# Army morale low



## goon175 (Aug 20, 2012)

This is a great article that really exposes what is going on in the Army right now. Lack of confidence in senior leadership hits the nail right on the head.

Man, I love Stan!-



> That possibility was echoed last year in a speech by retired Army General Stanley A. McChrystal, the former commander in Afghanistan, who cited the need for the Army leadership to be “reverse mentored” by more junior officers.
> “How does a leader stay credible and legitimate when they haven’t done what the people you are leading are doing?” he asked.


 
Full story: http://bostonglobe.com/1970/01/12/morale/2mpKxYVKbXpEcMG97e5tdO/story.html


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## goon175 (Aug 20, 2012)

I sent the above link to my entire company with this attached text, and am posing the same question to all of you:

*BLUF: What are you personally going to do about the*
*direction of the Army, and the current state of morale?*

*As most of us are mid-grade leaders, I would like to pose the question, what*
*are you going to do about this? As our Army's future senior leaders, what*
*exactly will you do to remain relevant and put the Army in the right*
*direction. It's all well and good to say "well I would do this, and I would*
*do that" but then the reality of budgets, politics, etc. come into play. Not*
*that those things should stop you, but it is something to take into*
*consideration. I am a firm believer that you can effect change in whatever*
*portion of the pie you control. Maybe your portion puts you in charge of*
*very little, maybe you control a large portion, but either way, as a leader,*
*you are charged with effecting positive change. A lot of you know me as a*
*loudmouth and someone who argues everything. The only reason I am this way*
*is that I refuse to accept "it's always been done this way", I refuse to*
*accept that someone of a higher rank or position is right 100% of the time,*
*and I think for any REAL profession/organization to continue to grow in a*
*positive manner, innovation is required. Being a "yes man" is very*
*anti-innovation. *


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## Marauder06 (Aug 20, 2012)

goon175 said:


> This is a great article that really exposes what is going on in the Army right now. Lack of confidence in senior leadership hits the nail right on the head.
> 
> Man, I love Stan!-
> 
> ...


 
Great article.  Great tie-ins to Yale, too.  BG (Ret.) Kolditz used to head up the leadership department at West Point (BS&L) and is starting this year at Yale School of Management.  And of course GEN (Ret.) McChrystal is a Senior Fellow at the Jackson institute.  GEN (Ret.) *Abazaid is also going to be around this fall, and there are even some foreign officers (i.e. Graeme Lamb) getting in on the act*.  With both Air Force and Navy ROTC returning to campus this fall, Yale has done a 180 in terms of its relationship with the military.  Something for you young hooahs who are getting out and looking to go to college, or you  NCOs and Os who are looking for grad school.


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## Centermass (Aug 21, 2012)

Funny how this is almost a repeat of 2011 and 2010.

"Hey, let's do a survey!"

"Ok doh-kee, survey complete. What's next?" 

In actuality, it's not funny, not even close.


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## Spider6 (Aug 21, 2012)

Other than the decisions that have been made over the past year the main reason I have no confidence in the senior leadership is:

"Kolditz and others suggested the lack of overall confidence in the Army’s direction could also be a feeling among battle-hardened troops that superiors do not adequately incorporate the actual experience of troops in the field into the service’s future planning."

I have attended several conferences that were "sold" as being a way to tap into the experience of those junior leaders. I am currently attending one now. EVERY time the COA had already been made. They weren't interested in our input. My theory is they just want to be able to say that they held a conference to discuss it.

Thanks for the link Goon.


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## Spider6 (Aug 21, 2012)

This may be another reason!

VA under investigation over $5M conferences featuring 'Patton' parody

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...-over-5m-conferences-featuring-patton-parody/

The VA is currently led by Eric Shinseki, who we all know and love for the black beret!


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## AWP (Aug 21, 2012)

Spider6 said:


> The VA is currently led by Eric Shinseki, who we all know and love for the black beret!


 
He was also one of the few guys to tell Rumsfeld he was wrong about Iraq and was sacked for it. The beret was a dumb move on his part, but sadly that's the only thing people know about him.

As to the VA thing? It will be interesting to see what his role/ knowledge in this was.


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## reed11b (Aug 21, 2012)

Freefalling said:


> He was also one of the few guys to tell Rumsfeld he was wrong about Iraq and was sacked for it. The beret was a dumb move on his part, but sadly that's the only thing people know about him.
> 
> As to the VA thing? It will be interesting to see what his role/ knowledge in this was.


Very unlikely he had any role. Most of these conferences are created at the regional level or by VA Central Office. The cost includes food (TDY) housing, renting the space to do the conference, travel, etc, which makes up a big chunk of the total. People always complain if different VA  facilities are not on the same page, and then complain if they spend the money to try and make it happen. The VA, even when not stricken with foot-in-mouth disease, will always be seen as the enemy.
Reed


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## goon175 (Aug 21, 2012)

"Everything that happens, or fails to happen"


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## pardus (Aug 22, 2012)

I thought this may have been about the suicide rate in the Army which Ive been thinking about. Different scope than this thread though .


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## DA SWO (Aug 22, 2012)

reed11b said:


> Very unlikely he had any role. Most of these conferences are created at the regional level or by VA Central Office. The cost includes food (TDY) housing, renting the space to do the conference, travel, etc, which makes up a big chunk of the total. People always complain if different VA facilities are not on the same page, and then complain if they spend the money to try and make it happen. The VA, even when not stricken with foot-in-mouth disease, will always be seen as the enemy.
> Reed


He is still "Captain of the VA Ship" and once informed has to punish the offending Regional Director.


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## Etype (Aug 24, 2012)

goon175 said:


> *BLUF: What are you personally going to do about the*
> *direction of the Army, and the current state of morale?*


You have to put the BLUF at the beginning, since it's the _bottom line up front._


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## goon175 (Aug 24, 2012)

> You have to put the BLUF at the beginning, since it's the _bottom line up front._


 
Touche. Did I just reveal that I'm not an officer? shucks....


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## goon175 (Aug 24, 2012)

Fixed it.


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## Grimfury160 (Aug 30, 2012)

And why cant I vote for Stan the Man to be in office?
I am not a fan of the VA or Shini but have to admit it is looking a hell of a lot better for Vets and families. The treatment has improved and their facilities are getting a facelift. If they could only replace the civilian twinkie eating doctors who got their MD through online courses.

As for Command Climate....... survey says.............."your lack of faith disturbs me..."


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## Marauder06 (Aug 30, 2012)

Grimfury160 said:


> And why cant I vote for Stan the Man to be in office?
> ...


 
Well, for one thing, he's teaching school and running a business right now, and not running for office ;)  You can vote for him all you want, AFAIK he hasn't stepped up to run for anything... at least not yet.


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## Grimfury160 (Aug 30, 2012)

Marauder06 said:


> Well, for one thing, he's teaching school and running a business right now, and not running for office ;) You can vote for him all you want, AFAIK he hasn't stepped up to run for anything... at least not yet.


I know, I just think he has his marbles unlike most of these others running around. I am still a firm believer Colin Powell had his shit straight. There are those who stand back and watch and those who step forward and challenge.


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