How does this meme affect a units' resiliency going into a deployment?

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 22:14:15 -0400

Little preface: a certain E7 decided to make hundreds of these stickers telling everyone to sticker bomb our MOB site, and now there are mugs being laser engraved with this logo as well as stickers all over an undisclosed location in the desert. My question is how does a meme like this really affect a units ability to stay resilient if our senior leadership is smearing the motto of "this is some red bullshit happening here", referring to how much it sorta sucks here (its not that bad). As a junior nco I dont like seeing this being the motto of our upcoming deployment, to me it shows our senior leadership has given up on caring here and it surely shows seeing peoples attitudes towards the little things we have to do here.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Apr 7 at 2021 10:20 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 22:20:05 -0400

I think it is very unprofessional and in poor taste. I have cussed only one time in my career. This would be cussing moment for me. He showed poor judgement for a senior NCO and I would have made him remove all the stickers.

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Apr 7 at 2021 10:20 PM

SGM Bill Frazer — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 22:20:41 -0400

If they can't take a joke then the unit is in sad shape.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 7 at 2021 10:35 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 22:35:33 -0400

Defacing government property is a crime I believe.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Apr 7 at 2021 10:37 PM

CSM Charles Hayden — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 22:37:56 -0400

SGT Private RallyPoint Member WHAT? An E-7 started that? NFW!

Response by SSgt Christophe Murphy made Apr 7 at 2021 10:46 PM

SSgt Christophe Murphy — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 22:46:28 -0400

I don’t think it will effect resiliency but it could impact morale. But it sounds like morale has already taken a hit.

There may be something happening in the upper decks of leadership. Just keep doing what you are doing and ensure your troops don’t add to the shenanigans. Common sense will shine through eventually

Response by SSG Laurie Mullen made Apr 7 at 2021 11:19 PM

SSG Laurie Mullen — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 23:19:03 -0400

I expect some thing like this from the junior soldiers, but a SFC should have more professionalism. You may not be happy with the way things are in your unit, but you don't degrade it in front of subordinates.

Response by CPT Gurinder (Gene) Rana made Apr 8 at 2021 12:12 AM

CPT Gurinder (Gene) Rana — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 00:12:30 -0400

I prefer not to add my two cents, because either way one or the other party will find this unprofessional behavior in jest.

Response by Lt Col Charlie Brown made Apr 8 at 2021 5:40 AM

Lt Col Charlie Brown — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 05:40:33 -0400

That E-7 and the Commander need a face-to-face...
and then my suggestion is the unit find a way to adopt it so it becomes something they control and not the idiot who started it.

Response by SSG Samuel Kermon made Apr 8 at 2021 6:53 AM

SSG Samuel Kermon — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 06:53:58 -0400

It's a joke, albeit a poor one. That it was started by a senior NCO is more troublesome.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 8 at 2021 7:15 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 07:15:10 -0400

Unprofessional indeed esp from a senior NCO, 34ID has an amazing history, overall shouldn't effect too much negative

Response by 1SG John Highfill made Apr 8 at 2021 7:58 AM

1SG John Highfill — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 07:58:38 -0400

Senior leadership shouldn’t be doing this

Response by SFC Melvin Brandenburg made Apr 8 at 2021 9:23 AM

SFC Melvin Brandenburg — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 09:23:57 -0400

I am a proud Redbull. I deployed twice from Iowa. Our morale was generally pretty good, and I see this for the joke it is. We often use sarcastic and dark humor in the 34th Div. I think it's a way to blow off frustration. I think it's probably going a bit far to sticker bomb the MOB site, but as humor among individuals it's right up our alley.

Response by SFC Randy Hellenbrand made Apr 8 at 2021 9:39 AM

SFC Randy Hellenbrand — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 09:39:54 -0400

There have always been some jokes about patches. COSCOM has a arrow leaning to the right for it's patch. It was called, 'The Leaning Shithouse'. The 6th ID has a six pointed star. I won't repeat what I heard that one called. While this one is a bit funny, I think 'NO Bullshit' might of been viewed as more esprit de corps.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 8 at 2021 5:37 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 17:37:07 -0400

Unprofessional, probably. That big of a deal? Not really, in my opinion. Can only speak to my deployment experiences under 2 MOS so I'm not sure what your unit's mission is downrange, but a lot of the "cool guy" shit hasn't been happening much lately. Maybe you will have to deal with a lot of bullshit on deployment. And by maybe, I'm almost certain of it.

I'd say pull your troops to the side and give them a moto speech if you think it might help, but generally don't sweat it.

Response by GySgt Kenneth Pepper made Apr 9 at 2021 12:11 PM

GySgt Kenneth Pepper — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 12:11:52 -0400

Way back before you could easily buy stickers on Amazon our section had a stencil with our logo. It was the Jackel Pack, a name given to us because we would attack anyone who dared enter our shop alone. But if one of our own showed weakness, he was doomed. Every piece of equipment we could get to and numerous aircraft had it spray painted on it.
Dang. The good old days. I wish I still had that stencil.

Response by CSM Walter Phillips made Apr 14 at 2021 4:08 PM

CSM Walter Phillips — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 16:08:25 -0400

I would not want to deploy with a unit without dark humor. It keeps you going during the tough times. For those that can’t handle not being woke; Embrace the Suck.

Response by SPC John Tacetta made Apr 19 at 2021 9:39 AM

SPC John Tacetta — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 09:39:32 -0400

You need to provide a bit more context because that sticker's not speaking to me. Is this a spin on the unit crest or a take down on the "Red Bull" "energy" drink. Two very different topics and responses.

In any event, stickering the AO would put anyone out of line and an E7 should definitely know better.

Response by PO2 Frances Smart made May 13 at 2021 8:41 PM

PO2 Frances Smart — Thu, 13 May 2021 20:41:40 -0400

The first thing I learned in boot camp, other than my 11 general orders, my left from my right, how to make a bed, and how to properly tie my shoes, was that a sense of humor, along with some really good swear words, was essential to maintain sanity. Sounds like these guys got the same training I did.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 6 at 2021 5:04 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 06 Jun 2021 17:04:57 -0400

As a retired soldier- who had the [un]fortunate pleasure to see HQ 34ID deploy into Iraq in 2009, to replace the 10th MTN in Multi-National Division South (MND-S) at COB Basrah - I find it funny. I saw first hand at the time, while the individual soldiers (E-1 - E4) did their jobs, their collective leadership made it hard for all of the 10 MTN soldiers, as well as their attached units. I can distinctive remember that a HHC, 34th ID Officer entered into the CHU that I was living in with the USACAPOC SJA officer there, and tell us that the CG and DCG's 34th needed us to Move out of our CHU. When questioned why?? The answer: 34th brought over more E-1's to E-4's, and that their soldiers needed to live in air-conditioned accommodations. While we from the USACAPOC community-had to move into tents until we rotated home. It took them 6 days until they got the A/C into the tents that we had to move into working again. And this was in mid June...34ID also told the folks from the Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) that they didn't need their services anymore, so away they went back to Baghdad. And they had been assigned to MND-S for many months.
So, yeah I can see why the SFC had the stickers made.

Response by 1SG James Kelly made Jun 17 at 2021 8:39 AM

1SG James Kelly — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 08:39:39 -0400

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf4jhb9p2v8

Bless 'em all - VERA LYNN - For all World War II Sweethearts

Bless 'em all - VERA LYNN (album "for all World War II Sweethearts")