View Full Version : The US military might not be the best in the world anymore
Wonder if this young Captain had the PAO give him the go ahead to speak to the press on behalf of the entire military. or did the editor steal the story from Armor magazine.:confused:
At the squad, platoon, and company level, the U.S. Army is not as good as its allies, reports an Army captain. “American units are not as prepared or ready for combat as their multinational partners are at company level and below,” writes Capt. J. Scott Metz. “Many of our allies, and likely some of our potential enemies, are now tactically better than we are at company level and below because we do not train enough at home station.”
In other words, they don’t learn the fundamentals of maneuver before going for higher training at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC), the big U.S. Army training base in Hohenfels, Germany. He should know. Until recently, Capt. Metz was an observer/controller/trainer at the JMRC. He notes that he has worked with units from 11 nations.
Here’s one of his examples. “Units default to conducting on-line frontal assaults because that’s all they have practiced,” he writes. In one rotation, a unit “defaulted to a frontal assault in the open without using terrain to their advantage in every engagement. In one of those engagements, a platoon sat static in the open, engaging an enemy Leopard tank. The Leopard fired some 10 times from 10 locations in 60 seconds and never stopped moving while taking concealed routes to and from multiple alternate firing positions.” He adds, “I’ve never seen an American tank do anything like that at JMRC.”
Metz blames senior Army leaders who claim that readiness is their top priority yet don’t give small units sufficient time to train enough to be genuinely ready. He is speaking truth to power.
By the way, Armor magazine deserves a Best Defense 21-laptop salute. This is the second time that it recently has printed a tough, informed article that challenges the prevailing wisdom. Doing that is a big part of the role of military professional journals, but they don’t always carry it out.
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-us-military-might-not-be-the-best-in-the-world-anymore-2017-6
My thoughts exactly.
When I saw this the other day all I could think of was his ass was currently standing at attention in front of the CG and his career was over.
Today's environment might just be a bit more receptive to the captains opinion, let's hope it trickles to the top of the food chain.
Team Sergeant
06-11-2017, 15:26
The media loves to quote the young inexperienced military immature E-5's and O-3's, makes their jobs easier. ;)
Lol.....yeah, all of the combat experience of the last damn 16 years are washed away by one range drill.....who knew?
What he meant to say is this....'some of the officers in my unit are stupid' (Oh, but not you sir!)
Peregrino
06-11-2017, 21:49
I think he's spot on. And probably going to get crushed for saying it. Bluntly - despite the sacrifices/experiences of individual soldiers, the last 16 years haven't prepared us as a military or a nation to fight peer/near peer competitors. Ongoing readiness issues have only exacerbated the issue. DoD is more interested in whether or not units have finished Tier III Transgender Training than whether or not they can perform integrated combat operations against someone who can potentially kick our asses. Maybe the winds will shift with the advent of OBJ-T but I'm not holding my breath.
It's not failing if you're learning. And if you're not failing, then you're not learning.
I reckon there's not much worse than the hubris that follows "templated success".
Training failure, humility, hard work, redemption, operational readiness.
"And the cycle of life continues" (in my Jacques Cousteau voice)
I'd like to think the platoon commander and sergeant that got smoked by the Leopard are starting early and staying late to better kill T80/90s, errr Leopards.
frostfire
06-12-2017, 13:39
At the squad, platoon, and company level, the U.S. Army is not as good as its allies, reports an Army captain. “American units are not as prepared or ready for combat as their multinational partners are at company level and below,” writes Capt. J. Scott Metz. “Many of our allies, and likely some of our potential enemies, are now tactically better than we are at company level and below because we do not train enough at home station.”
IMHOO, this phenomenon is not limited to armor.
A sobering thought indeed, but hey! my unit PHA, GAT survey, IA, SHARP, EO, etc. are above 80% and higher ups are happy...:boohoo
...but I still have faith in the individual soldier and leader, who hone proficiency and turn tools from training/classes to 2nd-nature skill
WarriorDiplomat
06-12-2017, 16:41
My thoughts exactly.
When I saw this the other day all I could think of was his ass was currently standing at attention in front of the CG and his career was over.
I am not sure this is what truth to power was meant to mean something to do with AAR's, not sugar coating training events or anything else telling the commander what he needs to hear not what he wants to hear I think is what was supposed to happen.
Everything he has said is possibly true and it is an embarrassment to us but then again that is what 16 years of COIN have done, I understand that our tankers have been spanked at NTC for similar actions and usually pull their shit together after being killed and reset a few times and realize they can't half ass it.
Would this CPT's very public assessment be considered in keeping with good faith and allegiance to his country?
I am not sure this is what truth to power was meant to mean something to do with AAR's, not sugar coating training events or anything else telling the commander what he needs to hear not what he wants to hear I think is what was supposed to happen.
Everything he has said is possibly true and it is an embarrassment to us but then again that is what 16 years of COIN have done, I understand that our tankers have been spanked at NTC for similar actions and usually pull their shit together after being killed and reset a few times and realize they can't half ass it.
Would this CPT's very public assessment be considered in keeping with good faith and allegiance to his country?
Yeah I was thinking along the lines he made the statements without command and PAO approval.
Well, as least he stated an opinion. Sometimes the truth hurts??? But, being an O-3, with who knows what experience, at least he said what's on his mind...
Often of which I see not with some of todays LDRS, O's and NCO's....seems they want "status quo".... At least here in SWC anyway...
Well, as least he stated an opinion. Sometimes the truth hurts??? But, being an O-3, with who knows what experience, at least he said what's on his mind...
Often of which I see not with some of todays LDRS, O's and NCO's....seems they want "status quo".... At least here in SWC anyway...
Everyone seems to be talking about an "inexperienced" O3. Seems to me that he is commenting only on his area of knowledge and not going beyond that. He is an O/C at a training center and he is commenting both on Armor and Infantry tactics that he has observed at the company level and below. To me he is well within his lane.
The last time I was in the big conventional Army (1st CAV) was in 1994. We no shit went to the field doing ARTEPS and STX lanes at the SQD and PLT level a lot and then went to the field some more with BN and BDE. Maintenance and equipment status was treated with the seriousness that SHARP and GAT training is now. NTC was a fight vs a peer enemy and a high-threat event for the whole chain of command. Yes it was a "training" event and mistakes were expected, but it was well known and expected that blatant dumbassery or unpreparedness would cause heads to roll within the chain of command. I'm not sure if it is like that now.
However, as also pointed out, company level tactics are the easiest to fix. A couple of training iterations and those junior people will adapt and get their shit figured out. What I don't know is if our schoolhouses are doing them any favors and really teaching them to fight a peer and not simply how to play whack-a-mole and drink chai with the locals. The percentage of Junior officers and NCOs that are combat vets are dwindling, and even those with experience in AFG and IQ, their experience is less and less a benefit (and may be more of a hindrance) as they move up to higher levels.
The real issue is at BN and BDE level... where most of the "on the FOB" experience needs to be un-learned and much of the military industrial complex pushed, space and enemy unconstrained ,equipment and operating procedures... need to be shit canned. How many BDEs or BNs in the Army today could run an analog TOC or jump it and run out of a collection of vehicles (S3, FSO etc.) back up together. BN is the hardest... THey must be able to provide C2 and support to a company commander under a poncho (or in his vehicle) while interfacing with BDE and Higher and all their micromanagement systems.... and do so while in enemy artillery range. Yeah if I had multiple stars on my shoulders I would not be sleeping well.
Peregrino
06-13-2017, 07:59
Everyone seems to be talking about an "inexperienced" O3. Seems to me that he is commenting only on his area of knowledge and not going beyond that. He is an O/C at a training center and he is commenting both on Armor and Infantry tactics that he has observed at the company level and below. To me he is well within his lane.
The last time I was in the big conventional Army (1st CAV) was in 1994. We no shit went to the field doing ARTEPS and STX lanes at the SQD and PLT level a lot and then went to the field some more with BN and BDE. Maintenance and equipment status was treated with the seriousness that SHARP and GAT training is now. NTC was a fight vs a peer enemy and a high-threat event for the whole chain of command. Yes it was a "training" event and mistakes were expected, but it was well known and expected that blatant dumbassery or unpreparedness would cause heads to roll within the chain of command. I'm not sure if it is like that now.
However, as also pointed out, company level tactics are the easiest to fix. A couple of training iterations and those junior people will adapt and get their shit figured out. What I don't know is if our schoolhouses are doing them any favors and really teaching them to fight a peer and not simply how to play whack-a-mole and drink chai with the locals. The percentage of Junior officers and NCOs that are combat vets are dwindling, and even those with experience in AFG and IQ, their experience is less and less a benefit (and may be more of a hindrance) as they move up to higher levels.
The real issue is at BN and BDE level... where most of the "on the FOB" experience needs to be un-learned and much of the military industrial complex pushed, space and enemy unconstrained ,equipment and operating procedures... need to be shit canned. How many BDEs or BNs in the Army today could run an analog TOC or jump it and run out of a collection of vehicles (S3, FSO etc.) back up together. BN is the hardest... THey must be able to provide C2 and support to a company commander under a poncho (or in his vehicle) while interfacing with BDE and Higher and all their micromanagement systems.... and do so while in enemy artillery range. Yeah if I had multiple stars on my shoulders I would not be sleeping well.
Concur. Unequivocally.
WarriorDiplomat
06-13-2017, 17:06
Well, as least he stated an opinion. Sometimes the truth hurts??? But, being an O-3, with who knows what experience, at least he said what's on his mind...
Often of which I see not with some of todays LDRS, O's and NCO's....seems they want "status quo".... At least here in SWC anyway...
I agree the status quo problems have driven the truth to power narrative....I don't disagree with the CPT but he more than likely committed career suicide by putting the United States on blast especially with the tensions we have with Russia. Kind of hard for a President to project power to our enemies when a military officer discredits your military publicly as inept on a peer to peer level.
If he is a true believer and he is getting out anyway then good on him we IMO have to sometimes embarrass are brass IOT get their horsepower to fix things that everyone knows is broken.
I think it is a shame that our Generals have levels of careerists below them clouding the reality IOT further their own careers. Kind of like the females in combat arms issue god forbid any would say it was a bad idea without getting fired and we wonder why we have an issue with capitulating careerist and truth to power???Funny enough Saddam Husseins military leaders did the same thing leading up to OIF, the sheer amount of deceit out of fear of Saddams response to the issue allowed to the point of propping up armament they knew was junk or broken to create the illusion of the 4th largest and therefore 4th most powerful military in the world. For crying out loud each soldier actually had 10 rds per man except the Republican guard they were props nothing but numbers on the invasion and many were starving because of lack of logistics no wonder they surrendered without fighting some of them anyway.
Pericles
06-15-2017, 12:34
Concur. Unequivocally.
Indeed - that was probably the post of the month, and we still have half of the month to go. Conventional force units trying to do COIN is almost certain to lose the ability to fight conventionally at BN and BDE level.
sfshooter
06-02-2021, 21:50
Was not sure where to put this, but I think it goes well in a thread about our military's perceived competence and fighting ability when compared to the world stage:
https://americanmilitarynews.com/2021/06/pentagon-may-allow-lgbtq-pride-flags-to-be-flown-on-military-bases-reversing-trump-era-no-non-govt-flags-rule-report/
I am so happy to see that our current so-called commander-in-chief along with the current SECDEF are going full speed to make our military the best! Because really, it's the small things that matter the most.
I wonder if these fucking idiots realize that the "no non-government flags" rule also keeps trouble makers from flying things like ISIS flags and the dreaded Battle Flag of the Army of Northern Virginia?
...of course, they still haven't noticed that the US army generic beret flash pretty much mirrors the confederate Navy jack, but hey - woke is woke.
Roguish Lawyer
06-03-2021, 18:06
...of course, they still haven't noticed that the US army generic beret flash pretty much mirrors the confederate Navy jack, but hey - woke is woke.
SSSSSSSHHHHHH!!!!!!!
Old Dog New Trick
06-03-2021, 19:03
SSSSSSSHHHHHH!!!!!!!
:D LMAO
sfshooter
06-04-2021, 21:42
Well, evidently some little thought got put into this and they have now decided to back track on the flag thing:
https://www.jpost.com/american-politics/pentagon-not-to-allow-pride-flags-to-be-flown-on-installations-670153
But, as there is probably no DoD regulation on what can be posted online, they have gone this route instead:
https://americanmilitarynews.com/2021/06/us-military-is-posting-gay-pride-rainbows-on-social-media-for-pride-month-here-are-the-pics/
It's this in your face attitude, I believe, that pisses most ordinary Americans off. In the end, they are accomplishing their goals one little piece at a time like they have always done.
I've got the Free Pineland flag in my office. No one knows what it is and - what is weird - no one has ever asked about it. It's like they just leave me alone...., I wonder why?
Trapper John
06-05-2021, 09:37
I've got the Free Pineland flag in my office. No one knows what it is and - what is weird - no one has ever asked about it. It's like they just leave me alone...., I wonder why?
Same here, but I thought it was 'cause underneath were the commendations from Iran (in Farsi), and Cambodia along with my shadow box, Beret, and K-bar. A colleague/friend told me that it was a little intimidating and maybe I should tone it down a bit.
I decided against mounting an AR-15. :D
I've got the Free Pineland flag in my office. No one knows what it is and - what is weird - no one has ever asked about it. It's like they just leave me alone...., I wonder why?
I had mine up when I was at SOCOM. Only GBs knew what it was. I had many uniformed and civilians ask me about it.
Same here, but I thought it was 'cause underneath were the commendations from Iran (in Farsi), and Cambodia along with my shadow box, Beret, and K-bar. A colleague/friend told me that it was a little intimidating and maybe I should tone it down a bit.
I decided against mounting an AR-15. :D
HANG IT UP!!!
I think he's spot on. And probably going to get crushed for saying it. Bluntly - despite the sacrifices/experiences of individual soldiers, the last 16 years haven't prepared us as a military or a nation to fight peer/near peer competitors. Ongoing readiness issues have only exacerbated the issue. DoD is more interested in whether or not units have finished Tier III Transgender Training than whether or not they can perform integrated combat operations against someone who can potentially kick our asses. Maybe the winds will shift with the advent of OBJ-T but I'm not holding my breath.
The Army has become more and more risk adverse over the years imo. Do you think the Sontay Raid would get green lit today? I dont think it would. People are so afraid to get in trouble that could ruin their career that they bred a risk adverse environment. Case is point would be how long conops became around what 201ish. The BC in SOTF south refused to drop on a person that was being watched implanting it's into the ground because or risk adversion built by his desire to get promoted. I will say though, that BC was the first time I ever saw someone wear two body armor vest to leave the wire. I think it stems from Soldiers becoming NCOs before they are posses the skills to become NCOs. So they lag behind in what I like to call soldier maturity and as they keep getting promoted they eventually reach the point where theyvare responsible for training those young officers to become good leaders. But by the time they reach the rank equivalency they are years behind the maturity and wisdom level it takes to train a offficer. It's like babies training babies for all intent and purposes. So the degradation of the NCO corps with automatic promotion to the NCO ranks under the Obama and Bush administration I believe has a direct corellation with how these young officers view risk as it relates to them getting in trouble or losing their career. I also think you can also trace many if the issues the military faces to that specific time period. Kinda like how we have an entire half of givt that had no clue how to govern as evidenced by higher steel prices higher lumber prices and higher gas prices to name a few. I rambled a bit but whatever.
tom kelly
06-20-2021, 15:31
This was the main reason for one zeros and one-ones in SOG...
Badger52
06-20-2021, 17:54
Same here, but I thought it was 'cause underneath were the commendations from Iran (in Farsi), and Cambodia along with my shadow box, Beret, and K-bar. A colleague/friend told me that it was a little intimidating and maybe I should tone it down a bit.
I decided against mounting an AR-15. :DDo it! I've got one and I think, aesthetically, the whole thing needs a CAR-15 as a backdrop. Yes. The venerable XM177-E2 would be very balanced.
sfshooter
06-11-2022, 20:58
Well, I keep finding these gems of an article. I should quit perusing the source I guess. Does nothing but disgust me and piss me off to read about shit like this.
https://americanmilitarynews.com/2022/06/across-the-military-basic-training-is-changing-with-a-focus-on-mentorship-not-yelling/
Some selected passages:
"Some of what drill instructors tackle are social issues that have been worrying the Pentagon’s top brass: sexual assault and harassment, racism and political extremism. In the wake of the Jan. 6. Capitol insurrection, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin ordered a worldwide stand-down to air concerns about racism and extremism. In December, the Pentagon issued new guidelines to root out extremism after finding about 100 service members were involved in extremist activity over the past year."
"“If you’re still having trouble marching in step then I’ll take you aside, say ‘just walk with me, just walk with me,’ and then maybe something like ‘hey cup your hand’ ‘cause I know that can help,” he said."
"“I’m about teaching them … I want to get them thinking, I want to mold thinking. I don’t want them automatically charging in a frontal attack on a machine gun nest, I want them to be able to say, ‘That doesn’t sound so smart,’ ” Champion said."
"The additional two weeks focus on scenario-based training about prevention and response for sexual assault and harassment, as well as extremism. "
We won't be winning any world wars with these pansies. Just my opinion based on history.
Fade in
...in the valley of a modern battlefield rests a small unit, taking sporadic harassment fire from a nearby hill. The new soldier fresh from Fort Jackson bootcamp recognizes the gunfire for what it really is: harassment - and harassment in todays Army is NOT ok. Afraid and unsure, the private hesitates waiting for some type of guidance
-take that hill said the grizzled veteran
-fuck you sarge, drill sgt champion taught me to realize that its dangerous on that hill and you are just going to sacrifice me as part of a bullet statement on your silver star recommendation for taking the hill
-dont cry, said the grizzled veteran - war is tough - but youre not alone - we've learned that yelling causes stress while discussing better ways to do thngs help us build stronger bonds
-gee sarge - you really do understand - well, I dont want to let you down - what can I do to make things better
-GET UP THAT FUCKING HILL AND KILL SOMEBODY YOU WORTHLESS PUSSY said the grizzled veteran
epilogue
countless Americans were killed that day - but an investigation uncovered sarges toxic leadership and he was drummed out of service - justice was served even though the battle was lost
WarriorDiplomat
06-12-2022, 09:57
Well, I keep finding these gems of an article. I should quit perusing the source I guess. Does nothing but disgust me and piss me off to read about shit like this.
https://americanmilitarynews.com/2022/06/across-the-military-basic-training-is-changing-with-a-focus-on-mentorship-not-yelling/
Some selected passages:
"Some of what drill instructors tackle are social issues that have been worrying the Pentagon’s top brass: sexual assault and harassment, racism and political extremism. In the wake of the Jan. 6. Capitol insurrection, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin ordered a worldwide stand-down to air concerns about racism and extremism. In December, the Pentagon issued new guidelines to root out extremism after finding about 100 service members were involved in extremist activity over the past year."
"“If you’re still having trouble marching in step then I’ll take you aside, say ‘just walk with me, just walk with me,’ and then maybe something like ‘hey cup your hand’ ‘cause I know that can help,” he said."
"“I’m about teaching them … I want to get them thinking, I want to mold thinking. I don’t want them automatically charging in a frontal attack on a machine gun nest, I want them to be able to say, ‘That doesn’t sound so smart,’ ” Champion said."
Teaching systematic cowardice....imagine being in a fight for your life and what you hear behind you is this kind of talk with troops flat our refusing to fight and sacrifice for the other squads pinned down nested within a Platoon pinned down nested with a Company pinned down nested within.....
"The additional two weeks focus on scenario-based training about prevention and response for sexual assault and harassment, as well as extremism. "
Excellent training you never know the enemy may sexually harass the females in your infantry squad while fighting and draw out the worst in toxic masculinity...Chivalry
We won't be winning any world wars with these pansies. Just my opinion based on history.
No we wont win any wars with this pussification of the military even with technology turning war into video games and a generation of kids who have built no physical strength other then their thumbs, no resilience to pain and effort, no competitive experience and emotionally weak and confused on life and confused about the roles of genders in the reality of a post apocolyptic world once we self destruct. Even with the technology we have to equalize the battlefield the mentality of the military today is a feminized overly sensitive force....they wont fight until its too late
It seems unbridles world war is the only thing that will bring us back to primal reality...once women are getting brutalized in close combat by the superior physical strength and aggression of a man and the weak feminized men are put back into their corners of society will things return to what it should be.
Man builds nations and explores the 4 corners of the world then we advance our society until the physical aggression and strength are no longer required and women can now work and fight alongside men as equals within the illusion of equality given us by advancements and men hand over society to the weak and feminine once the manly work has allowed it only to have these feminine men and women lead us into destruction with with a twisted set of ill contrived values and immorality...this repeats over and over and over again historically...before every great nation falls it goes through this cycle.
Old Dog New Trick
06-12-2022, 18:33
Maybe WW3 isn’t such a bad idea after all!?
I just hope the two to three million lives lost are the right two to three million lives, and not those that understand what real sacrifice, honor and dignity mean.
Maybe WW3 isn’t such a bad idea after all!?
I just hope the two to three million lives lost are the right two to three million lives, and not those that understand what real sacrifice, honor and dignity mean.
Consider...
The current Western Oligarchy openly and frequently speaks about the virtues of "depopulation" - they don't even try to hide it any more. They have mouth pieces that say things like "bearing children is immoral" - they worship criminals like George Floyd and claim that fire and destruction are characteristic of peaceful protests while simultaneously explaining how an image of Saint Michael is inherently racist.
They did a test run already and found out how easy it is to control people with something as harmless as a nasty flu bug. They've seen how malleable people become when the supply chain is only moderately disrupted and people cant get their new x-box console on time. They've already seen how easy it is to cause a food shortage just by having a government agency shut down one or two processing plants "for reasons"
But you cant kill millions of people with starvation without things getting out of hand. You can kill millions of people with a nasty flu bug by locking them up together until they die - but even that will run its course before you meet your goals.
War.
Now there's a real peach.
War is SUPPOSED to kill millions of people. Starvation and pestilence will cause a violent response from your loyal subjects if you let it go on for too long.
War, on the other hand, gives you an enemy to unite against when millions of people die - even it if its your intent or incompetence that got them killed...
The enemy caused high gas prices.
The enemy caused the baby formula shortage.
The enemy caused inflation.
The enemy shut down those food processing processing plants.
The enemy disrupted supply chains.
The dingo ate your baby.
The evil oligarch dropped that nuke for no reason whatsoever.
“The past was alterable. The past never had been altered. Oceania was at war with Eastasia. Oceania had always been at war with Eastasia.”
...so I ask - when we hold hope that the two to three million lives lost are the right two to three million lives, we fall right back into the word game of 'who gets to decide the definition of the word right' the current power structure would almost certainly think that the right side of the spectrum are the ones that need to be within the blast radius of that first air-burst.
Pure cooincidence, but Brandon went on Kimmy Jimmel and joked about locking up your political opponents - the next day a gubernatorial candidate was arrested because of accusations that he had ties to "6 January"
If present day aMErikA was a Marvel Movie it would get terrible reviews because the story line would be waaaaay too unbelievable, but here we are.