[35NCO]

I understand that this is a conversation that could quickly go from intelligent to pure complaining. I will try to state my opinion as professionally as possible.

I agree that we have a problem with how we educate. Specifically, how we train the mentality of the Soldier. I also strongly agree with TR that there is a time and place for a long drawn out thought process to a decision.

The issue that I see as a problem, especially with the Army, is hearing about how the Army has "no common sense". I have spent many days dwelling on this after hearing something ridiculous, or a mission plan that simply does not add up. The truth is the Army keeps rolling along regardless,...and it always will.

I think the real trouble why soldiers feel that there is a lack of common sense is due to the Army up bringing of black and white principles of thinking. The concept makes sense for battlefield decision making. I believe this is why the Army has done this for so long. (However, it is also supported by the decision making process.)

What I have observed is that, especially with senior leaders that have been around a long time, IE 25-30 year + CSM's and General officers (Please take no offense to this local seniors) The Seniors are very hell bent on the Black and White way of thinking, because it is all they know. The trouble with this, in a non battlefield situation, is that real issues have trouble with finding resolutions.

I will give a recent example(no hijack intended) I have a pay issue that has been going on for over a year. The Army owes my family about 6k in back pay. I have gone through my entire chain of command and recently sat down with the Corp level. I thought, at this level, it would finally be over, but it was not. The reason for this is because the Corp saw it either one way or the other.

They simply did not believe me, that what has happened to me, happened the way it did. (Thought process was how could a pay issue fail at so many levels) Now, I don't blame them at all. But this happened because the way of looking at it is one way or the other, there is not anything in between. (Plus I have a really pissed off wife to explain it to.)

I think that is the kind of thinking that makes soldiers have those days, where "no common sense in the Army" comes out. I do firmly believe it is time to change our old ways. In the appropriate places respectively. With the new generations of soldiers rising up, like them or not, they are thinkers. Out of the box thinking is what they know. A change is coming if we want it or not, I just cannot say how this will affect our military.

One last thought, I really strongly believe as well, we lose a lot of our best leaders, the best and brightest, because they cannot stand the way the Army thinks. I have lost many brilliant minds to, "I just cant stand it anymore". Yes, they should have been tougher and not gotten out, but it is still ashame the Army got them to the point of feeling that way.