FMSO "Dealing with the Iraqi Populace"

[Dakota]

I apologize for the reserve's lack of interest...

No need for you to apoligize for Gen's Stultz or Broadway... unless you are one of those two individiuals!

but they are being inundated with mandatory training and "good ideas" from higher, few of which are relevant to warfighting...

I've seen alot of mandatory training and but very few good ideas.

Seems like most drill is spent screwing around with "paper drills" and replicating stuff that was done in previous months.

Every drill we come in with a training plan, and every drill it is "####-canned" in favor of 4 hours of mandatory "grill safety" and "outdoor swimming pool" training, which can get the chain of command fired if they refused to do.

My commander is a former enlisted guy and hes mentioned that he has his resignation letter in his BDU pocket at all times that only needs his signature and a date on it. No one higher up bothers him to much... The Reserves is far too short of officers right now to ####can anyone over trivial stuff.

I understand completely unit level reticence to put another briefing/class on the schedule.

I understand the concern about time - there is little enough of it as it is. But even for units that are getting spun up to go - the command knows of these units but does not take advantage of the opportunity to train.

Bottom line, no one is getting fired for failing to teach cultural stuff relevant to the current conflict.

There are quite a few people who should be fired, IMHO.

Seems my higher command would rather send people to the EO Rep or HazMat course than Counter IED or SDM. I'm sure the Mahdi Army or Taliban are very concerned about my units EO status or HazMat certification.

As I said before... If we loose this war it's because of simple stupidity and basic negligence.

As far as a the Reserves goes... its nothing more than an easily tappable, low cost, captive pool of labor for the Active forces. Warm bodies - on demand... thats it. The acutal reality of the Reserve Forces is so far from the concept that it is absurd. BLUF, after 16 years between active and reserves my conclusion is that the Reserve model is unrealistic and is a broken one.

I share your frustration. Just look at the COIN section of BCKS. Pretty much "frogs and crickets."

I'm on BCKS, including COIN, so I know what you mean.

I've posted some things to the IED forum that were derived from completely unclassified and open-source information and have been badgered to censor it.

Another problem could be that the Armies IT and web efforts are phenomonally disjointed and unsyncronized... but thats for another thread.