Posted on Jun 4, 2019
If you were a branches top officer/enlisted memeber what changes to admin policy would you see to implement?
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CW3 Michael Bodnar
MAJ Ken Landgren I think they're working towards that but it hasn't truly taken affect yet. I do think three years or less on station isn't suitable any more. I would like to see five year assignments. It was save the military as a whole a ton of relocation costs! Not to mention improving morale.
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LTJG (Join to see) Sorry for the late response. I've been backed up with email notifications for a month of Sundays. Great question. Here are a few things I would recommend or change at the top if given the "green light" so to speak.
1. I would stop changing the uniforms so often - this is a big expense for some and waste of tax payers dollars. Come up with the best possible uniform for the field and garrison and stick with it.
2. I would really take a strong look at the APFT requirements for all services and make sure they pass the "common sense" test - this latest one for the Army is a "joke" in my opinion. If they're going to enforce the standards then we will lose soldiers (smart soldiers - not the most physical, but smart). Just my two cents
3. Housing for married couples needs to be fixed across most of the bases, esepcially for lower enlisted. Just my opinion - let's take care of our married soldiers and their families for future retention.
4. Transition needs to be moved to the provate sector and taken away from the services. Make it a mandatory part of ETSing that we send our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coast guard individuals to a very procative productive transition coruse of at least 30 to 60 days to prepare them for a future.
5. More intrgration of reserve, natioinal guard, and active components in training to fight our next war. Don't wait until we mobilize them to intergrate them. One force, One Fight.
6. Continue to improve the pay system for our men and women that raise their right hand and take an oath to fight and die for this nation (whether it's in combat, or training in garrison - this is a dangerous business) and less than 3% of this nation volunteers for this business. We take care of government employees - let's get pay in line with today's cost of living - period.
7. More combined joint forces training at all levels as if we were operating in the BOX - across all services for the future.
I have more, but that is enough for now - not everyone will agree, but that is okay - great for discussion Trey. Thanks for including me. I'm going to share with some of the Top Influencers to get their feedback as well, if you don't mind.
Sgt (Join to see) MSG (Join to see) MSgt David Hoffman PO1 H Gene Lawrence CW5 (Join to see)SMSgt Lawrence McCarterSgt John H. Sgt Deborah Cornatzer SSG Donald H "Don" Bates Sgt (Join to see)Cpl (Join to see) SGT (Join to see) MSG Tom Earley
1. I would stop changing the uniforms so often - this is a big expense for some and waste of tax payers dollars. Come up with the best possible uniform for the field and garrison and stick with it.
2. I would really take a strong look at the APFT requirements for all services and make sure they pass the "common sense" test - this latest one for the Army is a "joke" in my opinion. If they're going to enforce the standards then we will lose soldiers (smart soldiers - not the most physical, but smart). Just my two cents
3. Housing for married couples needs to be fixed across most of the bases, esepcially for lower enlisted. Just my opinion - let's take care of our married soldiers and their families for future retention.
4. Transition needs to be moved to the provate sector and taken away from the services. Make it a mandatory part of ETSing that we send our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coast guard individuals to a very procative productive transition coruse of at least 30 to 60 days to prepare them for a future.
5. More intrgration of reserve, natioinal guard, and active components in training to fight our next war. Don't wait until we mobilize them to intergrate them. One force, One Fight.
6. Continue to improve the pay system for our men and women that raise their right hand and take an oath to fight and die for this nation (whether it's in combat, or training in garrison - this is a dangerous business) and less than 3% of this nation volunteers for this business. We take care of government employees - let's get pay in line with today's cost of living - period.
7. More combined joint forces training at all levels as if we were operating in the BOX - across all services for the future.
I have more, but that is enough for now - not everyone will agree, but that is okay - great for discussion Trey. Thanks for including me. I'm going to share with some of the Top Influencers to get their feedback as well, if you don't mind.
Sgt (Join to see) MSG (Join to see) MSgt David Hoffman PO1 H Gene Lawrence CW5 (Join to see)SMSgt Lawrence McCarterSgt John H. Sgt Deborah Cornatzer SSG Donald H "Don" Bates Sgt (Join to see)Cpl (Join to see) SGT (Join to see) MSG Tom Earley
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Sgt (Join to see)
Interesting question from LTJG (Join to see) and I applaud his thinking about this subject... I went to college right after high school and hated it. Why! I chose a school close to home, which was a Liberal Arts College... It was not my bailiwick to say the least, since I had all College Scientific classes in High School and was in the top 1/6th of my class...
I dropped out of college, late in the 2nd semester, took the tests for all the military branches and chose the USAF because of the Education I was being offered! That said, It was Airborne Navigation Systems Maintenance and Repair... 42 weeks plus... So here I was as a lowly Airman with higher goals... Graduated from my Training school as an E3 and a student leader and off to the Air Defense Command to maintain Airborne Navigation Equipment for RC-121 Radar Planes... I was fortunate to get into a new area called ALRI, which stood for Airborne Long Range Input, Combining Inertial Reference Systems, Doppler Radar, and associated computer. I made E4, but that was it... I did not see a future of climbing the ladder as I was doing, so when my enlistment was up, I was done... For me, I wanted a change which would help me with a college education and the chance for a commission... That was not going to happen in the USAF back in the day...
Married with one child, I signed up at Northeastern University, received two degrees, while working a full time job and increasing pay along with it... The service today, in my view, keeps one on a distinct path in one career field...If you are enlisted, you basically stay enlisted, if you are an officer, you move up, but may get rifted at the rank of Major...
Yes, things need to change, and the technological needs for a military today have changed so dramatically, that one has to have nearly a BS Degree to work on an Jet aircraft...
How about a USAF Career path that takes one from high school and provides training that goes beyond the basics and at the end of training provides an Associate Degree where it would be applicable instead of a certificate... then on to a Bachelor's degree, then a path leading to either Warrant Officer or Commissioned Officer in the career path that was selected by the Air Force and the Airman...and pay the aspiring Airman appropriately based on both experience and education... More people would stay in the Air Force longer and the perceived and actual level of Airman would be raised to a point where there isn't such a disparity between Officer and Enlisted Airmen... as to how they are respected and treated... I didn't see the path where that would happen in the Air Force, so they lost me after one enlistment... I do not want anyone to think I didn't like my service...Quite the Contrary... I loved what I did, but things did not move as fast as I needed for me and my family... The Military is changing and will it be for the good or for the bureaucracy and politics going forward... LEt those who are in charge wrestle with the direction and changes that are needed and we should all pray that these leaders make the right choices and changes to benefit all who join the military regardless of branch chosen...
God Bless the United States of America!
I dropped out of college, late in the 2nd semester, took the tests for all the military branches and chose the USAF because of the Education I was being offered! That said, It was Airborne Navigation Systems Maintenance and Repair... 42 weeks plus... So here I was as a lowly Airman with higher goals... Graduated from my Training school as an E3 and a student leader and off to the Air Defense Command to maintain Airborne Navigation Equipment for RC-121 Radar Planes... I was fortunate to get into a new area called ALRI, which stood for Airborne Long Range Input, Combining Inertial Reference Systems, Doppler Radar, and associated computer. I made E4, but that was it... I did not see a future of climbing the ladder as I was doing, so when my enlistment was up, I was done... For me, I wanted a change which would help me with a college education and the chance for a commission... That was not going to happen in the USAF back in the day...
Married with one child, I signed up at Northeastern University, received two degrees, while working a full time job and increasing pay along with it... The service today, in my view, keeps one on a distinct path in one career field...If you are enlisted, you basically stay enlisted, if you are an officer, you move up, but may get rifted at the rank of Major...
Yes, things need to change, and the technological needs for a military today have changed so dramatically, that one has to have nearly a BS Degree to work on an Jet aircraft...
How about a USAF Career path that takes one from high school and provides training that goes beyond the basics and at the end of training provides an Associate Degree where it would be applicable instead of a certificate... then on to a Bachelor's degree, then a path leading to either Warrant Officer or Commissioned Officer in the career path that was selected by the Air Force and the Airman...and pay the aspiring Airman appropriately based on both experience and education... More people would stay in the Air Force longer and the perceived and actual level of Airman would be raised to a point where there isn't such a disparity between Officer and Enlisted Airmen... as to how they are respected and treated... I didn't see the path where that would happen in the Air Force, so they lost me after one enlistment... I do not want anyone to think I didn't like my service...Quite the Contrary... I loved what I did, but things did not move as fast as I needed for me and my family... The Military is changing and will it be for the good or for the bureaucracy and politics going forward... LEt those who are in charge wrestle with the direction and changes that are needed and we should all pray that these leaders make the right choices and changes to benefit all who join the military regardless of branch chosen...
God Bless the United States of America!
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SFC Terry Wilcox
I concur with the uniform change - other than keeping the enemy at bay with the constant change of uniforms - there are way too many changes in BDU's. I'm an old soldier from years past (64-85). The old Stiff Starch, OD Green's. Rank clearly displayed on the uniform, unlike today's soldier, have to put on your glasses to find out the soldier's rank. Also (and I'll catch some flack) I would drop the Highschool requirement for enlisted soldiers. Get some of these youngsters off the streets provide them guidance, give them purpose and a future. I'd hate to see what I would have become in 1964, had I not been able to enlist. Stayed 21 years and retired.
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I would do everything within my power to get rid of the ranks of SPC and CSM. If you are ready to become an E4, the you are ready to become a junior NCO. Plain and simple. Too many E4s hide behind the SPC rank and shirk responsibilities. As for the rank of CSM, it is IMHO the most useless rank in the entire army. The rank of CSM has morphed into the habitat of a group of mostly useless bullies, that spend more time worrying about their career and next assignment than about the troops. Most CSMs stay around way too long and outlive their usefulness.
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CW3 Michael Bodnar
MSG Frank Kapaun Regarding the CSM rank, I agree with you. They do spend a lot of time worrying about their next assignments rather than focusing on the most important factor in our Army - our soldiers. The best ones that I've seen are out doing PMCS, Motor Stables, and guard duty with their troops. They don't do it all the time but they're showing the younger generation that just because you ascend to the rank of CSM doesn't make you immune from soldering!
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