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Please read and give your opinion
http://m.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-armys-next-enemy-peace/2014/07/10/f02b5180-f0dc-11e3-914c-1fbd0614e2d4_story.html
http://m.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-armys-next-enemy-peace/2014/07/10/f02b5180-f0dc-11e3-914c-1fbd0614e2d4_story.html
Warfare
Peace
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 4
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While the title indicates Peace is the Army's next enemy, there are many that have purposefully dodged deployments and throughout the last 12.5 years of combat operations.
Let me share a story of one such "professional" that successfully dodged deployments (and embraced peace at every cost to those around him). When I was stationed at Fort Hood, TX (as a brand new SSG) there was a very senior SFC that everyone respected. His boots always highly shined, uniform crisp and pressed, and sported a haircut that made the authors of AR 670-1 envious! I met up with him in 2009 while visiting a very good friend of mine (coincidentally my buddy and I had deployed together and was in Desert Storm & OIF together...also served in other combat related theaters at different times). While visiting my friend at APG, MD, he informed me that SGM (the former SFC from Fort Hood) was the head of a training department and encouraged me not to visit him due to him doing whatever it took not to deploy. I ended up talking to him and left completely disgusted and furious at his outspoken opposition to deploying and hope to never share space with that individual again - I held that "Soldier" in such high regards as being "the standard bearer" when it ended up he was nothing more than a Garrison Soldier.
I can see this becoming a problem, especially for our SGT - SFC & CPT - LTC level Soldiers, especially when they are at a function when the dress uniform is worn, it really is a time when you wear your resume......before I offend many of the great members of Rally Point, I do understand there are many specialties that will not have the opportunity to deploy - my comment is based on the larger of our force that have the opportunity and to put it simply has a desire to be a "Non-Combat Survivor".......by any means necessary.....hope this rant made some sense and relates to the OP.
Let me share a story of one such "professional" that successfully dodged deployments (and embraced peace at every cost to those around him). When I was stationed at Fort Hood, TX (as a brand new SSG) there was a very senior SFC that everyone respected. His boots always highly shined, uniform crisp and pressed, and sported a haircut that made the authors of AR 670-1 envious! I met up with him in 2009 while visiting a very good friend of mine (coincidentally my buddy and I had deployed together and was in Desert Storm & OIF together...also served in other combat related theaters at different times). While visiting my friend at APG, MD, he informed me that SGM (the former SFC from Fort Hood) was the head of a training department and encouraged me not to visit him due to him doing whatever it took not to deploy. I ended up talking to him and left completely disgusted and furious at his outspoken opposition to deploying and hope to never share space with that individual again - I held that "Soldier" in such high regards as being "the standard bearer" when it ended up he was nothing more than a Garrison Soldier.
I can see this becoming a problem, especially for our SGT - SFC & CPT - LTC level Soldiers, especially when they are at a function when the dress uniform is worn, it really is a time when you wear your resume......before I offend many of the great members of Rally Point, I do understand there are many specialties that will not have the opportunity to deploy - my comment is based on the larger of our force that have the opportunity and to put it simply has a desire to be a "Non-Combat Survivor".......by any means necessary.....hope this rant made some sense and relates to the OP.
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SPC Angel Guma
Sgt Major-
Not a rant and very much what needs to be said. Absolutely no one who enlists should deliberately dodge deployments. It offends the very spirit of wearing the uniform. Every point in your post was spot on and absolutely needed to be said. Unfortunately people like that exist and there's no way to spot them before they make too much rank, and there's no way to weed them out. Its an avoidable by-product of having a pyramid like hierarchy of command. Most people by and large are there for the right reasons, but there is no way to spot political gamesters until they slip up in their tracks and make their disease known, and by that time, its too late.
I'm even shocked no one responded to your post.
Not a rant and very much what needs to be said. Absolutely no one who enlists should deliberately dodge deployments. It offends the very spirit of wearing the uniform. Every point in your post was spot on and absolutely needed to be said. Unfortunately people like that exist and there's no way to spot them before they make too much rank, and there's no way to weed them out. Its an avoidable by-product of having a pyramid like hierarchy of command. Most people by and large are there for the right reasons, but there is no way to spot political gamesters until they slip up in their tracks and make their disease known, and by that time, its too late.
I'm even shocked no one responded to your post.
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There are plenty of small-minded men who, in times of peace, excel in detail, are inexorable in matters of equipment and drill, and perpetually interfere with the work of their subordinates… They thus acquire an unmerited reputation and render their service a burden, but they, above all, do mischief in preventing the development of individuality and in retarding the advancement of independent and capable spirits. When [crisis] arises, the small minds, worn out by attention to trifles, are incapable of effort, and fail miserably. So goes the world. -Ferdinand
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COL (Join to see)
Now, that being said, it is something that must be paid attention to. This is about leadership throughout the military. Making efforts to stem the flow (and being a Squadron Commander, I see it) of the influence of millicrats. It's happening. Each leader can do what they can about it at their level. Powering down TIME is a big part. If you have room on your training calendar, do you fill it with stuff that you've always wanted to do or do you power it down to your next level of commanders so they can accomplish the training that we keep saying they should be focused on...and allow them to do it within your guidance (the HOW) and not focus on directed tasks (the WHAT).
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Lt Col (Join to see)
Milicrat - I am stealing this - this is perfect. Another good one I've heard coined recently is "bureaugamist" - I've seen a few different definitions, haven't found one on Urban Dictionary yet, but the one I like most is "serial public sector employee" - 20 years in the military, 20 (or more) years in the civil service, maybe some Cleared Defense Contractor time, and very little employability outside of that.
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I think that this will be a continuing trend. There will always be conflict and as a result troop surges and draw downs based on those conflicts. The key during "peace time" will be to maintain a constant state of readiness, and use those battled hardened leaders to teach the junior troops to prepare for battle.
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