Will sensitivity training help Marines adapt to homosexuals openly serving without affecting combat proficiency?

2016-03-21T21:11:10-04:00

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/feb/24/combat-troops-to-get-gay-sensitivity-training/

I led with the Washington Times article announcing the program and added a link to a Fox News commentary. (I know, some will be "offended" that I included something from Fox but, in all sincerity, I included it only because it was the only opinion I could find)

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2016/03/21/marines-brace-for-mandatory-sensitivity-training.html?intcmp=hphz01

I don't really have an opinion inasmuch as sexuality doesn't concern me. However, if we're honest, we know that most have very strong inbred attitudes on the subject and I can well imagine that it will be a sensitive area in the best of times, and a serving in a combat theater is not among the best of times to be focusing on anything other than fighting and surviving.

Combat troops to get gay sensitivity training

American combat troops will get sensitivity training directly on the battlefield about the military’s new policy on gays instead of waiting until they return to home base in the United States, the senior enlisted man in Afghanistan said Thursday.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 21 at 2016 9:19 PM

2016-03-21T21:19:23-04:00

CPT Jack Durish Acceptance of homosexuals varies widely in society. While military members may be less apt to voice an opinion about it one way or another, a person's own preconceived notions and ideas are going to have more to do with whether they adapt to serving with an openly homosexual person than any training the military uses.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 21 at 2016 9:22 PM

2016-03-21T21:22:28-04:00

Sensitivity training sounds like an aggravation to me that won't produce any meaningful readiness. If anything I imagine a marine saying 'now because of you I have to sit through this class'. Any way you categorize a human their effectiveness will ultimately be seen and tested like all other humans in the same situation. How will National Guard stand in war? Seen it over the past decade and they did just fine. How will women fare in combat roles? Seen that over the past decade. How will homosexuals do in combat? Well we've also seen that, plenty of homosexuals in the military went to war in the past decade. Will marines have some minor identity crisis because of openly serving homosexuals? doubt it, sensitivity training to highlight it seems like it would make it worse... or make a problem where there is none.

Sensitivity training [and any of these style programs] does not replace damn good leadership.

Response by SPC(P) Alexandra Hinds made Mar 21 at 2016 9:24 PM

2016-03-21T21:24:54-04:00

I must say, I am still in shock that your brothers and sisters admitting that they attracted to a person of the same sex may change your overall opinion of them and make you or them uncomfortable to serve alongside of. People are starting to request for transfers or to be separated from this said person because of who they love.
First off, don't we all go through the same training, the same rigorous training?
Don't we all bleed the same color and we all are raised in the same aspect of hoping we succeed in life?

Why, all of a sudden, does it change the persons entire persona and allow others to criticize or mock their way of life?
Personally, I have had many friends that were homosexuals. Some that I have served with, yes. Many of them are still my very close friends to this day.

If the Military and Military members would stop degrading persons with a different love interest and just keep their noses clean, we wouldn't have to discuss this nor would any homosexual service member feel the need to hide or feel ashamed.
If you don't want to know the answer or if you don't agree with it, why ask?

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 21 at 2016 9:32 PM

2016-03-21T21:32:15-04:00

Sounds to me like another power point presentation the military is going to use to CYA. Just like SHARP, EO, Suicide, etc. etc. After the training is over, if an incident occurs, they can say they trained maries on how to be sensitive to certain issues. Power point presentations don't fix nurtured dislike of homosexuality nor do they fix racism. They also don't prevent suicide, sexual assault, or harassment. That graph circling around about 80% of our jobs being classes on these type of issues is becoming more and more true.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 21 at 2016 9:59 PM

2016-03-21T21:59:25-04:00

If it's done right, sure. Otherwise it will just rub feathers the wrong way...

Response by Sgt Tom Cunnally made Mar 21 at 2016 10:03 PM

2016-03-21T22:03:27-04:00

No it may help somewhat but you are going to have issues with 18 & 19 year old Marines. It was an issue when I served and it still is.. We may have come a long way but not sure the Marines will not have issues in this area...just one old man's opinion

Response by Capt Mark Strobl made Mar 22 at 2016 12:17 AM

2016-03-22T00:17:03-04:00

CPT Jack Durish - I would suggest that arduous training, weapons' firing, tactics, physical fitness, discipline, and leadership are on the "short list" of things that contribute to the Corps "combat proficiency." Sexual orientation hasn't impacted the Corps' ability to put hot lead on target. Never once in a fire-fight has someone called "cease fire" and asked how we can all just get along. This current generation of warriors has already dealt with what the older generation could not: Gays in uniform. It's almost passe. There will continue to be biases among the ranks: racial, sexual, religious, etc. But when hot lead it flying down range, the warrior focusses on their job, their fellow service-member, and accomplishing the mission.

Response by TSgt Kenneth Ellis made Mar 22 at 2016 1:29 AM

2016-03-22T01:29:34-04:00

I saw it too. In 1972 I had to go to a black sensitivity class.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Mar 22 at 2016 6:31 AM

2016-03-22T06:31:51-04:00

Homosexuals and heterosexuals have been serving alongside each other just fine since 1775. I'm sure the sky isn't falling...

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Mar 22 at 2016 6:59 AM

2016-03-22T06:59:19-04:00

I'm old school. As long as the person doesn't broadcast they are light in the loafers, they are o.k.. Just don't try to be overly friendly.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 22 at 2016 10:23 AM

2016-03-22T10:23:24-04:00

My biggest thing is showering. If you think about it we might as well authorize co-ed showering/co-habitation. Its the same principle. Correct me if Im Wrong

Response by SrA Paul Pfeil made Mar 22 at 2016 3:21 PM

2016-03-22T15:21:36-04:00

Keep it in your pants. If you can't you have no business being a soldier. The only time sexual preference should come into play with combat, is when someone having gender reassignment surgery, needing to take hormone replacement, then they should be considered undeployable.

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 23 at 2016 2:06 PM

2016-03-23T14:06:49-04:00

Why are such questions always worded like this? How about wording these frequent inquiries and surveys so that answering issues about the burden of adjustment is on the "unique" individual, and not the "non-unique" mass majority? My vote is, for example, making the non-English-speaking people "PRESS 1" on their telephones!!!

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 24 at 2016 4:32 PM

2016-03-24T16:32:45-04:00

Why should it matter that If they like the Same Sex or not?! As long as they can do their job and don't cause issues. It's just my take on it.

Response by Cpl Charles Vadnais made Mar 24 at 2016 5:19 PM

2016-03-24T17:19:44-04:00

The only disappointment I find is that this was ever necessary at all. I was taught that everyone was a Marine first. That's it, black, white, red, brown, green, blue, gay, straight, jew, muslim, male, female, anything. The fact that my fellow Marines ever cared about someones sexual identity means someone along the way failed to instill the proper sense of camaraderie.

Response by LCpl Anthony Estrada made Mar 26 at 2016 6:31 AM

2016-03-26T06:31:41-04:00

This is the new, kind and sensitive Marine corps ooh rah

Response by Cpl Zach Wellborn made Aug 14 at 2016 12:47 AM

2016-08-14T00:47:20-04:00

When you go to a job interview, it's about job ability and performance.

Fuck sensitivity. If you can't handle some comments, how can you handle watching my back in a firefight?

I don't care what your sexual preference is, I care about your ability to kick ass as a Marine.

Response by GySgt Charles O'Connell made Oct 30 at 2017 5:54 PM

2017-10-30T17:54:41-04:00

Individuals join the Marine Corps, the Marine Corps doesn't join them. Marines are taught to treat one another with professionalism, an environment fostered by NCO's, SNCO's and Officers, but of course this doesn't always occur. But who are we kidding, some people don't like other people, and this dislike can come from many different directions. "Sensitivity Training", nonsense, ranks right up there that, "total quality leadership", crap they were spouting before I retired, as if the leadership we had been practicing lacked quality. As leaders create, and maintain, a professional environment, your Marines will follow.