Limited experience,, so limited input..

Of the 20ty or so NG O's I have known, 85% were hard working and dedicated to their part-time job,, but did lack somewhat for not having spent time on both ends of a gun's barrel.

When I was with FLNG, the CO & 3 of the O's were prior AD, one was AD SF, out of 16(?) slots.

Most of the 2nd Lt's were short timers and quickly faded back into civilian life. Unfortunately, One particular 2nd Lt, who was a Darwin award Candidate, 1st Class, stayed. Last I heard he is a Lt Col in a leg transportation unit..

Politics played a very large roll in all things FLNG, and I suspect it still does.

After politics,, availability was the leading factor. To many were dragged off the teams because of peer pressure (it was the 70t's), family responsibilities, and career demands.

I had at least 2 in my civilian management column that were big time peace-nik's and did not like the fact that I wasn't.. I was very lucky to have 110% at my 3rd & 4th management level.

When I ask for a couple more week off after summer camp, for jump master school, I received a lot of very cold shoulders.. Never did get to go as I broke my back a week before we were to go to Benning and spent 3 weeks in bed.. Which pissed my boss off,, almost as much..

Given the sum of the total,, NG staffing has inherent quality problems, and will continue to do so..

This is not a dig,, just a reality check. I think the current 20th & 19th SF(A) are fielding troops that far exceed what the NG units had 35 yrs ago..


My $00.0002...

UPDATE....
 

Getting his...

http://www.armytimes.com/news/...al-insignia-082110w/


By Mark D. Faram - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Aug 21, 2010 9:24:01 EDT

Second Lt. Douglas Sofranko, a Florida National Guard officer photographed wearing a Navy SEAL Trident insignia he didn’t rate, has been relieved of his full-time duties with the Guard, and his future in the military is uncertain.

Sources told Army Times that Sofranko had been fired from his full-time job under state orders after Army Times informed Guard officials that Sofranko was wearing unauthorized insignia. But a spokesman would confirm only that he was no longer on temporary Guard orders.

Sofranko was a sailor from 1996 to 1999, during which time he attended Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training in Coronado, Calif., but did not graduate. He received his commission in the Florida National Guard in August 2009 and, when confronted by Army Times on Aug. 4, admitted occasionally wearing the SEAL Trident on his Army combat uniform. Sources in his unit — 1st Battalion, 124th Infantry — said he also posted a copy of the SEAL Creed on his office wall.

When asked why he did it, he said “No excuse, really. Just poor, poor judgment.”

Sofranko, until recently, was on active-duty operational support orders for the Guard.

“ADOS is a temporary active-duty status for a specific project,” said A.J. Artley, spokesman for the Florida National Guard. “As far as we know … he is no longer on ADOS orders — we are not aware of him being fired nor were we made aware of the reason why he is no longer on temporary orders.”

Artley earlier told Army Times that Sofranko’s unit is investigating the matter. Most of his unit is deployed to Iraq and Kuwait, and Sofranko was serving as part of the rear detachment in Miami.

Army Times was unable to reach Sofranko for comment.

“We spoke with his commander, who told us he anticipates to have a decision on this matter completed by the end of this month, and this was all he was able to say at this time,” Artley said.

In a deeper review of Sofranko’s training records, it’s clear he didn’t make it very far in SEAL training.

According to those records, Sofranko reported in June 14, 1996, and started training with BUD/S Class 209 on Aug. 19, but was no longer in the class when they started “Hell Week,” one of the toughest weeks of SEAL training.

“Sofranko is not on the Hell Week roster for Class 209, therefore he dropped somewhere in the first three weeks,” said Cmdr. Greg Geisen, spokesman for Navy Special Warfare Command.

Geisen said the command also checked the records for the next class, 210, which began Hell Week on Nov. 10, as SEAL candidates often get rolled back for medical or other reasons, but his name doesn’t show up there either.

Good Job.. :lifter:lifter:lifter:lifter

That author who broke that story should run with the story of the SF Poser from N.C.!!!

in O7 in Astan I was working with the Afghan 205th Corps in Kandahar and surrounding provinces.
There is a NG unit assigned on rotation to the Corps as mentors and trainers etc that we worked with.
Lots of great Americans doing a diff job.
However, I did note that the Officer Corps is basically politics.
The units Commanding Col....Kentucky NG Inf unit was relieved in theatre for being totally inept. Totally.
He should have been a MG ammo bearer (no offense to hard charging AB's).
To get relieved in the NG, under any circumstances, is unusual so that gives you an idea of his inabilities.
He was a local HS Football coach and teacher and a good 'ol boy.
Having said that, Col. Miller, from the Indiana Natl. guard, previous Cmdr, was truley excellent.
There is no 'band of excellence' on the NG O graph, it is all over the place.

He should have stopped with an unearned SF Tab.

Clearly, no one would have done shit about that.

The SEALs take this seriously, and defend their honor.

TR