I Missed The Democratic Revolution...

This blog is my one true 'grip' blog, but not for what you think. Read on and you will see.....

Since when did the military become a democracy? There appearantly was a revolution that I missed. When did the enlisted, lower ranking soldiers become empowered; and the officers divert their attention away so they can pretend not to see what is happening and thus avoid the confrontation. When did the salute become an historic event and the respect, traditionally given to officers, merely a bedtime story for "old school" soliders to tell thier kids. When did, "Yes Sir" or "No Mam" get replaced with replies such as "Whatever!", "I don't think so!", "Later"and "Yea, I'll try!". When were soldiers actually allowed a vote (I think junior NCO's get two votes, but I'll have to check on that one) as to what they wanted to do and when they wanted to do it. It slipped past me when they declared that soldiers had a say and were offerred a discussion or forum to debate whether they wanted to do something, and debate the policies of an officer's decision in front of the officer. It used to be when you screwed up and got caught, you knew there was going to be an NCO in your face yelling, cussing, and ripping you a new &#$%&*; or worse an officer, or "oh my God" the ulitmate worse scenerio, the commander catching you.
But since the revolution that I missed; now, if the officer or commander catches you, they had better be polite, and allow you to "feel good" about discussing the fact you were screwing off and got caught, if not you will file a complaint and they will be commanding a garbage dump in Alaska. Now, even the NCO's rush to your defense, allow you to cry on their shoulder, and pat you on the back, while they wipe away your tears.
I can't believe they had a revolution and I missed it, because I got to tell you, I would have fought against it. This is the Army! How could anyone sign on the dotted line, and not know that the Army is....well the Army! You don't change it into a feel good club. You don't get mad and complain because you have to press your uniform or polish your boots and file a complaint so that you can now show up looking like you just arrived from a weekend drunk. When they do PT, run, train or conduct exercises for deployment, you don't "excuse yourself" walk over and get a "get out of jail free" profile that excuses you from everything; and then go to the bowling alley to kill time, or worse go back to bed because it is way to early to be up doing this "Army thing".
Used to be that you endured pain which made you stonger because you feared being the one who went to sick call. That may sound harsh, but this is the Army, and what we do for a living requires us to suck it up and move on. I seriously doubt the insurgents in Iraq care if we have the sniffles and let you take time off from hte war. Your unit depends on you, each looking out for each other, and covering each others back. Apparently since the revolution it is every man for himself.
Oh, and I am not even going to discuss what I heard about how to get out of deployment.

Now you may think I am making this up, but unfortunetely I am not. And unlike, most people who want out because the army is to hard or to discilpoline for them; me, I am upset that it is not the old way of real discipline and structure. Were being an officer meant something, doing your best was noticed and appreciated. I guess I just need to suck it up and move on. This is the new army and I need to get use to it.

I apologizes to my readers. I normally never grip and always find humor in every day things, but this issue has been eating at me for awhile and I just needed to write it down and release the negativity. Now, I can move on and continue to see the positive in everything we do.

Take care readers, and stay safe everyone.