-Caveat Lector- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War! ARTICLE 4 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Army Readiness - Proof of Rot ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: Smell the decay? This readiness report made me retch. It explicitly describes why we are not ready to fight - manning superfluous positions, overemphasis on the wrong training items, useless competitions, and not letting NCO's conduct critical hands-on training, with exception of Sergeants Time, once a week. Not the norm some of you will say. Think again! Not long ago, I fought similar mismanagement of time and resources in a frontline tank battalion. It hasn't changed yet, although a few islands of sanity are appearing. *********************************************************** By Ken M., Staff Sergeant, now Army National Guard I am a recently discharged NCO, with nine years of active service, four years in Special Operations, four in the Infantry of the 101st, and one in a support battalion in Korea. It was my last tour in the support battalion as a medical platoon sergeant that convinced me to pull the plug. I was in Korea at the time the guys from the north and south were shooting at each other in the Sea of Japan. It is our response to this incident that prompted me to write. My specialty was filled with the number of troops I was authorized. But ... they really did not exist in my platoon formation: One was the Battalion Commander's secretary, three assigned to support the troop medical clinic, one NCO was tasked to the Department of Public Works, one assigned as the Command Sergeant Major's "runner", one NCO tasked to be the Battalion Master Driver, and two assigned to the orderly room as clerks. This made up 30% of the soldiers I was tasked to train to fight survive and win in combat. A week of the training schedule looked as follows: Daily PT, mostly runs, at a knee-burning slow pace that allowed even the fattest non-soldiers to finish with the team. Mondays: Motor Stables and Commander's Time (weapons maintenance). The Motor Stables were a farce. We were in the most forward deployed division in the army, and still working on deuce-and-a-half trucks that we were ordered not to order parts for (they were to be replaced by the new LMTV later this year- vehicles that I had signed for at Fort Campbell two years prior). The deuces were older than anyone in my company, and only ran because of careful ministrations from my diligent troops. We had tracked M113A3 ambulances. The entire time I was there (14 months), only 75 percent were truly functional, although not meeting the guidelines to be "deadlined" and show up on the Commander's hot list. Commander's time was meant to do maintenance on all of the other items of equipment that we were assigned. It mostly involved cleaning weapons, as they were the only items inspected by the command. Our NBC gear, radios, crypto stuff, and pro-masks were neglected. Tuesdays were typically occupied in part by mandatory briefing by higher-level commanders. The subjects included Equal Opportunity, Sexual Harassment, Consideration of Others classes, fraternization policies, Korean relations and the like. The remainder of the day was typically spent finishing whatever maintenance was left over from the previous day. Wednesdays were training meetings for the leaders. This half-day event was used to discuss the next eight weeks of training (doctrinally six) and the previous week on a TPU (trained, needs practice, untrained) scale. It was a horrible sin to declare an element U- untrained in some task. That simply did not brief well. Instead P minus or simply P were used. Briefs much better. The soldiers were concurrently working on broken vehicles, or trying to get a head start on the weekly grounds maintenance Thursdays were Sergeant's Time. This is the day set aside to perform training on the units declared "go to war" critical tasks. The uniforms looked good but the training typically shoddy -- lack of funds, or lack of trained trainers. It inevitably led to an increase in the P and U ratings at the next training meeting. The afternoon was spent teaching medical skills at a remedial level to soldiers who were fresh from medical AIT, and had failed to grasp them there. I had a medical PFC miss three consecutive IVs on me during a hip-pocket training event, whereas 100% of my combat lifesaver class the previous week got first time GOs. Fridays were generally grounds maintenance days and longer PT runs. They also included finishing up any tasks with the vehicles left undone. At least one day near the end of each month was burned because some mandatory briefing had to be performed before the calendar page turned, and had somehow been neglected. The training hours were mandated. PT would last a prescribed length of time. The duty day was a certain number of hours. The result was a unit that briefed well, looked good in garrison, but had absolutely no warfighting ability. One day, my CSM summoned me to his office and asked a favor- he advised me that our leader selected as the Brigade NCO of the year had to go on emergency leave. They needed someone to represent the unit at the Division level competition. The alternate wasn't adequate, and I was needed to put on a good show. The board a week away, I agreed to help out, as a good soldier is expected to. Immediately after my meeting, the Koreans began their slugfest in the ocean. We began gearing up to go and fight frantically began training on all of the tasks that had been set aside in the name of sensitivity training. I met the Sergeant Major at about 2200hrs one night as I was leaving the motor pool where I had been supervising my vehicles' load-out. Our conversation, I will never forget. He asked if I was prepared for the Division board, and stated that it was the most important thing in my life. As I walked away, already upset that my troops faced combat unprepared, I wondered about the mindset of those above me, and where their concerns where. Thankfully, there was no conflict involving American troops in that incident, as we were untrained, under-equipped, and led by a command that placed more emphasis on how the unit fared in dog and pony events than on the lives of the soldiers we were to lead in battle. Something has to change, or America's sons and daughters serving the country have a bleak and bloody future. =========================================================== ARTICLE 5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Army: Forward deployed and only marginally ready ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: From a reliable source, an assessment from our Infantry Division deployed in Europe. I would not think we are "good to go" when training focuses on how to pitch tents and we don't have enough dismounted troops to complement our mechanized combat assets. Maybe Bush and Cheney have it right after all! ************************************************************ By a concerned Soldier The truth on the Infantry Division in Germany I happen to be in one of those two divisions that was C-4 last year (as reported on the news) and is supposed to be good to go this year. Not so!!! Those pundits and politicians are all wet. Just saw the readiness report and there are still lots of squads and tank crews which are zeroed out. I also, saw many BFV squads consisting of 5 guys (2 total dismounts) and heard they were the lucky ones. We are getting filled on lots of other specialties but we are trading Specialists and young NCOs for buck privates. It's like the Dallas Cowboys got rid of most of their starters and replacing them with rookies. Don't get me wrong, these new kids try real hard and will do well someday but they need some work. The NCOs are having to do everything to make them soldiers so there is little time to get to crew and team training. They all need military driver's licenses, marksmanship training, and PT to harden them. The most basic stuff like how to pitch a tent or light a stove is what the NCOs are spending all their time on. It will be some time before we are truly good to go. =============================================================== ARTICLE 6 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Air Force: AirMEN preferred for SWA Deployments ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: Interesting news how the Air Force might be avoiding female deployments to SWA. We would love to hear more about this from the field. Once again, maybe things aren't totally equal. *********************************************************** By a Senior Airman Well, now that the military has gotten itself all politically correct and gender integrated, more problems are appearing for the Air Force. Recently, a young female was raped in Southwest Asia (SWA) by a local national. So, not to create an international incident over it, the Air Force just decided to ban females from going there altogether. And how do we make that happen without offending anybody? Just make it mandatory that everybody must have a valid driver's license as a requirement for deployment. Since it is forbidden for females to drive in SWA, the license requirement makes them ineligible to deploy. I guess that way we can blame another country's customs to fix our problems caused by "gender-norming." Now what do we tell a male Airman, who has to deploy more often because the female sitting beside him in the states can't go? I guess that sure screws up the Air Expeditionary Force concept, doesn't it? The availability of warfighters has just decreased without a loss of available manpower. Isn't it ironic that the subject hasn't made the papers? Then again, anything is possible, given the liberal media attitude these days. Everyday, I see deployment taskings denied because of gender reasons. Where is the real equality? ============================================================ ARTICLE 7 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Parents speaking out: Broken promises and misuse of Personnel ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: This concerned parent has a son in a similar situation that we reported last week. Trained as an aircraft mechanic, he isn't able to apply and hone his skills. The Army should ensure that in a volunteer/professional force, talent is exploited in the right positions. It is sad that our political representatives have very little clue what's really going on in the field. I hope they read some of these reports. ************************************************************ A Concerned Father, Veteran and patriotic American Last week you had a letter from a concerned parent about his son in Germany. My son is also in Germany and thinks he knows the Soldier the article is talking about. My son joined the Army with a FAA Airframe and Powerplant license and a couple years experience. He was promised in his contract orders to a depot repair facility and promotion to Spec 4 in two months after assigned. The Army reneged on both. He finally got his promotion after contacting his Congressman but told him he couldn't have orders to the depot. Like the other Soldier, my son wants to work on Apaches, but the Army places more emphases on P.T., marching, rifle quals, and details than fixing Apaches. I wonder if a company of grunts were pinned down by enemy tanks what would they rather see coming to their aid? An Apache mechanic with a rifle or an Apache loaded with Hellfire's? In my son's shop over 50% of the E-4 and below and some of the E-5s are red flagged (not allowed to work on helos or drive trucks because of disciplinary problems, which leaves half to do all the work. The NCOs just keep pounding on the troops who do the work because they can't do anything about the red flags. It seems the only leadership tool the NCOs use is drop and give my 20. It seems this outfit is in some serious need of some senior NCO and Officer leadership but they are too busy running to Kosovo. The unit has a detachment in Kosovo and all the senior NCOs and Officers go there once a month to collect their combat and tax free pay. When my son contacted his Congressman he was told to make sure his wife attended a wife's meeting and at the meeting his Captain told his wife: "Don' t be surprised if the list of people going to Kosovo is changed." Pretty bad when an officer resorts to threats to a new Army wife. I sure would like to have that Captain work for me a while. My son attended a recent meeting about making sure your family is taken care of while you are gone. This is great, but for a year the Army couldn't get his pay correct. I have tried to contact some of the Army leadership but never get an answer. The problem with retention is not the money. It is the total lack of leadership. The term "Soldiers First" is an insult to the troops when they get broken promises, threats to them and their wives and watch the senior people cheat the system. ========================================================= ARTICLE 8 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Injured Jumper released from Base Hospital with multiple Pelvic Fractures ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed: Ft. Bragg, NC. A story that didn't make mainstream news but shows how medical support is deteriorating in on base facilities. I hope the command will take the appropriate actions and not try to cover up. This report is based on multiple sources. *************************************************************************** >From Multiple Sources The chain of events began with a training jump by the 4Th Battalion, 1st SWTG (A), the battalion that trains Special Forces (SF) Medics for the Q-course, as well as Navy SEALs, Rangers, and Force Recon Marine Corpsmen. The jump was held at St. Mere Eglise DZ here on Ft. Bragg with winds around 8-10 knots within safe limits of the maximum allowable 13 knots. One of the students, a Staff Sergeant, hit hard and was knocked unconscious. An SF Medic immediately rendered aid took care of the casualty -- packaged him up with full spinal precautions (collar, spine board) got an IV on board and dusted him off to Womack Army Medical Center's Emergency Department. At the hospital, he was seen by a physician's assistant (PA). The soldier complained of severe pain in his pelvic area, yet no x-rays were taken of the area he complained about. X-rays were only taken of the soldier's neck and a CT to rule out a head injury. The troop was released with crutches, Motrin and Tylenol. But "Motrin and Tylenol bombs" didn't do the trick. After forcing the admin gatekeepers to re-admit him for further examination, he finally found out that he actually had a multiple, fractured pelvis. In the soldiers own words: "I could not bear weight on either leg upon release and had to be physically lifted and placed into a wheel chair to leave the emergency department (ED). While at home, I attempted to use the crutches to move to the restroom but again was unable to bear weight on either leg and felt a shooting pain down both legs, I also felt a pain that I described as my sacrum beginning to snap the pain was so intense I thought I was going to pass out I called the WAMC emergency department about this pain to determine what x-rays had been taken earlier to clear my mind of the thought that I might have a fracture of the lower spinal column. The lady I spoke with was rude and when I asked if I could ask a final question her response was, " go ahead because I know you're going to come in anyway." I asked if a could call an ambulance to bring me in to the ED since I was worried about possibly spinal injury, she told me to call Cumberland County and I would have to pay for it. I called two friends who carried me to the car and I drove into WAMC. I arrived at 062125Sep00-I was triaged at 062245Sep00. I was seen by a Major who ordered x-rays of my long spine and pelvic regions. The Major told me that the x-rays were negative and that most likely it was a muscular injury. He had me stand up on my own and I was released from the ED again in a wheel chair. At approx 0800 hrs, the Major called me at my residence and said that he missed a pelvic fracture that the radiologist had discovered and told me that I needed to contact orthopedics for an appointment on 11September. He also instructed me to return to the emergency department around 2130 hrs that evening to undergo more x-rays to rule out a fracture to the right acetabulum. I was told that he would be in at 2200 hrs and could view the x-rays. I arrived at 2130 hrs and asked for a wheel chair because I had a pelvic fracture and wheeled myself to radiology After new x-rays were taken, I saw the Major and he ordered more x-rays, a pelvic CT, and lab work." ============================================================== ARTICLE 9 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Air Force: Use scarce time for Readiness Training and not Compliance Drills ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: Let's get our priorities right again. *************************************************************************** By a concerned Senior Air Guardsman I am associated with an Air Guard unit in New York State, whose crews carry our operational missions while most of us are in the support trains that one will find in every AF, ANG and AFRes flying unit. But it takes all kinds to keep the planes flying and in the last three years over 500 people from this unit have deployed around the world in support of the various contingency operations that President Clinton has conjured up for a sorely pressed military. This Wing is one of the many ANG/AFRes units tasked by the active Air Force as an Air Expeditionary Wing. That means packages of people, planes and other equipment can be tasked anytime, anywhere. Those of us who have other jobs outside the gate just hope and pray that we can get some notice so that we can tell the boss who pays the bills the other 28 days of the month. But for a force that is by design, part-time, we have now begun to see the same stupidity that exists in the active Air Force. By stupidity, I mean a complete waste of training time, people, scarce resources and so on. In a normal drilling year in the ANG, the average non-aircrew member of the unit participates in 192 hours of training during the monthly Unit Training Assemblies (UTAs) or drills. Add in another 15 days of annual training (AT or active duty) and the average guardsman (non-flying) spends a total of 322 hours a year trying to remain proficient at his job AND his other skills such as chemical warfare, airbase defense, small arms training and so on. Well the folly of the weekend of 9 and 10 Sept was that 45-50 members of this Wing were taken by bus to Albany, NY to participate in diversity training on a grand scale. The other 4 flying units in NY State were sending anywhere from 45-75 people per unit to same "eye wash" drill to please the senior ANG leadership and the misguided social engineers at the state and federal governments. That meant at minimum, 225 Air National Guardsmen from around NY State spent their time and scarce financial resources listening to the blathering of social scientists who have probably never worn a uniform. Along with the Regular Air Force, where this kind of stupidity is practiced on a grand scale EVERY DAY, now we in the Guard are subjected to the same worthless practices and exercises. We still live in an unsafe world, full of crazies, terrorists and regimes that are decidedly anti-American. But service in our armed forces shouldn't be about celebrating our differences as people; it should be about glorifying in all that the United States has offered so many in the past and what it can and should be in the future. Let's not waste our limited training time on useless compliance drills. *COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for nonprofit research and educational purposes only.[Ref. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ] Want to be on our lists? Write at [EMAIL PROTECTED] for a menu of our lists! ****************************************************************************** ******************* A vote for Bush or Gore is a vote to continue Clinton policies! A vote for Buchanan is a vote to continue America! Therefore a vote for Gore or Bush is a wasted vote for America! Don't waste your vote! Vote for Patrick Buchanan! Today, candor compels us to admit that our vaunted two-party system is a snare and a delusion, a fraud upon the nation. Our two parties have become nothing but two wings of the same bird of prey... 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