Posted on Dec 8, 2017
Fighting Against the Movies: Not Everyone Pulls Triggers
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Recently, I have found myself having long conversations with civilians about the military. I am a full time student at a private university in Kansas and much of the faculty and student body has never even thought about joining the military. It isn’t anything strange; this is to be expected at such a small school and the fact that the military makes up less than 1% of the population of the country. What is interesting is that many of them have only the movies to go off of when forming their view of what everyone does in the military. Sadly, making movies about productive supply sergeants and personnel clerks doesn’t really make people line up outside of the theaters. Many civilians, in my experience, have this idea in their head that every single member of the military is out on the battlefield, kicking in doors and getting shot at or blown up. Those of us who have spent any amount of time in the military knows that this is far from the reality of the military. Perhaps this is where recruiting takes the biggest hit.
I spoke to a professor of mine who is going through a point in her life where she is trying to make a transition from her current position to a new one. As she was looking through openings at different universities across the country to put in a packet for the position, I made a joke about how she should just go and commission in the Air Force or something. Don’t get me wrong, I loved being in the Army, but I also know the kind of people that would be able to be successful in the Army and she is far more suited for the Air Force. She actually took the comment seriously. The money as an officer is more than she is making now. The opportunity for advancement is obviously there. The only real concern that she had was that she didn’t want to find herself in Iraq or Afghanistan in a year, getting shot at and blown up. I couldn’t help but to laugh.
I began to explain how the military is made up of many occupations that have almost nothing to do with direct combat. This was new information for her. As I began to name off occupations like public affairs, logistics, intelligence, and clerical her eyes went wide. I tried to break it down in the easiest way that I could by telling her that you can think of the military as a microcosm for the country. We know that the military makes up less than 1% of the population in the United States and in almost an exact, similar fashion, those who work as combat arms occupations (such as infantry, tankers, and cavalry) make up about 1% of the military. I went on to break down the military into the three categories that we all know and love: combat, combat-support, and support. I finished up by explaining that, if she chose a certain occupation, the chances of her being involved in direct combat were slim to none. I will follow that statement up by saying that I did tell her that there is always the possibility and that there are still non-combat service members that are injured or killed in combat.
This entire conversation made me wonder if this woman’s view of the military, where everyone is running around with fully automatic rifles, night vision goggles, going in under the cover of night and wrecking shop, is really what the rest of the country thinks is all that is done. They don’t know what goes on behind the scenes; they don’t know what goes into conducting a single mission long before the first HMMWV rolls out of the FOB. After this thought, I began to wonder if this is why many people don’t give military service a single thought.
Next, I wondered if this same idea is why we have so many guys, or gals, who leave the military honorably after serving in a support role and decide to go out and say that they were Delta Force Seal Special Ranger Snipers or whatever the kids are saying these days. Are all of the recent military movies that glorify only that small percentage to blame for these issues? When we really begin to think about it, if combat arms is such a small population within our military, just how small is the population that works as a member of these special groups? It is tiny.
I do not know what the remedy for this issue is. I do not think that there should be a ban on military movies glorifying heroism and bravery under fire, even if I do find that many of the movies are awful. What is there that can be done though? Is there any way that we can properly educate citizens on what makes up the military? How can we also get it through the minds of our people that get out after serving that there is no need to act like something that you were not?
The military takes all kinds. It is a giant machine that requires numerous moving parts. If one part fails, every cog in the machine grinds to a halt or, at a minimum, does not function nearly as well as it needs to.
I spoke to a professor of mine who is going through a point in her life where she is trying to make a transition from her current position to a new one. As she was looking through openings at different universities across the country to put in a packet for the position, I made a joke about how she should just go and commission in the Air Force or something. Don’t get me wrong, I loved being in the Army, but I also know the kind of people that would be able to be successful in the Army and she is far more suited for the Air Force. She actually took the comment seriously. The money as an officer is more than she is making now. The opportunity for advancement is obviously there. The only real concern that she had was that she didn’t want to find herself in Iraq or Afghanistan in a year, getting shot at and blown up. I couldn’t help but to laugh.
I began to explain how the military is made up of many occupations that have almost nothing to do with direct combat. This was new information for her. As I began to name off occupations like public affairs, logistics, intelligence, and clerical her eyes went wide. I tried to break it down in the easiest way that I could by telling her that you can think of the military as a microcosm for the country. We know that the military makes up less than 1% of the population in the United States and in almost an exact, similar fashion, those who work as combat arms occupations (such as infantry, tankers, and cavalry) make up about 1% of the military. I went on to break down the military into the three categories that we all know and love: combat, combat-support, and support. I finished up by explaining that, if she chose a certain occupation, the chances of her being involved in direct combat were slim to none. I will follow that statement up by saying that I did tell her that there is always the possibility and that there are still non-combat service members that are injured or killed in combat.
This entire conversation made me wonder if this woman’s view of the military, where everyone is running around with fully automatic rifles, night vision goggles, going in under the cover of night and wrecking shop, is really what the rest of the country thinks is all that is done. They don’t know what goes on behind the scenes; they don’t know what goes into conducting a single mission long before the first HMMWV rolls out of the FOB. After this thought, I began to wonder if this is why many people don’t give military service a single thought.
Next, I wondered if this same idea is why we have so many guys, or gals, who leave the military honorably after serving in a support role and decide to go out and say that they were Delta Force Seal Special Ranger Snipers or whatever the kids are saying these days. Are all of the recent military movies that glorify only that small percentage to blame for these issues? When we really begin to think about it, if combat arms is such a small population within our military, just how small is the population that works as a member of these special groups? It is tiny.
I do not know what the remedy for this issue is. I do not think that there should be a ban on military movies glorifying heroism and bravery under fire, even if I do find that many of the movies are awful. What is there that can be done though? Is there any way that we can properly educate citizens on what makes up the military? How can we also get it through the minds of our people that get out after serving that there is no need to act like something that you were not?
The military takes all kinds. It is a giant machine that requires numerous moving parts. If one part fails, every cog in the machine grinds to a halt or, at a minimum, does not function nearly as well as it needs to.
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SGT
Posted 8 y ago
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I think we as a People, not just civilian, veteran or serviceman/woman, should strive to learn about each branch of the military and teach others about their branch and what they do or have done. I was in the least glamorous MOS within the Marine Corps. I was a Fabric Repair Specialist, 1181. Even though is was considered Utilities, we were still picked on by the others within the Utilities field. (That was until their tent leaked in the field).
We weren't the "Tailors of the Corps" because we were not trained on how to work on uniforms, nor were we authorized. We were only authorized to sew name tapes onto the camouflage uniforms. Alterations and the like on dress/service uniforms got us in trouble if we tried.
Our school was located at Ft. Lee, VA. We trained with Army. From February, 1995 to March 1998, I thought that only Army and Marines had this MOS. Until a (very pretty) Senior Airman walked into our shop asking for our assistance in Okinawa. She was wondering how we got by with the limited supplies for our shop after she got there. They had the same type of wait for supplies as we did when it came to ordering. The only reason we were getting by was the fact that there was a welding shop in our maintenance bay, with a grinding wheel. Our needles were re-sharpened due to the 3 month waiting period for new supplies.
After the SA left, we looked at each other and wondered if the Navy has a Fabric Repair MOS, or do they just contract that out?
We weren't the "Tailors of the Corps" because we were not trained on how to work on uniforms, nor were we authorized. We were only authorized to sew name tapes onto the camouflage uniforms. Alterations and the like on dress/service uniforms got us in trouble if we tried.
Our school was located at Ft. Lee, VA. We trained with Army. From February, 1995 to March 1998, I thought that only Army and Marines had this MOS. Until a (very pretty) Senior Airman walked into our shop asking for our assistance in Okinawa. She was wondering how we got by with the limited supplies for our shop after she got there. They had the same type of wait for supplies as we did when it came to ordering. The only reason we were getting by was the fact that there was a welding shop in our maintenance bay, with a grinding wheel. Our needles were re-sharpened due to the 3 month waiting period for new supplies.
After the SA left, we looked at each other and wondered if the Navy has a Fabric Repair MOS, or do they just contract that out?
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PO1 Robert George
Navy version is now called a Boatswain's Mate...Jack of all trades, master of several. I can sew clothes, re-upholster(furniture or your ride), covers and a bit more. Spent a WesPac helping my LPO sew a Tepee together in the sail loft of an LST(Him and wife both part Indian). The Navy(Military) teaches more than an MOS. The trick is to translate it into civilian language. Even after being retired for 28 yrs my family still sometimes goes..."huh?"
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LCpl Emanuel W.
I have been out for almost 20 years, I still get people that give me the confused dog look. With the skills I learned, I was able to save my mom lots of money by being her sewing machine serviceman. My roommates ask me too sew something for them all the time too.
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SFC Greg Bruorton
I can see it clear now, having the protagonist by the name of Thorst Ironbird, an Oglala Sioux from the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota and now an SP4 (P) assigned to the 82nd Signal Battalion and stationed near Quang Tri. The date is 16 March 1969 and as the opening scene shows, Thorst, and his two companions are deployed in the nether regions of Vietnam's jungles with the immediate mission of staying in communications via radio-teletype, secure voice, and Code with his base camp. Things begin to look dismal for the small communications encampment when . . .
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SFC Greg Bruorton
SMSgt Merich, take a look at my first part of the story: Your thoughts?
Part I, 16 March 1969, South Vietnam
The war for Quang Tri was a year old, yet combat units of the 82nd Airborne Division continued to monitor the major parameters by constant patrols and reconnaissance missions. The division's support units--Signal, Military Intelligence, Transportation, Engineers, and others needful for the overall mission, had small units stay during the massive takeover attempt by the Viet Cong. Each of them had suffered bloody confrontations from the enemy as Charlie had become masters in guerrilla warfare, who came and went at pleasure while wreaking security at U.S. Army tactical installations.
Battle lines were nonexistent as the threats continued with the substantial mortar and rocket fire from small-arms units that enjoyed their dancing and provocative measures to force the American forces out in the open. Even so, signal communication elements were maximized in all forward and echelon sites, both tactical and in fixed installations utilizing communication shelters surrounded by triple strands of concertina wire with posted armed and combat qualified Military Policemen.
There were established in remote areas of high terrain a half-dozen tactical facilities, spread out in thirty to fifty-mile increments operating under one net control station that was located in Quang Tri Provincial Headquarters. This net control station (NCS) was the direct link to world-wide communications out of Da Nang through the 37th Signal Battalion's major relay station.
Just fifteen kilometers northwest from Huê was net station Firebird, the southernmost communications station from Quang Tri Headquarters. The non-commissioned officer in charge of the small detachment, a sergeant named Chad Miller, had been killed by small-arms fire at the beginning of the month, leaving in charge a young promotable Specialist from the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota named Thor Ironbird.
PFC Dave Branson, the assistant operator, stepped down from the AN/GRC-26D communications shelter and removed his helmet just enough to wipe away the sweat from the hot and humid evening. "You may as well put Miller's stripes on ya. He ain't got no reason for 'em now." The slow, Southern drawl of the private from Alabama generally amused Thor, but now it brought agitation.
Dark, narrowed eyes bored through the subordinate. "I'll put 'em on when I get the orders to do so and not another minute before!" Thor shot back. "Now, go get some sleep! It'll be your turn again before you know it. And tell Reese to hot-foot it up here and service the generators and the two TH-5s that are almost gone. Without those converters we're useless . . ."
"All right, all right! I'm on it," came the reply as Branson checked his M-16 as he headed to the camouflaged tents.
Breaking protocol and security regulations upon Miller's death, Thor had his two MPs stationed inside the concertina rather than exposing themselves too easy for the VC. Thor explained his reasons to Branson and Reese: "I don't give a damn if they only have a confidential clearance; they're staying inside with us for needed firepower! I'll feel a whole lot better if they're nearby instead of on the other side of the wire."
"Damn!," came the reply from PFC Reese, the team's maintenance man. "You sound like a sergeant already!"
Thor offered a slight grin. "Get used to it."
Part I, 16 March 1969, South Vietnam
The war for Quang Tri was a year old, yet combat units of the 82nd Airborne Division continued to monitor the major parameters by constant patrols and reconnaissance missions. The division's support units--Signal, Military Intelligence, Transportation, Engineers, and others needful for the overall mission, had small units stay during the massive takeover attempt by the Viet Cong. Each of them had suffered bloody confrontations from the enemy as Charlie had become masters in guerrilla warfare, who came and went at pleasure while wreaking security at U.S. Army tactical installations.
Battle lines were nonexistent as the threats continued with the substantial mortar and rocket fire from small-arms units that enjoyed their dancing and provocative measures to force the American forces out in the open. Even so, signal communication elements were maximized in all forward and echelon sites, both tactical and in fixed installations utilizing communication shelters surrounded by triple strands of concertina wire with posted armed and combat qualified Military Policemen.
There were established in remote areas of high terrain a half-dozen tactical facilities, spread out in thirty to fifty-mile increments operating under one net control station that was located in Quang Tri Provincial Headquarters. This net control station (NCS) was the direct link to world-wide communications out of Da Nang through the 37th Signal Battalion's major relay station.
Just fifteen kilometers northwest from Huê was net station Firebird, the southernmost communications station from Quang Tri Headquarters. The non-commissioned officer in charge of the small detachment, a sergeant named Chad Miller, had been killed by small-arms fire at the beginning of the month, leaving in charge a young promotable Specialist from the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota named Thor Ironbird.
PFC Dave Branson, the assistant operator, stepped down from the AN/GRC-26D communications shelter and removed his helmet just enough to wipe away the sweat from the hot and humid evening. "You may as well put Miller's stripes on ya. He ain't got no reason for 'em now." The slow, Southern drawl of the private from Alabama generally amused Thor, but now it brought agitation.
Dark, narrowed eyes bored through the subordinate. "I'll put 'em on when I get the orders to do so and not another minute before!" Thor shot back. "Now, go get some sleep! It'll be your turn again before you know it. And tell Reese to hot-foot it up here and service the generators and the two TH-5s that are almost gone. Without those converters we're useless . . ."
"All right, all right! I'm on it," came the reply as Branson checked his M-16 as he headed to the camouflaged tents.
Breaking protocol and security regulations upon Miller's death, Thor had his two MPs stationed inside the concertina rather than exposing themselves too easy for the VC. Thor explained his reasons to Branson and Reese: "I don't give a damn if they only have a confidential clearance; they're staying inside with us for needed firepower! I'll feel a whole lot better if they're nearby instead of on the other side of the wire."
"Damn!," came the reply from PFC Reese, the team's maintenance man. "You sound like a sergeant already!"
Thor offered a slight grin. "Get used to it."
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SMSgt Thor Merich
It’s fantastic and coincidental that you combine the name Thor with Native American folks. I live it and never thought about it. I moved around a lot as a kid. But I lived in Arizona for 7 years. Next to the Navajo Indian Reservation. We were poor and lived in govt housing. All my friends were Navajo and Hopi Indians. I have a strong connection to thosecpeople. I also do a bit of fiction writing and often use Navajo characters in my stories.
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SFC Greg Bruorton
SMSgt Thor Merich - I'm not sure the name Thor translates to anything in Lakota, but I will probably explain it by the soldier's father, a history teacher, having a great interest in Norse mythology, and as a consequence, having had the strong inclination to name his first-born son. Anything goes in fiction as I have created several series and short stories involving our American Indian. Most of my literary works are fiction in sci-fi, westerns, modern musicians, the military, and even romance tales--often with the backdrop with Harley riders.
My wife and I had lived in Tucson from 1984 to 1995 and we relished the opportunities to ride up to Globe for Apache Indian Days and eat Indian tacos and watch the dances. I've been long interested in Indian culture and lore from childhood when I searched for authenticity with my drawings and paintings.
I don't know how long this story will develop as I write with inspiration rather than a planned outline. I'll post continuing storylines if you wish to read them.
Thanks much for your feedback.
Greg
My wife and I had lived in Tucson from 1984 to 1995 and we relished the opportunities to ride up to Globe for Apache Indian Days and eat Indian tacos and watch the dances. I've been long interested in Indian culture and lore from childhood when I searched for authenticity with my drawings and paintings.
I don't know how long this story will develop as I write with inspiration rather than a planned outline. I'll post continuing storylines if you wish to read them.
Thanks much for your feedback.
Greg
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College education to brake (a $100M F-35), high school education to fix it!
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SGT Gunderson's comments fit in perfectly with things I've read, and feelings I have had independent of those articles, about the widening gulf between the civilian and military worlds. It's a natural by-product of the all-volunteer military, which was just commencing when I began my service in 1972. When there was a draft, just about everybody knew someone who had served -- and, consequently, had some knowledge about what serving members did. Now, as SGT Gunderson points out, hardly anybody knows anything about the military except what they are fed by the media, including motion pictures and television. The acknowledgement in this posting about the non-combatants who serve (I was in public affairs) is refreshing. It is ironic that today's civilians may think of all military members and veterans as warriors in the Audie Murphy mold, while many of our brothers in the combat arms think of us derisively as "pogues" or REMFs. In summary, I agree wholeheartedly with the notion that there is a need for the military to reach out and inform the civilian world about all that we in uniform do. They really know next to nothing about us.
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Once the draft ended, it didn't take but a decade or so for the civilian world to lose all perspective of the vastly different world called "the military". Today, those with military service in the U.S. armed forces make up about 4% of the total population... and that percentage shrinks as veterans die.
My career field in the USAF was Airborne Navigation Systems Repair, commonly called "Radar". Later my field was joined with Communications (Radio) and became "Com/Nav". Later still, as a Senior NCO, I trained to become a "line Chief" whose job was to supervise all maintenance on our assigned aircraft. I worked on cargo aircraft, observation planes, fighters, bombers and lastly tankers. While not directly involved in combat, my aircraft supported those who were including our oldest son who was Airborne Infantry in the First Gulf War. The tankers I helped to maintain refueled the B-52's flying from England to Iraq and Kuwait. I like to think that the bombs those "BUFFs" dropped helped to save many American and coalition lives.
I once read that there are 10 support troops behind every trigger puller. Movie goers would find my career field uninteresting - a small cog in a massive wheel - but it is one of hundreds of necessary skills that directly or indirectly support front line troops.
My career field in the USAF was Airborne Navigation Systems Repair, commonly called "Radar". Later my field was joined with Communications (Radio) and became "Com/Nav". Later still, as a Senior NCO, I trained to become a "line Chief" whose job was to supervise all maintenance on our assigned aircraft. I worked on cargo aircraft, observation planes, fighters, bombers and lastly tankers. While not directly involved in combat, my aircraft supported those who were including our oldest son who was Airborne Infantry in the First Gulf War. The tankers I helped to maintain refueled the B-52's flying from England to Iraq and Kuwait. I like to think that the bombs those "BUFFs" dropped helped to save many American and coalition lives.
I once read that there are 10 support troops behind every trigger puller. Movie goers would find my career field uninteresting - a small cog in a massive wheel - but it is one of hundreds of necessary skills that directly or indirectly support front line troops.
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Who do they think takes care of all the reactors aboard our Subs and Aircraft Carriers. Must be those kids in College on spring break. Because no high school grad could ever be as smart as them. I'd take a Sub qualified sailor any day of the week over some of these so-called college-educated students
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PO3 B Al Eisen
When I was in, Naval Nuclear Power School was a 4 year tech degree in 6 months. It was the only time in my life that I had to study. It was also the only school that I was proud to graduate. I learned how to tolerate fools. A skill that was mandatory to get through college without going to jail for forcible termination. Between instructors and students, I was regularly disgusted by their total lack of understanding and their lack of concern.
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Great post. The teeth to tails were about 3/7 when I was in. There are a lot of educators in the Military, We had active duty teaching pharmacology, physiology, statistics, anesthesia practice at the Academy of Health Sciences in San Antonio. Some pretty well educated folks. I am sure the Military academies have very qualified instructors not to mention other service schools.
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Suspended Profile
Great post! I'd do one of my usual rants, but this was well written and had interesting outcome. Bravo Zulu SGT Joseph Gunderson
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Good post. I've had many similar experiences. The level of ignorance about what the military does is staggering amongst the general population. Their loss.
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The thing I find most amusing about the disparity between uninitiated civilians and veterans is the confusion that ensues due to the similarity in verbiage with absolutely zero equality... a buddy went in to start a job working for a major appliance manufacturer. When they heard he was an Army combat engineer, they put him in a supervisory role overseeing newly graduated mechanical engineers... here's this guy with a HS diploma and a couple of tours in Iraq whose sole background in the field is an R&U class between deployments running a team of college graduate engineers whose job is to troubleshoot and refurbish major household appliances... I can't do justice to the hilarity of the story as her tells it.
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CPL Chris Palmberg
Apparently, these white collar grads now speak relatively fluent line dog, use an off- color greeting of the day, and use terminology like BIP it (Blow In Place)
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