Elections do have consequences, the problem is, Votes and Voters don't decide elections anymore.
The Government does, they use Vote counters and voting machine programmers to win the elections for the people the government wants installed.
Local elections may be safe for now but not for much longer.
The current government wants the Military firmly under their thumb and impotent, they fear the military who are the only checks and balances for the governments lust for total power.
It is a good start but the Gov will put a stop to that.
So I wonder if the DEI folks will report honestly? My sense is they will see this as a gleeful opportunity to demonstrate “results”. Funny they can’t read the room, nor understand the tone of the language. Lol. Good.
Yes, right. There are far more non-cost related impacts to consider, as well, as we heard yesterday from a Space Force Lt Gen about personnel assignments related to laws passed by state legislatures. This is not the first, having had a NAVSEA leader offer comment regarding laws passed by a legislature in “one of the several states”. I wonder if service members who are committed to the Second Amendment may be exempt from assignment in California- especially if not able to live on base? Whatever policy fixes we may see, the culture is deeply damaged and will be much harder to recover. We have given away service over self to identity over all.
I’ve got a kid In who’s an instructor. The kid just ignores the stupid stuff and does the job as intended. Sending graduates to the fleet. I can tell you most E5’s-E7/8’s ignore the stupid stuff because they’re concerned about staying alive and making sure shipmates know their jobs to keep them alive. A lot less politics in the enlisted ranks.
Had a young black sailor file a racial complaint against my kid. Other staff were in on the meeting so they knew it was BS. Had a history of not doing homework. Had a history in his young Navy career of filing complaints.
Kid was caught with sticky fingers at the associated NEX because the kid was stupid. Didn’t help his case. Mast is coming. At a minimum a rate change is coming too. If they allow him to stay he will soon realize the job he had was much better than the job he’s getting.
Have an internet friend of 10+ years. Met him several times. He attends our annual gun shoot and food fest. He is U.S. Army, was an E-6 when I met him, a linguist who went in the field to locate and terminate people with cell phones who were triggering ambush IED's. I had the honor to be invited to his commissioning to W-1 at Fort Rucker. The guy was a mid-Western farm boy, White, athletic, liked sports, camped, hiked, shot guns with like-minded friends for R&R stateside. Salt of the Earth. But sadly for him, he had that blue-eyed, lantern jaw look of an SS Stormtrooper, an accident of genetics...he is 100% a good human being. The guy did multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some how, some way he got caught up in the witch hunt sweep for White racist extremists in the Army a few years back. Why? He fit some profile, I guess. They yanked his clearance and investigated him for 8 months and then completely exonerated him. Too late. He is topped out at W-3 and will retire at 20. You don't survive having your clearance yanked and doing desk duty for 8 months in his job. This was a 30 year man, wholly dedicated to his Army and nation. A casualty of DEI. I was born with blue eyes and blond hair in 1948. That didn't use to be a drag anchor.
The lesson is, if you're one of those athletic white guys, don't join the Army in the first place. I emphatically told my sons not to - and one of them was very keen on it.
For a while after I retired in 1991 I talked up the Navy as a good career for a young person. Had some success at it. But I haven't pushed it at all for about a dozen years and hate that I cannot muster the enthusiasm anymore.
"...I can tell you most E5’s-E7/8’s ignore the stupid stuff..." That's worrisome, Wharf Rat. Does that imply that the E-9's are so heavily screened for 'woke" now that they embrace the stupid stuff? Kinda like FOGO's? Heaven forfend!
^ Looks fairly well written, seems to cover the bases fairly enough. Could have been proof-read better. Page A-4, Paragraph 4.b. "Sexual Origination". What? "Sexual Orientation", I think. But who can keep up with NuSpeak?
Best career advice I ever got was as an RDSA from my RD1 LPO: "Show up on time with a shoe shine, a haircut and a good attitude". Of course, there is more to it than that. But working hard, getting results and not being some higher up's headache sure used to get you far. If you are fortunate enough to attract a good mentor or two your path is greased.
Sounds about right. My experience is it's all water under the bridge for many personnel, and the ones who try and use the system get hoist by their own petard. Of course, then you run into the collateral duty king who does not do his own job, but does everything else. Those are the one who end up in the Diversity billets.
Collateral duties. Learned long ago that they are going to get rained down on you no matter what, so why not volunteer for the ones you might like, be able to do some good in? Get enough (and then some) of the ones you like or can tolerate so that the really onerous ones go to someone else. Not foolproof though. Got Mess Caterer twice, Postal Audit twice but avoided Athletic Officer and CMS, a fair trade. ESO (4 times), Striker Board, sitting CAP boards, sitting Officer Applications Boards and CCC were the best.
Too early to muster any enthusiasm. Two more FY budget cycles might yield some excitement. (It's been almost enough time for a 20 year career to drive a stake into the LCS.)
It's not a solution but it's a good start. Another great step in the right direction would be the Supreme Court eliminating racism from our admissions/selections process.
Elections do have consequences, the problem is, Votes and Voters don't decide elections anymore.
The Government does, they use Vote counters and voting machine programmers to win the elections for the people the government wants installed.
Local elections may be safe for now but not for much longer.
The current government wants the Military firmly under their thumb and impotent, they fear the military who are the only checks and balances for the governments lust for total power.
It is a good start but the Gov will put a stop to that.
So I wonder if the DEI folks will report honestly? My sense is they will see this as a gleeful opportunity to demonstrate “results”. Funny they can’t read the room, nor understand the tone of the language. Lol. Good.
Yes, right. There are far more non-cost related impacts to consider, as well, as we heard yesterday from a Space Force Lt Gen about personnel assignments related to laws passed by state legislatures. This is not the first, having had a NAVSEA leader offer comment regarding laws passed by a legislature in “one of the several states”. I wonder if service members who are committed to the Second Amendment may be exempt from assignment in California- especially if not able to live on base? Whatever policy fixes we may see, the culture is deeply damaged and will be much harder to recover. We have given away service over self to identity over all.
All intended. If they lose recruits it’s the ones who they didn’t want because they wouldn’t buy into the balderdash.
Retention? Getting rid of the actual war fighters who didn’t buy into the balderdash. A win for them.
DEI instruction? The ones who are in are forced to hear the propaganda and some may buy it. The others are forced to remain silent.
Elections have consequences
It's worse now but Mattis disappointed all by not stopping it when he could.
he had other, more global[ist] priorities
I’ve got a kid In who’s an instructor. The kid just ignores the stupid stuff and does the job as intended. Sending graduates to the fleet. I can tell you most E5’s-E7/8’s ignore the stupid stuff because they’re concerned about staying alive and making sure shipmates know their jobs to keep them alive. A lot less politics in the enlisted ranks.
Had a young black sailor file a racial complaint against my kid. Other staff were in on the meeting so they knew it was BS. Had a history of not doing homework. Had a history in his young Navy career of filing complaints.
Kid was caught with sticky fingers at the associated NEX because the kid was stupid. Didn’t help his case. Mast is coming. At a minimum a rate change is coming too. If they allow him to stay he will soon realize the job he had was much better than the job he’s getting.
Have an internet friend of 10+ years. Met him several times. He attends our annual gun shoot and food fest. He is U.S. Army, was an E-6 when I met him, a linguist who went in the field to locate and terminate people with cell phones who were triggering ambush IED's. I had the honor to be invited to his commissioning to W-1 at Fort Rucker. The guy was a mid-Western farm boy, White, athletic, liked sports, camped, hiked, shot guns with like-minded friends for R&R stateside. Salt of the Earth. But sadly for him, he had that blue-eyed, lantern jaw look of an SS Stormtrooper, an accident of genetics...he is 100% a good human being. The guy did multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some how, some way he got caught up in the witch hunt sweep for White racist extremists in the Army a few years back. Why? He fit some profile, I guess. They yanked his clearance and investigated him for 8 months and then completely exonerated him. Too late. He is topped out at W-3 and will retire at 20. You don't survive having your clearance yanked and doing desk duty for 8 months in his job. This was a 30 year man, wholly dedicated to his Army and nation. A casualty of DEI. I was born with blue eyes and blond hair in 1948. That didn't use to be a drag anchor.
The lesson is, if you're one of those athletic white guys, don't join the Army in the first place. I emphatically told my sons not to - and one of them was very keen on it.
For a while after I retired in 1991 I talked up the Navy as a good career for a young person. Had some success at it. But I haven't pushed it at all for about a dozen years and hate that I cannot muster the enthusiasm anymore.
"...I can tell you most E5’s-E7/8’s ignore the stupid stuff..." That's worrisome, Wharf Rat. Does that imply that the E-9's are so heavily screened for 'woke" now that they embrace the stupid stuff? Kinda like FOGO's? Heaven forfend!
There's a dotted line on the boards, I think. They'll weigh certain collateral/outside roles a bit more heavily than others. I'd say it depends on the rate. The precepts for boards are posted publicly. Here's the FY-24 Precepts: https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Portals/55/Boards/Active%20Duty%20Enlisted/Documents/FY-24%20AD/FY24_Enlisted_Precept.PDF?ver=R_2YLyZx7EqtVEN0kRjmKw%3d%3d
^ Looks fairly well written, seems to cover the bases fairly enough. Could have been proof-read better. Page A-4, Paragraph 4.b. "Sexual Origination". What? "Sexual Orientation", I think. But who can keep up with NuSpeak?
I'll ask the twitterverse.
Specific to E9’s - I made a generic statement. Mine is an opinion. The Senior/Master Chief/CMC and COB types are still good eggs.
I was mainly making a point regarding the mid range/mid career types.
I do believe based on years of experience with officers and enlisted the officers are way way more concerned with politics specific to promotions.
Best career advice I ever got was as an RDSA from my RD1 LPO: "Show up on time with a shoe shine, a haircut and a good attitude". Of course, there is more to it than that. But working hard, getting results and not being some higher up's headache sure used to get you far. If you are fortunate enough to attract a good mentor or two your path is greased.
Sounds about right. My experience is it's all water under the bridge for many personnel, and the ones who try and use the system get hoist by their own petard. Of course, then you run into the collateral duty king who does not do his own job, but does everything else. Those are the one who end up in the Diversity billets.
Collateral duties. Learned long ago that they are going to get rained down on you no matter what, so why not volunteer for the ones you might like, be able to do some good in? Get enough (and then some) of the ones you like or can tolerate so that the really onerous ones go to someone else. Not foolproof though. Got Mess Caterer twice, Postal Audit twice but avoided Athletic Officer and CMS, a fair trade. ESO (4 times), Striker Board, sitting CAP boards, sitting Officer Applications Boards and CCC were the best.
Too early to muster any enthusiasm. Two more FY budget cycles might yield some excitement. (It's been almost enough time for a 20 year career to drive a stake into the LCS.)
It's not a solution but it's a good start. Another great step in the right direction would be the Supreme Court eliminating racism from our admissions/selections process.
In the metrics-obsessed Navy, I would love to know how senior leaders are measuring "success" in these initiatives.
A good start. But by 1 Mar 2024, seriously? I don’t remember the Pentagon ever giving me an 8 month window for a report of this scale.