On Colonels, Sergeants, and Privates

Via Terry

Encouraging.

The Lizard Farmer

VERBATIM

A lot of folks think that I had died, fallen off a cliff, or been stampeded.  Thanks for all of your concern and if I didn’t answer your email I’m sorry – the internet connections where I was at sucked big time.  I have actually been overseas for the last few weeks on a short term contract and despite dealing with the typical DoD and DoS bullshit I had a pretty good time and made some shiny change to boot.

The defense piece will pickup again next week but I want to relay something I encountered while abroad and the feeling is still fresh in my gut.  Being an old troop one of the things I revel in is spending time with young troops just shooting the breeze.  During this trip I got to spend some quality time with a lot of troops from various different types of units.  And what I heard was both encouraging and alarming in a positive way at the same time.  Yeah I heard the normal bitching, whining, moaning, and complaining that troops do but there was a deeper theme.  Almost to the man when it came around to politics I hear one common theme: “Fuck the president”.  From a private this wouldn’t be alarming but folks I had a Colonel say that to me.  A full chicken war college grad made that statement in a semi public environment.  That’s serious – a senior leader publicly slamming the commander in chief.  And no I will not identify him so you DoD fucks don’t even bother asking.

The bottom line is almost every Soldier, Sailor, Airman, and god blessed Marine I spoke with pretty much hates Obama.  From the Rules of Engagement (RoE) that ties their hands and causes a helluva lot more casualties nowadays to the lack of real leadership and genuine concern at the cabinet level the theme is the same – they feel shit on.  Guys I talked with a Master Sergeant that has had one extraordinary career and is lined up to go to the Sergeants Major Academy and is being fast tracked to Command Sergeant Major (CSM) flat out state he’s retiring as soon as he gets back because he’s tired and isn’t willing to lead under (and I’m quoting as well as my memory serves) ” this chickenshit spineless policies of this circus clown administration”.

You know what else I saw?  A metric fuckload of Gadsen, OathKeeper, and Molon Labe patches and stickers.   There’s been talk lately stateside about how the growing numbers of folks have turned libertarian and started prepping for when TSHTF.  And the military folks I ran into ain’t no different – they’re turned on to the fact something bad is coming and they ain’t planning on sticking around for it.

Take it for what it is but remember that these kids (and not so young kids) are getting just as much if not more of the shitty end of the stick as the rest of us.   They’re fed up and tired of an administration that has become not only aggravating but lethal to them.