Morale in the military at Carter levels

[Peter1469]

Morale in the military at Carter levels

The morale in the military is lower than since Carter.

Heck of a job Obama.

Following these discussions, I decided to do a little investigation to see if these were legitimate grievances. It didn’t take me long to validate their stories. This past December, the “Military Times” ran a story titled, “America’s Military: A force adrift,” which described a worsening morale crisis. The Times surveyed 2,300 active-duty troops and from this, “found morale indicators on the decline in nearly every aspect of military life. Troops report significantly lower overall job satisfaction, diminished respect for their superiors, and a declining interest in re-enlistment now compared to just five years ago. Today’s service members say they feel underpaid, under-equipped and under-appreciated, the survey data showed.”


The survey goes on to report, “active-duty troops reported a stunning drop in how they rated their overall quality of life: Just 56 percent call it good or excellent, down from 91 percent in 2009” (at the start of President Obama’s administration).

[waltky]

Granny says, "Well...

... ain't it a Carter runnin' the Defense Dept?...

... whataya espect?

[Common]

Morale had to go down, those still on active duty see what politcal correctness is doing all around them

[Oboe]

As head popping as it is for liberals to hear it, most soldiers do not want to share a fox hole with a gay man.

[MisterVeritis]

As head popping as it is for liberals to hear it, most soldiers do not want to share a fox hole with a gay man.

But those transgenders are hot! Pretty, perhaps. But can they fight?

[Oboe]

They probably can. Just don't make any cracks about their mascara running.

[Peter1469]

This appears to be the source of the morale problem:

What I heard was a dog-eat-dog world where there is little teamwork or cooperation, a cover-your-ass mentality, and people bailing out of the service as opposed to making it a career. They described a very bureaucratic world with an inordinate amount of paperwork impeding progress. There is also a lack of leadership, and you are discouraged from taking charge. In other words, there is no longer a culture of “improvise, adapt and overcome” as characterized by the Marines. Instead, it appears the military is suffering with a bad case of “Theory X,” a top-down autocratic form of management best characterized by the expression “micromanagement.”

[Standing Wolf]

As sad as it is predictable that certain folks who are personally predisposed against gay service members should assume that new rules permitting their open service were the cause of the morale problems. Not the case, of course, as even a cursory reading of the article cited in the OP (or any others) reveals. I guess it would be too much trouble to actually read what the service members themselves say is the source of their discontent - pay, equipment and status, essentially. Far easier to just sit back, assume, and project your own prejudices.

The "status" component - the idea that their service is unappreciated - is tough to try to pin on a President who seems to spend a lot of time these days lauding those in uniform while awarding decorations for valor. In overseeing the withdrawal of most of our combat troops from Afghanistan and Iraq - while having to fight, tooth and nail, Republicans in Congress who wanted to slow down the process or even keep them there indefinitely - one can't forget who sent them there in the first place. If you think that being taken out of a futile, no-win situation and brought home does not convey "appreciation" to a service member, you have never been one.

[kcvet]

maybe worse. big ears has fired many line officer's he thinks will make trouble. totally paranoid