Quote Originally Posted by tankersteve View Post
...but it is discouraging to those who are in the mix.
Just trying to remind anyone who cares that:
They could have ducked it and everybody has their first time.
we all had a first time, some not as soon as they wished.
Second, the Army doesn't seem to be as committed to the fight as an institution as he would like to see.
Also understand that; the Army does not do a good job of explaining all that it does and why it does many things as it should. That's partly culture ('Never explain, never complain'), partly arrogance, partly ignorance ('I'm a fifty year old Colonel and I know that, why doesn't LT Twentytwo know it?'), partly the time pressure. Need to do better.
I am sure in past wars the Army had 'image' issues with its training and various support centers (research, doctrine, material commands, etc) as to their involvement with the current war, but the whole nation at least understood we were in a war.
FWIW, in both Korea and Viet Nam, concern with military issues, troop issues and knowledge of what was happening in the service, with the VA and in distant theaters was an order of magnitude or two less than is the case today. Compared to those two wars, you guys have a nation that is slightly more informed and concerned and far more supportive. Media in Korea were more knowledgeable and less biased (WW II media vets...), in Viet Nam they were as or more ignorant than today and about equally biased.
With the press (indicative of the population) nonchalant about the war, and indicators that the Army isn't always fully invested, it can greatly disillusion the young leader.
True. I don't agree with it either -- but I'm quite sure it goes with the territory and I'm personally convinced that rather than commiserating with them, telling them "Yep, that's the way it is in a democracy. Always has been and it isn't likely to change. You better get used to it" is a more realistic approach. That will cause some to leave for various reasons and that should be okay; it is not a job for everyone and enough that can realize and accept that reality have always stayed. I don't see that changing.