New enlistment bonus

[Astronomy]

With an estimated 80% of serving personnel having an immediate family member who also serves/served, the generational military family cohort is the #1 provider of today's recruits. That's 80% of the less than one-half of 1% of Americans who serve in the armed forces.

When older (or still serving) familial veterans start advising their youngest relatives to avoid military service... it's a huge & worrisome red flag. A signal that the root of the tree is dying.

Current recruiting shortfalls are a concrete manifestation of how gefuckt-up things have gotten in today's military.

We have a bad economy and no ongoing major conflict. Normally, those two factors would contribute to more (not fewer) folks seeking military service.

[JimP]

Astronomy is spot-on. My little man is heading into his last year of high school. He, like me, needs some direction and maturity. I found it in the military joining as an SF baby. BUT...I cannot in good conscience advise him to join these days. Sadly, he's looking at maybe going into the Coast Guard to go hunt drug runners in the carib; or do a "quaint alternative to military service' such as the Air Force.

We talked the other day and he's a little enamored with shooting bad guys in the face. I told him if that is what he wants, then he'd have to go to Ranger Batt as I have an issue with him going into a straight-leg infantry unit in Biden's dementia-addled, vacillating and frenetic policies. I really DO think this doddering old fool will get us into a war to direct attention away from his failures. At least he'll be with warriors should that come to pass.

[sfshooter]

I went through the same with my son. He became interested in being a Navy Special Warfare Combat Crewman. This was obama era and as much as I had always wanted him to go into the military I actually went to the extra effort to discourage him. not so much with it being the Navy (that MOS is who delivers the SEALS on their missions and is selection dependent, or was). And me, with 10 years of time wishing I had stayed longer. I think it's all to obvious how shitty our military has become. Risk adverse, a term I heard working with team guys in Iraq back in the mid 2000's, has destroyed the toughness and edge we used to have. Let's throw in CRT and all the lgbtqrfga crap that is being forced down their throat has only further weakened a once strong force.
My son now works as a Wildand Firefighter during fire season and I guess I'm pretty proud of that. I still wish the military had been an option for him from my viewpoint.

On a side note: the recruiting brochures he brought home had those Naval SWCC lads saying their moto was "The Quiet Professionals". Why does everyone have to steal from SF???

[abc_123]

I did nothing to encourage my two boys to join. Both college athletes and would have been an asset.

One thought about West Point and I was shocked at the PC bullshit that permeated even the entrance application required essays and then athletics took him elsewhere. He then thought about doing the Marine Platoon Leader Course (or whatever it's called) as he was graduating another school, and my advice to him was to plan to do the minimum number of required years and then take his 401K money and get out.

As a retiree, I am very very thankful for what I have as far as pay and benefits and the new GI bill payed for one kids college. As a young man, I was smart, but a dumbass who had no life plan, so the Army was a good move for me. I was lucky that Afghanistan got me back in full time after left for civilian life and a stint as a traditional guardsman to make it a career (and fortunate that I only have what I would consider acceptable wear and tear all things considered). .

I would have felt 10' tall if either of my boys chose to serve, but I just couldn't bring myself to sell it to them. In a way, I kinda feel bad about that. But then I think about it, and don't.

[Badger52]

These last few posts bring out what I said earlier in the thread. And #2 (daughter, who did 22 yrs, 10 in 10th Mtn with 5.5 of that in A'stan), reinforces that to the young ones in Mom's side of an extended family. For the person counselling thus it is a sad thing to explain. It's like wanting to describe what the well-dressed Knight is wearing & finding out it's a runway show on the Bravo channel.

[Box]

If you look at the world with rose colored lenses, this is a great thing to see.
Our nations best warriors getting a nice chunk of change to offset the immeasurable sacrifices they make; our nations finest receiving a bit of pocket change to offset the fact that their wages don't truly reflect the titanic challenges they take on.

Wait...
...did that last line reference the Titanic? Wasn't that an 'unsinkable' ship that sank to the bottom of an icy sea because of arrogance and hubris?

I digress...
These types of bonuses show up when good men are in high demand and low supply. These bonuses aren't a thank you - they are a bribe. "Please don't leave us to work for Blackwater - how about this six figure retention bonus to stay for six more years?" The "thank you bonuses" are a sign of true success. Bribery ALWAYS signals a problem.

The Regiment needs selfless warriors. Selfless warriors are eager to be in the presence of other selfless warriors. They need'nt demand good leadership because they are never lacking good leadership. Selfless warriors are hesitant to follow sheep into battle. Selfless warriors set out on their own in search of righteousness when there is no inspirational leadership to follow.

Selfless warriors don't generally enjoy being used as lab rats. A selfless warrior will sit quietly atop a stone, protecting the valley simply with his existence. A selfless warrior will not sit by and watch the valley fall into disarray - eventually he will seek greener pastures.

When our nations elected representatives impugn the dignity of selfless warriors - paint them as oppressors conducting needless and wanton 'night raids' - portray them as supporters of a systemic rape culture - depict them as wrong minded extremists - what do you think is going to happen?

So you must resort to paying someone for their efforts. The problem is - when you agree to pay someone for their service - you skew the very definition of the word "service member" - a true 'service member' didn't join to the military to trade goods and services for a profit. They joined to serve.

There was a time when the appreciation of that service felt sincere. Now - not so much. You can't say you support the troops while simultaneously voicing a message that military service cultivates and empowers a patriarchal rape culture built on a foundation of toxic masculinity.

Bonuses are awesome. They are welcome. They are badly needed.
They need to be properly targeted though - otherwise you might as well be hiring mercenaries that will only stay until the money is gone.
And they aren't going to fret about such frivolous ideals as duty and honor.


...just my two cents. I could be wrong.

[sg1987]

"YOU AIN'T!!!"

BULLSEYE SIR.

[JimP]

Box - awesome!! "rounds complete."

May I send what you wrote to some buds? Very well stated!!! Jim

[Box]

Originally Posted by JimP

May I send what you wrote to some buds?

The Supreme Court has said that to be creative, a work must have a “spark” and “modicum” of creativity.
...keep in mind that copyright protects expression, and never ideas, procedures, methods, systems, processes, concepts, principles, or discoveries.

I have always posted my rambling craziness to this wonderful bulletin board with the single assumption that everything I post is based on pre-existing ideas, concepts, and principles. My rambling and intentional bouts of unapologetic-partisan-hypocritical-sarcasm are rooted in what I believe is nothing more than the assumption that my scatterbrained submissions are already common knowledge in the mind of a reasonable person.

In other words, use it as if it was yours all along.

[JimP]

"You da man!!!""

Get working on that book BTW.

[1stindoor]

Originally Posted by 1stindoor

Had that exact same conversation with my son a few years ago (he's still in...but part of the "problem" if I was being honest with 18 Series teammates)...

I really hate quoting myself, but did so to put my thoughts in context. I am extremely proud of my son deciding to join, of course this was 10 years ago. I'm still proud of his decision (well thought out) to remain. Though his decision is based more on him recognizing that he's got it pretty good in terms of money and benefits compared to his civilian counter-parts. My statement about him being part of the problem is more aligned with his belief that all of these social welfare feel good programs promoting everything short of esprit de corps is all well and good and important in making sure we make everyone feel qualified and capable of serving. Despite the evidence. Truly he drank the kool-aid. My only consolation is that he turned an ear for languages into a career and it will probably serve him well when he retires. Besides, 'merican, he speaks Russian, Spanish, and has a working knowledge of some Slavic something, and Italian.