U.S. military and civilians are increasingly divided

[Trapper John]

Originally Posted by Billy L-bach

Concur 100%
...like I said, George is just a grouchy, 90 year old guy that probably just wants to be worshiped

Mr Baroff is just anpther guy guilty of perpetuating that whole "greatest generation" myth.

Eric, from Carrboro, has already set everyone straight.
...hell, even our senate behaves like they did during the era of the roman legions.

"The more things change'........................................... ....
...and all that jazz

Billy, I love reading your posts!

I just read another email from a Brother: "The late 17th Century philosopher Hegel said that if there is one thing history teaches us it is that history teaches us nothing.

[Stobey]

Originally Posted by Billy L-bach

entire original post

So very well said. Thank you Billy.

[Penn]

I am uncertain where I discovered this letter, but I download and saved the letter for obvious reason.

I remember the day I found out I got into West Point.

My mom actually showed up in the hallway of my high school and waited for me to get out of class. She was bawling her eyes out and apologizing that she had opened up my admission letter. She wasn’t crying because it had been her dream for me to go there. She was crying because she knew how hard I’d worked to get in, how much I wanted to attend, and how much I wanted to be an infantry officer. I was going to get that opportunity.

That same day two of my teachers took me aside and essentially told me the following: “Nick, you’re a smart guy. You don’t have to join the military. You should go to college, instead.”

I could easily write a tome defending West Pont and the military as I did that day, explaining that USMA is an elite institution, that separate from that it is actually statistically much harder to enlist in the military than it is to get admitted to college, that serving the nation is a challenge that all able-bodied men should at least consider for a host of reasons, but I won’t.

What I will say is that when a 16 year-old kid is being told that attending West Point is going to be bad for his future then there is a dangerous disconnect in America, and entirely too many Americans have no idea what kind of burdens our military is bearing.

In World War II, 11.2% of the nation served in four years. In Vietnam, 4.3% served in 12 years. Since 2001, only 0.45% of our population has served in the Global War on Terror. These are unbelievable statistics.

Over time, fewer and fewer people have shouldered more and more of the burden and it is only getting worse. Our troops were sent to war in Iraq by a Congress consisting of 10% veterans with only one person having a child in the military. Taxes did not increase to pay for the war. War bonds were not sold. Gas was not regulated. In fact, the average citizen was asked to sacrifice nothing, and has sacrificed nothing unless they have chosen to out of the goodness of their hearts.

The only people who have sacrificed are the veterans and their families. The volunteers. The people who swore an oath to defend this nation. You.

You stand there, deployment after deployment and fight on. You’ve lost relationships, spent years of your lives in extreme conditions, years apart from kids you’ll never get back, and beaten your body in a way that even professional athletes don’t understand. And you come home to a nation that doesn’t understand. They don’t understand suffering. They don’t understand sacrifice. They don’t understand that bad people exist. They look at you like you’re a machine – like something is wrong with you. You are the misguided one – not them. When you get out, you sit in the college classrooms with political science teachers that discount your opinions on Iraq and Afghanistan because YOU WERE THERE and can’t understand the “macro” issues they gathered from books with your bias. You watch TV shows where every vet has PTSD and the violent strain at that. Your Congress is debating your benefits, your retirement, and your pay, while they ask you to do more.

But the amazing thing about you is that you all know this. You know your country will never pay back what you’ve given up. You know that the populace at large will never truly understand or appreciate what you have done for them. Hell, you know that in some circles, you will be thought as less than normal for having worn the uniform. But you do it anyway. You do what the greatest men and women of this country have done since 1775 – YOU SERVED. Just that decision alone makes you part of an elite group.

Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few.

You are the 0.45%.

[Box]

Taxes did not increase to pay for the war. War bonds were not sold. Gas was not regulated. In fact, the average citizen was asked to sacrifice nothing, and has sacrificed nothing unless they have chosen to out of the goodness of their hearts.

...yet, according to the rank and file shitbrick like Eric Harmeling days like memorial day bring about images of the roman empire forcing the subjects of the empire to worship the legion on bent knee.

I hope Eric and his friends went to work on memorial day. I wouldn't want him to feel oppressed by being forced to take the day off to worship me.


The teachers in the above story are clearly so much smarter than everyone else that they failed to realize that the United States Military ACADEMY at West Point is in fact "college"....
...there is nothing quite so endearing as an educator that has learned how to use the bully pulpit when pouring their own foul brand of mush into a young mind.

I'm sure community college would have given "Nick" a much better education than West Point.
...and as far as the smug response from "Nicks" two teachers in the above story and the disdain they hold for the military: "you're welcome"

[Razor]

Penn, the author of the article is Nick Palmisciano, founder and CEO of Ranger Up apparel, former infantry officer and an arguably witty writer: https://www.military1.com/columnists/nick-palmisciano

[Penn]

Razor, thanks for the heads up; checking out his site RU, pointed and very funny. I was searching for the the time line of that article, I saved the piece, according to my computer file in 10/12, which surprised me, it seems more recent as I have that .45% thought often, or I'm just more conscience of the fact.

[Pericles]

Originally Posted by Razor

Penn, the author of the article is Nick Palmisciano, founder and CEO of Ranger Up apparel, former infantry officer and an arguably witty writer: https://www.military1.com/columnists/nick-palmisciano

While it pleases me that Mick was able to complete the Point and serve in the infantry branch, I am distressed that such people are not staying for careers.

[Peregrino]

Originally Posted by Pericles

While it pleases me that Mick was able to complete the Point and serve in the infantry branch, I am distressed that such people are not staying for careers.

Don't get too wrapped up about it. Given current trends many more top performers currently in will "do their duty" (as they see it) and leave the service for places where "self-actualization" is still possible while fewer "top 10" potentials will accept the inherent sacrifice of a military career. Draw down periods always leave a hollow force - the best and brightest self-starters tend to self eliminate (have a high percentage of turnover) and the Army does a fair job of eliminating the dirtbags. That leaves the middle - describe them how you will. Until the culture changes, don't expect to attract the warriors again, at least not until they hear the bugles and feel the urge to answer the call.

[blacksmoke]

Da'ash will pull off some small scale attacks on the U.S. and the average Joe will wear camo jackets and have support the troops stickers for a couple months, and the whole thing will start over again.

[Peregrino]

Originally Posted by blacksmoke

Da'ash will pull off some small scale attacks on the U.S. and the average Joe will wear camo jackets and have support the troops stickers for a couple months, and the whole thing will start over again.

Or (more likely) Da'ash will pull off some small scale attacks on the U.S. and camo jackets will disappear for a couple months for fear of being mistaken as a Soldier (and target), until the whole thing starts over again. That and the same people who have been saying thank you for your service (so I don't have to) will be screaming "why didn't you do more to protect us?"

[blacksmoke]

Idk. On one hand after Sep.11 even people in the hood were wearing NYPD shirts, on the other, people removed military stickers from their cars after online ISIS threats.