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But when has the military been 100% focused on warfighting except maybe during times of war. Its had to deal with things such as racial integration, women in combat roles, homosexuality, sexual assault, drug abuse, transexual service members. I recall conversations in PME classrooms over homosexuals openly serving and comments over why we even had to have the discussions and what it had to do with our primary mission. At the same time, senior leaders were openly using the term f*ggot and how they could not support that. That's exactly why we needed to be having the conversations, education and training. What many would call wokeism in a different era. What I usually found over my career was it was the ones who didn't have to deal with conditions that made the playing field unequal or toxic for them, were the ones who never wanted to discuss it and work towards eliminating the wrong. Ironically, the term ****** was coming from Black Airmen. I remember mentioning to them that at some point in our history there were someone sitting around saying what n*ggers should and shouldn't be doing in their military complaining about leadership and their focus on civil rights instead of warfighting.
Is this really new though. We could look at operations in Vietnam or the fiasco of Rumsfeld War. I wholeheartedly believe that the Pentagon got steamrolled by the White House on the Afghanistan withdrawal and was fully willing to let the President get egg on his face when it fell apart. So I agree with you that at some point a resignation was in order. Either before it transpired to try to bring light to the situation, or afterwards for accountability where you know civilians will not.
I hear you and thought about that as I was typing the post. But here is the deal, I spent a whole career listening to uniformed personnel openly bashing Democrats to include President Obama while he was CinC. TVs constantly on Fox News, not just for news, but as their host either served as state TV under Republicans or the resistance under Democrats. I even recall a breakfast with a 4-Star where he openly advocated for Trump's political positions, loosely justifying it all because he was speaking on our need to be focused on national security. It seemed to be always ok to be anti-Democrat/liberal, while ok to be openly pro-Republican/conservative. I kept my politics to myself as others should have, but now that I'm retired, I'm going to call it like I see it, from my perspective, interwoven with my beliefs. But I try to be a critical thinker and accept and analyze critique of my thinking. So yes, you are right I lost some standing by inserting my politics, but I researched Kurt Schlichter and his views as the OP didn't even provide a link to read, and I realized that this thread is based on someone's political bias so I chose a politically laced counterargument. Touché.
That embarrassed and disappointed us all. I tell my students that your desire to serve should not be based on politics or current senior leadership. Your world will be much smaller than all of that, but your impact can still be significant. When they present concerns about politics I tell them that I served happily under
Presidents I did not vote for, and may not have liked. It did not impact how I feel about the quality of my time served. If you do choose to join the military, focus on learning and doing your job to the best of your ability, learn how to be an effective follower and then an effective leader. Take care of your people when you have them and be proud service while taking advantage of every benefit it has to offer to prepare yourself for life after you take off the uniform.
You said a lot and I can not argue with your opinion, experience and perspective. I agree with you in a lot of ways and feel that things can get taken to far. Things such as the helmet with rainbow bullets in support of gay pride month. Seriously? That Tomb Guard and drill team member could be openly gay, or maybe even transexual and serving with excellence and distinction. While I wouldn't be upset about a news story highlighting the progress that has been made, I dont need to see LGBTQ symbols all over the place. Let the service speak not the symbols.
With all that said, I thank you and salute your service bergun. That extends to WK91 and everyone who served. Regardless of our political opinions we share in our experience is so much greater. I'd rather have these conversations over a beer than a keyboard. While I never had to go boots on the ground in Afghanistan or Iraq, I flew ISR combat sorties over both then retreated back to my tropical operating base because I was smart enough to join the Air Force.
I agree with you to a point. Though I am conservative I cannot stand to watch or listen to political opinion tv and radio programs. I served under the first Bush and Clinton. Changing the president does have an effect on force readiness and mission. Force integration is not the same as the woke agenda which divides people based upon skin color, sex, gender, and ethnic origins and makes people of one skin color automatically evil racist. The integration was the opposite of the woke agenda. The focus of the US Military should always be national defense against enemies, both foreign and domestic. That means against people and munitions. It isn’t against an ideology or climate change. In recent history Republican presidents have had a greater focus on the US military being for national defense while Democratic Party presidents have used the military as a social experiment platform. Today’s Democratic Party has in their ranks, included elected politicians, those who actively oppose the police and US Military. When you’ve seen university students, public school faculty, and university faculty openly attacking military recruiters on campus and in classrooms and elected officials providing support to those anti-war protestors who vandalize military recruiting offices then why wouldn’t those officers and NCOs fully support Republican Party? The early 2000 was the late 1960s anti-war protest. Teachers harassing students whose parents were about to head off to Iraq, teachers flipping out and flipping tables of military recruiters on school campus, teachers Union actively trying to get military recruiters off school campus or setting up their own counter station when they failed to keep them off campus, and the most infamous case was the Berkeley Marine recruiting office. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/cadet-of-gratitude/
I’m including a link to one of the most infamous examples. There were many other professors and teachers who said or did similar things but this was in writing and so the evidence is undeniable to the point that liberal Snopes could not deny the story.
I agree with you to a point. Though I am conservative I cannot stand to watch or listen to political opinion tv and radio programs. I served under the first Bush and Clinton. Changing the president does have an effect on force readiness and mission. Force integration is not the same as the woke agenda which divides people based upon skin color, sex, gender, and ethnic origins and makes people of one skin color automatically evil racist. The integration was the opposite of the woke agenda. The focus of the US Military should always be national defense against enemies, both foreign and domestic. That means against people and munitions. It isn’t against an ideology or climate change. In recent history Republican presidents have had a greater focus on the US military being for national defense while Democratic Party presidents have used the military as a social experiment platform. Today’s Democratic Party has in their ranks, included elected politicians, those who actively oppose the police and US Military. When you’ve seen university students, public school faculty, and university faculty openly attacking military recruiters on campus and in classrooms and elected officials providing support to those anti-war protestors who vandalize military recruiting offices then why wouldn’t those officers and NCOs fully support Republican Party? The early 2000 was the late 1960s anti-war protest. Teachers harassing students whose parents were about to head off to Iraq, teachers flipping out and flipping tables of military recruiters on school campus, teachers Union actively trying to get military recruiters off school campus or setting up their own counter station when they failed to keep them off campus, and the most infamous case was the Berkeley Marine recruiting office. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/cadet-of-gratitude/
I’m including a link to one of the most infamous examples. There were many other professors and teachers who said or did similar things but this was in writing and so the evidence is undeniable to the point that liberal Snopes could not deny the story.
I think the only are of disagreement I would have with you is on the extent that "woke" agenda is being propagated in the military. I just don't see it. I just don't define rooting out extremism as woke, neither do I find attempts to identify and eliminate discriminatory or unfair conditions. Thats includes race, gender, religion, sexual preference and gender preference. Something as simple as looking for disparate administration of the military justice system to ensure it is fair in its application to all, some will call woke because it calls into question whether or not there could be systemic bias within the system. That finding came from Trump's DOD.
On the topic of the left and their acceptance of anti-military, anti-police forces within their ranks, you are spot on. Its drives me away from the party just as much as anti-constitution, racist, religious extremist, anti-government forces in the right keep me away from it. Honestly if you looked at my political twitter existence it much more full countering far-left woke progressivism than it is anything else.
I think the only are of disagreement I would have with you is on the extent that "woke" agenda is being propagated in the military. I just don't see it. I just don't define rooting out extremism as woke, neither do I find attempts to identify and eliminate discriminatory or unfair conditions. Thats includes race, gender, religion, sexual preference and gender preference. Something as simple as looking for disparate administration of the military justice system to ensure it is fair in its application to all, some will call woke because it calls into question whether or not there could be systemic bias within the system. That finding came from Trump's DOD.
On the topic of the left and their acceptance of anti-military, anti-police forces within their ranks, you are spot on. Its drives me away from the party just as much as anti-constitution, racist, religious extremist, anti-government forces in the right keep me away from it. Honestly if you looked at my political twitter existence it much more full countering far-left woke progressivism than it is anything else.
It’s a slippery slope. In schools and universities such programs start off with good intentions but in some cases devolve into “white people are evil racist” lessons. If not managed well this can enter into military commands especially since it is being taught at military academies to our nation’s future officers.
Well, I work for a school district, no not a teacher, but in the purchasing department. We have two high schools here, and both have JROTC programs, because our town is a mile or two from Randolph AF Base. I don't know the answer, maybe it is all the wokeness as part of it. Can give you a civilian comparison. There is a video on Youtube from ABC News about the lack of Catholic nuns and how they are disappearing.That's not quite true. Religious orders like the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, Sisters of Life, and other orders are recruiting new members and are growing, while religious orders who wear regular clothes like ordinary women, do all this new age jazz,etc. are dying out, and are even joining federations of various communities who band together with a new title. Why, because they want what it really means to be a servant of God, the traditional life style, commitment to the poor,etc. Same may go for the military. Those who are thinking of joining the military want it like it was in the old days, when being a soldier meant something. I don't think the chinese or russians have any recruitment problems, and neither do the terrorist groups. We are being so divided by all this wokeness,etc. that they have no desire to commit to serving their country which is a shame. Unfortunately the old vets like my dad (WW2,Korea and Viet Nam) are dying, so they can't give the young ones the inspiration they need. ANd you vets of today, you can help guide them.I don't think things are lost, but it will take a lot of work to get numbers up.
Well, I work for a school district, no not a teacher, but in the purchasing department. We have two high schools here, and both have JROTC programs, because our town is a mile or two from Randolph AF Base. I don't know the answer, maybe it is all the wokeness as part of it. Can give you a civilian comparison. There is a video on Youtube from ABC News about the lack of Catholic nuns and how they are disappearing.That's not quite true. Religious orders like the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, Sisters of Life, and other orders are recruiting new members and are growing, while religious orders who wear regular clothes like ordinary women, do all this new age jazz,etc. are dying out, and are even joining federations of various communities who band together with a new title. Why, because they want what it really means to be a servant of God, the traditional life style, commitment to the poor,etc. Same may go for the military. Those who are thinking of joining the military want it like it was in the old days, when being a soldier meant something. I don't think the chinese or russians have any recruitment problems, and neither do the terrorist groups. We are being so divided by all this wokeness,etc. that they have no desire to commit to serving their country which is a shame. Unfortunately the old vets like my dad (WW2,Korea and Viet Nam) are dying, so they can't give the young ones the inspiration they need. ANd you vets of today, you can help guide them.I don't think things are lost, but it will take a lot of work to get numbers up.
Russia and China have compulsory military service, so recruitment isn't a thing there.
Well, I work for a school district, no not a teacher, but in the purchasing department. We have two high schools here, and both have JROTC programs, because our town is a mile or two from Randolph AF Base. I don't know the answer, maybe it is all the wokeness as part of it. Can give you a civilian comparison. There is a video on Youtube from ABC News about the lack of Catholic nuns and how they are disappearing.That's not quite true. Religious orders like the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, Sisters of Life, and other orders are recruiting new members and are growing, while religious orders who wear regular clothes like ordinary women, do all this new age jazz,etc. are dying out, and are even joining federations of various communities who band together with a new title. Why, because they want what it really means to be a servant of God, the traditional life style, commitment to the poor,etc. Same may go for the military. Those who are thinking of joining the military want it like it was in the old days, when being a soldier meant something. I don't think the chinese or russians have any recruitment problems, and neither do the terrorist groups. We are being so divided by all this wokeness,etc. that they have no desire to commit to serving their country which is a shame. Unfortunately the old vets like my dad (WW2,Korea and Viet Nam) are dying, so they can't give the young ones the inspiration they need. ANd you vets of today, you can help guide them.I don't think things are lost, but it will take a lot of work to get numbers up.
The Chinese and Russians don't have a recruiting problem because they have conscription.
But the Russians definitely have problems with their recruits, and likely the Chinese do too. The reason the Russians haven't rolled up the Ukrainians already is because their troops suck in a myriad of ways.
I think the only are of disagreement I would have with you is on the extent that "woke" agenda is being propagated in the military. I just don't see it.
I believe it was the early 90s when diversity training was shoved down our throats. I've always disagreed with it. It could be that everything in my life I have in common with fellow military member but now you want to single out the only thing we don't have in common ... Skin color. Brilliant. Another way to divide. I'm not opposed to celebrating each other's cultures. But in a team we should emphasize and develop similarities, not differences.
I believe it was the early 90s when diversity training was shoved down our throats. I've always disagreed with it. It could be that everything in my life I have in common with fellow military member but now you want to single out the only thing we don't have in common ... Skin color. Brilliant. Another way to divide. I'm not opposed to celebrating each other's cultures. But in a team we should emphasize and develop similarities, not differences.
I take in media from across the spectrum, but if you are interested in knowing, I'm more of a Charlie Sykes, Jonah Golberg type. The critiques I made from of the last CinC were from across the political spectrum. My side didn't win, democrocay did. For now. I toss political barbs to counter what is decidedly a partisan complaint about the military, not a factual one.
Based on what? Have we even had a single armed engagement of note in the last 1.5 years?
Who cares? We left, what, 30 billion dollars of the most advanced military weapons ever made so they can all use them against us and reverse engineer them so they can make their own. We left thousands of civilians there to fen for themselves while our military left before them. Nice move. Now, China is surrounding Taiwan because Pelosi is there and basically threaten a nuclear war against us because we said we would jump in if Taiwan is attacks. None of this would happen with Trump in office, they wouldn’t dare. China has no fear of Biden. They already owned him from years before with their dealings with him and druggie son.
You will get your armed engagement soon enough simply because Biden is a demented paper Tiger.
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