Veterans

I got this in an email and did a bunch of editing.

The average age of the military man is 19 years. He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father's, but he has never collected unemployment either. He's a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a world away. He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and a 155mm howitzer. He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk. He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark. He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must. He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional. He can march until he is told to stop, or stop until he is told to march. He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without spirit or individual dignity. He is self-sufficient. He has two sets of uniforms; he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry. He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts. If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food. He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low. He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they were his hands. He can save your life - or take it, because that is his job. He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay, and still find ironic humor in it all. He has seen more suffering and death than he should have in his short lifetime. He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and is unashamed. He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body while at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to 'square-away ' those around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop talking. In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their right to be disrespectful. Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom. Beardless or not, he is not a boy. He is the American Fighting Man that has kept this country free for over 200 years. He has asked nothing in return, except our friendship and understanding. Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood. And now we have women over there in danger too, doing their part when our nation calls them to do so. God bless them. Happy Veteran's Day!

Goldwater-Nichols Act Part II is Needed

This post probably won't make sense unless you're a veteran or have dealt with the Armed Forces.

The Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986 reorganized the armed forces in an attempt to quell inter-service rivalry. You can read about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldwater-Nichols_Act . Basically, the result is that you had a General Schwarzkopf in charge of all forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Foreign) in his area to free Kuwait. He had command & control and could assign the right force to do the right task. The buck stopped with him.

This act solved many severe operational problems. The four services now play well together when doing operations, BUT what a pain it can be when a person in a joint operation (or school) still needs administrative actions from each service. We all wear different uniforms (with uniform buying needs), we all have different paperwork for the same stuff (i.e. leave)... some is web-based and some is still on paper. We all have different computer systems with different email needs. And, of course, we all have different comm systems. We've made great strides in the comm world, but there is still room for improvement. All of this can create unnecessary chaos when setting up and executing an operation.

Here's a solution proposed to me from an Army friend. A Goldwater-Nichols Act Part II would create the United States Defense Forces. We would still have an Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. We could still have our annual fights over budget items. Here's the change: We would all wear the same utility uniform (I prefer the Army's Multi-cam), while keeping our specialized ones. All our admin troops would go to the same school and learn the same systems. A form is a form is a form, no matter what service, the same form would do the same thing and any admin person from any service could process the needs of somebody in a different service. All our systems would talk to one another (you can't even get that within the Army). Joint operations would truly be joint.

There are a million things that could be standardized while still keeping service identity and tradition. I believe that once the painful part is ironed out, this standardization would complete the work started by the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986 and joint life would be much easier for all of us in the military.

Thoughts?