Posted on 03/19/2018 1:00:32 PM PDT by MAGA2017
Do our youth really understand their country’s military?
By Lt. Col. Brian Fleming
When in uniform and far away from a military post, I am often greeted by strangers and thanked for my service. They have paid for my meals and treated me to coffee. I truly appreciate the recognition of service to our country and the value placed on being a veteran. However, I believe most do not fully understand what that service really means.
The “volunteer” in our all-volunteer force is what makes the military successful. As an officer in the U.S. Army, I meet young people in the Seattle area every day who do not understand their country’s military. If they don’t understand it, why would they consider serving in it?
In order to maintain the long-term prosperity of the military and ultimately of the nation, we must all invest in our youth and inspire them to serve — or we won’t have an all-volunteer force on which to rely. The reality is only 29 percent of youth meet the qualifications to serve in our nation’s military.
What I see as an even bigger issue is the fact that about 50 percent of youth admit to knowing little to nothing about their military. When I talk to youth, parents and even teachers about the 150 different career opportunities in the Army, the ability to earn college degrees at the Army’s expense, and the technical skills and certifications that lead to higher-paying jobs after a term of service, the overwhelming response is, “I had no idea.”
I see this lack of understanding as a disservice to our youth as well as to our nation.
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.com ...
When the ban was lifted on women in combat units, the vast majority of people I talked too failed to understand the significance, didn’t understand MOS, etc...”But, they’re in the army, so of course they fight, right? If they pass ‘boot camp’ why should’t tbey fight?”
How many people, have someone in their family, or friends, who are in the military?
Part of it, is that unlike previous generations, huge numbers of people don’t know anyone who has ever been in the military.
Now, I realize part of my view is based on my father’s generation, which fought World War II. Most of us in my generation, had fathers and uncles who were in the war. Others of my generation saw brothers and friends get drafted, or volunteer.
Also, doesn’t the military have far fewer members than previous decades? Which in turn makes it such that far fewer of us would know someone who has served?
Canada’s Armed forces. Land , Sea and Air have about 100,000 individuals standing.
Of these perhaps about 20 thousand are trained for direct combat, the rest are administrative, logistics and support.
Essentially what Canada has is a skeleton training crew with a system of reserve battalions across the country.
If there was a war it would take at least 2 years to field an large force, and it would require a massive expenditure for equipment, ornance, and conscription. And so we would have to depend on allies for our defense if Russia were to invade Canada’s North.
They’re taught they’re war mongering rapists by the libs.
My son went to boot camp in San Diego on 11/12/2003. He had 2 brief phone calls between leaving home and “graduation” from boot camp, which was in February.
While he was home for his first leave, one of his friends was incredulous that he had not gotten “time off” and the ability to “come home” for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
You are right that too few people have family members or friends in the military “these days”. But many people who would go to extraordinary efforts to understand the “plights” of the GLBT (whatever it is), “women’s rights”, “Black lives”, “gun control”, or other special interest groups, would never make the effort to really understand the military. This is sad, but possibly is something that can be changed over time. IMHO
I don’t know where it goes from here. Both my grand fathers served, my uncles and father served. I am but the only one of all their offspring to serve. Meaning since WW2 I am the only one out of all those offspring, including my 4 kids. sad it really is.
Since we went to volunteer military, the service in the military is pretty much limited to certain families. Some families have many members that have served, are serving; most families have no one that has served unless they go back to WWII. In my family we have many veterans and several currently serving. One of my brothers passed away recently and his service was held at his VFW. As we visited with the members of his VFW they were stunned that so many of our family have and are serving. They said they just do not see that.
When I talk to other people about anything that has to do with the military I might as well be speaking in a foreign language. The thing that really bothers me is many are completely against our military. Some don’t think we even need a military! I cannot imagine that. The way many turned against the military during the Vietnam War- that feeling is still there and barely underneath the surface with many people who were not even born until after that war.
Most people claim to support our military, many say that and truly do not mean it at all. It always stuns me but what is really stunning is how often I encounter those people. What is truly sad is to meet young people in the military who feel they have to give excuses as to why they are serving. I have known 2 young men who were essentially disowned from their family for joining.
I personally believe we need to require a minimum of 2 years of military service from every able bodied person after high school. I think it is dangerous to have the ignorance and attitude towards our military that is out there now. If it was required of all then it would not take any of the unfairness out that the draft became.
“...I am often greeted by strangers and thanked for my service.”
I hear that from a lot of people these days and I wonder, where were you 50 years ago when I came home from Vietnam? Not that I don’t appreciate it but most of these people weren’t even born yet when I was in the Army. I like to think maybe their parents have told them what it was like to be military in the ‘60s.
Regardless, I am still proud of my three years and would go again if they were drafting grandpas.
Or service in a modern version of the TVA or other infrastructure repair and building.
No service, no voting rights.
I used to thank vets almost reflexively, but I’ve encountered enough vets (all young) who react negatively to it that I tend not to anymore, at least not immediately — if I have a conversation with a vet I’ll usually end by thanking them, so if they get angry I can graciously make a run for it :).
The purpose of a military is to have the ability to kill people and break things. An ability one hopes to never have to use.
Or give everybody who did serve honorably two votes.
The short answer is no. In fact most Americans have really no clue to how many branches of the service there are, what their missions are, how our military came to be the most powerful in human history or it’s combat heritage. It’s sad.
I used to get into so many fist fights as a junior high school student during the Vietnam War because I refused to call our troops baby killers. I haven’t forgotten that and I regret that I never served.
I really think it needs to be military service, the understanding needs to be there. For those with religious or other issues there are many needed tasks in the military that could be assigned that do not violate those beliefs. I think other service as part of the 2 years should be limited to those that do not qualify for military service only.
I used to think 2 years of military or other service like you said; now I think it is critical to educate our citizens about the military ASAP. Today if most young people hear about the military at all in passing conversations or even school it seems it is always negative, never positive in nature.
How many even here on FR have discussed military service in a positive way with their own children? Most parents don’t consider it an option- and I am not saying it should be pushed by parents, but the idea that it is a career option does not come up in most homes now.
When I raised my family we gave basic options after high school that we would totally support; going to college, finding a job that was going to lead to a real career, or joining the military. How many parents do this? After 18 “hanging out” or living in our basement while they found themselves was not an option. My kids always knew we did not have a basement, and they knew something was expected of them. We did not push military service, but did not shun it either.
Today’s youth don’t even understand that if you have a penis, it means you’re a guy.
“Either come home with your shield, or come home on your shield”. —Spartan mother to son.
Take a hard look around, Colonel. We can’t maintain what we don’t have anymore. We are in the final defensive line of the culture war and the military has been infiltrated through and through.
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