Secretary of the Army Christine E. Wormuth published a letter 8 February 2022 outlining her six objectives for the Army and one wonders (rhetorically) how we continue to see people elevated into these positions who seem frankly ignorant of the mission and purpose of the organizations they lead.
I was already of a mind and inclined along this thought path, cruising down the righteous indignation highway (self-induced cranial housing brainstorm angst activity) having received two other classic examples of how much our government cares about us veterans. One was the annual Affordable Care Act statement-that many probably believe has been obviated over the years by republican rhetoric to that effect-but au contraire-I get a statement from the government every year to reassure me that I am covered by VA benefits and-not to worry-here is the form and proof required-by the government: you’re welcome! To make up a quote I imagine hearing from COL Mike, Infantry-“that chaps my hide!
The other piece of donkey dook, angst-inspiring correspondence was from the VA Secretary-former Obama WH Chief of Staff Denis McDonough-a career Rhode Island democrat who always seems to find a cabinet position whenever dems return to power. Now it’s been a little over two years since the local VA here in Colorado started doing the COVID shuffle-for my annual “bidness” in spring 2020 I was serviced on the sidewalk on a very cold day by two masked and runny nosed miserable people who admonished me to wear a mask-outside on the sidewalk-before they would provide any information. I said-“don’t have one, we’re outside for goodness sake, just want to get the appointment referral for my eye exam.” They provided a mask and grudgingly found my paperwork, but the point is I haven’t heard from them since.
So I get the letter from the VA Secretary thinking, maybe they are going back to normal hours locally (after doing nothing-nothing-but emergencies-or suicide support in 2021.) It was dated 9 Nov 2021-so in time for Veteran’s Day-and the gist of the message is all about ensuring that every “Veteran who receives treatment, benefits, or services at a VA facility is treated with dignity and respect.” Now he probably has other messages out about homeless veterans, combating veteran suicides, medical treatment priorities in the COVID era: but this untitled “Dear Veteran” note was all about personal behavior and the “VA zero-tolerance policy for harassing, disruptive, abusive or violent behavior. Harassment and sexual assault, including sexual harassment and gender-based harassment, is inappropriate conduct and will not be tolerated.”
So I’ve been in somewhat angst-junction over this stuff for a time now. Just to state a blinding flash of the obvious, I never led an organization this big but like to think I learned a thing or two about leadership-even if by accident-over some 42 years or so. Right off the bat I think it is helpful for such government statements of objectives to focus on the important stuff, like, I don’t know, maybe the constitutional and statutory mission of the organization/Army ” To deploy, fight and win our nation’s wars by providing ready, prompt and sustained land dominance by Army forces across the full spectrum of conflict as part of the joint force.” Anything generally along those lines or thoughts would probably be a good start.
Mission first, people always. The mission is the top priority, the “raison d’etre”-why we have an Army: but you can’t do it without people and families supporting them. It is somewhat of a tell that you have to click into the above website to find the mission statement, while the lead (lede) “attention grabber headline” on the landing page is “Army introduces strategy to combat climate change threat.” I like the idea that military and particularly Army propaganda these days always manage to work the term “combat” in there: one envisions some type of Ghost Busters image of combat clad warfighters engaging weather patterns, floods and snowstorms to battle them to submission: rough duty indeed-assault weapons have to be included (it’s combat…)
I left this statement of objectives alone for a few days in order to see what friends, colleagues and former military thought about it: the jury is in and the continued evidence of doomage in our military continues, where mixed signals are being sent about mission priorities, while wokeness seems to be elevated over common sense, readiness and training.
Readiness and training: I wouldn’t be caught dead (I mean, how would I know???) spouting propaganda under the guise of readiness while launching into a climate threat propaganda discussion (but I also wouldn’t tell you it’s raining while dousing your leg-and that’s really hard to do if caught dead, but I digress….) Did previous leaders have more respect for the Soldiers they lead (actually, this wokesterism has been ongoing for some time now?) If not the most important items on any Army list then there must be a different methodology being used to assess and decompose military statutory missions these days-the specified, implied and assumed process followed by units to identify, decompose to combat or common skills tasks and to train to standard against their Mission Essential Task Lists (METL.)
Having been retired (from the Army) for several decades now (okay, its actually been 28 years this April if you are a stickler for that sort of thing,) I can’t imagine sitting down with staff and parsing out leadership guidance or direction and thinking through our METL as relates to climate change. As I wrote in a recent article, I (tongue in cheek) got your METL right here: do your job….
It’s kind of funny-if you think it through-but not the “hahahaha” variety. Biodiesel comes to mind, or electric tanks and smokeless gun powder. Or maybe that forward thinking idea of President Carter to deploy the Neutron Bomb that didn’t harm property or buildings but only killed people (I’m telling you, the guy sucked as a president, but he was way ahead of his time with this climate change stuff…and don’t be surprised if some genius Green New Dealer doesn’t bring it up.)
So the Secretary of the Army has six Objectives-and none of them address mission, readiness or training-as evidenced by none of them labeled as such-but she says they do.
Here a few tidbits in response to this campaign propaganda bumper sticker malarkey special from a Navy buddy:
This is breathtakingly stoopid and woke! With the likes of leaders like Austin, Garrison, Milley, and this idiot the U.S. Army is done for!
And don’t miss the significance about “defending the country at home”….against all conservative, libertarians, independents, Republicans, and other dissenters–“insurrectionists”–who actually still believe in the Constitution. The Army, just like the Capitol Police, the FBI, and DOJ will now become the SS/Gestapo to enforce Democrat socialist/communist authoritarian mandates…
And another Navy buddy: Reading this SecArmy Message makes me want to slit my wrists, or better yet cut HER throat (Lesko hyperbole warning.) Boy, if that isn’t a message for the Salvation Army or some other outfit. Even a Corporate leader would cut it in half. Let me see what I take away from her objectives:
- Be able to salvage what we can with no money.
- Use lots of data to micromanage on the battlefield
- Be leaders in the war on global warming-do less, pollute less
- Make people happier, somehow
- Figure out how to shackle people so the creeps won’t be creeps anymore
- Fundamentally change recruiting and retention because it is not working.
In the portion of the leadership course that deals with setting objectives Christine failed to achieve a passing score.
For my own two cents worth, my first impression was this struck me as absolute krokatoa or useless BS to send out. One job-ONE JOB-and she is not up to it. Climate change-harmful behavior…the basic mission of this business unit is to defend the US-the Constitution- against all enemies-foreign and domestic-to close with and kill the enemy.
The only good thing about this is the average Soldier has no idea who this person is and could give two donkey dookie sticks about her. Recruitment is in the toilet for all services because of these woke messages that have convinced many parents not to recommend the military as an avocation. I don’t come from a military family-but my son and 5 of their buddies went in the Army-I did not recommend it at the time with the boomerang assignments from Afghan-Iraq-Korea, dangling education courses in-between-but overseas tours were the price of admission. My son spent almost 6 years-at Fort Riley with 2 yearlong tours in Iraq. To get his next education level he would have to re-enlist, likely go to Korea afterward but the clock would restart so he would immediately be eligible for Iraq again but was actually going to be on the priority list as overdue to go to Afghan.
Those kids did those tours-they suffered those casualties-widespread PTSD across the force-rampant suicides in our vets. The Army made it easy for a lot of them who voted with their feet.
And that was before all the stupid woke messaging became a thing. If it wasn’t for folks like Gates fighting the Pentagon bureaucracy, we would have lost more people-as the geniuses in the Pentagon wanted to continue procurement business as normal while the IED attacks expanded exponentially. Austin was right there helping support the narrative of ISIS as the JV Team while they reconstituted-started producing oil revenue to support their maniac activity-starting killing Christians and anybody who did not vow allegiance to ISIS—and of course he is now the SECDEF (fail up!)
Leadership vice management-sycophantic messaging vice honesty-just read about how moronic the whole Afghan withdrawal unfolded that President Biden is attempting to debunk (even his wokester leaders are throwing him under his own malarky bus.)
Now it is a sad commentary and travesty that you have to wonder why somebody would join in the face of this messaging-you already have a very small percentage of US citizens who have served-who took on the burden of the last two decades as the face of the volunteer force. Recruiting is in the toilet, how is this messaging working out so far with seemingly clueless Austin, his racism advisor Garrison, woke modern Milley and these other service leader-idjiots?
So this is the message Army leadership thinks those folks-who are now parents themselves-want or need to hear. What a dunce and what a useless leadership team…
The Army needs to rebuild, refurbish and reconstitute the equipment that was left behind by the dolts in charge–that our govt just walked away from. They need to revisit strategic mission requirements that have been back seated for the better part of two decades as we promoted those doing tactical tours right up the ladder where they now lead without an apparent strategic thought in their cranial housing groups-they apparently think this woke stupidity is strategery….
How about a little refocus on national strategy-the idea of multiple front wars/actions/capability in the wake of the continued threats by China (Taiwan, S China Sea) -Russia-not only Georgia, Ukraine, Crimea and Europe strategic resources, but also the Middle East (where Obama re-established them through malfeasance in Syria) -also Iran where they’ve sold advanced surface to air missile systems that have changed the dynamics of air power across the region-other spots in the Middle East (Yemen and the shipping in the gulf, others)-the rise of the maniacs in Africa where we need to re-establish the precedent of the 82d doing training jumps periodically-and clearing out the likes of Boka Harem-and also South American narco crime and trafficking. If we’re gonna talk about domestic issues-how about starting with the border-sanctuary cities-violent crime like Chicago, Milwaukie, and NYC-and massive homeless encampments????
Climate Change-risky behavior—what are these dolts talking about?
I expect the next round to include some preamble about weapons safety and gun control—that would make total sense with these idjiots…..Johnny can’t read-and pretty soon he won’t be allowed to think for himself-or shoot-all those noxious gases that happen when you fire guns….scary, noisy and dirty….this is the type of useless leadership and poor thinking that led to silly and dangerous rules of engagement in Vietnam, the Desert and eventually Iraq and Afghanistan.
Do your job!
Max Dribbler
15 February 2022
Follow AFNN
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/afnnusa
Telegram: https://t.me/joinchat/2_-GAzcXmIRjODNh
GETTR: @AFNN_USA
CloutHub: @AFNN_USA
Patriot.Online: @AFNN