the army is different. Changing our mentality costs nothing.
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SFC Marcus Belt
SFC Marcus Belt
9 y
SSG Lon Watson - Your information is faulty: we let candidates into the Army with waivers that wouldn't be accepted into the Marines. Higher caliber? I won't day that because some, no, MOST (!) of those Soldiers go on to do their jobs admirably and honorably.

"...mold Marines in a fiery furnace..." Right. So your argument is that we need to make Basic suck more so that I get a bunch of brainwashed primates (with opposable thumbs and M4s) who are incapable of thinking independently?

Maybe I'm biased, as I AM a part of the Airborne and SOF communities, and am an alum of the 82d Airborne, but I don't need Soldiers who can't think. I train and expect Soldiers to be able to know and understand their operational environments and be able to deal with the political implications of our actions.

We have to train Soldiers for chess, not checkers, and you're talking about a perceived lack of "hooah" among support MOSs?

C'mon man. Those days are over.
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SGM Frederic Smith
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I'm glad to see that someone has recognized the Army has become "One Big Social Experiment" by Civilians and Politicians through the eyes of someone from the outside looking in!!!
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Sgt Infantryman
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you nailed it! Every Marine is a rifleman. A soldier is defined by the MOS it seems.
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CPO Steelworker
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9 y
You know what, I have read all the comments, and was not going to make one due to my being in the Navy, and no big dog in this fight. I do how ever understand some as I am in a part of the Navy that has some warrior spirit and Esprit decor, and we get that from Marines as we are attached to them all the time, and we have gunny cadre in all NMCB's Battalions, and they run the Military Tactic side of our training.This is why we are set up like Marines as in Company, Platoons, SQD's and Fire teams and take pride in that Marine ethos every where we go. We even separate ourselves from what we call the fleet side Navy and the Navy fights with us all the time about our Marine Corps attitude. I think if the Navy has their way and takes that Marine style from us we will not be the same US Navy Seabees we have been for over 75 years. I did not mean to rant but I understand when you sya that you can always say you are a Marine when asked, because I always say I am a Seabee not I was in the Navy, I take pride in my community, as I know we have pride about being a little different from other Sailors. When fleet support guys come to us they say I didn't join the Navy to be in the Marines, because what we do is some what in line with that warrior pride, they ether end up becoming like us and take back to the fleet, or they hate us and get out of Navy, or go back pissed off, but I will put money on the fact that their military bearing has changed some what. I will also say we do kind of indoctrinate them into that Seabee sprite and attitude, that some what comes form the Marine Cadres that train us.
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Sgt Lonnie Rush
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You have an idea of what some of the training is but you missed a lot. Combat training for Marines starts almost right away. You have hand to hand dills. Used to be called line training and now it's the martial arts training. Pugil Stick fighting that simulates bayonet fighting is one of the first platoon on platoon events we do. We also learn to rappel form a tower and a hell hole. There is the obstacle course and confidence course. There are classes on first-aid, weapons, fortified positions, land nav., and history. There is guard duty, general orders, code of conduct and they must all be memorized. Some of this may be what you call indoctrination but a lot of it applies to all services. It is just not taught until other services get to a school after basic. There is so much training and it is constantly GO, GO, GO, because that is the only way to learn it all in 3 months. Like you said it is not just teaching it is indoctrination.
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SSG Lon Watson
SSG Lon Watson
>1 y
No I agree you guys learn combat tasks, but the army teaches the advanced stuff too early. Stuff you guys get at MCT. And they do it at the expense of the basics. I think you guys train a lower number of tasks, but you master those few tasks. The army tries to make you jack of all trades in 9 weeks.
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SSG Lon Watson
SSG Lon Watson
>1 y
Did you miss the part of the article where I mention that stuff? But it’s still indoctrination not training tasks. The problem in the arm is we don’t spend enough time endoctrinating.
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1SG Myron Pullum, MBA
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US Army BCT 1973 @ Fort Dix, NJ. I don't remember how long basic was back then but some of the stuff I saw and experienced as a troop soundly contradicts what you're saying. Maybe things got "softer" years later. But we averaged one or two AWOLs per week. And I pitied your ass if you were captured and returned to duty. Yeah son, they put their hands on you! No love taps here, bro
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SSG Military Police
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Great read, I have worked with Marines, Navy and Airforce. I have noticed in all branches there are some flaws. Very interesting read I would have never looked at it from that point of view. Love all my brothers and sisters in all branches. One team one fight.
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SSG Lon Watson
SSG Lon Watson
>1 y
You're a good man Rick!
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SGT Ben Keen
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SSG Lon Watson - I waited to form my thoughts before responding to your post, but I think you bring up some great points yet discount others. First, let me tell you where I'm coming from on all this. I joined the Army in 1999. I attended basic training at "Relaxin' Jackson" that summer. My BCT platoon was made of mainly split-option reservists. While my memory has been messed up due to my accident in Iraq during my first deployment there as part of 1 Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division in early 2003, I remember two things about my time in basic training.

The first thing I remember are the fire ants. Those little bastards were every where! In fact, I really don't remember not seeing one anywhere we went. One time, our Drill SGTs came out to inspect that our canteens were full of water and because several members of platoon had canteens that weren't totally topped off as instructed, we all ended up doing push ups. I remember looking down at my hands that were then covered with these small, painful jerks.

The second thing I remember is SSG Moran. He was our platoon's senior Drill Sergeant. He, like you, was involved in several deployments and like you, felt the need to instill the basics into us. Yes, he followed the doctrine as given to him but it seemed like our Platoon did everything differently. He, and the other drill sergeants in the platoon, were hard but fair. Completing a task was not only expected but demanded. If you failed to complete the task, you went to the end of the line and did it again. This went for everything. From marksmanship to shinning boots to making bed; nothing was done until they said it was done. It sucked at the time but through out my short 8.5 years in the Army, I remained thankful for this because I took to the units I was assigned and thankfully, I was always part of an effective team every where I went.

Yes, I can agree that my experience and the way I took it was not the norm. Yes, I agree that there are some much needed improvements needed not just in the Army but across the DoD when it comes to training. But I think the biggest the hurdle we as a collective face is this notion of a "new Army" or "today's Army". Just do a quick search on here. You'll see post after post after post asking "what is wrong with today's Army". To which my answer is and will remain this. The Army is a reflection of it's leadership; from the ones that wear stars to the ones that wear chevrons, the culture of the military is placed in our hands. We, the leaders, are the ones that shape "today's Army". We are the standard, the backbone of our beloved Army. The standards change if and only when we allow them to change.
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SSG Lon Watson
SSG Lon Watson
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Truth
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CW3 Kevin Storm
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Some things I agree with you on, basic training being one of them. But I would point all of the services take the short route to basic training and AIT. When we send soldiers or marines to 8-10-12-14 weeks of Basic then send them to three weeks of AIT, what did we create? A problem in the making. What is the quality of a truck driver who learns nothing but a 2.5 ton truck for four weeks?
Or 5 week artillery school. We preach safety, we pay lip service to maintenance, then are flabbergasted with our piss poor results.

I remember reading that the British basic training is 6 months long, they belong to a regiment their whole career. The Army plays some sort of game with regiments, here wear a crest, you belong to this regiment (what is that about anyways?). We have some real regiments, but by and large we don't have that, so do away with it once and for all.

Yes the Corp has a lot of pride, no doubt about it, but what is the incidence of offenses off post? Divorce factors, Anger management issues, UCMJ problems, how many BCD's are issued in the Corps?. Those are also indicators, and not good ones. Being treated like a subservient turd is not what a lot of people like for years on end. Not that Army doesn't have its own issues, because we do. The Corps does something right, and I am sure there are affair number behind that anchor globe and eagle who wish they had it a little better than how they are being treated then or now.
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SSG Lon Watson
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ok I'm getting pummelled, but if you read the points you'll see what I was saying. This is corrective action....nothing more. Watch this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNn9H1LR2Tw
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SSG Lon Watson
SSG Lon Watson
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SPC(P) Jay Heenan
SPC(P) Jay Heenan
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SSG Lon Watson
Hahaha, LOVED the Marine DS part, it reminded me of my basic and AIT when I went through way back in '87, only I used to get slapped and kicked.
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Capt Jeff S.
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Shouldn't this discussion be elsewhere? Honestly what does it have to do with the Marines?!!
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Capt Jeff S.
Capt Jeff S.
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Who is your editor?
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Capt Jeff S.
Capt Jeff S.
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SSG (Join to see) - It just seems odd that an Army guy would whine about the Army's training and elevate Marine training, and not put their constructive critique in an Army forum where the audience would most benefit from the critique.
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SSG Avenger Crew Member
SSG (Join to see)
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Capt Jeff S. - I could not agree more!
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SFC Derrick Graves
SFC Derrick Graves
>1 y
As I said in my earlier comment the author didn't have the courage to bring these criticisms to the Army leadership during his supposedly 21 years in the Army. Makes me question what kind of values this guy had when he was on active duty. But as a retired veteran myself I'm going to wish him well and hopes he enjoys that retirement check he earned from the United States Army!
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SPC Janet Roush
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I agree with everything you said. I don't understand why the Army has gone so soft. It was starting down that path when I was in the Army in the 80's but nothing like it is now. It's a shame.
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SSG Eric Blue
SSG Eric Blue
5 y
The rumor going around about THAT when I was PV2 Blue was that Gen Eric Shinseki, the Army Chief Of Staff at the time, was butt-hurt about how hard things were for him when he came through. The rumor was that HE changed it to the direction in which it's now going. Again, a rumor. Not sure how true it was or is.
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1SG James Kelly
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Yeah I like Marines too; used to teach them.
Master Gunner Instructor.
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