Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling told reporters over breakfast that only a small percentage of soldiers lack proper discipline, but he stressed his concern that it be fixed, now that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are winding down and more troops are returning to their home bases.As far as I'm concerned, General, the mission of the Army is to close with and kill the enemy by fire and maneuver. If you've forgotten that, then you should turn in your flag immediately, because you're just a worthless REMF who shouldn't be leading soldiers.
"In some cases there are discipline problems that we have not paid as much attention to as we should," he said, adding, "If you allow that to go unnoticed it becomes cancerous."
Hertling said soldiers need more training in the Army's professional values. And he said officers and commanders are guilty of too frequently overlooking what he called "acts of indiscipline." He cited as an example a failure to adequately punish soldiers for offenses such as drunken driving.
The soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan have closed with the enemy and killed them with fire and maneuver. They've done that in spite of General Order #1, which forbids them from drinking alcohol while they're in the theater. When they come back from theater and want to have a little snort, REMFs like you criticize them.
As far as I'm concerned, General Order #1 is indicative of the political correct bullshit that pervades the uniformed services. I don't give a steaming, screaming crap if a soldier has a drink after a combat patrol. The fact that our leadership denies them that small luxury is indicative of the loss of testicular fortitude that pervades the upper ranks. When they get out of theater, General Hertling wants to make an issue of them having a drink, or two, or three.
In addition to having a problem with soldier's drinking, he also airs his dirty laundry before reporters. Hertling sounds like a political climber and he should be standing in front of his superiors, getting his ass chewed like a rookie cadet.
Lack of discipline, indeed. It sounds like the General has a lack of discipline.
Didn't Halsey say "I never trust a fighting man who didn't smoke or drink." You'd do well, General, to start doing both.
3 comments:
Drinking is one thing drink driving is quite another.
What PawPaw meant is that the mindset to fight does not fit in the same mind as the mindset to self-deny when the order to stand down is given.
You nailed it, PawPaw. He sounds like a REMF.
REMF,I am reminded of recieving an order not to carry a combat knife in Kuwait. PFFFFFT on him
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