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How the Military has Changed
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In WWII ...
a company clerk had a typewriter on his desk to fill-out and file
all the unit's paperwork.
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In GWOT ...
everyone has wireless internet computer access, and they wonder
why no work gets done.
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In WWII ...
pin-up girls were displayed in footlockers and painted on the
fuselages of fighter planes to remind the troops of home.
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In GWOT ...
display of cheesecake and beefcake will get the
servicemember court martialed.
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In WWII ...
rough, terse, crude, and vulgar language was manly and
acceptable for troops going into battle.
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In GWOT ...
impolite words and gestures will get the user demoted and
assigned to mandatory sensitivity training.
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In WWII ...
the enemy was called names like Boche and Nip,
Kraut and Jap, Heinie and
Meatball because America was opposed to them.
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In GWOT ...
the Islamofascists are called aggressors and
opposition forces because nobody wants to offend them,
their radical lifestyle, and their fanatical religion.
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In WWII ...
everybody knew what they did to make us mad at them.
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In GWOT ...
nobody knows what we did to make them mad at us.
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In WWII ...
the Laws of War do not mention courtesy.
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In GWOT ...
the Rules of Engagement require courtesy.
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In WWII ...
the uniform worn for work, training, and exercise is the same one
that's worn into combat.
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In GWOT ...
a different uniform is worn for various activities, many of which
are camouflaged or stenciled in distinctive colors so as to be
more attractive or conspicuous.
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In WWII ...
soldiers eat in a mess hall, with the only choice on the chow
line being take it or leave it, but if there are
leftovers, seconds are freely available.
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In GWOT ...
servicemembers eat in a dining facility, a pinch test
invokes a calorie count diet, and every cafeteria-style selection
is tabulated.
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In WWII ...
soldiers sleep in the open bay of a barracks, or on the ground in
a primitive tent ... just like soldiers throughout history.
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In GWOT ...
servicemembers sleep in dormitory rooms, containerized housing
units, or air-conditioned insulated tents ... just like pampered
and privileged civilians.
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In WWII ...
getting drunk off-duty was normal, and a trooper's comrades would
get him back to the barracks to sleep it off.
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In GWOT ...
being drunk any time, any where, will get the culprit demoted and
dispatched to mandatory rehabilitation for drug / alcohol abuse.
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In WWII ...
relaxation and companionship, while smoking and drinking, was
readily available at any officer's or NCO club.
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In GWOT ...
club membership is compulsory, even though nobody willingly
attends; smoking is prohibited, drinking is monitored, and
companionship is suspect among the overly ambitious.
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In WWII ...
the powers that be collect enemy intelligence and
analyze it.
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In GWOT ...
the powers that be collect their own servicemember's pee
and analyze it.
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In WWII ...
if a sad sack messed up, the top kick would
assign him additional extra duty until he got into step
with everybody else.
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In GWOT ...
if a novice makes a mistake, the career counselor starts a paper
trail that follows the servicemember into the job market after
discharge.
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In WWII ...
if a soldier didn't act right and the unit suffered, his
comrades would give him a blanket party as corporal
punishment to inspire his improvement.
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In GWOT ...
if a servicemember didn't act right and the unit
suffered, a mentor would be assigned to counsel and instruct as
inspiration for improvement.
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In WWII ...
women constitute a small proportion of the military, serve as an
auxiliary, and augment the fighting force.
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In GWOT ...
women constitute a small proportion of the military, are promoted
and qualified as exceptions to the rule, and
disproportionately control the fighting force.
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In WWII ...
a commander would put his butt on the line to protect
his people.
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In GWOT ...
a commander will put his people on the line to protect his butt.
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In WWII ...
executing or aborting the mission is always a military decision.
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In GWOT ...
abortion and anti-abortion are always political decisions.
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In WWII ...
after the initial sucker punch, we forced the enemy
to play the game by our rules, even though the
games were played on their courts.
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In GWOT ...
after the initial sucker punch, the enemy continues
to set the rules and select the courts in
the game of its choosing ... while we lag behind
playing catch-up.
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In WWII ...
battles were planned and executed by generals with lots of
important victories.
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In GWOT ...
wars are planned and executed by politicians with lots of
grandiose equivocating.
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In WWII ...
medals were awarded to heroes who accomplished the mission, and
saved lives at the risk of their own.
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In GWOT ...
medals are awarded for being present, not doing anything to
embarrass the corps, and being friends with someone who works at
headquarters.
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In WWII ...
we fight powerful nations, like Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan,
for idealistic objectives, like freedom and democracy ... an
attainable victory is clearly understood by everyone.
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In GWOT ...
we fight ideological wars (like the war on terrorism and
the war on drugs) with no specific enemies, no specific
geographical area, and no specific goal to ascertain unequivocal
victory.
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In WWII ...
fire and maneuver is a tactic to advance on the objective, being
redone only if repulsed, before further advancement.
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In GWOT ...
patrolling is a routine that invites ambush at the enemy's
discretion ... there is no other strategy.
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In WWII ...
soldiers are taught to aim at the enemy, and hit what they aim at
... killing or destroying the enemy and his vehicles or
fortifications.
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In GWOT ...
servicemembers spray hundreds of bullets down range
toward the suspected enemy, are unable to confirm a single hit,
and withdraw due to a lack of ordnance ... had a blood trail been
discovered, close air support could've been called, but without
ammo, reinforcements would've been required to conduct the battle
damage assessment.
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In WWII ...
weapons and equipment are issued because they will be used ...
veterans learn to supplement their gear with some additional
items that might prove useful.
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In GWOT ...
weapons and equipment are issued because they might be used ...
veterans learn to abandon some gear because it's too heavy, too
bulky, too awkward, or too cumbersome, even though its required
and might prove valuable at some point.
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In WWII ...
the most essential item of issue is
coffee ... ammo would be nice
too.
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In GWOT ...
the most essential item of issue is the
wubbie ... pogy bait would be
nice too.
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In WWII ...
the steel helmet wouldn't stop a bullet but it could be used as a
basin, a bucket, a cooking pot, a shovel, a camp stool, and the
like.
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In GWOT ...
the Kevlar helmet won't stop a bullet either, but it isn't strong
enough to do anything the old tin pot used to do, and
water degrades its effectiveness at stopping shrapnel.
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In WWII ...
canteens were made of steel, so they could be heated directly
when making coffee or cocoa.
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In GWOT ...
canteens are made of plastic, they can't be heated at all, they
always leak, they're easily ruptured, and their contents always
taste like plastic.
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In WWII ...
the post exchange concession offered bargains to troops who
didn't earn very much money from the government.
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In GWOT ...
servicemembers can get more choice and bigger bargains by
shopping off-base at Wal-Mart and K-Mart.
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In WWII ...
except for a few diehards, drafted and enlisted soldiers
could only think about getting out of the military and becoming a
civilian, again.
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In GWOT ...
except for a few diehards, volunteer servicemembers can
only think about getting out of the military and becoming a
civilian, again.
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