Never served, so I can’t speak directly. But the oldest bro, who served in the USA from the late 50s to the late 70s, got out because he said he said he could see it starting to go to Hades in a handbag back then. I sorely miss him - but I hate to think what he’d have to say, if he were still with us, about how things are now, esp. under The One.
My grandson took basic training at Jackson last July. I was quite impressed at the professionalism shown there. It seemed to much better, way, way more technical, intellectual, and physically demanding than in my day, sixty years ago (even though the training battalion had women).
Thanks for a Very Fine post. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM....seems you forgot the Marines though. AND what about the French who made the great tank sweep to completely fool Saddam?
I love our Army, but I’m partial to the Marines. I remember meeting an old Army guy who had fought at Tarawa. His remark to me was “Thank God for the U.S. Marines. They saved my butt.”
We DO need to get our Military back on the right path, strengthen them and dump the ridiculous ROE strangling them. PLEASE, Trump, GET RID of the mama’s boys and P.C. critters destroying our Armed Forces.
I was in the Army at the time period this guy is referring to. I’ll just say that either he was in a particularly hardcore unit (one of the last most likely) or he is idealizing his experience through the lens of nostalgia.
Very good article.
One of the key sentences: The greatest lessons the Desert Storm Army can impart on today’s Army is that without senior leaders who really care and have moral courage, the Army is severely weakened, if not doomed.
The big negative I’ve had about Desert Storm is Colin Powell, who convinced Bush 41 to pull out before destroying Saddam and his regime. That stupid decision and 9/11 required Bush 43 to send our forces back to Iraq.
One of my soldiers back in the early eighties doing an OVM layout in the motorpool was being inspected by a Colonel and he asked a PFC for a look at some parts on a deuce and a half where the soldier had to climb up during mid winter in Korea. The COL looked pleased and the soldier jumped down. The COL said "you don't look too happy with this inspection this morning". The PFC replied "sir, it's colder than hell out here this morning". The COL laughed finished and went on to the next vehicle.
I imagine today that CSM would be ordered to undergo sensitivity training as well as issue an apology to Gorbachev.
The part about the miles of equipment struck me. I was doing work at a Navy base in NJ (Bayonne???). Anyway, I would drive over there every day - listening to the radio for the hour it took. All of the news was about Iraq and the “negotiations”.
Would show up at the port every day with ships stacked up and row upon row of tanks and hummvees and all sorts of other stuff. All out in the open. It was weeks like that.
“Oh sure - negotiations. Well, I guess one has to do SOMETHING while you’re waiting for all your stuff to get over there.”
I knew we were in trouble when the memo came down saying that it wasn’t fair to evaluate Soldiers based on their performance in combat.
What else would you use to evaluate a Soldier?
Bflr