Posted on 10/24/2005 7:37:56 AM PDT by kellynla
WHETHER IN New Orleans or Baghdad, at home or abroad, the real workhorses of our post-9/11 military have not come from among the generals and colonels, or even the captains and lieutenants, but from the enlisted ranks of sergeants and corporals.
As any West Pointer or Annapolis-educated officer will tell you, these noncommissioned officers — NCOs or noncoms in military lingo — are the heart and soul of the U.S. military, the repository of its culture and traditions.
They are a poorly paid, blue-collar corps, many of them just high school graduates. Two-thirds of all Marines are noncommissioned and in their first four-year enlistment. Nearly 90% of Army Special Forces soldiers, or Green Berets, are sergeants of one grade or another.
The average American has not worn a uniform since the draft ended more than three decades ago, so perhaps we may be forgiven for clinging to the stereotype of the growly sergeant hovering over a recruit doing push-ups, as in the 1960s comedy series "Gomer Pyle, USMC."
But the truth is that the sergeant of today (or chief petty officer in the Navy) is generally a technical expert and corporate-style manager who may speak several exotic languages. One Special Forces master sergeant with whom I recently traveled in Algeria, who grew up on a family farm in New Hampshire, had handled military and humanitarian emergencies in 73 countries in the course of a 17-year Army career.
Never before in military history have noncommissioned officers — who deal at the lowest tactical level, where operational success or failure is determined — been so critical. This is because of the changing nature of conflict.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Just finished reading IMPERIAL GRUNTS by Mr Kaplan. It is a very good tale of our forces around the world and I highly recommend it.
Anxious to see how Hollyweird portrays my fellow Marines in the film, "Jarhead" which I believe opens opens Friday.
I saw the preview for it a few weeks ago. I have a really bad feeling about how it's going to portray the military in general and the USMC in particular. It looked like one of those all-Marines-are-psycho-killers movies. I haven't read the book it's based on, but I remember seeing a pretty scathing review of it posted here a couple weeks ago.
}:-)4
I would day wrong on all three counts. They are decently paid, the are noncommissioned officers (blue collar would be the enlisted) and many have some or college educations...
But this was in the L.A. Times?!
Wow.
I smell a change in the air -- changing of the seasons or something. It smells suspiciously like FRESH AIR.
I dunno.
Kinda scary coming from the L.A. Times.
I am SO suspicious.
Semper Fi. 
They are a poorly paid, blue-collar corps, many of them just high school graduates.
Sorry but after this PUKE I'm out of here!
"They are a poorly paid, blue-collar corps, many of them just high school graduates."
There they go again, portraying them like helpless, stupid cannon fodder, God how I hate these elitists b*****ds. NCOs have ALWAYS played key parts, they are the HEART of the armed forces. My son says they are not given enough leadership roles these days, that they need more responsibilities to "Get-r-done". This from a cannon-fodder Infantryman...
"Kinda scary coming from the L.A. Times."
Well the Times did recently fire Michael Kinsley & John Carroll(who I recently wrote and told him if he didn't remove the op-ed from the front page news and insert some conservative balance to the op-ed that he might be out of a job...and well I won't say "I told you so" LOL)
The Times has reduced their Sunday paper newstand price by a third to try and increase their circulation...
I'm waiting for the Times to file BK and hopefully Ruppert Murdoch to buy it!
1. They couldn't even give away their rag.
2. That would be nice.
I retired with a Bachelor's Degree and two Master's Degrees. I knew many AF Senior NCO's that had Bachelor's Degrees
"But the captains and lieutenants are useless without their sergeants."
Very true. Officers with potential learn this right away, those that don't pay for it their entire careers.
I can't argue that - as a Staff Sergeant in the Air Force, I was decently paid. But when you compare what we were getting paid as opposed to what our civilian counterparts were getting paid for the same work, then I could see where the reporter might say "poorly paid." As a seven level jet engine mechanic, I supervised a team of three and five level mechanics - I also ran a small gas turbine engine shop at one point in time. I got the standard check from the Air Force, where as my counterparts were getting between $18.00 and $25.00 an hour. But that was never an issue for me. I didn't join up for the money, I joined up because that's what had to be done. I walked away from college, a couple scholarships, and apron strings that could have paid for whatever school I wanted to go to. Instead of sitting in a classroom, I was working on fighters - the ultimate hotrods. Yes, I'm proud of what I did - I don't give a rats ass about the money - and I am proud to have been a Staff Sergeant. The NCOs carry on the bloodline of the Centurions of the Roman Legions - and I am proud as hell of that heritage.
The average senior enlisted servicemember is far better educated and galactically more competent then the average journalist.
I agree that MOST noncoms could make MORE in private industry than in the military. But it is tough to compare apples to apples of NET pay. Much of a service person's pay in nontaxable. 20 year pensions are unheard of in private industry. No pay for health insurance (for the service person), 30 days vacation/leave (that takes about 30 years to earn in the private sector) plus many other benefits.
Those looking for cash only will probably always do better in private industry (but I would say it is closer than most people think). For pride and patriotism and looking forward to work, you can't beat many military jobs.
"Just because you're educated doesn't mean you're smart, it just means you're educated."
I've told this to officers and civilians alike and the reaction is usually silence, then a quiet acknowledgement of the enlisted corps achievements, contributions and sacrifices.
As a retired AF MSgt. I can tell you that my pay and allowances made for a comfortable living. We weren't taking vacations all over or buying new cars every other year but our bills were paid, we had clothes on our back, we had food on our table, had some left over to save and we were able to buy nice things once in a while.
As Tennessee Bob said, you don't join up for the money, you join for other reasons.
To all my fellow enlisted "swine" (said with sincere appreciation of your contributions and sacrifices)...
Cheers!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.