[Jack Moroney (RIP)]

Perhaps it is my age but I have noticed over the years that there is a mind set in the Army in general that this is no longer a "profession of arms" but a job where more effort is expended in getting recruits in because of all the bennies service in the military can provide for them. Now this is not true of all units, but it sure as hell seems true for many of the CSS folks. While I have been out now since 93, my youngest son is still in and listening to his views and experiences seem to reinforce my opinions and your observations. I can't tell you exactly when it started to happen, but it started to creep in after VOLAR and it got to the point where the IG became a commander's adversary, military officers became risk adverse because of career implications, political correctness became the mantra of the day as Jody Calls went out of fashion, and we did stupid things like create "Pregnancy BATTLE dress uniforms" as if we were sending pregnant soldiers into combat. We started things like ethnic days in the dinning facilities and served ethnic foods to appease folks and honor their differences and diversity rather than focusing on team building and team work. Uniform and haircut standards where changed to celebrate differences and new "serious"medical problems like psuedofaliculitis allowed folks to modify appearance standards (funny that everyone seemed to shave on the days we went to the gas chambers to get a tight fit on their masks). Then we started to change PT standards and events. Training went from six days to five to rotating units in and out of "cycles" to making sure that no stayed after 1630 so that they could pursue other events in their life that were more important. Suddenly more emphasis went to creature comforts and ice cream in the field than training ammo and aircraft availablity. Computers came in and folks started to go nuts with computer simulations in lieu of actual hands on training where the "individual" could train as a member of a team or do team events without actually having to deal with interpersonal dynamics. We went from a "train as you are going to fight" mentality to a "train as you think you might, maybe, perhaps, well almost like to fight" mentality. No I don't think you are seeing things, what is going on is that the army has truly become an "Army of One" where every individual does his/her own thing which equates to one thing and one thing only and that is a breakdown of leadership. Just my rant.

Jack Moroney-remember the day that the IG called me because a troop was complaining that all our tactical marches were at night and were over 12 miles and cutting into his free time.