SS Advisor

[Anthony Hoh]

You may read this post as the incoherent grumblings of an individual. Or hopefully you can read this post and understand why I know the Army still has a long, long way to go in the process currently used to select members for advisory duty. I hope other SWJ members can appreciate how me venting this frustration is only partly a sign of my discontent. Please know that I remain faithful to our Army and will do whatever is required of me.

Now, on to why I have placed this thread...

Four months ago I was told that since I had 36 months TRADOC time, I needed to get back out into the real Army. I carefully weighed my options. This is the first time in 15 years I had the opportunity to make a major career decision without it being made for me. What to do? Go back to Bragg, Campbell, Korea? I was just coming off of three years as an O/C learning about effects, EOF, COIN. I am an OEF three vet and have already done my line time. What to do?

I called RGR branch and volunteered for Advisory duty in Afghanistan. After I convinced my branch manger I was serious they gladly cut my orders. (I am going to leave out report dates etc, because of the openness of this forum.) Needless to say I had several months to prepare. 45 days out from my report date I get a call from HRC. They stood up a NG unit to fill this assignment, and I would now have to change my report date and AOR.

Lets review....

No one called my number, no one made me go. I volunteered. I didnt try to sham out at AC/RC or another erroneous assignment. I wanted to take the experience's I have at observing and improving units, to include experiences in that same country and apply it to make a kandak better. I am now replaced by a NG Soldier who is being sent. (Anybody at HRC ever read Galula or Sepp?) Look at Nagl's NAS study on building an Advisor Corps. Is this the quality people we are selecting? Taking Soldiers who dont want to be an Advisor over those who do? I have no bones against the NG, they are warriors too. But as a whole organization I dont put the NG on the same par as AD.

I explained to HRC that I had been on this assignment for two and a half months. Already had the knock down fight with the wife that I was going back into theater, and I had my clearing papers. They relented and said to stay with my orders.

Unfortunately, that has only put me in a worse position, I will now show to Riley without being on a team. I called them this morning and they arent tracking my arrival at all. I have had a hard copy of orders since May. Anybody ever read Kilcullen, the building of the Advisory team is the first key to success.

I realize this post has probably not enlightened anyone, (however it is good therapy for me to type it out.) I would offer this as a first hand testimony as to how the Advisory effort is truly going. Bullets arent flying, people arent dying and we cant get an assigment for a Soldier straight.

I feel that I am the S.S. Advisor and I see a little assignment iceberg in front of me.

In Service
Arh

[goesh]

It reminds me of the time in boot camp when a DI told me and a couple of other guys we had the job of using the plunger on any and all clogged toilets. He said we looked like plumbers.

[Stan]

Hey Tony !

There was a MILPERCEN message in April announcing an immediate special NCO HUMINT recruiting program for 97E (E6 and E7) to cover severe shortages. Two of my SF friends transferred in June. Supposedly language training, bonuses, etc. (BEAR).

Can you spell HUACHUCA

One of these E7s is already in language training and headin for Afghanistan this year. Less than 3 months...That's quick !

Not exactly what you were going for, but something to consider.

This was an unclas message under the Army's retention program.

Regards, Stan

[Anthony Hoh]

Stan,
In retrospect that is exactly what I should have done. Unfortuantley it is probably to late now that I am already on orders. As a update I have been at Riley for a week now and they still have not figured out what they are going to do. Basically they said this class was "overbooked". Here I thought I was learning to be an Advisor not trying to book a flight to Hawaii. They said "they" would have an answer from HRC by friday. I guess they meant to say friday after next because a friday came and went already. Oh well thats what I get for trying to manage my own career and do something good for the Army. If they screw up this assigment anymore I might ask about doing the 97E thing.

In Service
arh

[Tom Odom]

Tony,

The Army moves in mysterious ways unknown to itself. I know that does not help; hang in there,

Best

Tom

[Anthony Hoh]

Boss,
Thanks you still have a way of setteling me down. I finally have a team, although I am slightly dissapointed/but excited. I will be conducting a VTT Validation Training Team (Theres your new acronym for the day!) I will throw you some details in your .mil account when I figure some more out. However, as the name implies we will assist ETT's in validation\ readiness assessment of their respective units. I think the high side will be helping higher headquarters understand the capabilites and limitations of individual ANA Battalions. The down side is I will not have a consistant counterpart to Coach, Teach, Mentor as I bounce around form unit to unit. Thanks for you calm leadership and helping me get a better grip on the Advisor piece.

In Service,
arh