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Regular Joe
 
Group: Registered User
Last Login: 1/23/2006 8:04 PM
Posts: 495,
Visits: 70
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I'm new at this so b. with me.
I'm a cadet finishing up the second year. I'm sick and tired of 1's and 2's being training fodder 100% of the time. While I realize that it is indeed very important to learn to follow before you can lead, I also feel that leadership should be taught from day one. Included in that should be the FM 7-8 as well as many other topics that 1's and 2's never get to see until their 3 year.
I look at the young cadets in my school and see a room full of potential. Many of talents and knowledge that aren't being tapped into and are wasting away. Both Master Sergeants are retiring (Both are DI's as well) and so they have become pretty much...well retired in every sense of the word. All officers, while being rangers, seem to lack motivation towards teaching ALL cadets the importance of fundamentals when it comes to soldiering. That's not to say they aren't doing their jobs, but you can tell its weak b/c it lacks any sort of intensity. So cadre are lacking in their...willingness to be committed in every sense of the word. Cadet cadre are even worse b/c they've been tainted by the officers. They forget that they are there to "teach" and set the example for the younger cadets. Instead we have C/Sgt's swearing right and left acting harder than a rock when the hardest thing they've completed is Ranger Challenge or Advanced Camp. We have a CoC that lacks serious dedication. While I do understand that college students have lives, BUT I also understand that I am going to be a future officer one day and that we need to learn how to juggle more than just school. I take pride in being part of ROTC and there are few others like me. Unit integrity lacks. And it trickles from the top cadet down if you catch my drift.
I've taken the initiative to start a Long Range Surv. team. I feel that using small unit tatics will help teach everyone the things they need to learn by the time they are 3's and 4's. That way, when they get there, its less stress on them. I'm looking to improve standards, morale, unit integrity, etc. The LTC has given the thumbs up, so now its on me to prove to him that this style of learning "hands on" is the way to go, rather than sit around in a class room and j!@k off out in a lab once a week.
I've got former and reserve marines willing to teach MOUT training, as well as people from the sheriff's dept that I work at from SWAT wanting to participate big time. I have many outside reserve units willing to come in and give presentations. I've spent two months scouting territory for us to train on, as well as putting together the other phase which would be operations... I've put a lot of my own money into this, even though everyone told me not to, but I think its worth every damn penny. Here's where I am asking all of you to help a cadet out in providing information and suggustions on how to train impressionable minds so that in the end, we have hardcore b@d@ss officers in a few years.
What kind of operations can I plan besides the "regular" movement to contact/bunker/recon missions. Or how can I very them, so its not the same ol' same ol' all the time?
I'm looking at intense PT (log PT, anything harder than a wuss game of soccer after a weak jog around the block) CQB situations, hostage situations, movement tatics, boobytrap situations, rappelling, FLRC, long distance movement drills, over night or day FTX, etc. Something that these guys have never seen before. I need to keep new information flowing... Help me!
I hope this works...
Email any suggestions besides the ones off of here, off to the side, to bmoultis@email.com This cadet sure will appreciate all of your help.
"Lets kick this pig"
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Regular Joe
Group: Registered User
Last Login: 1/23/2006 8:04 PM
Posts: 495,
Visits: 70
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Hey I appreciate it.
When I was at Sam Houston State Uni. over in TX, ROTC was pretty intense. All of our Cadre were Rangers and loved to teach it the way they learned it in Ranger School. So they beat us up a good bit and everything was well organized and we were all very solid together, both Cadre and Cadet Cadre.
I just see the people above me and they set such poor examples. For instance our C/BC told a company that if they messed something up (it was a minor task), that she was going to kill all "you little f-ers. And I sat there watching that, thinking, you know when these one's and two's get to be in positions of authority, now they are going to be thinking its okay to say stuff like that. I just think its conduct that shouldn't happen. I'm no candya$$ myself, but I know when and where its appropriate to conduct myself in that manner. And infront of impressionable minds isn't the time.
So I put together an idea to where I could train the new 1's since they haven't been tainted by the 4's. Have a group that by the time they come into positions of authority, they will conduct themselves in a way that will be an example to really follow. And at the same time while in this process, the 2's and possibly the 3's will want to participate as well or at least follow the example and get into it.
I look up to maybe three poeple out of the 12 4's. And that isn't the way it should be. I should be looking up to all 12 of them as an example to follow.
"Lets kick this pig"
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Regular Joe
Group: Registered User
Last Login: 1/23/2006 8:04 PM
Posts: 495,
Visits: 70
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Fellas, I thought I said I understood the importance of following before leading. I have more respect than you can imagine for my cadre. I see everyone that is in the army as a potential learning tool. I will pick anyone's brain if it gets me information that will help me make better decisions in the end. The way I see it is like this: They look at us cadets, the majority, only willing to give the min performance to get by. That's the attitude. "Lets just get through this PT test and go back to bed" is a common saying in the morning. Our cadre see that and adjust their attitudes towards it and put up with it. I talk to my cadre and see the disappointment on their faces. One Major, when I discussed my plan of action with him said, "why, you're wasting your time. I assigned them a piece of homework to learn about a reserve unit and write a one page paper on it and they never even blinked an eye or remotely completed the paper. Don't bother." And he did this in such a tone that I realized that the prescribed way of teaching wasn't working for him b/c cadets were used to the "old boy" system so to speak. They weren't about to have some Major actually give them a piece of homework and make them actually think. It was unreal. It really pissed me off that our cadre were so down b/c that reflects on all of us. I on the other hand think the attitude should be just like everything else we all strive for: To be better today, than we were yesterday. That means improving ourselves, pushing ourselves to get better, getting smarter. It doesn't take that much effort to do it in small building blocks.
To be on record, my brother went straight into the military with promises of being able to continue education while in. That didn't happen since his happy butt was shipped off to Korea and then back to TX only to be on FTX just about every week with an arty unit. I was originally going to go Marines Aviation, and do the SMP Reserve/ROTC deal. But my father convinced me not to make the same mistake, as he called it, and go and do just ROTC and get the degree. There isn't a day that goes by that I wish I could just trash college and go active, trust me. But I remain dedicated to my parents and family and showing them that I can accomplish this task ever so easily. School is easy, especially Criminal Justice majors like me. lol. But the threat of paying out of state tuition all in a lump sum, or at the Fed Gov's nice interest rates scares the heck out of me. So, thanks but no thanks, I'll have my chance in the military one way or the other.
NE WAYZ, I am going airborne 21st of June to 19th of July and I'm ever so stoked to do it. I missed out on my Air Assault last summer due to me being in TX and them calling me asking if I could be in NY the next day. Unfortunately I didn't have the 900 dollars to make the flight on the spot. So boo for me. Air Assault school seems to be really tight when they give out the slots for cadets. I tried to bargin with just about every college around here to see if they had an extra slot, but no one is willing to be that nice and give it to me. I understand the circumstances of course once they give it away, rarely do they ever get it back...
As far as getting qualified personell to train these cadets. The former marine I am talking with and actually work with, was a cpl. that trained and oversaw MOUT training for his particular unit. As well as all the SWAT officers that are certainly proficcient in their tasks. I have 710 hours of classroom time via police academy and a lot of it was hands on weapons/selfdefense/offensive positions/etc. I have other "teachers" from various reserve units in MD that are willing to participate as well (LRS/MP/Infantry). So I think I have the qualified personell to obtain my goals. This isn't going to be some ramshackle unit tossed together. I have put six months + into thought and now I've got the go a head to make it happen. Its just a matter of coordinating my resources. I won't fail. Many I have talked to thought it was a great idea, but they lacked the resources to actually put something like this into play. It just makes it better when I ask advice and tips from those of you have been through it all in the "real" army. I'd rather have input from outside sources to reinforce training rather then have it all come from one particular place, as it does now.
The idea of this project is to give cadets something different to look at, yet at the same time, teach them everything they will need to know when it comes time for advanced camp/airborne/air assault/etc. Cadre are sick and tired of teaching the same old boring stuff, everyone can feel it. If this particular project falls through, it will open new doors and opertunities for cadets to get more involved in the battalion altogether. It will open new ways for our cadre to teach us by. And that only has bennefits. VMI has rifles teams, Texas A&M have MP/Scuba/SEAL/Recon/etc. West Point has air pistol teams/Ranger Challenge/etc. This cadet LRS is my version of those, only education is number one priority. It isn't about participating in a Ranger Challenge event that lasts one weekend, what good does that do? And besides, most ranger challenge teams seem to be a varsity sport where 3 and 4s are chosen and sometimes a high speed 1/2. A lot of those choices are political as well. But spots are limited, training is very narrowly focussed for that one weekend when they all compete. I'm not looking to compete with anyone, I'm looking to get all of the cadets involved and learning something that will help them. Get them experince that actually matters. There is no "season" its all year round.
I would follow a leader who knew a lot about everything and then some, someone who is more rounded in experince with many things, rather than some rinky dink officer who only knows FM7-8 and his particular duties for his MOS and has no motivation to learn anything that doesn't seem to matter to him.
Its time ROTC stood up and made a name for itself. If I hear "ROTC? Damn kids haven't had an original thought in their entire lives." one more time I'll puke. lol. What if one of my cadets came out the program I'm constructing and surprised the hell out of whoever would say that. What then? All it takes is an idea to build up, and if it works, then maybe that idea will be lucky enough to turn into some sort of policy. Many companies are successful b/c they get a lot of their ideas from the roots... (Take a look at walmart, biggest company in America) The army is no different from your blue collar company.
Thoughts?
"Lets kick this pig"
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Strac Trooper
Group: Registered User
Last Login: 9/14/2006 9:05 AM
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Your best bet is to locate a high-speed NG/Reserve unit ([ ] they're out there!) and drill with them.
Welcome to another Red Devil rehersal, only this time it's for real
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Strac Trooper
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Plastic armyman
Stop winning I here contept for your leaders in your post.
HHC 3/325, 4/325 83 - 89
LETS GO!!!USPMA #11, CVMA #1271 NH 5-1
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Ei Temporis Vita Semper Resumo Sese
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.........all of you who're regulars here know my opinion on how the Army aquires it's officer corps so I'm not gonna waste space repeating myself.
Next to Scrib's idea, the best thing you can do is get your buddies organized and practice FM 7-8... Efficiently performing squad battle drills, basic land-nav, and discipline are the meat & potatoes of being hooah. A solid understanding of the basics will make you a better leader than pretending to be LRS or some such nonsense.
"The degenerative and loony should never be denigrated but, rather, thanked. In their absence, the rest of you would be obliged to fill congressional seats... positions naturally unsavory to the sane and honorable." Thorax
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Keep the Peace and Be of Good Behavior
Group: Past PNET Supporter
Last Login: 9/8/2008 3:06 PM
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You want to improve tactical knowledge and make it interesting and practical???
Start a Paintball team...
The teams and clubs out there are really growing on the college level. Check it out, see if there are any local schools to play against, or try to come up with one for the ROTC units in the AO. As a side note, the best College Paintball team in the country is...
West Point, go figure huh?
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