Let me tell you something! An exercise in self-flagellation

[croakerfish]

Thanks for the info on the housing situation. Sounds a little risking trying to flip a house in three years especially in today's housing climate. I believe Marine Crops Air Stations are usually not in very booming areas so I dont know If I like the sound of making an investment like that.

And I fail to see how many of you think that we can attract the best applicants by using the marketing slogan "yea it sucks but its about service." I know I grew up witnessing pointless wars with many dead that have left us in a worse situation than before. I dont want to sacrifice if thats what my sacrifice is for. I know I have no say in this as 0-1 and I will suck it up and do my job to the best of my abilities without thinking about the greater plan. I dont know any other accepted candidates who agree that our service and sacrifice is for the greater good.
Now the old "we dont promise you a rose garden" slogan is fine for attracting applicants who want a challenge but ignoring other factors of why people serve is stupid. The nature of warfare has changed. Pilots are already obsolete in a variety of roles. I dont even know why the f-35 exists at this point. The most valuable recruit is no longer the classic full metal jacket marine. We need to attract candidates with skills, computer skills in particular. How do we expect to recruit the kids graduating from Standford right now? They probably are much more liberal than I am and see military conflicts of today as unethical. They do not want to sacrifice for that. That is why I am saying we need to aim to change the structure of the military that has failed to change in decades.

The U.S. military in the past has adjusted to change rapidly out of necessity and now has become too slow moving and adverse to any change that needs to be made. It will change and soon.

Have you even met any military members, enlisted or officer? We're doing just fine on the quality front. I don't know where all these newly-graduated wunderkinds making millions and changing the world are coming from, but they certainly weren't in college when I was there. IMHO, if you're all that and a bag of chips there are few things that will appeal to you more than being a military officer. Money has never motivated a truly great individual anyway. Challenge and adventure, on the other hand...

 

[MGoBrew11]

This is how the argument on here has gone down from my point of view:
Me:>Recruiting standards are not being met. Therefore we need to change the structure of the military to attract and retain the best applicants.
>The Nature of warfare has changed we need to attract a different type of applicant.
>We are recruiting a new generation that has grown up in the period of longest extended warfare with the least amount of desired effect resulting. They are likely to not be sold on the idea of fighting for the sake of blind service.
The general consensus on this board: You dont understand, its about service and sacrifice.
Me: I do understand the concept but continuing to sell that concept is not going to solve our problem. I am trying to offer a solution.

But what in the hell are you basing those arguments off of? You've done nothing but pull broad statements out of your ass. It would be one thing if you were in the military and seen a little bit of how it works and the people that are in it. But you don't even have that yet.

So what's your solution to "fixing" the military dude?

And please do yourself a favor and don't actually try to answer that.

 

[Recovering LSO]

Someone please send me a PM when this assclown leaves and our regularly scheduled programming returns. We were soooo close to having a good and productive exchange of ideas as it pertains to Anna Granville's article in Task and Purpose. Then this guys showed up. Foiled again.

 

[Treetop Flyer]

I just want a follow up post once he washes out of OCS. If this oxygen thief becomes a commissioned officer I will admit that we have a serious recruiting problem.

 

[haimehhh]

More coming on this topic later, but let's start with the apparent surprise of being deployed.... Also, her broad brush characterization of "privileged white middle age men" is shitty. How would it be received if I made a similar disparaging remark about "millennial" (@nittany, where are you?), or young women? More, much more to come on this one.

after this guy i'm doubling down on my support about disparaging us millennials.

it does seem many potential recruits eyeing the navy do so because it seems that they may be snug on some ship miles away from "action" and whatever 'deployment' is their mind's eye. the fact remains that you are promising yourself to an organization that has strategic needs from the long-term socio-political all the way to an individual's day-to-day. i'd love to hear your continuation @Recovering LSO, and get this thread back on topic

 

[WildcatAlumni]

Here's a thought (and only because I have the time), why don't you hop on down to your nearest VA hospital and ask a combat-wounded Marine about his/her service. Ask them what they think about your idea that we don't need mindless grunts anymore. Then, when you're done, do a little research on the roles & missions currently being filled by the MV-22 now that the CH-46 has been retired. Your statements and ideas are founded in a computer-based, information overload world where access to information is limitless and instantaneous. You think because you are well read, and "understand" the material, it entitles you to make logical conclusions and pass judgement on things you really have no real knowledge of or practical experience in. Think about what I just said here . . .

I like that point. Obviously grunts will always be needed to some degree but not to the degree of the past and we can pick them up anywhere (like a draft if needed). And I have no real world experience in the military. I will learn when I get there and my opinions may very well change. But what I read to educate myself is based off what the Secretary of Defense himself is saying. I would assume he does have that experience to know why these changes are needed. I have gathered that the military bureaucracy is very stiff (the largest stated reason for officers leaving) and adverse to change. Just look at the crisis the military has been facing with rape. The problem has not been fixed, and there are excuses to go around. Something big needs to change.

Also, its kinda ironic what you said. The guy who the whole military is sworn to obey, gets his info through a little daily brief and education rather than experience and he is the one making the calls on what the military does. Point taken though. I need experience to make these conclusions.

Also on the MV-22, correct me if Im wrong, but isnt it too heavy to be airlifted out when it goes down? Therefore we hardly use them because we need to blow them up if they are shot down?

"Have you even met any military members, enlisted or officer? We're doing just fine on the quality front."

Yes and I think many people would agree that our edge is slipping. China is stealing our plans for our new jet and we have no recourse. It would be nice if we could attract some Standford computer science grads but we are stuck getting most of our enlisted from the, statistically less educated, south.

 

[Brett327]

The more I read, the more I smell troll.

 

[Swanee]

I know I grew up witnessing pointless wars with many dead that have left us in a worse situation than before. I dont want to sacrifice if thats what my sacrifice is for. I know I have no say in this as 0-1 and I will suck it up and do my job to the best of my abilities without thinking about the greater plan. I dont know any other accepted candidates who agree that our service and sacrifice is for the greater good.

Yep, pointless wars, dead Americans everywhere, world crumbling. I've heard this before somewhere... Oh yeah, on whatever 24 hour news cycle show that was on TV at the moment. They followed up that story with such awesome journalistic vignettes as "Kimye get's married!" and "The dangers that lurk in your neighborhood- tonight at 8".

Now the old "we dont promise you a rose garden" slogan is fine for attracting applicants who want a challenge but ignoring other factors of why people serve is stupid. The nature of warfare has changed. Pilots are already obsolete in a variety of roles. I dont even know why the f-35 exists at this point.

Which is why you shouldn't talk about it.

The most valuable recruit is no longer the classic full metal jacket marine. We need to attract candidates with skills, computer skills in particular. How do we expect to recruit the kids graduating from Standford right now? They probably are much more liberal than I am and see military conflicts of today as unethical. They do not want to sacrifice for that. That is why I am saying we need to aim to change the structure of the military that has failed to change in decades.

Marine is a proper noun. You aren't one, so you don't know what we do and what we don't need.

Standford... I haven't heard of that school. However there are plenty of Ivy League types in the Marine Corps. We're not all conservative military academy types. If fact I am probably the furthest from that demographic that you can get.

The U.S. military in the past has adjusted to change rapidly out of necessity and now has become too slow moving and adverse to any change that needs to be made. It will change and soon.

What qualifies you to say any of this?

 

[Treetop Flyer]

The more I read, the more I smell troll.

Seriously. There is no way someone this stupid can work a keyboard. The "Standford" (twice) is my personal favorite.

 

[Beans]

The more I read, the more I smell troll.

Yep - can we please stop feeding it?



SO: INTERESTING ARTICLE GALS & GUYS, RIGHT?

 

[Flash]

after this guy i'm doubling down on my support about disparaging us millennials...

Small thing, but please capitalize your sentences. This isn't Twitter and it is hurting my eyes. At least your content isn't as idiotic as your millennial peer.

 

[WildcatAlumni]

Seriously. There is no way someone this stupid can work a keyboard. The "Standford" (twice) is my personal favorite.

Ahh shit, you got me. In fairness I said crops instead of corps also at one point. Alright all your insight has been appreciated. Interesting to see what you guys think. Basically Ill need to serve before forming an opinion. Got it.

 

[Flash]

Ahh shit, you got me. In fairness I said crops instead of corps also at one point. Alright all your insight has been appreciated. Interesting to see what you guys think. Basically Ill need to serve before forming an opinion. Got it.

Not necessarily, but maybe just keep them a little more to yourself though until you get some experience in the real world.

 

[BusyBee604]

This is how the argument on here has gone down from my point of view:

This is why the argument on here has gone down from my point of view:

You don't know squat about a military in which you have never served, yet you deign to tell the experienced Officers on here what's wrong with our military... and how you would fix it? YGBSM!

Brings to mind an ol' financial deal proposal... "If I could buy your opinion for what it's worth, and sell it for what you think it's worth - I'd be a millionaire"!
BzB

 

[Sonog]

This is all coming from a dude who has to broadcast that he "preys on college freshman" and talked about all the "cuties down in NAMI"