Friday, January 14, 2005

Cowards.

I'd like to talk about this 'NCO' today.

All I can say is that it makes me sick to my stomache to know people like this somehow become leaders in our army.

A couple of points I want to make.

#1. The guy is a Non-Commissioned Officer, he has soldiers that count on him for his leadership and a unit that counts on his tactical and technical knowledge to get their mission accomplished. What he is doing, is in effect, abandoning his soldiers and his unit. He lacks loyalty and has left his soldiers out to dry.

#2. His mission, per say, does not require him to even come into contact with the enemy. He's a mechanic. He stays on a well defended base and fixes vehicles. Is there a chance that he still may be hurt? Of course. But there is a chance he will die in a car accident, does he still drive?

Is there a chance that he may come in contact with the enemy? Again, there is always that chance, but it is slim given his occupation.

Basically, I think this guy is a coward. Everyday NCOs who shouldn't be getting deployed are working their asses off attempting to go with their soldiers. In my unit there is an NCO who they believed had a blood disease. He was traveling to different hospitals around the country trying to find a doctor that would clear him to go so he wouldn't be sending his soldiers off to war without the leadership they need.

Eventually, the testing he had undergone at Walter Reed came back negative and the first thing he did was go to his doctor to get cleared for deployment. He's a coworker of mine, and just seeing what he did really gives me the feeling that, 'Hey, this is a guy I can trust." I know he'll get my back in combat and I really hope I can get his.

I really wonder why CNN doesn't do stories about the guy in my unit. Stories that occur everyday in the Army. Instead they focus on the one coward. It really pisses me off.

And don't let this guy fool you, it isn't that he 'disagrees' with war....I mean, he's been in the Army for 9 years. This guy is scared, understandably so, but so is everyone else that goes over there. Every soldier that goes to war thinks that it may be it for him, that he's going to most likely die on this trip, but we go anyway because not only do we believe in our mission in Iraq but because we don't want to let our brothers down. This person, obviously doesn't have these traits.

Thanks.

5 Comments:

At 5:30 AM, Blogger Jordan Golson said...

Nice post, I linked to it http://jlgolson.blogspot.com/2005/01/cowards-and-heroes.html

Thanks for reading and commenting...

 
At 2:14 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

You know what they say about "opinions and assholes." You are entitled to yours, but I think it is ridiculous. This man is a combat veteran and regardless of rank, he has every right to file a CO petition through his chain of command. What about the 17 AWOLS and 2 suicide attempts in the 2/7???

Don't give me that crap about his MOS - you know better. Take a look at www.thefinalrollcall.us and see just how many "safe MOS's" have died in Iraq. You also should know better how 63 series soldiers are routinely used for convoy security, entry/exit control and force protection. The mechanics of the 210th FSB that are downrange right now are doing a lot more than just "fixing broke stuff."

Guys like you need to be deployed for year after year after year until you get it through your head that YOU have the minority opinion here. Sure, 50% of the public "supports" the war, but how many are enlisting. Check out how your "boy" over at "Cheese and Crackers" dodges the questions that I and two other IRR Captains have posed about his joining ROTC or enlisting for OCS.

FYI, the Active Army made 50.6% of its quarterly recruiting goal from OCT-DEC and OCS selction rates are 100%. Those #s might say something about how many folks agree with you and are willing to walk the walk.

 
At 2:30 PM, Blogger BryanP said...

Sounds like someone got a bad OER. And we were over 100% in retention for FY2004. Maybe you should look stuff up before just posting it.

 
At 4:27 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Can you read Bryan?

I said RECRUITING! I said NOTHING about retention. A little "fun with numbers": you'll find the retention goals for FY '04 were adjusted downwards from FY '02. Strange...

The lack of attention to detail you display is shocking.

Your OER comments are nonsense. Why can't you accept that some of us can be successful in the Army and be successful in civilian endeavors? I could have easily stayed on AD and been promoted to LTC for having a pulse. BTW, the selection rate to MAJ was 95% this year. It's more rigorous to make E-7 than become a Battalion XO.

 
At 4:35 PM, Blogger BryanP said...

Definately right on about promotions, and yes. I mixed up retention and recruiting. But of course recruiting in an all volunteer army will be down during a war. That's expected.

Especially when there are people like you about spouting nonesense and the media focuses on the 2% instead of the 98%.

 

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