End of Tour Part II

The second half of this tour and been long and, at times, disappointing.

I moved from having a Team to having the duties and responsibilities of a Staff Officer; a desk job with the occasional bi-weekly meeting at the DC hall. The tedium of that mission coupled with the slow OPTEMPO when the Third Infantry Division moved in made for very long days and weeks until mid-May when I was responsible for preparing for the arrival of the new unit and our departure.

It is hard to be just a minor cog in the big Army machine.

The other frustration has been dealing with the personalities and daily “dramas” that rose up here in late February. Without a doubt, I have never been more disappointed working with the officer corps, or any other group of adults than I have in my life.

The atmosphere reminds me of sophomore year of high school. The rumors, the talking about people behind their backs, the inability to get along, the lack of teamwork, the petty issues that festered into larger ones; all of it made for four unpleasant months of work. Although everyone did their own work, and the quality of the work was good, we simply stopped communicating effectively. In some cases we stopped communicating altogether.

The environment was a dramatic difference from what I am used to working with. At home I am part of a team that works together for a common goal. Ideas are vetted against what is feasible and makes sense with everyone having a voice. My boss has a leadership style that fosters that kind of communication. I, in turn, set the example for my Cadets to be the kind of leader that I look up to. There is not a day that I do not enjoy walking across the Barton Hall floor to go to work.

My experience here has shown me more of what not to do. I will take numerous examples and apply them to lessons for my students. I also think it allows me to empathize with them on some level when I see their frustrations when they cannot get along with others.

Rather than me pointing fingers about this situation, we were all responsible for letting it get this way. Unfortunately, there are others that do point fingers and do not filter their comments and accusations with the appropriate level of professionalism.

The iconic image of Soldiers bonding under extreme circumstances may be true in long, exposed periods of fighting. Here, however, insecurities and jealousies were more harmful than bullets or bombs. Upon our final departure in the U.S. there are very few of us who will keep in contact with one another. It makes me sad, but fortunately my introvertedness doesn’t seem to make me too upset about it.

On an interesting note, many of the other units have the same problems. I have heard stories of fist fights, disorderly behavior, and anger management issues. And that is among the officers! Therefore, it is not just a reflection on this Company but, perhaps, a sign of greater tribulations for the Army.

If there is an issue with the Army it is that the tours are too long. The Marines, Navy, and Air Force all deploy for 6 months. Most of the internal conflict we have encountered began right around the 6 month mark. Maybe the other services are on to something.

Nine months to a year in Theater is too long. The problem is that some bean counter in the Pentagon, someone who has never been in combat, someone who has the task to be “efficient”, made the determination that staying longer saved the Army money. For that, he or she was given a medal and promoted. However, there are hidden costs that need to be paid along the way.

Army recruiting is down almost 25% for the year, the divorce rate among officers has risen to 78%, the wear and tear on people’s mental and physical health for long termed exposure to this environment; none of this was factored into the decision for long tours. Add into that 12 months the reality of having to return within the next 12 to 14 months for another tour and now retention of good Soldiers is affected. This is not just in the Reserves, but Active Duty as well.

My indictment of the system is a grumbling that many others share despite the willingness to put on our boots each day and go into harm’s way and do good things. That is what makes us Soldiers.

The tour is almost over and I look forward to the end. I look forward to taking my experiences here and grow from them. In the next entry I will try to tie the good and the bad together and sum it all up.

To be concluded…

09:11:11:17