I propose the benefit be based a combination of: - how much time one spends deployed and - how much time one spends doing military work not deployed.
Nope. First, on a practical matter the accounting would be a nightmare. Second, that's not fair. What counts as deployed... boots on the ground overseas? What about the reserve unit who were called up in 2002 to guard Dugway, and spent 24 months standing picket?
Third, all work supports the effort. It can be argued the training time an M-Day soldier does is different from the training time an AD soldier does, but even that's a stretch. One of the things I saw, again, and again and again, from Germany, to Korea, to Bragg, to The Box, was the shocked looks on the faces of "Regular Army" soldiers at the RC soldiers' competence (often at levels above their own... the look on 1SG O'Neal's face when the chemical siren went off and all the NG guys, who had never seen the new MOPP gear before it was issued to them two-weeks before, were in it properly, and fast; and the 15 percent of his troops who did it wrong, well it was something to be seen; and not so bad if you were one of the NG soldiers).
I keep hearing about how much the Reserves and the Guard mean, about how it's all one Army/Navy/Air Force, etc., but it's not. I can't figure out a gentle way to write this: You believed that? I've seen it or been close to it from three sides (enlisted, officer, officer reserve). Taint the same at all. I was also shocked at how much work was required from a reserve officer outside of the "two days/month, two weeks/year."
Believed it... not completely. But with this thing, it looked like a little more than just lip service. About the last time one can get away with two days/two weeks is the moment one pins stripes/bars. Even that's no guarantee. I had extra dutiesas an E-4.
no subject
- how much time one spends deployed and
- how much time one spends doing military work not deployed.
Nope. First, on a practical matter the accounting would be a nightmare. Second, that's not fair. What counts as deployed... boots on the ground overseas? What about the reserve unit who were called up in 2002 to guard Dugway, and spent 24 months standing picket?
Third, all work supports the effort. It can be argued the training time an M-Day soldier does is different from the training time an AD soldier does, but even that's a stretch. One of the things I saw, again, and again and again, from Germany, to Korea, to Bragg, to The Box, was the shocked looks on the faces of "Regular Army" soldiers at the RC soldiers' competence (often at levels above their own... the look on 1SG O'Neal's face when the chemical siren went off and all the NG guys, who had never seen the new MOPP gear before it was issued to them two-weeks before, were in it properly, and fast; and the 15 percent of his troops who did it wrong, well it was something to be seen; and not so bad if you were one of the NG soldiers).
I keep hearing about how much the Reserves and the Guard mean, about how it's all one Army/Navy/Air Force, etc., but it's not.
I can't figure out a gentle way to write this: You believed that? I've seen it or been close to it from three sides (enlisted, officer, officer reserve). Taint the same at all. I was also shocked at how much work was required from a reserve officer outside of the "two days/month, two weeks/year."
Believed it... not completely. But with this thing, it looked like a little more than just lip service. About the last time one can get away with two days/two weeks is the moment one pins stripes/bars. Even that's no guarantee. I had extra dutiesas an E-4.