How do we encourage new troops to embrace a 'sense of duty'?
Duty
Selfless Service
Mentorship
Esprit de Corps
I believe the "me" attitude, lack of ethics and integrity, and little focus on community and public service of the leadership of this nation, corporations, and professional sports, raises questions as to what or whom, do they have a duty.
They heard the claims that Clinton dodged the draft, and that Bush avoided Vietnam in the Guard because of wealth and influence. They saw banks fail, taxpayers bail them out and lose their homes, while the failed CEOs walked away with millions.
On the other hand, many schools began requiring community service as a graduation requirement, which should have begun to develop a sense of duty, but wasn't focused on.
I do believe there was a surge of duty after 9-11, but it wasn't capitalized on.
Interesting question, and I'm sure there are other reasons. For all I know, maybe the lack of Pledge of Allegiance is part of the problem.
Sir,
I do still fall back to the problem mainly being part of the current "me" generation and even the 1 just before them, allow me to elaborate, sometime during the late 80s/early 90s the changes started coming about from the PC and legal changes, parents were starting to get in trouble for disciplining their children because the establishment claimed it was child abuse for any type of punishment, parents were having the police called on them for taking away their children's video games, toys, etc., this led to more issues, so parents became afraid to punish or even correct their children when they were doing something wrong. Then the next problem was started by the Clinton administration and their "leave no child behind" program, students who otherwise would fail because of lack of effort or unable to accomplish proper learning skills, started receiving passing grades for substandard work and becoming entitled, then you toss in the concept of everyone getting a trophy for being on the team whether they participated or not, no one being cut because it would damage their psyche, teams not counting scores, etc., etc.
It is and was this increasing PC mentality that started the issue that have escalated over the past 2 decades that have made it a problem and have worsened the issues to where we are seeing the mentality in the Soldiers that have been recruited or have come in over the past decade +, it won't change over night, but we need to get the politicians out of the military atmosphere and allow the leaders to go back to what worked for generations prior to the PC mentality. The military has been forced to remove many traditions and systems that were working and not physically or mentally damaging SMs when utilized. When they came out with "stress cards", removing certain exercises from corrective training, continually reducing the amounts of repetitions from corrective training (currently no more than 5 allowed), etc., etc., we have been downplayed by our own politicians and made soft, which is not what you desire from a defender of your nation against the non-soft enemies of the world.
The only way to change it and restore a sense of duty is to be able to re-instill it via enforcing standards and implementing traditional ways of teaching, training, disciplining, etc., without PC interruption or disruption.
You've been able to summarize societies decomposition in a couple paragraphs. Discipline utilized properly is not damaging whether the PC crowd understands that or not. Discipline is a tool - with wide ranging results but only one tool. Corrective action and discipline within the bounds of normal limits will strive to bring about positive results. My reason for posing the question in a somewhat different light was to see what other ideas, what other options leaders may have and could use to bring about that change and restore the 'sense of duty' I'm sure many felt as I did while serving. I had the advantage of being under the wing of several 'teachers' throughout my time that really helped me understand, focus, and apply what I was taught in a positive way. Serving today is in a different time (I understand this) than it was back during the 80's & 90's - which is why looking at the solutions from a different perspective can be beneficial. This conversation can show benefit if a solution offered here is able to be used and applied to improve a fresh troops outlook.
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google