What will be left of our original team is being moved to a remote location to start all over again. In times of doubt, anxiety, and frustrations the remainder of my team has united to literally stay alive in the harshest of conditions. I know we are neither the first nor the last team to have to deal with such issues, but this is my team and our problems. A few days ago we were told of the situation and after the initial shock wore off we got together and started breaking off into our respective areas of expertise. We realized the magnitude of our situation and the total lack of support by our higher command. What basically has transpired in the past 72 hours is one of contempt and distrust that those who are in command are making realistic decisions. We face a growing amount of problems because of our location and an even greater lack of real operational support.

My team has pledged to see it through all the way, each step watching out for each other physically and mentally. We all come from very different backgrounds for one common cause, survival. No one out of us is any less important than the other and true leadership and courage is transpiring at a rate I have never really witnessed before. This is the finest of the Army right here and right now. With our combined experiences both on the Army side and the civilian sector we may just be able to pull this thing off. We are being moved to a remote location which is in the middle of some pretty bad areas and we realize that. We also realize that we are going to be fending for ourselves until people from our main base get into gear and realize what we are seeing at ground level. This is all being quarterbacked by people who have never seen the terrain or simply drove through it with their heads tucked in their helmets. There are not many of us to pull this off and in all honesty I am still trying to wonder who and why this plan has been put into motion without some many questions unanswered.

I look at these guys with respect and pride; they are truly what America represents. We are stuck in a situation where once again the amateurs are calling the shots and not really listening to what we are saying about so many issues that have already shown their colors to us, the guys on the ground. We have tried to plug the holes in the wall, but some things are so far above us that we cannot do it all. It got to a point today where were all so frustrated that we started calling our new home the “Last Stand” and if a movie was to be made about us, who would the actors be to fulfill ourselves. I was very lucky because I got the Jude Law nominee, so hell it couldn’t be that bad of a movie! We all know what we have gotten into and respect that all of us are nervous and even scared about the situation. We all have many things to go home to and we only hope to do it together and in one piece.

In my last piece I wrote about leadership and the lack of it in this area, well here it is in the flesh. I accept risk with this job, but I have a difficult time accepting stupidity. We are being kicked out the door with a note in our hands simply stating “hang on we will get to you eventually”. I guess the management has a very different outlook, what it is I am not sure at all about. I asked when someone of significant rank would be joining us for the stay until this thing is completed, needless to say there will not be anyone joining us. I think that should say something about the meat grinder we are being placed into. As I said though, our team has formed a united front to combat the issues at hand and I think that in time we will prevail. Courage comes in many forms; this is truly the purest of forms to go out the door into the unknown with little or no support, at someone else’s convenience and agenda. Right now we are killing time and mentally preparing ourselves for what is to be. If you are coming to Afghanistan, prepare for this. It seems every day here we shift focus on new problems without solving the ones we already have right in front of us. The attention span of those in command and for those who have to pick up every day and venture out to fix these very problems seems impossible. For anyone who thinks that since the Marines are coming all will be better, you’re wrong. Those poor bastards are simply joining the pool party with us. I have had the pleasure of working with the Marines and where we are going I am glad they will be at the party with us.

In 1997 I started my career on Active Duty and it is where I now look back on and realize I had some amazing leaders. Fast forward 10 years later and I am disgusted with what I have seen become of the officers and senior non-commissioned ranks in the US Army. First, because I know where this is going to go by those who are blind to the reality of what the “big” Army has become. I am an NCO myself with only 10 years in with a mixture of active and reserve time; I am abrasive, opinionated, and I ask a lot of questions. The large amount of questions come because I feel that it is pretty important to know as much as possible when it concerns your own life and the lives of your buddies. I have been accused of being rude and disrespectful, but never have I been accused of not knowing my job, some have even regarded me as a Subject Matter Expert, which personally I feel is over used and untrue, no one is an expert on anything. I have lost rank, caused a few disturbances for standing up for my men and for what I believe in, but hell I was being a good NCO! So with that done and over with, let’s get back to what this title means and what the hell is going on here.

I am currently located in Afghanistan and have had the eye-opening experience of seeing more officers and senior NCOÂ’s push aside their subordinates and pressing issues to do the following: Complain in staff meetings about people taking too many goodies out of the chow hall, not wearing a patch that is unauthorized by Army regulations for many ETT/PMT members here anyways, a CSM that we have all seen once at indoctrination, out of 20 guys only 2 know his name or actually have seen him on camp, a MSG who has a skill set of level 1 soldier but is in charge of JOC, a senior officer who claims to know more about Army regulations (by the way he is in the Navy)and feels he has the authority to approve or disapprove of awards (type the shit up and shut the hell up). We have an executive officer at the Regional level who has no concept of convoy operations, but who thinks driving four hours without a break is acceptable.

We have had men order cold weather equipment in August of 2007; it arrived late January of this year. It takes months to get parts for our trucks, paperwork disappears, officers argue in public about who is getting what awards regardless of position. According to them, they are a certain rank so they deserve it…right? Where are the priorities and please do not give me the answer always told…”you don’t see the big picture”. What is the big picture here? I sure as hell cannot see it through all the pettiness. Are certain individual’s personal crusades and agendas more important than the young officers and enlisted that have to accomplish these tasks with little or no backing? What mission is so important to you that you would sacrifice man power and equipment to accomplish it?

I am going to attack the National Guard here for a minute; those in power will probably get really pissed about this, if it wasn’t so true! Those who come to active duty and are reservists gain a large amount of power quickly and it has been my experience these men cannot handle it. It is as if they are given a limitless credit card when they are on active status. I find these are the men with little control over their personal lives, (I had a LTC screaming at his wife on the phone next to me at the phone center, which is very professional) and are not looked upon as real leaders or respected by the troops of their units, and abuse their position and think their rank entitles them to be right at any cost or bend Army rules and regulations when it behooves them. They assume the idea of “well we are active duty now and this is how active duty is”. Where the hell did that idea ever come from? While in Iraq we had females in bikinis and guys in swimming shorts sitting around pools on their days off. That was part of the active duty I was on. We could wear civilian clothes to the gym, my god the chaos that just might cause if we allow this here in Afghanistan.

I had an officer talk to me the other day like I was five because I questioned the way his operation was going to go down in a discussion I was part of. Apparently he can remember every military definition but yet cannot realize possible ambush sites if it kicked him in the face. If I have to hear one more speech about duty and all that other bullshit I am going to puke. For most of these guys, itÂ’s their first and last tour, but yet they speak as if they have been to hell and back. I take these speeches personally because most of these jerk offs will never deploy again but yet they feel as if they are the ones winning the war themselves. So here we go, WHERE HAVE ALL THE GOOD LEADERS GONE? If you are a good leader and your men respect you, continue to stand up and do the right thing. If you took this personally and feel that I am simply crying, well look in the mirror and ask yourself how much have you done lately to make sure your troops have everything they need, and I bet for some of you that will be very hard to do. So get back to your desk, write your BS OER/NCOER and continue to be a self proclaiming jack ass that can care less about the kids on the ground duking it out. Your master plans on winning this war arenÂ’t working and havenÂ’t for a long time. Grow a set of balls and tell your bosses what the real deal is!

An officer buddy asked me if I do not like what I see then why am I getting out, why not stay in and help change it? I responded that serving in uniform no longer brings me joy or honor; I have lost faith in a system that blinds, manipulates, and disregards those who do not tow the line and aren’t yes men. I also, and even more importantly, have found someone in my life that I will not allow to be pushed aside because of the needs of the Army. I have earned the right to that decision and I will keep my promise. It is someone else’s turn and I will happily pass the torch to those who still believe they can do some good. For some though, you will see me again but on the “other side” of the government…see you then my brothers.
Common Sense. Do what you are supposed to do, without someone having to tell you, despite your own personal discomfort or fear. SH-21-76 (Ranger Handbook)

Mike T