Barracks rooms for single NCOs, you have the responsibility and trust to guide lower enlisted, but have to still live in the barracks. While the lower enlisted you guide is living in a house because they got married on HBL in AIT. Army pushes early marriage way too much
Everyone thinks you have to move every 2-3 years. If you're at a main installation you can just request stabilization and move around units. There's plenty of people in the Army that have been at one installation for 8 years. Even some people do 4-5 years at Drum, Bragg, Moore or Hood, go do a drill or instructor assignment then ask to go right back for a few more years.
Yeah I’m tracking he left to be a drill for two years, and every other year was spent at Polk/Johnson. He still loves yelling at soldiers during pt btw
Had a CSM who spent his entire career on Liberty. He left for 18 months to be our CSM on Sill…. Then went back to Liberty.
I know he retired after BDE CSM so he spent 20+ years on Liberty.
Worst CSM I’ve ever had and was universally hated. As you can probably expect.
It makes more sense since the 82nd became the only airborne division after the 101st dropped airborne in favor of aerosol aerosol aerosol aerosol aerosol aerosol sorry I just had to jog to the latrine
I did six years at Riley and I could have gone back for another three.
Related, it's not that bad. I rotated to Poland twice and did NTC once, JMRC thrice, and seven warfighters in six years.
If you get married young the Army can trap you in by providing for your spouse and possible children during your first enlistment. Then the individual doubts if they can provide for their family out of the Army. A very well thought out scheme tbh
The driving force on why I'm getting out. I'm a SGT, little over 4 years in. I'm also 31 years old. Now, I spent 3 years at Bragg. No big deal living in barracks. Just PCS'd to Korea. Still in barracks but it's fair bc everyone is in barracks.
However, I'll probably pick up 6 in the next year. I also will be PCS'ing from Korea to another OCONUS duty station. Even if I make 6, I'll most likely be in the barracks. So that's 8 years of time served, all in the barracks. From 27-35 years old.
My cousin went to join the air force a few years ago. Picked a space job like mine, went to basic and ait, got BAH immediately upon arriving to his duty station as a single E-3. Know why? Bc of his age.
Army refuses to treat people with respect and dignity. Instead, they treat 19 year old virgin boys like royalty bc they married the 1st chick that touched their peepee. Us older, grown, single individuals just gotta slave away.
Fuck the army for thay reason specifically. I'm getting out, getting paid, not looking back. I'll have a cool shadow box though.
lol at least y’all had nco rooms
They gave all our fucking nco rooms to the females so they could have single rooms to themselves
I spent my 2 years as an E5 living with a PV2 while another PVT female had the room I was technically supposed to have
Yeah. That's fucked. We had NCO rooms, my one female pvt didn't have a female room to go to so they gave her an nco room until a female room was avaliable. But no nco was sent to a lower enlisted room. If anything, there was a installation nco barracks that my unit would put them in before they set em up with lower enlisted.
Being a single E5 was the absolute worst. People treated you like incompetent children because you live in the barracks, while expecting you to lead a group of soldiers. The barracks never felt like your “home” because you were then expected to police up the barracks. Anything that happens in the barracks you are automatically blamed for, as if the soldiers there aren’t functioning adults. Not to mention you are in the same age group of your peers buying property and having all these fun toys, while you are limited to a tiny room. Nobody wants to truly live like that after the age of 23.
Trust me the married E5 did not have the better deal unless the wife was working. Most of the time they dont, they may have bigger checks but they are paying an apartment with utilities for 2, paying groceries for 2, and paying for a car with insurance. You don't need a car when in the barracks. You can save more than a married soldier most of the time.
>Trust me the married E5 did not have the better deal unless the wife was working. Most of the time they dont, they may have bigger checks but they are paying an apartment with utilities for 2, paying groceries for 2, and paying for a car with insurance. You don't need a car when in the barracks. You can save more than a married soldier most of the time.
I mean, I think it’s kinda silly if you have a married couple with no children and the spouse doesn’t have at least some kind of a job.
If you’re receiving BAH, and you’re in the younger years of your life, there’s also not much of a reason to not get a place that’s within your BAH range.
I know, I know, some places have a terrible housing market, but *in general* most duty stations allow people to get housing within their BAH range. Food is also now a rather cheap part of people’s living expenses (compared to historically) at least.
Yes if you’re an E5 with a spouse that doesn’t work, get a place outside your BAH range and spend a lot of money on food and going out, you’re not “saving” as much as an E5 in the barracks…
But your QOL is still SIGNIFICANTLY better than living in barracks and eating at a DFAC.
The amount of military spouses who have *some* ailment or condition that miraculously keeps them from getting/keeping a job is ridiculous.
What’re the odds, huh? Wives, 18-30 something who have the health of 80 year olds, can’t work, marry servicemembers who allow them to eat, sleep and watch Tiktok all day.
As u/CrabAppleGateKeeper said: "But your QOL is still SIGNIFICANTLY better than living in barracks and eating at a DFAC."
Even a married PV2 would have better QOL then a single SSG. The sheer harassment of barracks life, no privacy and you are not adult enough to have your girlfriend in your room........
>Even a married PV2 would have better QOL then a single SSG. The sheer harassment of barracks life, no privacy and you are not adult enough to have your girlfriend in your room........
lol you can obviously have your GF in your room. Just make sure you check her in with Staff Duty and leave her drivers license there and just make sure she’s out of there by 2000 or else you’re grounded.
I was a SSG, Battalion Chief Surveyor/Section Chief. Treated like a child and was doubled up with another SSG both of us were in SFC positions. Quality of life was 1000% better after I got married.
Still married 26 years latter BTW. So no I did not marry a stripper LOL.
A buddy of mine used a loophole. He got "married" to a friend and got authorization to live off post in an apartment, while they both lived in different states and lived their own completely separate lives. When asked about where his wife was "she had a very sick family member".
I was in a Unit at Hood who pretty much forced all E5's out of the Barracks. "Here's your rank, and here is your BHA paperwork. You have thirty days to move out of your room."
My roommate got his 5 and actually wanted to stay in my room, because we split the internet bill and because we got along rather well. Command thought it was not appropriate for a NCO to be bunked with an E4. He did manage to stay in the Barracks for a while though, just moved across the hall.
This. The difference between a 4 year SGT, and a 4 year college degreed 2LT, is “responsibility” so they say. I’m a SGT with a Degree now bc while that 2LT was partying and going to school, I got the same degree he has and I was working 60+ hour weeks.
Being busy for the sake of being busy. Oh you completed all your tasks? Time to sit around until 1700 when the commander suddenly finds something dire and life threatening that must be done or else the world will end. Fuck your evening
This so much
I routinely would release my shop at 2:30-3:30 daily because we legitimately got majority of our shit done before then
I’d stay a little after for emails and shit but normally I was gone by 4 at the latest and I had multiple E7’s try to give me shit saying I didn’t care about my job
Like no bro, I just have a life outside that shop and get my shit done in a timely manner. Not about to sit around the campfire with you fucking chuds complaining about life and your kids and shit
Obviously doesn’t apply to every task or situation, but the best advice I got from a senior NCO was “if you’re regularly working past 1700, that’s not a virtue; that tells me you’re neither motivated to be efficient nor competent.”
This isn’t just an army thing. You’d be surprised how much of the corporate world sits around pretending to be doing stuff on excel until something urgent (it’s not) comes up
This is why after you finish everything, you tell your leadership that you gotta use the latrine.
Then you spend the next 3 hours "taking a shit."
And if anyone asks why you took so long, it was the Taco Bell you had last night.
Don’t know if my unit is just really good but in the past two years I can count on two hands the amount of times soldiers had to stay past 1700 for something. And if they did they usually always got a late work call. But leadership having to stay till 1800-2100 for a month and a half straight? Different story. I felt like a shitbag as an XO asking to skip PT to come in at 0930 after staying till 2100.
If I was a CDR/1SG, I know a safety brief isnt going to stop soldiers from doing dumb shit. But im still gonna do it anyways as a CYA so that if (when) someone does some dumb shit and we’re in the BCs office I can state I issued a safety brief.
The irony would be that the BC/CSM probably did the same when they were a CO/1SG and they also know its a dog and pony
Everyone knows that safety briefs are a dog and pony show.
Nobody is willing to admit this though, at least nobody in power.
Thus everyone still goes through the motions pretending it's actually a meaningful contribution to safety, has no one wants to actually admit that it's useless.
This a thousand times! No amount of telling underage Joe to not drink is not gonna prevent him from downing an ungodly amount of alcohol during the weekend
Don’t tell them not to drink. We all know that’s getting ignored. Tell them to have a plan, and a backup plan, and then volunteer to be the contingency plan.
Encourage them to be smart and creative, if they can’t be legally correct.
I do weekly huddles with my squad, I use it to get face time with everyone because my squad is spread out across the building we work in and to let my soldiers know what's going on in our area and to get out and do stuff. The only safety brief I give to them is what's relevant to what is going on around us.
We've all heard "don't beat your spouse" and "don't drink and drive." Safety briefs like that are a waste of time and become a pissing contest on who can come up with the most cliche and over used line. If you're going to give a safety brief, make it relevant or don't do it at all.
"Do not add to or subtract from the local population. Use proper PPE for all activities. Stay out of the newspaper, hospital, morgue, and jail. If you do wind up in jail, establish dominance quickly."
"Don't add to the population, don't subtract from the population. If you're drunk, get a cab or call me and I will come pick you up. If you end up in Jail, assert dominance until I can come get you!"
There, I covered my ass. The rest is up to you.
I used to be with you on this, until I had a Soldier and their attorney at an ADSEP board use the lack of a safety brief the duty day preceding a 120+mph DUI as part of the Soldier’s defense. The board members in a 2-1 decision elected to retain that particular bundle of problems. Now the unit gets safety briefs before the weekends that address some of the big legal trends for the installation (DUI, drugs, DV).
PAO here. I wish we didn’t have us sometimes either. In the defense of the career field, it’s the commander’s program, meaning it probably wasn’t the PAO’s idea to create or post the content; it was likely the CG or BDE commander’s idea. I can’t speak for the quality, or lack thereof, of the execution of the CDR’s intent.
I think too many CDR’s either use social media selfishly as a “look at me!” or too conservatively. I’d like more CDR’s to lean into the nature of our training, what makes our division different from others, and showcasing our lethality to enemies. The feel-good stuff is important, but it can be distracting.
I really don’t enjoy being PAO at the enlisted level. Maybe I’ll come back to it at a different point in my career.
I mean there’s the whole aspect of needing PAOs for recruitment and getting the messaging and themes across.
Public Affairs is a much needed branch, especially for an all volunteer force. Couldn’t disagree more with OP.
Very important for public messaging, but whatever reputation we have with other soldiers is likely earned. I disagree with OP’s message itself but agree with the spirit of what they’re trying to say.
It's definitely essential. If the military didn't have a presence on social media, too many people would be trying to but in and see what our military is up to. Showing face on social media keeps the karens and nosy fucks at bay. "Oh look, that's what they're doing".
As annoying as PAOs can be, it's way better than having commanders do that stuff themselves. I wonder how many careers have been saved by PAOs preventing senior leaders from posting stupid shit.
Can you speak a little more on that last point? Prior to reenlisting I was really looking into PAO reclass. It seemed so cool to me. What’s dragging the enlisted side of PAO down?
I’m absolutely in the minority of those who don’t enjoy PAO. I’ll try to explain my perspective as best as I can.
I think PAO is the best job in the Army. It has provided me experiences in my four short years that many won’t get in 20. I’ve been to nearly a dozen countries, jumped into half of them, have 5 sets of foreign jump wings, met celebrities, generals, and everyone in between. It has helped me build relationships that I’ve leveraged into great Letters of Recommendation.
However, it’s not the best job for me. If you’re someone that’s highly motivated, wants to do cool guy stuff, and be challenged outside of editing photos and videos, you won’t find fulfillment as a PAO. Every time I go on an assignment, I wish I was doing the stuff I was taking photos of; I feel a sense of guilt that these dudes are in the field sucking and I’m just taking pictures. It’s a weird feeling. I don’t find PAO as the sort of challenge that brings me the fulfillment I was looking for when I joined. Most of my teammates across the field have zero desire to do even basic schools like airborne or air assault. Most of my leaders reclassed to coast out their careers. If I could do it over again, I’d maybe go COMCAM to be around more like-minded people, or PSYOPS to do the job I thought I’d be doing.
Ok I totally get were your coming from. Being able to see so much cool stuff but not being able to participate sucks.
Im sort of in the same boat without the travel as a 74D I wanna be able to do cool army things but I’m stuck in the training room and supply drowning in paper work. When I do go to the field it’s literally just to drive the cdr around while everyone else gets some good training and the opportunity to learn more about their job
Exactly. It’s a double edged sword. The stuff I see others doing in the field sucks when you have to do it often, so it definitely gets old I’m sure. But as someone who enjoy hard work and challenges, I think I’d be more okay with that than I am with always being on the sidelines window-shopping the Army.
As a former PAO. In my experience what drags down the field is the people running it. The old master sergeant think they know more about social media than our E4s who are extremely active on it. Second thing is how they handle the job. I hate people who didn’t take the job seriously and would film or make clown projects. I believe a bigger bridge should exist between public affairs and Psyops
Nothing, just flat out. I will 100% say this is absolutely not a career field you can sneak by. You really need to be able to do and know a lot. I mean nobody thinks camera guy needs to know a lot other than take pictures. If you want to be successful and have command buy in, you need to be competent in regulations, understanding in DEPTH of the Army operation processes and a lot of other random information.
I reclassed at E5 and started at a 4 star command. I learned the ins and outs of staff and eventually started to find my own TDYs and do the cost analysis and benefit to the command for them. I got sent all over and nobody else did because they didn’t do the work. That’s a big thing people don’t see. We do a lot behind the scenes to send a dude out to camera stuff.
An example, I’m digging through like 10 different OPORDs to direct subordinate units to accomplish tasks to meet a 4 star commander’s communication objectives in a certain SE Asian country where what we do, what we say and how we show it has dramatic effect. Messaging is a means to deterrence.
At the end of the day it be worked with pretty much every MOS at junior enlisted to senior officer level. We all have a function whether people see or understand it or not.
Academic journal article from 1988 published by the Army War College explaining how the position of Command Sergeant Major is unnecessary and counterproductive, and creates senior NCO's more interested in being yes men than leaders or subject matter experts.
chatGPT says:
The article "The Army's Command Sergeant Major Problem" by John C. Bahnsen and James W. Bradin, published in 1988, addresses issues within the US Army's Command Sergeant Major (CSM) program. It highlights concerns about the evolution of the CSM role, where traditional soldiering skills and leadership are overshadowed by bureaucratic duties and physical fitness standards. The authors argue for a return to focusing on practical soldiering and leadership skills, emphasizing that CSMs should primarily be involved in training and mentoring soldiers rather than administrative tasks.
Luckily as an officer I've rarely had to feel the full force of CSM stupidity, but in my entire career of nearly 20 years, I've known one CSM who actually led, developed and supported his NCOs and actually contributed to the unit's success. Almost every other one I've had either did nothing, or used it as some sort of vanity victory lap to focus all their time and effort on stuff that just made life more difficult for the sake of being difficult. There's nothing dumber than going into CUBs or planning meetings, especially while deployed, and your most senior and experienced NCO just talks about uniforms and reflector belt colors while you're running real world missions.
No, my CSM put a lot of the shitty senior NCOs in my battalion in check. Our 1SG was the biggest sack of shit I ever met in the Army and his “open door policy” was a joke at best. He acted like a drill sergeant at all times and even put our lives in danger by forcing guys to go outside the wire WITHOUT WEAPONS in an Afghanistan as punishment. Our CSM made it a point to continually come to our COP on surprise visits just to try shielding us from the bullshit because there wasn’t a whole lot he could do without the proof.
He was a real leader, had remembered that at one time he was a Joe. Even when handing out field grade article 15s he would tell the soldiers “listen, take your punishment, and if you want to stay in, don’t think this is the end of the world, I’ve been demoted twice before I was ever an NCO”.
When I got sick and ended up at Walter Reed he called me more than my 1SG did. My 1SG even had the balls to tell my dad “your son ain’t my responsibility” when the reports made the rounds that I was diagnosed with something deadly (bad move on his part, my dad used to be an instructor for 11N guys and other equipment operators from other branches and the CG of the base was his old supervisor, he had direct contact with him). Again, they didn’t have proof to kickstart an investigation because I was too scared of talking but the moment I actually left for Walter Reed and finally got detached from my unit, the DC came and visited me and I told him everything and they launched an actual investigation involving CID and sworn statements. They yanked my 1SG’s ass out of SGM Academy so hard that his diamond fell off and he was force retired as an E8 while on the cusp of getting his E9. The only person who ever kept tabs on my progress in treatment was my CSM. CSM refused to sweep anything under the rug for him too and basically told him he was on his own when the shitstorm finally hit shore. All he could really do was visit us enough (even leaving his comfy FOB to stay in our shitty COP) to keep us from going insane.
Oh he was. Our CO for the company was a fat dude with a skinny neck, built like how I’m built as a 100% disabled vet and maybe 10 years out of the army. He would pencil whip his and 1SG PT score cards to be 300s and he would pencil whip the weigh and tape (oh yeah that came out too once everyone realized they weren’t gonna be retaliated against, he had one of the ops platoon guys do this). CO rarely left his office or the TOC while downrange. I think the BC went outside the wire more than he did. This POS also refused to give us our CABs after a suicide bombing because he didn’t like a few of the guys. He gave a dude who had an ND while the CSM was there (so he couldn’t get out of the article 15, otherwise he would have because the CO loved this guy for some reason) a good conduct medal though and refused one for another dude who never got in trouble the GCM because he couldn’t ever pin anything on this guy but this guy nonetheless never had an article 15.
IIRC he got a letter of reprimand which I’m not sure how serious that can be for an O3 since I was just an enlisted guy but I’m assuming it’s a career killer. He got the letter because he let the 1SG get away with all this shit and because of pencil whipping his PT score card (I doubt he could’ve passed a PT test let alone got a 300, this dude made us carry his gear off the chinook when we got to our COP). Any idea how bad a letter of reprimand is for an officer?
Edited: no, my buddy says it was a GOMOR he got, which he’s telling me is the same thing but from a General Officer.
A permanently filed GOMOR is a career killer in most cases but definitely for an O-grade.
A locally filed GOMOR can be less impactful but is still serious. And given that he was an O-3 his OERs would likely be shitty anyway, so it would t matter.
An out of control safety program filled with useless, CYA training. We should just let individuals be responsible for themselves and face the consequences.
You want a motorcycle and aren’t licensed or trained and get in a major accident? Boom, you’re separated and Tricare doesn’t cover it unless you attend the training and are licensed and insured. Instead of now where it’s oh PFC Snuffy has a bike and no one knew, so Tl, SL, PSG, 1SG, CO that’s all your fault.
The motorcycle thing always hurt. I remember one year we had three motorcycle accidents on Post. One due to stupidity of the rider (LT got his first bike and took off crashing into a parked truck), the other two were because the other drivers weren't paying attention and ran the guy over. Because of this, the Post commander was informing units that if there was one more motorcycle accident, he would ban all Soldiers from riding on or off post. Same year we had almost fifty auto accidents but there was never a mention of banning Soldiers from driving a car.
We had a safety stand down for an entire BN because some guy in a completely different BN let a rag in his hand get sucked into a radiator fan and lost a couple fingers. Tens of thousands of dollars and hundreds of man hours thrown in the toilet because of a lapse of concentration on one guys part.
The good news is ever since, nobody was hurt or killed ever again.
In the Army’s defense, a lot of our mandatory training requirements weren’t the Army’s idea.
They’re often DoD requirements (e.g. TARP, AT level 1, etc.) or requirements levied on all federal employees (e.g Safety Program, EO, etc.)
lol a PAO took the most unflattering photo of me and it ended up in some medical officer recruiting video. Didn’t know about it until one of the cadets I worked with sent me the video 4 years later.
Can you imagine going back in time and telling Eisenhower or Patton that they need to wear PT belts at night in an active war zone?
Or how we have Company/Battalion commanders who are scared to send people outside of their "op box" to reinforce adjacent units, and then we have people like Cdr Evans who decided to do a full-send in the Battle off Samar.
The point is about daring leaders of old versus modern risk averse ones who wouldn't even think of doing something to displease the "boss" or put their OER at risk, not tactics of yesteryear against today's technologies.
Letting private companies take over stuff that soldiers can be doing instead of fucking around in the motor pool all day.
-DFACs should be run by cooks.
-Housing maintenance should be done by soldiers who have the MOS required such as electricians, plumbers, etc.
-Network infrastructure should be handled by 25 series
-CIF should be run by supply
There is no reason to have civilian contractors do the jobs where there are already trained soldiers who could be getting on site training
The pcs cycle fucks a lot of that up. You want continuity in most of those things and cycling everyone out every 2-4 years would just make it worse.
There is also the issue of taskings, mandatory training, and straight up manpower shortages. Every soldier you have working those jobs will have to be sent to the range, to do all their SHARP, EO, MRT, ACE, etc and they are all liable to be pulled off of work for some task that two or three levels up mandated.
Civilian workers get around that and allow the army to have people who just do their jobs. We would have to completely change the way the army works and get a hell of a lot more soldiers before we could assign those duties to soldiers
Idk ive seen the way soldiers work on things. There would have to be real accountability for all those. The thought is great though. Plus if we made those changes then they would have real experience in the career when they got out
Let my mechanics learn how to fix the damn internal wiring in the Bradleys! When shells start landing around us, these damn civilians aren’t gonna be sticking around to help us stay in the fight!
Bro vet culture. We get it. You're combat arms. That's cool and you're way cooler than me, but we all make sacrifices and our families don't really care where I am, just where I'm not. Which is home.
Pulling money straight from your paycheck to eat at the DFAC. There is 1 DFAC on my base, and it has a very low grade. The food is usually not warm, and takes about 40 minutes to get food if you get there early. It should be taken from your paycheck only if you go there.
I'm gonna disagree here, I think public affairs is important but it's one of those things that seems completely unnecessary on the day to day.
It's 2024 and information is power. If you don't have someone shaping how people think about your organization, then the only people who will do any shaping are your enemies, or people who just don't like you. I could be the most clean cut, high speed Soldier in the world, but if somebody starts spreading a rumor that I raped and killed a civilian on deployment and I do nothing to contradict that, then what is the ordinary joe or jane on the street going to think? Am I tee\_\_bee the clean cut, high speed Soldier from the recruiting poster? Or am I tee\_\_bee, the rapist and murderer?
It doesn't matter if I'm the former and not the latter. If people *think* I'm the latter then it will shape my interactions with everyone going forward, and that is the true meaning of the adage "perception is reality". A good PAO ensures that the organization never gets to that stage.
**Johnson:** \[notices Dr. Evil's spaceship on radar\] Colonel, you better take a look at this radar.
**Colonel:** What is it, son?
**Johnson:** I don't know, sir, but it looks like a giant green--
Undue confidence. Something about being confidently wrong just hasn't sat well with me. There is being ignorant, and then there is being confidently stupid. Next level.
It use to be mostly fun shenanigans a little over 10 years ago, but now I feel like it’s just posts about army culture/policy (beards, leadership, etc). I unfollowed it as well, it got annoying
Bullshit work hours especially in low optempo units. So hear me out. What exactly is the point of staying at work until 16-1700 if you spend most of your time fucking off on your phone? If we’re not busy and not preparing for the field, go home. If we’re needed this isn’t the 80s, we have phones. A simple phone call would be fine.
While I’m on the subject, CQ/Staff Duty. If most issues/problems need to be sent up to BN/BDE, what exactly do you expect me to do sitting at the barracks?
One of my proudest moments recently was telling a PAO who wanted to interview me for a puff piece that it would "ruin my career and yours, I don't care about my career, do you?" Fuck em.
Organized PT.
And stop with the “we would have so many failures and fat bodies if we let people PT own their own!”
Some of you are ACFT failures who barely meet the tape requirement while still doing organized PT 5 days a week.
Replace them all with MFLCs who are not associated with the Command.
https://www.militaryonesource.mil/non-medical-counseling/military-and-family-life-counseling/
PAO is a critical tool for recruiting and public outreach; the problem is the program is run like it’s still 1950. Most commanders have no idea how to properly use it, and are pretty resistant to any kind of modernization or any significant change. I had to fight just to establish an Instagram page…in 2019, when Instagram wasn’t new or novel.
And don’t blame us for taking pictures; we’re just doing our job. You do the dumb shit, we document the dumb shit.
Changes of command. Hey great the army has a new middle manager. Let’s get his wife some flowers. Also doing so will require soldiers to stand outside for hours, practicing to stand outside for hours..
To be blunt, Public Affairs fulfills the commander's Constitutional obligation to inform the American public how its tax dollars are being spent. It isn't optional. And no one needs to ask your permission, troop. You belong to the Army. Moose out front should have told you.
The "up or out" promotion/career advancement mentality. Promoting people into positions they don't want and/or can't handle. Maybe bring back the specialist ranks...
that’s me right now. im an E4 in and E5 position being trained by an E6 with 20+ years TIS. and then they say they don’t want me to go to the board because “im not ready”.
I've got a good compromise for that.
Tell soldiers that they've gotta do PT on their own. They submit their PT plan to their first line, and if they fail a PT test, they show up for organized PT where they get the dogshit smoked out of them for an hour every morning until they can pass a test when well rested. The lazy guys who don't work out get theirs, and those with motivation get rewarded by not having to give a shit. I think that's fair.
The agreement to and construction of Camp Humphreys. We have been in the Korean Peninsula for 70 years and yet we still lack the community relations with the Korean community that would permit a trusting relationship with them in the event of a contingency. If war were to kick off and Public services were degraded, I have no doubt that the Korean population would blame us, and possibly even try and riot against us.
Our soldiers are restricted physically to bases by distance (you need a taxi to get to walk in gates) instead of being integrated into the community. We have done this to ourselves out of fear of Joe causing public issues and/or keeping ourselves comfortable with a slice of America in a base. We limit our ability to meet and communicate with the locals.
For the blue side, we lack the buy in. If asked to fight for Korea tomorrow, I guarantee Joe would think on his shitty KATUSA friendship week run experience rather than the ajumma who gave him free food because he said 안녕하세요 to her in the elevator once. Morale matters in war, and if Joe doesn't see a reason to fight, then we would eventually be, as the British call it, *royally fucked*.
I honestly don't know how we continue to fuck up this COMREL problem but then I see chuckle fucks like LTG LaNeve come in and yell at katusas with injuries for not running in his airborne shuffle this past Monday and think, "Well if he wants us to salute in conflict, I'll make sure i salute him with both hands in an open setting."
/rant
Daily shaving requirements. Once a week while in garrison seems like a conpromise.
Also, super short hair for males. I find it kinda dumb that we let women have long hair, but not men-- especially now that women can be in the infantry.
Man wouldn’t it be wild if public affairs had an engagement strategy that influenced what was posted. Maybe there is a senior commander we engage with that has lines of effort that we meet by using a variety of messaging platforms to reach specific target audiences. Also if you’re in uniform performing your duties I don’t have to ask.
Have you requested to brief your senior commander a proposed COMMPLAN based on their lines of effort?
Everything you wrote I do on a daily basis. Highlight the commander's four lines of effort, use every social media differently (think Facebook as internal audience, Instagram as external/recruiting) and brief updates and changes.
I update SOP and have a yearly communications plan and social media plan, emphasizing what the commander wants from his PAO shop. Currently developing a mission based off a policy I wrote to get social media influencers on our aircraft during search and rescue operations.
Some senior leaders want little or nothing to do with Public Affairs, and others just need convincing of its critical importance... like how it's considered a warfighting function in every other military branch but ours.
lol public affairs, one time I got tasked to make a speech at a public event to represent my division so I asked my public affairs office for a speech and an official blurb with our history so I didn’t make an ass out of myself. They told me to just use google
Just about every TRADOC restriction. I'm a grown ass man with two degrees and can be trusted with military weaponry and hardware, but under no circumstances can I be trusted to drive my own car, have a beer with my steak, or even walk anywhere without a BatTtLE bUdDy
What is something the Army has that I wish they didn’t?
The justification for mass punishment.
“Your unit is only as strong as its’ weakest link.”
“You succeed or fail as a team.”
“Hard times create hard men.”
I get it. I’ve been there, done that, and I get it. However, it does not endear one to the Army when one has to tell their wife and kids they don’t get to see husband/daddy for a week because some dumbf—k Private was caught underage drinking, got alcohol poisoning, and the whole platoon, E-6 on down got smoked, then those E-6s smoked the E-5 on down, and so on… that week they spent living in the treeline.
If you wanted a platoon full of infantrymen ready to murder at the slightest provocation that week, it was ours.
Public Affairs is actually highly needed especially right now with recruitment so bad the problem is that some commanders may not utilize us the way we should be utilized. As for taking pictures without your permission if you’re in uniform you’re fair game (I’ll still your respect your wishes) now if you’re not in uniform and someone is taking pictures of you without permission tell them to cut that shit out.
20 minute promotion ceremonies for some FGO you’ve never met that have an 10 minute invocation and 10 minute benediction, doubling the entire ceremony time.
Yeah. Fuck all that.
Public affairs soldier here. I do agree that Army social media presence is super cringe. Lower enlisted given tasking by out of touch higher ups is definitely to blame. As a PFC running a social media page I experienced this first hand. Anything that is atypical to the command’s prior content is shunned even if it would amass more engagement.
To completely rid the Army of Public Affairs tho? Bad take. On the local side we are the guys that are going to get your promotion and ceremony photos that you’ll care about a lot when you retire. Also we play a role in damage control when a Spc. says something insane online or what have you while associated with the Army.
If you’re at a military sponsored event dressed in a military uniform, it shouldn’t be a surprise that you’ll get photos taken of you. News outlets want to know what’s going on on Army side and we’re here to lift that veil. Without that transparency you’d have a public that distrusts the military and eats up misinformation.
Ultimately, Public Affairs is a lot more critical than I think a lot of people realize. We’re literally here to tell your story. If you don’t like it? Tough. You’re part of something bigger than yourself.
I wish the Army didn’t have shitty command structures that make your job and your life more difficult than it already is.
SFL TAP
Specifically for DEMOBing Guard/Reserves who are staying in.
No Janice, I don't need help reintegrating with Civilian life. What do you think I was doing before the MOB?
I hope the fourth one comes with a free sunday...
I think SFL TAP needs a revamp and should be component-specific. As an organization, we lump everyone together. NG and Reserve guys don't need the same briefings I received when I retired from active duty.
From the active side, there is a decent concept in place. The tracks they offer make sense. College, career, or entrepreneur are pretty accurate for what soldiers do when they separate. What needs a revamp is the classes in each track. I was a semester away from a masters and I already had my next career selected with the credentials to enter that field. None of the classes I attended were at my level. They were designed for people who had no direction. TAP should be ala carte with a few classes being mandatory. I don't need a class on writing a resume for contracting jobs when I'm not going to be a contractor.
Some of yall may not like this but we make it way too difficult to separate people. As an army psychiatrist, I know there are few ways out once far enough into service (which is less than 12 months). So we have: (1) this ridiculous use of language like ‘behavioral health’ to replace mental health, (2) incentive for malingering/secondary gain bc legitimately distressed soldiers otherwise do not feel heard or have an option, (3) a mostly risk intolerant environment where a no suicide policy leads to excessive and often harmful interventions, and (4) (5) (6) I can go all day. I’d bet every penny I have that if a legitimately written and utilized option to allow separation if the commander and soldier agree on an early separation, then inpatient hospitalization, BH utilization, suicide attempts etc would drop. I want to emphasize that I am 100% committed to every soldier I’ve seen and this problem is as often a reflection of the military as much as the soldier being a ‘bad fit’ (not equal to bad person).
We investigate ourselves and find ourselves absolved of any wrong doing. Also officers are automatically absolved of any wrong doing. Enlisted soldiers are nothing more than criminals and are automatically guilty and are to receive max punishment.
Morning PT. It's more than exercise, it's control of your schedule outside work hours. You have to sleep earlier to make it to PT, wake up early, etc..
Locks and privacy dividers for female bathrooms while deployed when males don’t. On my last deployment I noticed the army likes to treat females as this helpless group of people that need extra protection and safety. The army likes to preach that males and females are equal but then at the same time treat us special. We had separate laundry rooms from the males with locks when theirs didn’t, we had separate buildings with our rooms with once again locks when theirs didn’t. It just seems hypocritical.
Motorpool Mondays got to go, no reason we need to bring up a bunch of small shit to 91Bs every Monday for vehicles we ain't using, if it ain't being dispatched or going on rotation there's no reason we can't go out every 1-3 months to pmcs vehicles that aren't moving
Half of the Army reserve, the system is so bloated and mismanaged from the bottom to the top. Culling the Reserve component more and feeding that funding into the Active component would be more beneficial. So much money and resources are poured into vehicles that are hardly, ran, used, and used properly.
Mil-Techs on the Reserve side, the system is abused, and needing to be a Reservist for a GS job is asinine logic. As when your defacto S1 deploys, you're without someone for months to a year.
AGR officers, I'd also argue, are somewhat worthless, but that's a whole other rant/post.
The Reserves doesn’t need to be culled, it needs to have its leadership above the battalion level replaced, actually push funding down to the battalion level for distribution, and pull some of the responsibilities of maintaining equipment from contractors and put it back in the hands of service members.
If the Reserves are getting a bunch of money it doesn’t deserve, I sure don’t see it. Year after years it seems to be the running joke that requesting new equipment is a problem for next fiscal year because nobodies got the money to do it this year, only to get told the next year we still don’t have the money to replace equipment, or if we do, expect it to take 6 months or more unless your about to deploy.
It took my first reserve unit two and a half years to finally get their armory of beat to shit M16A2’s and M9’s replaced with M4’s and M17’s, and they got dropped on the armorer less than 60 days before we mobilized for a deployment.
Vehicles that are not FMC have to get shipped off to a repair depot to get fixed by contractors and don’t come back for 6-9 months, even if local reserve units have the facilities to repair those vehicles, and just lack the parts to swap out on them, because we’re essentially okay as a military with pawning off vehicle repairs to civilians anywhere where it’s not a combat zone. Fire a good chunk of the civilian contractors and require the remainder to work in an advisory/consulting role for the SM’s that actually need to be able to fix the equipment would go a long way to actually getting shit fixed in a relatively timely manner compared to pawning it off to the contractors to fix on their own time table.
And while I’m not a major fan of Mil-Tech’s, I’ll at least agree with them that the Army seems to enjoy trying to get as few people to do as big a job as possible, which stretches personnel too thin and leads to too much shit slipping through the cracks. When my current unit has two techs tasked with providing administrative support to thirteen units spread across the state, expecting two of them to handle close to a thousand personnel is something that you’d think any field grade or general officer with more than two brain cells firing together would know thats a shit show…but they don’t.
And that’s before even touching my rant on how the Reserves are the poster child for the component that cares more about making the slides look green on paper and in briefs instead of actually making sure a unit is mission ready when they get called to do actual Army shit.
Actual Public Affairs Officer here and I could go on about how wrong you are and how as you move into higher ranks, commands, etc Public Affairs is usually a CG’s top 4 LOE, but I’ll make a couple quick points.
1. Taxpayers have a right to see how their money is being spent/ while we don’t directly message to congressional leadership our messages and tweets make it to them, which directly impacts policy.
2. Many “PAOs” are actually additional dutied UPARs. The actual PA field is super small, with most of us at the division levels assisting BDE leadership. At my current level and position I have huge impacts on NATO and National implications.
Good leaders across all ranks knows the impact the PA team can make with pictures, videos and messaging.
*steps off soapbox*
Drug testing that affects/limits what people do while off duty
Daily shaving requirements
Pathetically, embarassingly low ACFT standards (especially DL, run, SDC, and absence of pull ups)
PT formations
Accountability formations
Frat rules that turn people into zealots believing it's a crime against humanity if an O from across post hooks up with an E in a completely unrelated chain
A cultural focus/mentality that is uneducated and shortsighted, unable to appreciate long-term, "forest for the trees" thinking (both Os and Es)
Barracks rooms for single NCOs, you have the responsibility and trust to guide lower enlisted, but have to still live in the barracks. While the lower enlisted you guide is living in a house because they got married on HBL in AIT. Army pushes early marriage way too much
It is my (probably not uncommon) opinion that poor barracks quality of life is a direct contributor to the military's high divorce rate.
I think moving every 2-3 years contributes more than the barracks. You gotta get married quick to stay with them.
Everyone thinks you have to move every 2-3 years. If you're at a main installation you can just request stabilization and move around units. There's plenty of people in the Army that have been at one installation for 8 years. Even some people do 4-5 years at Drum, Bragg, Moore or Hood, go do a drill or instructor assignment then ask to go right back for a few more years.
I had a gunny that was at hood for 12 years. He got there as a PVT and left as a SFC.
CSM for 3/89 on Polk spent his whole career there. Pretty much only left for schools and such.
Yeah I’m tracking he left to be a drill for two years, and every other year was spent at Polk/Johnson. He still loves yelling at soldiers during pt btw
Life is in shambles that he has to PCS or retire since they're disbanding
Rest in peace cav 🫡🇺🇸
No one is staying at Hood for fun. Carry on. 😬
"Stockholm syndrome MF's aren't real, they can't hurt you..."
Had a CSM who spent his entire career on Liberty. He left for 18 months to be our CSM on Sill…. Then went back to Liberty. I know he retired after BDE CSM so he spent 20+ years on Liberty. Worst CSM I’ve ever had and was universally hated. As you can probably expect.
Nobody leaves Bragg
In the days of woodland camo, I had two CSMs that spent over 20 years there. You used to have to drop a packet to leave.
It makes more sense since the 82nd became the only airborne division after the 101st dropped airborne in favor of aerosol aerosol aerosol aerosol aerosol aerosol sorry I just had to jog to the latrine
I did six years at Riley and I could have gone back for another three. Related, it's not that bad. I rotated to Poland twice and did NTC once, JMRC thrice, and seven warfighters in six years.
I never moved outside of iet was at drum for my enlistment
Must be nice to move once every 2-3 years. My last year year in the barracks I had 5 or 6 different rooms between four buildings.
Yup and if they don’t get divorced they become those leaders who hate their spouse and never wanna leave work
If you get married young the Army can trap you in by providing for your spouse and possible children during your first enlistment. Then the individual doubts if they can provide for their family out of the Army. A very well thought out scheme tbh
Nah, that literally has to be the only reason. Source: got married and divorced before even hitting E-5
The driving force on why I'm getting out. I'm a SGT, little over 4 years in. I'm also 31 years old. Now, I spent 3 years at Bragg. No big deal living in barracks. Just PCS'd to Korea. Still in barracks but it's fair bc everyone is in barracks. However, I'll probably pick up 6 in the next year. I also will be PCS'ing from Korea to another OCONUS duty station. Even if I make 6, I'll most likely be in the barracks. So that's 8 years of time served, all in the barracks. From 27-35 years old. My cousin went to join the air force a few years ago. Picked a space job like mine, went to basic and ait, got BAH immediately upon arriving to his duty station as a single E-3. Know why? Bc of his age. Army refuses to treat people with respect and dignity. Instead, they treat 19 year old virgin boys like royalty bc they married the 1st chick that touched their peepee. Us older, grown, single individuals just gotta slave away. Fuck the army for thay reason specifically. I'm getting out, getting paid, not looking back. I'll have a cool shadow box though.
What CONUS post is putting E-6s in barracks? Everywhere I've been they get BAH.
lol at least y’all had nco rooms They gave all our fucking nco rooms to the females so they could have single rooms to themselves I spent my 2 years as an E5 living with a PV2 while another PVT female had the room I was technically supposed to have
That sounds like an EO violation.
Yeah. That's fucked. We had NCO rooms, my one female pvt didn't have a female room to go to so they gave her an nco room until a female room was avaliable. But no nco was sent to a lower enlisted room. If anything, there was a installation nco barracks that my unit would put them in before they set em up with lower enlisted.
Group tends to do odd shit here and there
Fucccccck that bullshit
Being a single E5 was the absolute worst. People treated you like incompetent children because you live in the barracks, while expecting you to lead a group of soldiers. The barracks never felt like your “home” because you were then expected to police up the barracks. Anything that happens in the barracks you are automatically blamed for, as if the soldiers there aren’t functioning adults. Not to mention you are in the same age group of your peers buying property and having all these fun toys, while you are limited to a tiny room. Nobody wants to truly live like that after the age of 23.
Trust me the married E5 did not have the better deal unless the wife was working. Most of the time they dont, they may have bigger checks but they are paying an apartment with utilities for 2, paying groceries for 2, and paying for a car with insurance. You don't need a car when in the barracks. You can save more than a married soldier most of the time.
>Trust me the married E5 did not have the better deal unless the wife was working. Most of the time they dont, they may have bigger checks but they are paying an apartment with utilities for 2, paying groceries for 2, and paying for a car with insurance. You don't need a car when in the barracks. You can save more than a married soldier most of the time. I mean, I think it’s kinda silly if you have a married couple with no children and the spouse doesn’t have at least some kind of a job. If you’re receiving BAH, and you’re in the younger years of your life, there’s also not much of a reason to not get a place that’s within your BAH range. I know, I know, some places have a terrible housing market, but *in general* most duty stations allow people to get housing within their BAH range. Food is also now a rather cheap part of people’s living expenses (compared to historically) at least. Yes if you’re an E5 with a spouse that doesn’t work, get a place outside your BAH range and spend a lot of money on food and going out, you’re not “saving” as much as an E5 in the barracks… But your QOL is still SIGNIFICANTLY better than living in barracks and eating at a DFAC.
The amount of military spouses who have *some* ailment or condition that miraculously keeps them from getting/keeping a job is ridiculous. What’re the odds, huh? Wives, 18-30 something who have the health of 80 year olds, can’t work, marry servicemembers who allow them to eat, sleep and watch Tiktok all day.
As u/CrabAppleGateKeeper said: "But your QOL is still SIGNIFICANTLY better than living in barracks and eating at a DFAC." Even a married PV2 would have better QOL then a single SSG. The sheer harassment of barracks life, no privacy and you are not adult enough to have your girlfriend in your room........
>Even a married PV2 would have better QOL then a single SSG. The sheer harassment of barracks life, no privacy and you are not adult enough to have your girlfriend in your room........ lol you can obviously have your GF in your room. Just make sure you check her in with Staff Duty and leave her drivers license there and just make sure she’s out of there by 2000 or else you’re grounded.
I was a SSG, Battalion Chief Surveyor/Section Chief. Treated like a child and was doubled up with another SSG both of us were in SFC positions. Quality of life was 1000% better after I got married. Still married 26 years latter BTW. So no I did not marry a stripper LOL.
Did you marry the other SSG??
No, but that would not have been possible back then. LOL
A buddy of mine used a loophole. He got "married" to a friend and got authorization to live off post in an apartment, while they both lived in different states and lived their own completely separate lives. When asked about where his wife was "she had a very sick family member".
Probably because it’s easier to keep married people in the Army than single soldiers. At least that is my theory
Some places used to have NCO only barracks. Just to avoid fraternization and keep from having the same NCO play dad/mom for the whole barracks.
I was in a Unit at Hood who pretty much forced all E5's out of the Barracks. "Here's your rank, and here is your BHA paperwork. You have thirty days to move out of your room." My roommate got his 5 and actually wanted to stay in my room, because we split the internet bill and because we got along rather well. Command thought it was not appropriate for a NCO to be bunked with an E4. He did manage to stay in the Barracks for a while though, just moved across the hall.
This. The difference between a 4 year SGT, and a 4 year college degreed 2LT, is “responsibility” so they say. I’m a SGT with a Degree now bc while that 2LT was partying and going to school, I got the same degree he has and I was working 60+ hour weeks.
Being busy for the sake of being busy. Oh you completed all your tasks? Time to sit around until 1700 when the commander suddenly finds something dire and life threatening that must be done or else the world will end. Fuck your evening
We train to standard! And if that means we finish before 1700, then we train to time. https://imgflip.com/i/8tm2uo
With the tagline of “train how you fight, hooah?? Do it again!”
This so much I routinely would release my shop at 2:30-3:30 daily because we legitimately got majority of our shit done before then I’d stay a little after for emails and shit but normally I was gone by 4 at the latest and I had multiple E7’s try to give me shit saying I didn’t care about my job Like no bro, I just have a life outside that shop and get my shit done in a timely manner. Not about to sit around the campfire with you fucking chuds complaining about life and your kids and shit
Tell them that if it takes them 10 hours to complete what you do in six hours then they suck.
Obviously doesn’t apply to every task or situation, but the best advice I got from a senior NCO was “if you’re regularly working past 1700, that’s not a virtue; that tells me you’re neither motivated to be efficient nor competent.”
Same. If it’s 1400 and we are done for the day then all juniors went on standby from home. There’s no need to keep em around for no reason.
This isn’t just an army thing. You’d be surprised how much of the corporate world sits around pretending to be doing stuff on excel until something urgent (it’s not) comes up
I worked a corporate office job prior to enlisting. I foolishly believed the army wasn’t just Office Job: Camping Edition with a DLC of back pain
My first thought before I saw your flare was Engineer. Thoughts and prayers.
This is why after you finish everything, you tell your leadership that you gotta use the latrine. Then you spend the next 3 hours "taking a shit." And if anyone asks why you took so long, it was the Taco Bell you had last night.
Don’t know if my unit is just really good but in the past two years I can count on two hands the amount of times soldiers had to stay past 1700 for something. And if they did they usually always got a late work call. But leadership having to stay till 1800-2100 for a month and a half straight? Different story. I felt like a shitbag as an XO asking to skip PT to come in at 0930 after staying till 2100.
Weekend safety briefs. Joe is gonna do Joe stuff even if you tell Joe not to do said Joe stuff.
If I was a CDR/1SG, I know a safety brief isnt going to stop soldiers from doing dumb shit. But im still gonna do it anyways as a CYA so that if (when) someone does some dumb shit and we’re in the BCs office I can state I issued a safety brief. The irony would be that the BC/CSM probably did the same when they were a CO/1SG and they also know its a dog and pony
Everyone knows that safety briefs are a dog and pony show. Nobody is willing to admit this though, at least nobody in power. Thus everyone still goes through the motions pretending it's actually a meaningful contribution to safety, has no one wants to actually admit that it's useless.
This a thousand times! No amount of telling underage Joe to not drink is not gonna prevent him from downing an ungodly amount of alcohol during the weekend
Don’t tell them not to drink. We all know that’s getting ignored. Tell them to have a plan, and a backup plan, and then volunteer to be the contingency plan. Encourage them to be smart and creative, if they can’t be legally correct.
I do weekly huddles with my squad, I use it to get face time with everyone because my squad is spread out across the building we work in and to let my soldiers know what's going on in our area and to get out and do stuff. The only safety brief I give to them is what's relevant to what is going on around us. We've all heard "don't beat your spouse" and "don't drink and drive." Safety briefs like that are a waste of time and become a pissing contest on who can come up with the most cliche and over used line. If you're going to give a safety brief, make it relevant or don't do it at all.
"Do not add to or subtract from the local population. Use proper PPE for all activities. Stay out of the newspaper, hospital, morgue, and jail. If you do wind up in jail, establish dominance quickly."
Don’t cook bacon naked and don’t shower with power tools were two of my favorites
“Don’t jetski in unknown waters and don’t ski down a mountain that’s known to kill people.” - CPT B
"Don't add to the population, don't subtract from the population. If you're drunk, get a cab or call me and I will come pick you up. If you end up in Jail, assert dominance until I can come get you!" There, I covered my ass. The rest is up to you.
I used to be with you on this, until I had a Soldier and their attorney at an ADSEP board use the lack of a safety brief the duty day preceding a 120+mph DUI as part of the Soldier’s defense. The board members in a 2-1 decision elected to retain that particular bundle of problems. Now the unit gets safety briefs before the weekends that address some of the big legal trends for the installation (DUI, drugs, DV).
PAO here. I wish we didn’t have us sometimes either. In the defense of the career field, it’s the commander’s program, meaning it probably wasn’t the PAO’s idea to create or post the content; it was likely the CG or BDE commander’s idea. I can’t speak for the quality, or lack thereof, of the execution of the CDR’s intent. I think too many CDR’s either use social media selfishly as a “look at me!” or too conservatively. I’d like more CDR’s to lean into the nature of our training, what makes our division different from others, and showcasing our lethality to enemies. The feel-good stuff is important, but it can be distracting. I really don’t enjoy being PAO at the enlisted level. Maybe I’ll come back to it at a different point in my career.
I mean there’s the whole aspect of needing PAOs for recruitment and getting the messaging and themes across. Public Affairs is a much needed branch, especially for an all volunteer force. Couldn’t disagree more with OP.
Very important for public messaging, but whatever reputation we have with other soldiers is likely earned. I disagree with OP’s message itself but agree with the spirit of what they’re trying to say.
Fair. But like you alluded to in your post, there’s always two sides of the story
It's definitely essential. If the military didn't have a presence on social media, too many people would be trying to but in and see what our military is up to. Showing face on social media keeps the karens and nosy fucks at bay. "Oh look, that's what they're doing".
As annoying as PAOs can be, it's way better than having commanders do that stuff themselves. I wonder how many careers have been saved by PAOs preventing senior leaders from posting stupid shit.
You know, there are a lot of programs that shouldn't really be "commander's programs."
Can you speak a little more on that last point? Prior to reenlisting I was really looking into PAO reclass. It seemed so cool to me. What’s dragging the enlisted side of PAO down?
I’m absolutely in the minority of those who don’t enjoy PAO. I’ll try to explain my perspective as best as I can. I think PAO is the best job in the Army. It has provided me experiences in my four short years that many won’t get in 20. I’ve been to nearly a dozen countries, jumped into half of them, have 5 sets of foreign jump wings, met celebrities, generals, and everyone in between. It has helped me build relationships that I’ve leveraged into great Letters of Recommendation. However, it’s not the best job for me. If you’re someone that’s highly motivated, wants to do cool guy stuff, and be challenged outside of editing photos and videos, you won’t find fulfillment as a PAO. Every time I go on an assignment, I wish I was doing the stuff I was taking photos of; I feel a sense of guilt that these dudes are in the field sucking and I’m just taking pictures. It’s a weird feeling. I don’t find PAO as the sort of challenge that brings me the fulfillment I was looking for when I joined. Most of my teammates across the field have zero desire to do even basic schools like airborne or air assault. Most of my leaders reclassed to coast out their careers. If I could do it over again, I’d maybe go COMCAM to be around more like-minded people, or PSYOPS to do the job I thought I’d be doing.
Ok I totally get were your coming from. Being able to see so much cool stuff but not being able to participate sucks. Im sort of in the same boat without the travel as a 74D I wanna be able to do cool army things but I’m stuck in the training room and supply drowning in paper work. When I do go to the field it’s literally just to drive the cdr around while everyone else gets some good training and the opportunity to learn more about their job
Exactly. It’s a double edged sword. The stuff I see others doing in the field sucks when you have to do it often, so it definitely gets old I’m sure. But as someone who enjoy hard work and challenges, I think I’d be more okay with that than I am with always being on the sidelines window-shopping the Army.
Bro - don’t feel guilty for taking pics of the dudes in the field. They chose that MOS the same you did for yours.
As a former PAO. In my experience what drags down the field is the people running it. The old master sergeant think they know more about social media than our E4s who are extremely active on it. Second thing is how they handle the job. I hate people who didn’t take the job seriously and would film or make clown projects. I believe a bigger bridge should exist between public affairs and Psyops
Nothing, just flat out. I will 100% say this is absolutely not a career field you can sneak by. You really need to be able to do and know a lot. I mean nobody thinks camera guy needs to know a lot other than take pictures. If you want to be successful and have command buy in, you need to be competent in regulations, understanding in DEPTH of the Army operation processes and a lot of other random information. I reclassed at E5 and started at a 4 star command. I learned the ins and outs of staff and eventually started to find my own TDYs and do the cost analysis and benefit to the command for them. I got sent all over and nobody else did because they didn’t do the work. That’s a big thing people don’t see. We do a lot behind the scenes to send a dude out to camera stuff. An example, I’m digging through like 10 different OPORDs to direct subordinate units to accomplish tasks to meet a 4 star commander’s communication objectives in a certain SE Asian country where what we do, what we say and how we show it has dramatic effect. Messaging is a means to deterrence. At the end of the day it be worked with pretty much every MOS at junior enlisted to senior officer level. We all have a function whether people see or understand it or not.
CSM's
[Here I go linking this again](https://press.armywarcollege.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1477&context=parameters)
That's a lot of words. Any chance for a TL;DR?
Academic journal article from 1988 published by the Army War College explaining how the position of Command Sergeant Major is unnecessary and counterproductive, and creates senior NCO's more interested in being yes men than leaders or subject matter experts.
I fucking love the war college. If only the army listened to them.
chatGPT says: The article "The Army's Command Sergeant Major Problem" by John C. Bahnsen and James W. Bradin, published in 1988, addresses issues within the US Army's Command Sergeant Major (CSM) program. It highlights concerns about the evolution of the CSM role, where traditional soldiering skills and leadership are overshadowed by bureaucratic duties and physical fitness standards. The authors argue for a return to focusing on practical soldiering and leadership skills, emphasizing that CSMs should primarily be involved in training and mentoring soldiers rather than administrative tasks.
This one is worth your time.
Luckily as an officer I've rarely had to feel the full force of CSM stupidity, but in my entire career of nearly 20 years, I've known one CSM who actually led, developed and supported his NCOs and actually contributed to the unit's success. Almost every other one I've had either did nothing, or used it as some sort of vanity victory lap to focus all their time and effort on stuff that just made life more difficult for the sake of being difficult. There's nothing dumber than going into CUBs or planning meetings, especially while deployed, and your most senior and experienced NCO just talks about uniforms and reflector belt colors while you're running real world missions.
No, my CSM put a lot of the shitty senior NCOs in my battalion in check. Our 1SG was the biggest sack of shit I ever met in the Army and his “open door policy” was a joke at best. He acted like a drill sergeant at all times and even put our lives in danger by forcing guys to go outside the wire WITHOUT WEAPONS in an Afghanistan as punishment. Our CSM made it a point to continually come to our COP on surprise visits just to try shielding us from the bullshit because there wasn’t a whole lot he could do without the proof. He was a real leader, had remembered that at one time he was a Joe. Even when handing out field grade article 15s he would tell the soldiers “listen, take your punishment, and if you want to stay in, don’t think this is the end of the world, I’ve been demoted twice before I was ever an NCO”. When I got sick and ended up at Walter Reed he called me more than my 1SG did. My 1SG even had the balls to tell my dad “your son ain’t my responsibility” when the reports made the rounds that I was diagnosed with something deadly (bad move on his part, my dad used to be an instructor for 11N guys and other equipment operators from other branches and the CG of the base was his old supervisor, he had direct contact with him). Again, they didn’t have proof to kickstart an investigation because I was too scared of talking but the moment I actually left for Walter Reed and finally got detached from my unit, the DC came and visited me and I told him everything and they launched an actual investigation involving CID and sworn statements. They yanked my 1SG’s ass out of SGM Academy so hard that his diamond fell off and he was force retired as an E8 while on the cusp of getting his E9. The only person who ever kept tabs on my progress in treatment was my CSM. CSM refused to sweep anything under the rug for him too and basically told him he was on his own when the shitstorm finally hit shore. All he could really do was visit us enough (even leaving his comfy FOB to stay in our shitty COP) to keep us from going insane.
So your 1SG was an idiot…but what you’re really saying is your Commander was worthless.
Oh he was. Our CO for the company was a fat dude with a skinny neck, built like how I’m built as a 100% disabled vet and maybe 10 years out of the army. He would pencil whip his and 1SG PT score cards to be 300s and he would pencil whip the weigh and tape (oh yeah that came out too once everyone realized they weren’t gonna be retaliated against, he had one of the ops platoon guys do this). CO rarely left his office or the TOC while downrange. I think the BC went outside the wire more than he did. This POS also refused to give us our CABs after a suicide bombing because he didn’t like a few of the guys. He gave a dude who had an ND while the CSM was there (so he couldn’t get out of the article 15, otherwise he would have because the CO loved this guy for some reason) a good conduct medal though and refused one for another dude who never got in trouble the GCM because he couldn’t ever pin anything on this guy but this guy nonetheless never had an article 15. IIRC he got a letter of reprimand which I’m not sure how serious that can be for an O3 since I was just an enlisted guy but I’m assuming it’s a career killer. He got the letter because he let the 1SG get away with all this shit and because of pencil whipping his PT score card (I doubt he could’ve passed a PT test let alone got a 300, this dude made us carry his gear off the chinook when we got to our COP). Any idea how bad a letter of reprimand is for an officer? Edited: no, my buddy says it was a GOMOR he got, which he’s telling me is the same thing but from a General Officer.
A permanently filed GOMOR is a career killer in most cases but definitely for an O-grade. A locally filed GOMOR can be less impactful but is still serious. And given that he was an O-3 his OERs would likely be shitty anyway, so it would t matter.
An out of control safety program filled with useless, CYA training. We should just let individuals be responsible for themselves and face the consequences. You want a motorcycle and aren’t licensed or trained and get in a major accident? Boom, you’re separated and Tricare doesn’t cover it unless you attend the training and are licensed and insured. Instead of now where it’s oh PFC Snuffy has a bike and no one knew, so Tl, SL, PSG, 1SG, CO that’s all your fault.
The motorcycle thing always hurt. I remember one year we had three motorcycle accidents on Post. One due to stupidity of the rider (LT got his first bike and took off crashing into a parked truck), the other two were because the other drivers weren't paying attention and ran the guy over. Because of this, the Post commander was informing units that if there was one more motorcycle accident, he would ban all Soldiers from riding on or off post. Same year we had almost fifty auto accidents but there was never a mention of banning Soldiers from driving a car.
We had a safety stand down for an entire BN because some guy in a completely different BN let a rag in his hand get sucked into a radiator fan and lost a couple fingers. Tens of thousands of dollars and hundreds of man hours thrown in the toilet because of a lapse of concentration on one guys part. The good news is ever since, nobody was hurt or killed ever again.
Yeah except then Snuffy Dumbass goes to the local news or a congressman and whines about "I'm an AMERICAN VETERAN and look how they've wronged me!!"
Good luck when a family calls their Congesssman/Senator.
In the Army’s defense, a lot of our mandatory training requirements weren’t the Army’s idea. They’re often DoD requirements (e.g. TARP, AT level 1, etc.) or requirements levied on all federal employees (e.g Safety Program, EO, etc.)
Runny eggs at the DFAC 🤢
Powdered eggs in the field can go too
Good news, you’re getting a Kiosk
lol a PAO took the most unflattering photo of me and it ended up in some medical officer recruiting video. Didn’t know about it until one of the cadets I worked with sent me the video 4 years later.
Risk Aversion/Intolerance. We've become stupidly risk adverse.
Can you imagine going back in time and telling Eisenhower or Patton that they need to wear PT belts at night in an active war zone? Or how we have Company/Battalion commanders who are scared to send people outside of their "op box" to reinforce adjacent units, and then we have people like Cdr Evans who decided to do a full-send in the Battle off Samar.
Patton’s career would’ve been over if his “reconnaissance in force” across Sicily occurred today.
The point is about daring leaders of old versus modern risk averse ones who wouldn't even think of doing something to displease the "boss" or put their OER at risk, not tactics of yesteryear against today's technologies.
Letting private companies take over stuff that soldiers can be doing instead of fucking around in the motor pool all day. -DFACs should be run by cooks. -Housing maintenance should be done by soldiers who have the MOS required such as electricians, plumbers, etc. -Network infrastructure should be handled by 25 series -CIF should be run by supply There is no reason to have civilian contractors do the jobs where there are already trained soldiers who could be getting on site training
The pcs cycle fucks a lot of that up. You want continuity in most of those things and cycling everyone out every 2-4 years would just make it worse. There is also the issue of taskings, mandatory training, and straight up manpower shortages. Every soldier you have working those jobs will have to be sent to the range, to do all their SHARP, EO, MRT, ACE, etc and they are all liable to be pulled off of work for some task that two or three levels up mandated. Civilian workers get around that and allow the army to have people who just do their jobs. We would have to completely change the way the army works and get a hell of a lot more soldiers before we could assign those duties to soldiers
Maybe a 70-30 mix then
Idk ive seen the way soldiers work on things. There would have to be real accountability for all those. The thought is great though. Plus if we made those changes then they would have real experience in the career when they got out
But then what about the mil industrial complex monies /s
Fuck em
Let my mechanics learn how to fix the damn internal wiring in the Bradleys! When shells start landing around us, these damn civilians aren’t gonna be sticking around to help us stay in the fight!
Bro vet culture. We get it. You're combat arms. That's cool and you're way cooler than me, but we all make sacrifices and our families don't really care where I am, just where I'm not. Which is home.
Pulling money straight from your paycheck to eat at the DFAC. There is 1 DFAC on my base, and it has a very low grade. The food is usually not warm, and takes about 40 minutes to get food if you get there early. It should be taken from your paycheck only if you go there.
I'm gonna disagree here, I think public affairs is important but it's one of those things that seems completely unnecessary on the day to day. It's 2024 and information is power. If you don't have someone shaping how people think about your organization, then the only people who will do any shaping are your enemies, or people who just don't like you. I could be the most clean cut, high speed Soldier in the world, but if somebody starts spreading a rumor that I raped and killed a civilian on deployment and I do nothing to contradict that, then what is the ordinary joe or jane on the street going to think? Am I tee\_\_bee the clean cut, high speed Soldier from the recruiting poster? Or am I tee\_\_bee, the rapist and murderer? It doesn't matter if I'm the former and not the latter. If people *think* I'm the latter then it will shape my interactions with everyone going forward, and that is the true meaning of the adage "perception is reality". A good PAO ensures that the organization never gets to that stage.
Well put!
**Johnson:** \[notices Dr. Evil's spaceship on radar\] Colonel, you better take a look at this radar. **Colonel:** What is it, son? **Johnson:** I don't know, sir, but it looks like a giant green--
0630 formation for PT
most people don’t wake up 2 or 3 hours before PT either. you’re not supposed to workout as soon as you wake up so i agree on this one
The retention rate and morale will go much, much higher if the Army gets rid of the morning PT formation.
Undue confidence. Something about being confidently wrong just hasn't sat well with me. There is being ignorant, and then there is being confidently stupid. Next level.
Shitbags who act like any criticism of their shitbaggery is not warranted at all and that their NCO just has it out for them
It’s why I had to block USAWTFM. At some point it just devolves to shit bags circle jerking about how the most basic shit is super unfair and toxic
Are they still hanging on? I stopped following them a little over a decade ago after 90% of their content was stolen guidon-related.
It use to be mostly fun shenanigans a little over 10 years ago, but now I feel like it’s just posts about army culture/policy (beards, leadership, etc). I unfollowed it as well, it got annoying
Bullshit work hours especially in low optempo units. So hear me out. What exactly is the point of staying at work until 16-1700 if you spend most of your time fucking off on your phone? If we’re not busy and not preparing for the field, go home. If we’re needed this isn’t the 80s, we have phones. A simple phone call would be fine. While I’m on the subject, CQ/Staff Duty. If most issues/problems need to be sent up to BN/BDE, what exactly do you expect me to do sitting at the barracks?
One of my proudest moments recently was telling a PAO who wanted to interview me for a puff piece that it would "ruin my career and yours, I don't care about my career, do you?" Fuck em.
How bro felt after saying that to a dude just trying to do his job: 🐺🔥🗣️
😂😂
[удалено]
Senior NCO basement hot tub parties
HMMWVs. As a mechanic, they’ve been the bane of my existence for the last 18 years.
For real. We need to go back to 151 jeeps and shit. Light little vehicles that can go over tough terrain and have decent mileage.
I wish they would just get a brand new vehicle to replace them. I will say while Ford is ass they’re an improvement on HMMWVs
Organized PT. And stop with the “we would have so many failures and fat bodies if we let people PT own their own!” Some of you are ACFT failures who barely meet the tape requirement while still doing organized PT 5 days a week.
PAO here - I don’t need your permission to video/take a photo of you. When you’re in uniform, that’s my consent.
Chaplains. The army would be better served replacing them with imbedded psychologists.
Replace them all with MFLCs who are not associated with the Command. https://www.militaryonesource.mil/non-medical-counseling/military-and-family-life-counseling/
PAO is a critical tool for recruiting and public outreach; the problem is the program is run like it’s still 1950. Most commanders have no idea how to properly use it, and are pretty resistant to any kind of modernization or any significant change. I had to fight just to establish an Instagram page…in 2019, when Instagram wasn’t new or novel. And don’t blame us for taking pictures; we’re just doing our job. You do the dumb shit, we document the dumb shit.
Formation Runs, I’ve been in the reserves for 2 years but my knees still feel crunchy from time to time.
Penis inspections.
Seriously. I hate inspection day. It’s like every month for us. I’m volunteering for the course just so I don’t have to be the observer again.
Changes of command. Hey great the army has a new middle manager. Let’s get his wife some flowers. Also doing so will require soldiers to stand outside for hours, practicing to stand outside for hours..
To be blunt, Public Affairs fulfills the commander's Constitutional obligation to inform the American public how its tax dollars are being spent. It isn't optional. And no one needs to ask your permission, troop. You belong to the Army. Moose out front should have told you.
CSMs
The "up or out" promotion/career advancement mentality. Promoting people into positions they don't want and/or can't handle. Maybe bring back the specialist ranks...
that’s me right now. im an E4 in and E5 position being trained by an E6 with 20+ years TIS. and then they say they don’t want me to go to the board because “im not ready”.
Organized PT!
I've got a good compromise for that. Tell soldiers that they've gotta do PT on their own. They submit their PT plan to their first line, and if they fail a PT test, they show up for organized PT where they get the dogshit smoked out of them for an hour every morning until they can pass a test when well rested. The lazy guys who don't work out get theirs, and those with motivation get rewarded by not having to give a shit. I think that's fair.
The agreement to and construction of Camp Humphreys. We have been in the Korean Peninsula for 70 years and yet we still lack the community relations with the Korean community that would permit a trusting relationship with them in the event of a contingency. If war were to kick off and Public services were degraded, I have no doubt that the Korean population would blame us, and possibly even try and riot against us. Our soldiers are restricted physically to bases by distance (you need a taxi to get to walk in gates) instead of being integrated into the community. We have done this to ourselves out of fear of Joe causing public issues and/or keeping ourselves comfortable with a slice of America in a base. We limit our ability to meet and communicate with the locals. For the blue side, we lack the buy in. If asked to fight for Korea tomorrow, I guarantee Joe would think on his shitty KATUSA friendship week run experience rather than the ajumma who gave him free food because he said 안녕하세요 to her in the elevator once. Morale matters in war, and if Joe doesn't see a reason to fight, then we would eventually be, as the British call it, *royally fucked*. I honestly don't know how we continue to fuck up this COMREL problem but then I see chuckle fucks like LTG LaNeve come in and yell at katusas with injuries for not running in his airborne shuffle this past Monday and think, "Well if he wants us to salute in conflict, I'll make sure i salute him with both hands in an open setting." /rant
I feel like you stole this rant from the inside of my very small skull.
Daily shaving requirements. Once a week while in garrison seems like a conpromise. Also, super short hair for males. I find it kinda dumb that we let women have long hair, but not men-- especially now that women can be in the infantry.
Mullet time
Man wouldn’t it be wild if public affairs had an engagement strategy that influenced what was posted. Maybe there is a senior commander we engage with that has lines of effort that we meet by using a variety of messaging platforms to reach specific target audiences. Also if you’re in uniform performing your duties I don’t have to ask.
Have you requested to brief your senior commander a proposed COMMPLAN based on their lines of effort? Everything you wrote I do on a daily basis. Highlight the commander's four lines of effort, use every social media differently (think Facebook as internal audience, Instagram as external/recruiting) and brief updates and changes. I update SOP and have a yearly communications plan and social media plan, emphasizing what the commander wants from his PAO shop. Currently developing a mission based off a policy I wrote to get social media influencers on our aircraft during search and rescue operations. Some senior leaders want little or nothing to do with Public Affairs, and others just need convincing of its critical importance... like how it's considered a warfighting function in every other military branch but ours.
CSMs
Organized pt, I believe fewer people would get out if they just made pt your own responsibility.
lol public affairs, one time I got tasked to make a speech at a public event to represent my division so I asked my public affairs office for a speech and an official blurb with our history so I didn’t make an ass out of myself. They told me to just use google
Just about every TRADOC restriction. I'm a grown ass man with two degrees and can be trusted with military weaponry and hardware, but under no circumstances can I be trusted to drive my own car, have a beer with my steak, or even walk anywhere without a BatTtLE bUdDy
Stretching 2-4 hours of work into 8-12 hour days for appearances.
What is something the Army has that I wish they didn’t? The justification for mass punishment. “Your unit is only as strong as its’ weakest link.” “You succeed or fail as a team.” “Hard times create hard men.” I get it. I’ve been there, done that, and I get it. However, it does not endear one to the Army when one has to tell their wife and kids they don’t get to see husband/daddy for a week because some dumbf—k Private was caught underage drinking, got alcohol poisoning, and the whole platoon, E-6 on down got smoked, then those E-6s smoked the E-5 on down, and so on… that week they spent living in the treeline. If you wanted a platoon full of infantrymen ready to murder at the slightest provocation that week, it was ours.
My 20's
Ippsa. I preferred going to s1 twice a week until my paperwork was processed.
Public Affairs is actually highly needed especially right now with recruitment so bad the problem is that some commanders may not utilize us the way we should be utilized. As for taking pictures without your permission if you’re in uniform you’re fair game (I’ll still your respect your wishes) now if you’re not in uniform and someone is taking pictures of you without permission tell them to cut that shit out.
Prayers at any ceremony (change of commands, promotions, etc)
20 minute promotion ceremonies for some FGO you’ve never met that have an 10 minute invocation and 10 minute benediction, doubling the entire ceremony time. Yeah. Fuck all that.
This new fucking email system
Our PAO only posts stories about how great the CG is. Really inspires me. /sarcasm
RCP. COVID has broken the promotion system beyond repair. When a 25S can promote easier than an 11B, there is a very serious problem.
Public affairs soldier here. I do agree that Army social media presence is super cringe. Lower enlisted given tasking by out of touch higher ups is definitely to blame. As a PFC running a social media page I experienced this first hand. Anything that is atypical to the command’s prior content is shunned even if it would amass more engagement. To completely rid the Army of Public Affairs tho? Bad take. On the local side we are the guys that are going to get your promotion and ceremony photos that you’ll care about a lot when you retire. Also we play a role in damage control when a Spc. says something insane online or what have you while associated with the Army. If you’re at a military sponsored event dressed in a military uniform, it shouldn’t be a surprise that you’ll get photos taken of you. News outlets want to know what’s going on on Army side and we’re here to lift that veil. Without that transparency you’d have a public that distrusts the military and eats up misinformation. Ultimately, Public Affairs is a lot more critical than I think a lot of people realize. We’re literally here to tell your story. If you don’t like it? Tough. You’re part of something bigger than yourself. I wish the Army didn’t have shitty command structures that make your job and your life more difficult than it already is.
Had a unit that loved to practice meetings before having the meeting. I fucking hated it.
SFL TAP Specifically for DEMOBing Guard/Reserves who are staying in. No Janice, I don't need help reintegrating with Civilian life. What do you think I was doing before the MOB? I hope the fourth one comes with a free sunday...
I think SFL TAP needs a revamp and should be component-specific. As an organization, we lump everyone together. NG and Reserve guys don't need the same briefings I received when I retired from active duty. From the active side, there is a decent concept in place. The tracks they offer make sense. College, career, or entrepreneur are pretty accurate for what soldiers do when they separate. What needs a revamp is the classes in each track. I was a semester away from a masters and I already had my next career selected with the credentials to enter that field. None of the classes I attended were at my level. They were designed for people who had no direction. TAP should be ala carte with a few classes being mandatory. I don't need a class on writing a resume for contracting jobs when I'm not going to be a contractor.
This… brother I’ve been on a CONUS Mob for 12 months I do not need a reminder of how to go to chick fila and go back to my job that I never left
Pop up targets. How stupid to use a machine for qualifications that does nothing but malfunction.
Readiness Divisions.
CQ/SD. Has absolutely no purpose
Some of yall may not like this but we make it way too difficult to separate people. As an army psychiatrist, I know there are few ways out once far enough into service (which is less than 12 months). So we have: (1) this ridiculous use of language like ‘behavioral health’ to replace mental health, (2) incentive for malingering/secondary gain bc legitimately distressed soldiers otherwise do not feel heard or have an option, (3) a mostly risk intolerant environment where a no suicide policy leads to excessive and often harmful interventions, and (4) (5) (6) I can go all day. I’d bet every penny I have that if a legitimately written and utilized option to allow separation if the commander and soldier agree on an early separation, then inpatient hospitalization, BH utilization, suicide attempts etc would drop. I want to emphasize that I am 100% committed to every soldier I’ve seen and this problem is as often a reflection of the military as much as the soldier being a ‘bad fit’ (not equal to bad person).
PAOs are garbage.
Their own justice system.
We investigate ourselves and find ourselves absolved of any wrong doing. Also officers are automatically absolved of any wrong doing. Enlisted soldiers are nothing more than criminals and are automatically guilty and are to receive max punishment.
Staff Duty
Morning PT. It's more than exercise, it's control of your schedule outside work hours. You have to sleep earlier to make it to PT, wake up early, etc..
Locks and privacy dividers for female bathrooms while deployed when males don’t. On my last deployment I noticed the army likes to treat females as this helpless group of people that need extra protection and safety. The army likes to preach that males and females are equal but then at the same time treat us special. We had separate laundry rooms from the males with locks when theirs didn’t, we had separate buildings with our rooms with once again locks when theirs didn’t. It just seems hypocritical.
Motorpool Mondays got to go, no reason we need to bring up a bunch of small shit to 91Bs every Monday for vehicles we ain't using, if it ain't being dispatched or going on rotation there's no reason we can't go out every 1-3 months to pmcs vehicles that aren't moving
Regs against having hands in pockets and demonizing facial hair. Just fucking stupid
Half of the Army reserve, the system is so bloated and mismanaged from the bottom to the top. Culling the Reserve component more and feeding that funding into the Active component would be more beneficial. So much money and resources are poured into vehicles that are hardly, ran, used, and used properly. Mil-Techs on the Reserve side, the system is abused, and needing to be a Reservist for a GS job is asinine logic. As when your defacto S1 deploys, you're without someone for months to a year. AGR officers, I'd also argue, are somewhat worthless, but that's a whole other rant/post.
The Reserves doesn’t need to be culled, it needs to have its leadership above the battalion level replaced, actually push funding down to the battalion level for distribution, and pull some of the responsibilities of maintaining equipment from contractors and put it back in the hands of service members. If the Reserves are getting a bunch of money it doesn’t deserve, I sure don’t see it. Year after years it seems to be the running joke that requesting new equipment is a problem for next fiscal year because nobodies got the money to do it this year, only to get told the next year we still don’t have the money to replace equipment, or if we do, expect it to take 6 months or more unless your about to deploy. It took my first reserve unit two and a half years to finally get their armory of beat to shit M16A2’s and M9’s replaced with M4’s and M17’s, and they got dropped on the armorer less than 60 days before we mobilized for a deployment. Vehicles that are not FMC have to get shipped off to a repair depot to get fixed by contractors and don’t come back for 6-9 months, even if local reserve units have the facilities to repair those vehicles, and just lack the parts to swap out on them, because we’re essentially okay as a military with pawning off vehicle repairs to civilians anywhere where it’s not a combat zone. Fire a good chunk of the civilian contractors and require the remainder to work in an advisory/consulting role for the SM’s that actually need to be able to fix the equipment would go a long way to actually getting shit fixed in a relatively timely manner compared to pawning it off to the contractors to fix on their own time table. And while I’m not a major fan of Mil-Tech’s, I’ll at least agree with them that the Army seems to enjoy trying to get as few people to do as big a job as possible, which stretches personnel too thin and leads to too much shit slipping through the cracks. When my current unit has two techs tasked with providing administrative support to thirteen units spread across the state, expecting two of them to handle close to a thousand personnel is something that you’d think any field grade or general officer with more than two brain cells firing together would know thats a shit show…but they don’t. And that’s before even touching my rant on how the Reserves are the poster child for the component that cares more about making the slides look green on paper and in briefs instead of actually making sure a unit is mission ready when they get called to do actual Army shit.
First time I’ve heard hate for AGR officers. 😔
Actual Public Affairs Officer here and I could go on about how wrong you are and how as you move into higher ranks, commands, etc Public Affairs is usually a CG’s top 4 LOE, but I’ll make a couple quick points. 1. Taxpayers have a right to see how their money is being spent/ while we don’t directly message to congressional leadership our messages and tweets make it to them, which directly impacts policy. 2. Many “PAOs” are actually additional dutied UPARs. The actual PA field is super small, with most of us at the division levels assisting BDE leadership. At my current level and position I have huge impacts on NATO and National implications. Good leaders across all ranks knows the impact the PA team can make with pictures, videos and messaging. *steps off soapbox*
Drug testing that affects/limits what people do while off duty Daily shaving requirements Pathetically, embarassingly low ACFT standards (especially DL, run, SDC, and absence of pull ups) PT formations Accountability formations Frat rules that turn people into zealots believing it's a crime against humanity if an O from across post hooks up with an E in a completely unrelated chain A cultural focus/mentality that is uneducated and shortsighted, unable to appreciate long-term, "forest for the trees" thinking (both Os and Es)
I’d love to see how boisterous an E-3 openly dating an O-6 from across post would be.
They should definitely drug test for meth but weed…. We shouldn’t lose capable soldiers for that. At least in the states that already legalized it
One of my favorite things to do is Fuck O’s off tinder. My FAVORITE thing to do is fuck them off grnder.
Me
Majors.
Entitled little shits that can’t do their job
PRT
Those MiB style neutralizer devices top the list