CIEMR: Joining the military today

[Flyin6]

To Serve or not to serve, that is the question

So I am struggling with something here. On one hand I love the military. I served actively for 25 years, almost all of it in hard core combat type units, and another five years as a contractor serving in combat and combat support roles. So yea all of my DNA screams: Serve, move toward the loud noises. And now I sit at the eve of my last two sons leaving home, and both of them want military careers. Both want to be a part of the US Army and both want to be Infantry. (I know, where did I go wrong, right?)

So I have been constantly bothered and concerned with the degradation of our military which was set into overdrive by president Obama. His Muslim and communist core beliefs only wanted to destroy the very fabric of the American way of life, and indeed, our ability to defend it.

And now I have two young men wanting to join the folks who usually pay the highest price, suffer the most, have the toughest job and may well be the least recognized. All that aside, one wants to join the Army as an enlisted soldier, leaving two weeks after graduation, and the other has set his sights firmly on West Point. He sees himself in a 40 year, lifelong career and has absolutely no other aspirations.

Normally, I would be as pleased as a honey bee in a pancake syrup factory, but for several reasons I am having serious misgivings. The Army, you see, that I was a part of was a no-nonsense fighting organization. We drank a lot, pinched girls on the butt, told raunchy jokes, lived big and bold just like warriors do. We fought amongst ourselves, good honest fights where you may get a black eye, but afterward, never admit to anything other than tripping over the first sergeants petunias.
We were a feared force of disciplined killers, but are we now? You see, knowing that you have Rambo on your right and Arnie S on your left made for a confident feeling when stepping off into the unknown. When you completely trust the folks who have your back, it is easier to do stupid things. And it strikes a bunch more fear into the hearts of our enemies when we all look and act like musclebound mafia assassins.

But the military has fundamentally nearly completely changed. Now everyone I talk to is sickened about the gay thing, the constant threat of a sexual harassment charge for something which you did that should really be normal. The country has forced men without advanced graduate degrees and intense psychological training in temperament to act as though they do have all those skills and knowledge. We are more concerned about not offending someone than the readiness of our force. And I’ll say it, we care more about not offending some twerp than we do about smashing our enemy.
So is allowing men to be men, or more accurately, fighting men to act like the warriors they are all that bad. Given the choice of having to deal with someone reporting that he was called a faggot, or national security…NATIONAL SECURITY, well that’s a pretty easy choice to make. Now make no mistake, allowing homosexuals to openly serve, denying chaplains from mentioning Jesus Christ, allowing Satanists to openly preach, allowing some confused _____ to enter the ranks is just killing the fighting spirit of our men.

And all the while our enemy waits, and trains. Non performers and homosexuals are sometimes executed in some of those armies. They practice and practice and practice. They hone their skills and all that preparedness may someday come to bear against a far less capable US military.

A young man who I have talked military with throughout his high school years joined the Army as a combat engineer. He was fired up, working out and prepping for the military he dearly wanted to be a part of. Then he came home after advanced individual training, and we talked, boy did we talk. He asked me, rather, told me that he thinks he may have made a huge mistake. He said that the physical training was nothing. He said he was in better shape when he left and the Army did not challenge him at all. But what he told me next was at the core of the shift with his attitude.

He, a happy and well-adjusted Christian who always attended church said that his platoon had ten openly gay soldiers. He told me how the drill sergeant had said on many occasions that if you were gay you ought to be proud. My young private friend just couldn’t reckon that with the bible scripture he had spent three fourths of his life reading and believing. He felt like I do, that if you want to be gay, well that’s your business, just keep it to yourself. But he felt the Army was overplaying the point, and from what I have been hearing, that is indeed true.

Another point he made which made my skin crawl was the lack of discipline. He told me of trainees arguing with drill sergeants! Preposterous! So here’s how it works. Non Commissioned Officers, Sergeants, Chiefs, Corporals, First, gunnery, and master chiefs actually run the military where the boots meet the ground in the day to day goings on of a complex national defense force. The Officers form the command structure taking orders ultimately from the President of the United States, down through our chain of command where they issue those orders to the NCO’s who actually get the job done. Want to kill the military, and actually increase the risk to our fight forces? The best way I know would be to reduce the effectiveness of our leaders, and at the very heart of the leadership scheme is your NCO’s

This young man said that the sergeants were limited in the amount of discipline they could administer. If a sergeant gave a private more than 20 pushups, then he, the NCO had to get down and do it with the private! Now that is JPC (Just plain crazy!) If an NCO instructs a private to jump in a pool of acid, the only question should be, head or feet first? Soldiers just don’t question the orders of their leaders. And those leaders dam well better know what they are doing. All this comes from strength. Physical strength, strength of trust in your fellow man, believing in the people around you and a healthy helping of courage and patriotism. In the downtown killing fights it is a love for that man beside you that makes you fight harder. Kill him and you just brought vengeance upon your arse and the promise of a very short lifespan.

So although I find honor in serving this great nation, what nation has it become? What is more important to the people? Have we shifted to some vague wishy-washy vision of America? None of that built this place. It is a vision born of ignorance, cowardice, laziness, and a life devoid of having faced anything difficult. The PP’s (_____ people) who grow in numbers and influence in our once great nation now shepherd an environment of all-inclusiveness. That’s B-S. I’m sorry but some devil worshiper was never a part of any group I was in, neither was an openly gay person. In the hard spots, women were also not present. They were just not physically strong enough. Now should we enlist a battalion of amazons who could kick my butt in a happy half minute, then bring em on. The 1st Amazon battalion could cover down on my outfit on any day. But such a thing is just a fantasy, borne of some mind diluted with left wing campus Bull S. None of it washes in the light of truth, so we have to bend the rules to “Make it fit” Those rules sustained the readiness of warriors for decades and centuries. One should not mess with a successful recipe, just go with it.

Fundamentally changing a country which Obama ran on and indeed actually accomplished has done nothing except to make us weaker. Mr. Trump has restored our strength in numbers, and right now we kill a lot of folks from the air with bombs, but on that day when millions of them come we darn well better be good with a bayonet. And we are not. We are weaker, especially morally, and our soldiers are confused in disillusioned. The hype and gibberish coming out of the left will have the effect of an army of enemy snipers on our unprepared troops.

Now true leaders, although not as numerous as was in the past will keep their little islands intact by playing a dangerous game of switch-a-roo, but they are not supported. And I wonder how is that exceptional son of mine, destined to West point, and I believe someday becoming a commanding general, well how is that God fearing straight laced young man going to survive the political climate long enough to attain that lofty office?

We the public need to pitch a fit. If the cowards can make such a noise, then why can’t we? I know we are normally not like that, but it has come time to raise a voice for what is important to us. We need to do something about this shift in America’s direction. Make a grass roots clamor that drowns out the locust surrounding us. We owe it to the brave men and women who gave so much and we ought to do it for our kids to give them a fighting chance. Heck all they want to do is the right thing, but an angry left constantly lies to them. Toxic masculinity, open borders, legalizing marijuana, homosexuality, removal of Jesus from the public scene. Any of you disagree with those points? If so, well first, leave this site, we love God here. And secondly, in your absence, think, really think about the strength of your beliefs.

Folks we are in a winner takes all fight here. We have to win. I’m not willing to not support my sons. I am not willing to look tradition and success in the eye and say, “Naw, we’re not keeping you.” I’m saying the concept of this nation is more important than any one of our individual lives and if you aren’t willing to stand up against the evil in our ranks then take one step to the rear and exit the formation, I care not to have you in our ranks.

So, what am I to do?? My dad who flew his 35 missions in a B-17 said he was willing to roll the dice for his country, and he was poor. I stood up, as did many of my friends. And now my boys want to stand the ramparts as well. How do I tell them not to go? How do I tell them to go?

[Nate]

We talked

[Flyin6]

 

[oklawall]

Don,

Our family is in a similar boat. Our oldest grandson is talking about joining the Army in place of college so he can learn a skill and get the GI bill for later. After my time in the Air Force, my son (his dad's) time in the reserves and Brett service in the OKANG very hard to tell him that he should but also very hard to tell him he shouldn't. We have put it to Prayer for guidance on what he should do.

[Flyin6]

Don,

Our family is in a similar boat. Our oldest grandson is talking about joining the Army in place of college so he can learn a skill and get the GI bill for later. After my time in the Air Force, my son (his dad's) time in the reserves and Brett service in the OKANG very hard to tell him that he should but also very hard to tell him he shouldn't. We have put it to Prayer for guidance on what he should do.

Well, you can't go wrong by giving it to prayer. Indeed, it is the best thing you can do for him. Like my boys, how do you tell a warrior not to be a warrior?
And then if you face something like your family did, you have to deal with that...

[oklawall]

Don,

Our family is in a similar boat. Our oldest grandson is talking about joining the Army in place of college so he can learn a skill and get the GI bill for later. After my time in the Air Force, my son (his dad's) time in the reserves and Brett service in the OKANG very hard to tell him that he should but also very hard to tell him he shouldn't. We have put it to Prayer for guidance on what he should do.

Well, you can't go wrong by giving it to prayer. Indeed, it is the best thing you can do for him. Like my boys, how do you tell a warrior not to be a warrior?
And then if you face something like your family did, you have to deal with that...

Amen!

[cj7ox]

Don,

I understand your concerns. I've seen the PC BS infiltrating the NCOES and OES. Here's the thing though. There are still standards in the Army. As long as you, your pre-rangers, or any of us serving, enforce those standards fairly and equitably across the board, there will be no need to walk on eggshells. We need morally strong men and women in the ranks, or our way of life will suffer. While a change can be made from the outside, leading by example from within the ranks will have a greater effect on those who we rely on the protect our way of life. If all the straight laced, morally upright young folks decide not to serve, where does that leave us? Just some food for thought. I don't disagree with what you're saying, just make sure they go into it with eyes wide open. Prep the battlefield, so to speak.

[wilsonphil]

Don,

  I would say he would be better off in the US Army than anywhere else.  I cannot publicly comment here about what I see and have to deal with on a daily basis but at least once he gets out of basic he might be able to become part of a good team and for the most part control who will be their team mates.

  Its a challenge some days and I am pretty much left alone on many fronts and I have an extremely good team and even better boss and we can for the most part control what I have to deal with.

[Flyin6]

Don,

  I would say he would be better off in the US Army than anywhere else.  I cannot publicly comment here about what I see and have to deal with on a daily basis but at least once he gets out of basic he might be able to become part of a good team and for the most part control who will be their team mates.

  Its a challenge some days and I am pretty much left alone on many fronts and I have an extremely good team and even better boss and we can for the most part control what I have to deal with.

The odds of them joining any service except the Army is low. There is some interest in the Marines, but I just can't guide them like I can with respect to an Army choice. Who knows, but both are headed toward small team stuff in either the Rangers, Airborne or SF. Neither wants to fly...How could I have failed so miserably? A family who has spawned military aviators now starts gruntin out,,,...Grunts? ;-))

[wilsonphil]

Yea you kind of have to plant that in them at a young age, they have to be around it live and breath it.  My dad kept all his planes right next to the house, the runway had dip between two humps and we would takeoff up one side and then get slightly airborne and bounce into the air on the up slope of the next. So i got it in my blood at an early age.

It really doesn't matter as long as they enjoy the job and learn life experiences and everything that come with military life.

They could look at the PJ's on the Airforce side, they could always go the commission route later.  I highly recommend them getting a commission if they plan on staying in.

[dave945]

Phil best me to it, but yeah PJs or CCT on the Air Force side, I know you would be tempted to disown them, but they’d be able to pull out their time out card and give you time to calm down. ;)


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[Flyin6]

Phil best me to it, but yeah PJs or CCT on the Air Force side, I know you would be tempted to disown them, but they’d be able to pull out their time out card and give you time to calm down. ;)


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PJ's and CCT are about as good as anything any other service can field. I worked with them all over the world and even as a Black Water contract pilot with PJ's as my door gunners.