thedrifter
09-05-03, 05:52 AM
An Army in Trouble
A letter from a reader in response to Hack's Porcelain Soldiers arcicle
Dear Col. Hackworth,
I went through Ft. Jackson in the summer of 1999. I never noticed any fraternization, but that doesn't mean it wasn't going on. I loved my drills, but two of them left mid-cycle, which did put a dent in our platoon esteem. Reception there was crazy, females freaking out, discovering they were pregnant, all kinds of stuff.
Our drills would tell us that this was the "new Army," and they wouldn't even recommend it for their kids. But what really turned me off to the "new Army" was AIT at Aberdeen. Believe me, fraternization between NCO's and privates was still going on even after the scandals. Kids kept getting recycled over and over no matter how ate up they were.
Unfortunately, this forever changed my respect for the Army. Yeah, I joined for the benefits, but I also joined to be a part of the family tradition, and to be a part of something special. But the beauracracy, in-fighting, and general laziness was something I could never imagine.
When I got to my reserve unit, it seemed like all the NCO's were only there to get their retirement. No one was interested in teaching a young PFC to actually learn my MOS. 90% of my time at drill was spent sitting on my butt. Soldiers would just stop showing up for drill and you would never see them again. Then, I got a job driving the HMMV for the officers, and first sergeant. That was it, after hearing the way those weekend warriors bad-mouthed their NCOs, and making me go "off-roading" so they could get their kicks, despite my arguments about safety, my respect for the Army was ruined.
The Army was something I always wanted to be a part of, but not anymore.
Porcelain Soldiers
http://hackworth.com/article04032002c.html
http://www.sftt.org/cgi-bin/csNews/csNews.cgi?database=Special%20Reports.db&command=viewone&op=t&id=27&rnd=740.1413357851035
Sempers,
Roger
:marine:
A letter from a reader in response to Hack's Porcelain Soldiers arcicle
Dear Col. Hackworth,
I went through Ft. Jackson in the summer of 1999. I never noticed any fraternization, but that doesn't mean it wasn't going on. I loved my drills, but two of them left mid-cycle, which did put a dent in our platoon esteem. Reception there was crazy, females freaking out, discovering they were pregnant, all kinds of stuff.
Our drills would tell us that this was the "new Army," and they wouldn't even recommend it for their kids. But what really turned me off to the "new Army" was AIT at Aberdeen. Believe me, fraternization between NCO's and privates was still going on even after the scandals. Kids kept getting recycled over and over no matter how ate up they were.
Unfortunately, this forever changed my respect for the Army. Yeah, I joined for the benefits, but I also joined to be a part of the family tradition, and to be a part of something special. But the beauracracy, in-fighting, and general laziness was something I could never imagine.
When I got to my reserve unit, it seemed like all the NCO's were only there to get their retirement. No one was interested in teaching a young PFC to actually learn my MOS. 90% of my time at drill was spent sitting on my butt. Soldiers would just stop showing up for drill and you would never see them again. Then, I got a job driving the HMMV for the officers, and first sergeant. That was it, after hearing the way those weekend warriors bad-mouthed their NCOs, and making me go "off-roading" so they could get their kicks, despite my arguments about safety, my respect for the Army was ruined.
The Army was something I always wanted to be a part of, but not anymore.
Porcelain Soldiers
http://hackworth.com/article04032002c.html
http://www.sftt.org/cgi-bin/csNews/csNews.cgi?database=Special%20Reports.db&command=viewone&op=t&id=27&rnd=740.1413357851035
Sempers,
Roger
:marine: