Yes Virginia, Actions DO Have Consequences

[robav8r]

Would you not consider this one of those times?

No, I was referring to Uncle Fester's tale of Midshipman buffoonery, not this kid's stupid antics participating in a riot.

So, where do we draw the line as to what is permissible and what is not?
It was only a little riot...
or
No one was killed...
or
I only blew a .08...

Today all the services are forcing folks out who have been pretty good performers; both Officer and Enlisted. If the Army wants to drop this guy for participating in a riot, that's their call.
So, while the military is willing to discard people quickly, I would say our society is not looking to discard folks. We are actually quiet forgiving when folks make mistakes. If you own up to your mistakes, society will generally give you a pass. Look at how the media has treated steriod users who fessed up as compared to those who haven't. Look at Charlie Sheen, he's the poster boy for saying your sorry, getting another chance and screwing it up again.

Don't know about society as much as the military. My overarching point was that in the military, we discard folks very quickly, sometimes before the indivdual even has a clue about adulthood.

 

[Uncle Fester]

...My overarching point was that in the military, we discard folks very quickly, sometimes before the indivdual even has a clue about adulthood.

Well, there's making stupid mistakes due to youth and inexperience - car loan at 25% and it gets repo'ed, you don't need a rubber if she swears she's on the Pill, Flaming Sambucas - and then there's making decisions that are so stupid, it indicates some serious deficiencies of judgement and character. This guy was within a couple of years of being a platoon leader.

 

[ea6bflyr]

So, where do we draw the line as to what is permissible and what is not?
It was only a little riot...
or
No one was killed...
or
I only blew a .08...

Today all the services are forcing folks out who have been pretty good performers; both Officer and Enlisted. If the Army wants to drop this guy for participating in a riot, that's their call.
So, while the military is willing to discard people quickly, I would say our society is not looking to discard folks. We are actually quiet forgiving when folks make mistakes. If you own up to your mistakes, society will generally give you a pass. Look at how the media has treated steriod users who fessed up as compared to those who haven't. Look at Charlie Sheen, he's the poster boy for saying your sorry, getting another chance and screwing it up again.

Or maybe the Army should have just written it off as On-the-Job Training (OJT) for his future as an MP.

-ea6bflyr

 

[ea6bflyr]

This guy was within a couple of years of being a platoon leader.

Like this guy:

Captain Dave 'Captain America' McGraw
from Generation Kill

 

[exNavyOffRec]

So, where do we draw the line as to what is permissible and what is not?
It was only a little riot...
or
No one was killed...
or
I only blew a .08...

Today all the services are forcing folks out who have been pretty good performers; both Officer and Enlisted. If the Army wants to drop this guy for participating in a riot, that's their call.
So, while the military is willing to discard people quickly, I would say our society is not looking to discard folks. We are actually quiet forgiving when folks make mistakes. If you own up to your mistakes, society will generally give you a pass. Look at how the media has treated steriod users who fessed up as compared to those who haven't. Look at Charlie Sheen, he's the poster boy for saying your sorry, getting another chance and screwing it up again.

I and I am sure many of you remember this too when you would look at the CPO mess in their dress blues and it was rare to see gold, most wore red, oh how times have changed.

Society isn't too forgiving, the local hardware store was sold to another company (still local) one of the guys that had worked there for years was not offered a job with the new company, all because the new company had a zero tolerance for DUI's, he had a DUI 6 years prior.

 

[C420sailor]

Look at how the media has treated steriod users who fessed up as compared to those who haven't. Look at Charlie Sheen, he's the poster boy for saying your sorry, getting another chance and screwing it up again.

That's because they're celebrities. If I got arrested for juicing or doing stupid shit after a few too many lines of coke, I'd be flipping burgers at Wendy's for the rest of my life.

 

[ea6bflyr]

Some people like low stress jobs.