One of my friends from BCT @ Fort Knox is really getting upset over the lack of discipline that he sees in soldiers these days. I don't blame him. His solutions to these problems however, are completely unworkable. First, I'll let you read his stated opinions from his blogs, Facebook notes, et al. and then offer my personalized response.
His note in its original form, save for me putting it in Italicized text to indicate a quotation:
Boy, at times, on certain days, I really loathe this so-called “new” Army. For one, there are too many undisciplined Soldiers amongst the ranks, I mean, it must be also society as well, that these kids that join the Military now are a bunch of spoiled, rotten, snotty little brats. And the sad thing is, majority of TRADOC, which is the Training Sect of the Army, cater too much to these wannabe little thugs. The leadership we have almost act the same way as these kids, which as a result, literally breeds and promotes these bad attitudes. It is time that the Army and the other branches to step up their game, it is time for our leadership to get better acquainted with their duty, and it starts right from Basic Training and goes on for the remainder of their time in service. It is time for the leadership to be more forceful with their Soldiers, even if they have to put their hands on them. I remember there were times when I was in Basic Training, I wish the Drill Sergeants would hit some of these snot-nosed little punks that kept getting in trouble while the rest of their platoon had to pay for it. I mean, just go into a room and close the door, I don’t hear anything. I remember my dad used to tell me about how his time in Basic Training was, back in the 1970s, where if you got in trouble with the law, you had two choices: either go to jail or join the Army. My father got in trouble with the law, had his choices, and decided to go into the Army so he can keep his record clean. He said it was a pretty rude awakening with the Drill Sergeants, being all of them were in Vietnam at one point or the other. He recalled one memory, about one recruit that acted like a tough guy and didn’t listen to the Drill Sergeant to take out his earring out of his ear. So one day, they were marching, and that Drill Sergeant saw that recruit with the earring still in his ear. He ran right up to the guy, and ripped that earring right out. The tough guy wasn’t so tough anymore, being he was immediately on the ground screaming and crying while holding his ear. Now, to a certain extent, that should happen in Basic Training, if there is a recruit that refuses to obey an order to a Drill Sergeant. I feel that the Drill Sergeant has every right to him, or her, to put their hands on a recruit if they don’t want to cooperate with the program. For an added bonus, perhaps, should look towards what the South Korean Army does for indiscipline in the ranks; have NCOs carry sticks around and if a Soldier is out of line, they hit him with it. Nowadays, a Drill Sergeant can yell, scream, cuss, and order recruits to do almost anything, but cannot lay a finger on them. Shoot, at some Basic Training camps they have these so-called “stress cards”, a card that a recruit can give a Drill Sergeant so they can relax for a little bit. I’m sorry, but Basic Training is not supposed to be easy, or pleasant, or even a time to relax. Soldiers, in this day in age, have way too many rights on their hands, not that I am against it, but there needs to be a median and a certain standard to maintain. I mean, it’s this kind of garbage that is really weakening our Armed Forces. It makes much of our service members act like they’re still civilians, back on block and getting into trouble.
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Now, my personalized response to my old friend...
Have the Drill Sergeants start punching recruits again, huh? I can see the angry parents (and quite a few veterans and concerned citizens) calling their Congressmen already...
Discipline is one of those things that you will either have or not have. No one can really teach it or force it on you against your will. Remember PVT Bodoh? Mental issues aside, he didn't make it because he didn't care. That is the nature of discipline problems in the Service these days; not Drill Sergeants being unable to punch you.
Besides, negative reinforcements breed negative results. Remember how much the 2nd Platoon hated life because of their Drill Sergeants being assholes? Or how much the 1st Platoon supposedly lived in fear of DS Sanchez going apeshit on them? How many people do you think would want to serve with someone that behaves that way? The DoD already has enough problems recruiting good people when the economy is good. Even when it's bad and people are desperate for work (like we were when we enlisted in 2009), they still bribe recruits with large cash bonuses and college money. How do you think they got me?
We had it easier than you think. If we got smoked for every stupid thing that someone in our platoon did, PV2 Crain would have gotten us smoked hourly for his drama. PVT Dedeaux might have gotten us smoked for constantly (and jokingly) screaming 'Sound the fuck off!' in various formations. PVT Brackett would have gotten us killed via too many push-ups just for being an arrogant ass that couldn't march for shit. Do I need to cite further examples?
BCT is more of a strictly controlled mind game than anything else. As long as you do what you have to do and don't let the Brown Rounds get to you, then you should be fine. I knew that going in and that is why the Drill Sergeants couldn't get under my skin. What really stuck in my craw those days was all the hate and flack I'd get from many of the other recruits. I was expected to think of these people as my brothers in arms yet, all they did was give me shit and make me a pariah. I felt betrayed. That's the reason I hated BCT. Not the cold. Not the Drill Sergeants in our platoon (whom I find myself missing a LOT whenever my current NCO's prove useless) and definitely not things being rough. Believe it or not, I've been through more than a few rough experiences in life and some were much worse than BCT. No, I won't be going into details here.
Besides, neither of us would have made it through in 'the old days' that you want to go back to with TRADOC. I know what those days were like, thanks to an uncle of mine, who was an Air Force Training Instructor for 13 years and a Vietnam veteran. The things he did just for shits and giggles would land a Brown Round in jail for decades now. Despite all that and his fearsome reputation, he still had to deal with a LOT of idiots. As much as I hate saying it, society uses the military as a dumping ground for its garbage. While many of those in uniform are 'America's best', many are just people who couldn't get a job anywhere else. Sadly, that includes a lot of criminal types that only got in because America was fighting two wars at once and Uncle Sam needed all the trigger-pullers it could get.
The solution here, my friend, is for the Army to *actually have* good admission standards and to strictly enforce them. If someone is a piece of shit to begin with, then all the punches in the face that a Drill Sergeant can give them won't change that fact. Discipline begins and ends with you, the individual. All the Army could ever do is try to show you the way.
- Lord Publius
There are numerous problems with basic training and I'd say, for openers, it's inherently criminal. The recruits may have some protection in theory, but in reality, most are too intimidated to stand up for themselves, let alone their platoonmates. It takes a brave soul to go up the chain of command to report an out-of-control drill, who is very likely chummy with everyone at the company level and very likely has greater credibility with the battalion c.o. That was my experience.
ReplyDeleteThe very nature of the training, which is to stress individuals to the max, lends itself in the richest fashion to those who enjoy bullying their fellow human beings. I recall one time while lying on the floor in CQ, when the drills thought I was asleep, joking about the amount of pain and humiliation they inflicted. So these people clearly enjoy the sadistic role they play and even add to it their own personal touches. A great deal of the problem is what I'd also call "cop syndrome". Feeling the need to assert manliness as part of the job and responding to resistance as personal insult.
Treatment in basic is hardly evenly spread throughout. Very early, drills pick out their favorites and put them in positions of authority. They and others get the kid glove treatment. Others who run afoul of the DI become repeated scapegoats, as was my case.
My big "crime" in the Army was crying the first night in basic after some drill told me I was going to Leavenworth (for no reason). Can't explain my reaction, but it happened. So does the guy give me a chance to go into the latrine and pull myself together? Nope. Instead, he parades me around in front of the other DIs at CQ. Nice guy. I was a marked man after that.
There was a point where I took all I could stand, and one of these drills got quite a surprise when he yanked me out of my chair during a break from KP. My response was to break his grip and make him back off a good fifteen feet. He started yelling a second time, but didn't come any closer. Suffice to say, I felt redeemed as a man at that point, even if the Army didn't. And this was a time when I had an internal infection that was draining me pretty good.
To anyone thinking of signing up with any branch, read the above carefully. I wouldn't want my experience to be yours. Lord Publius has his finger on the pulse of the problem. You want recruits who come in with good attitudes. The problem is, from my experience, everyone stepping off the bus has a good attitude. I don't recall a soul who didn't want to be there. Where things began to change is when those in charge started heaping abuse and humiliation as though it was a competitive sport among themselves.
I suspect the prime goal behind basic is put the recruits in abject fear of authority so they'll respond robotically to commands. TRADOC knows full well what's going on, but despite the illegalites of it (which are perpetually denied and covered up) are intent on producing that kind of soldier.
Finally, for those who consider me weak and a "wash out", I could care less. How many of you made a drill back off in fear? When ill with an internal infection? Not many. Quite frankly, after eight weeks of disrespect, I decided I wasn't going to serve in a foxhole alongside any of these people. When I ELSed out, it was like detaching myself from a street gang.
-Rob
Left before finishing BCT, huh?
DeleteWell, don't worry. You didn't miss anything... I (mis)spent nearly 5 years of my life in the Army. I now genuinely wish I had never enlisted. Here's the 17 major reasons why:
http://lordpublius.blogspot.com/2014/08/17-reasons-why-i-left-army.html