WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War! ARTICLE 3 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ft. Hood SITREP - Training is being sacrificed ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: Results of our reader feedback. All information was summarized so we wouldn't reveal our sources. My big question in over twenty years has always been: Why do we have to blow our money at the beginning of each fiscal year vs. planning for decent training for the entire year? How are other installations/services coping? **************************************************************************** >From Multiple Sources YES, Ft. Hood is sacrificing training for money. One Brigade is currently deploying for training at the National Training Center.BUT the 4th Infantry Division cut the home station equipment train in half to save money. Impact: Few home station vehicles went from the support units, vehicles that carry the critical computers for the important Force (or Farce?) XXI tests, the major reason for the deployment. OPTEMPO has been high and M1 readiness suffered big time after one Brigade had been in the field since January and the other has been turning in M1A1s for M1A2's. Maintenance costs have been astronomical. In one instance the CG approved removing parts off of a museum vehicle to repair another vehicle! Recycling is and remains a number one priority on Ft. Hood and a major topic during all readiness briefs. Many careers ride on successful recycling. ============================================================== ARTICLE 4 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Reader Response -- Special Forces Medics may not be so Special? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: Common sense response by this former Marine recon troop. I agree that repetitious training and drill make the master for combat ops. Maybe it doesn't matter if a guy needs four attempts to certify, as long he ultimately meets a RIGOROUS standard. ************************************************************************** By Al Lorentz, former Marine Recon The current standard that SF medics must pass the first test or first re-test seems a bit removed from the real world requirements. The real requirement seems to be having a man who is capable of passing the Q course and specifically their medical specialty test. Given the quality of public education today, I am not surprised that the dumbed down standards are ripping into our military. I know that not as many people want to attend the year-long medical course for SF as the other less time consuming specialties, therefore, the numbers are going to be low for SF medics, especially when recruiting numbers are down. Every one of my soldiers who left our outfit to go SF stated a preference for weapons first, engineer second, commo next to last and medic DEAD LAST. I only had one soldier who went that route and he did so for the $25,000 bonus when, in reality, his heart was set on being the weapons specialist. In my LRRP outfit, we had an ideal standard, a soldier in top physical condition with a GT of 120 or better, expert shot with the rifle, Ranger qualified, JM qualified if he was an NCO, up to date on his leadership schools, some college, some time in an elite outfit, Russian language skills, expert land navigation, unmarried with no children or dependents etc. When we quit dreaming however, we were willing to accept a soldier in good physical condition whose knuckles did not drag in the dirt and had two redeeming factors, he was teachable and he did not know how to quit and we taught him the things he needed. A good NCO can take someone with these last two qualities and train him to do just about anything, I know, I had to do it for years. It would seem that the objective should not be to have soldiers who pass on the first or second go around, but rather ones that pass with the current high standards. If I am gut-shot, I don't care that it took you four tries to pass the test, I care only that you actually passed the test. Sure I'd like to have somebody who passed on the first test and wrote a brilliant thesis on treating soldiers who are gut-shot while doing so, but I'll settle for somebody who can simply treat my wound, somebody who eventually passed the test. If you look ahead at how things are being run, you realize that if the standard is to 'pass on the first or second test with no exception', the overall standards will simply be lowered to assure that this arbitrary requirement is met or else the Army will decide to field a lot less teams. I'd rather have the guy who passed the test with the original standards working on me than one who passed on the first try after they lower them so that more people will pass on the first try. =============================================================== ARTICLE 5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Don't blame Mid-grade Officer Exodus on NonComs ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: This old First Sergeant describes the real culprits from the NCO perspective. Most wounds appear senior officer leader inflicted. **************************************************************************** By 1SG Dwayne L. Davidson, US ARMY Retired Recently the Army conducted a survey on the mass exodus of mid grade Officers (0-3 to 0-5). It was suggested that a lack of Senior NCO mentoring was in part responsible. Obviously the Chief of Staff can't see the forest for the trees to even suggest this. Again the officer's corps is trying to scapegoat the NCO'S which is the trend. There is no mystery here. The officers know exactly what the root causes are, but as usual cannot or will not speak their mind. A lack of resources, personnel, micro management and political protocol all have decimated morale. Today's senior command has become intolerant of anything less than perfection or perfect statistics. Numerous deployments, an OPTEMPO that has spiraled out of control are also driving many leaders away. Many Senior Commanders, particularly TDA commanders have little to base their report cards on so the emphasis is on perfect percentages which is unrealistic and is what drives the train. If a company commander dares to complain or bring real world issues or problems to light, he or she is branded incompetent. Do more with less has reached the point of madness. If your dental readiness falls below 90% God help you. The inflated OER system is directly responsible. More sweat in training, less blood in combat. Just don't ever foul up in training. The difference between these officers and their NCO counterparts is that typically the officers have an option. They, at 10 years have a degree, their student loan is paid off and they are being actively recruited by corporate management. Let's see; duty, honor country versus more money and time with their families. Considering that a master's degree looks good on a corporate resume, not a hard choice when duty, honor, country equates to being abused for being less than perfect. Training has given way to social engineering and political protocol but the NCO will continue to bear the brunt. No one can blame those aspiring officers. They simply want to command, not to be abused. Given the option, most people would want to improve their quality of life. Patriotism only carries you so far. Hardships are an accepted part of the profession of arms that most officers willingly accept but OPTEMPO has exceeded manageable limits. Mentoring is a joint responsibility. The junior officer only has a short period (mandated) to develop. Ready or not the officer is thrown into the next level. The NCO for the most part has some continuity in various leadership positions. Senior commanders also have a responsibility to mentor subordinate officers. Mentoring has given way to "perfection or else". The officer's corps eats its young. ============================================================= ARTICLE 6 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NCO voice from the Training Center - "We are Mush!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed: I personally know this front-line tanker who I would have gladly gone to war with. These men are not in it for money and cheap medals but for the challenge and fulfillment that comes from being a combat man. They don't talk much, but when they speak, it's normally not whining! *************************************************************************** By SFC K.T., US Army I just left the National Training Center (NTC) where I served as a platoon sergeant. Here is my assessment of where we stand. Just like many places, we try to do too much with not enough. I'm not bitching about working hard, but we are trying to satisfy everyone. Environmental protection requirements, support taskings that never end, Equal Opportunity training, Family Support Group briefs, Army Emergency Relief, Consideration Of Others, rotations as OPFOR, training as regular Army, certification on everything, etc. Instead of being well trained and lethal, we are mush. Basic Soldiering is lost. Discipline is low, we need to be kinder or more concerned or write a damn volume of counseling. More time and effort is wasted on those who probably shouldn't be soldiers and the ones who have potential get ignored. Those who have a spark that should be fanned and inspired end up pulling the weight and are ignored, until re-up time, then we wonder why they get out. Hey, we could all use a pay raise, but soldiers don't stay in because of money, or because you give them laptops, or because of feel good environment. They stay because they are doing something they believe in, something more important than self -- things like DUTY, HONOR, COUNTRY, SELFLESS SERVICE, and SACRIFICE! These can't come from a plastic card!!! They come from real leadership by example and are a way of life! ============================================================== ARTICLE 7 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Navy Readiness -- Polishing the Pig Boats ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: Navy perspective on inspections. Do they really serve a purpose when they are announced far in advance? Most cause disruption of routine training and maintenance and give a false read-out on readiness. I have always been a believer in the surprise visit that results in honest feedback and clearly defined fixes, such as retraining tasks. **************************************************************************** By Clinton C. Owen, ETC(SS) Retired When I reported aboard my first submarine in 1981, our training and inspection program was not as polished and sophisticated as it is today. Somehow, we managed to win the cold war and prevent a nuclear confrontation. We averaged about one hour of classroom training per week, just enough to help the junior sailors get up to speed, and to keep the old salts from getting rusty. I actually enjoyed going to work, and considered it a personal challenge to keep all the gear assigned to me in perfect working order. The training we received was mostly on-the-job, with a few formal schools for background theory. We spent a lot of time at sea, went to a lot of exotic places, and when we were in port we had time to actually maintain our equipment. About once per year we had a big inspection (the Operational Reactor Safeguards Examination, ORSE), during which a team of senior nuclear officers looked over our records, and ran drills on us to prove that we could safely operate the ship and its reactor. A few weeks before the scheduled inspection, we would start a work-up period, reviewing our paperwork and practicing drills that we might see during the examination. The inspection was not allowed to impact our operational commitments, usually being tacked onto the end of a deployment. In the past 12 years, the number of submarines in the US fleet has been cut in half, but the number of inspections and inspection teams seems to keep growing. Virtually all of these are now choreographed charades, with predictable results. The ORSE has been joined by an alphabet soup of certifications and inspections. A short list of other probes that a typical ship might endure in a single year includes: Tactical Readiness Examination (TRE), Pre-Overseas Movement Inspection (POM), Mine Warfare Certification (MINECERT), Supply Department Inspection, Demonstration and Shakedown Operation (DASO, Mini DASO), Food Service Inspection (The NEY Award), In Service Inspection (INSERV), etc, etc. Every exercise is planned months in advance. Everyone knows the schedule, down to the tiniest detail. When the inspection team arrives, every drill, evolution, and interview has been meticulously planned and practiced. Often, several senior members of your squadron will ride the ship for a week or more, helping you prepare for the show. The only limit to how well you can do is the finite amount of time you have to change gears between the various inspections. During the work-up periods, some commanding officers are drilling their crews four or five or six days per week, wearing out the ship as well as the men. Trident missile submarines are now spending entire patrols practicing for inspections, instead of going on alert. We have even surfaced and snorkeled in the middle of the patrol area, unheard of even a few years ago. Most incidents that potentially or actually damage the ship happen during drills. Drills are also not very quiet. In the past we spent most of our deployed time trying to live up to the term "Silent Service. Now we spend it crashing and banging around without even a pretense of stealth. Recently several submarines have had to alter their patrol schedules due to actual casualties that occurred during training drills. During the actual inspection, most of the crew will get little or no sleep for several days. Every man will be unnaturally formal in his watch standing, and every evolution will be carried out in perfect detail. As soon as the inspection team is gone, things return to "Business as usual. When the ORSE team is on board, the engineering spaces are sanitized of all excess tools, spare parts, personal items, etc., all of which are stowed forward, where the ORSE team is not looking. The entire crew pitches in to clean the engine room to an unnatural shine. A few months or weeks later, when the TRE inspectors walk through the tactical regions, all unauthorized or questionable items have been moved aft, behind the magical line that separates tactics from engineering. When the supply department is preparing for their show, they stop issuing repair parts from their stock on board the ship. Got to keep a perfect inventory, don't you know? If you need to fix anything you pick up your parts from the shore based supply depot. I remember a scene from Papillion, a film about the French prison on Devil's Island. One of the tortures dreamed up for the prisoners involved polishing a steel plate. It was so hot and humid that any newly polished area started to rust as soon as you moved to the next section. The plate could never be polished-and it was just an old piece of scrap metal anyway. Sometimes it seems like that is the goal of our inspection program: keep the men busy polishing the scrap metal and hope they don't notice that they are not accomplishing anything. *COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for nonprofit research and educational purposes only.[Ref. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ] Want to be on our lists? Write at [EMAIL PROTECTED] for a menu of our lists! ****************************************************************************** ******************* A vote for Bush or Gore is a vote to continue Clinton policies! 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