Senior NCOs are leaving the U.S. military
Posted on August 4, 2016 by Dr. Eowyn |
Ann Barnhardt received this disturbing letter from a NCO (non-commissioned officer who obtained his position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks) in the U.S. Army on why he, and other senior NCOs like him, are leaving the military, foresaking the years they’ve put in toward retirement-with-pension.
Below is the letter in its entirety. The bold color emphasis is mine.
Ann,
I leave the Army for good in September of this year. My chain of command has been shell shocked that I am going through with it. Two years ago when I first came to grips with what was happening and resolved to no longer be a part of it, there was derision and even an officer telling me that voicing my opinions about the state of the US economy and its moral failings could be considered a violation of the UCMJ for conduct “prejudicial to good order and discipline.”
When I gave my Operations NCO a copy of the book “A Distant Mirror” by Barbara Tuchman he came to me a month later stating that if there is a civil war, he and his fellow Hispanics will “have to choose sides.”
When I told my first sergeant why I would not be re-enlisting, she said “Don’t you want to re-enlist to get your 20?”
I said that I wanted to re-enlist, but I couldn’t, that my pension was nothing compared to being prepared to sacrifice my life. Then she and I went on to discuss my (your) ideas on why there was a possible collapse of the US government in the future, she went from denying the possibility to stating “Well, it all depends on what level of collapse you’re talking about,” needless to say I was stunned.
The re-enlistment NCO refuses to talk to me, and several other mid to senior level NCOs who previously thought I was kidding have left the Active reserves for the Individual Ready Reserves.
One stated that he too was disgusted with both candidates for president and then asked me if I thought things would be so bad, why wouldn’t I stay in and try to fix things “from the inside”? I cited the example of the Yugoslav army and how there were fire fights within units and stated that I would refuse to follow unconstitutional orders. I then asked, “Don’t you think if one of the two candidates gets in power that either might order the power of the state to be used against their political enemies? That’s what would be likely to START those kinds of firefights, right?”
We both stared at him and he looked embarrassed almost immediately. He is not a stupid man, but it shows the mindset most are locked into, no matter how illogical it is.
I have many more anecdotes, but the summary is this: Whereas I was laughed at two years ago, many other senior NCOS are leaving. Many Enlisted men are frightened and wish to get out. The liberals, humanists, atheists and feminists are taking over.
EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON over the past two years, from family, friends, and colleagues to acquaintances and others in the civilian world who hear I am getting out after 15 years always start with the same argument: What about your pension/heathcare?
My own brother, an amateur military historian asked me the same question last week, and I said:
“You studied military history for 8 years in school, and as a hobby your whole adult life, if you had to go up against a military composed entirely of people who were there to get their retirement benefits, how easy would that army be to defeat?”
Silence…
Mic drop!
Ann, it’s been rough. I LOVE the US Army. At times I have almost been reduced to tears thinking about putting on the uniform for the last time. But I cannot be part of the army that serves a government like ours.
Thank you just for being out there and fighting the good fight.
SFC
-End of letter-
The letter-writer SFC and the other NCOs who left or are leaving the military are not alone. A recent Rasmussen poll found that a whopping 72% of Americans believe the USA is going in the direction.
https://fellowshipoftheminds.com/2016/08/04/senior-ncos-are-leaving-the-u-s-military/
Posted on August 4, 2016 by Dr. Eowyn |
Ann Barnhardt received this disturbing letter from a NCO (non-commissioned officer who obtained his position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks) in the U.S. Army on why he, and other senior NCOs like him, are leaving the military, foresaking the years they’ve put in toward retirement-with-pension.
Below is the letter in its entirety. The bold color emphasis is mine.
A Chilling Letter From an NCO Calling It Quits
Ann,
I leave the Army for good in September of this year. My chain of command has been shell shocked that I am going through with it. Two years ago when I first came to grips with what was happening and resolved to no longer be a part of it, there was derision and even an officer telling me that voicing my opinions about the state of the US economy and its moral failings could be considered a violation of the UCMJ for conduct “prejudicial to good order and discipline.”
When I gave my Operations NCO a copy of the book “A Distant Mirror” by Barbara Tuchman he came to me a month later stating that if there is a civil war, he and his fellow Hispanics will “have to choose sides.”
When I told my first sergeant why I would not be re-enlisting, she said “Don’t you want to re-enlist to get your 20?”
I said that I wanted to re-enlist, but I couldn’t, that my pension was nothing compared to being prepared to sacrifice my life. Then she and I went on to discuss my (your) ideas on why there was a possible collapse of the US government in the future, she went from denying the possibility to stating “Well, it all depends on what level of collapse you’re talking about,” needless to say I was stunned.
The re-enlistment NCO refuses to talk to me, and several other mid to senior level NCOs who previously thought I was kidding have left the Active reserves for the Individual Ready Reserves.
One stated that he too was disgusted with both candidates for president and then asked me if I thought things would be so bad, why wouldn’t I stay in and try to fix things “from the inside”? I cited the example of the Yugoslav army and how there were fire fights within units and stated that I would refuse to follow unconstitutional orders. I then asked, “Don’t you think if one of the two candidates gets in power that either might order the power of the state to be used against their political enemies? That’s what would be likely to START those kinds of firefights, right?”
The other NCO just kinda smiled grimly and nodded. His friend, a warrant officer whom I have known since 2009 then blurted “Well, that won’t happen anyway, the US government can’t collapse, too many people depend on it!”Officer: “SFC, you are hereby ordered to take your platoon and do evil unconstitutional thing X.”
Me: “No.”
Officer: “SSG, Arrest SFC !”
Me: (Click) “Don’t move sir.”
SSG: “Uh-oh….”
We both stared at him and he looked embarrassed almost immediately. He is not a stupid man, but it shows the mindset most are locked into, no matter how illogical it is.
I have many more anecdotes, but the summary is this: Whereas I was laughed at two years ago, many other senior NCOS are leaving. Many Enlisted men are frightened and wish to get out. The liberals, humanists, atheists and feminists are taking over.
EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON over the past two years, from family, friends, and colleagues to acquaintances and others in the civilian world who hear I am getting out after 15 years always start with the same argument: What about your pension/heathcare?
My own brother, an amateur military historian asked me the same question last week, and I said:
“You studied military history for 8 years in school, and as a hobby your whole adult life, if you had to go up against a military composed entirely of people who were there to get their retirement benefits, how easy would that army be to defeat?”
Silence…
Mic drop!
Ann, it’s been rough. I LOVE the US Army. At times I have almost been reduced to tears thinking about putting on the uniform for the last time. But I cannot be part of the army that serves a government like ours.
Thank you just for being out there and fighting the good fight.
SFC
-End of letter-
The letter-writer SFC and the other NCOs who left or are leaving the military are not alone. A recent Rasmussen poll found that a whopping 72% of Americans believe the USA is going in the direction.
https://fellowshipoftheminds.com/2016/08/04/senior-ncos-are-leaving-the-u-s-military/
Today at 7:04 am by Rocky
» utube MM&C 4/16/24 IQD Update - Iraq Dinar - America - Activate - Massive Economic Deals -
Today at 7:02 am by Rocky
» utube MM&c 4/19/24 Iraqi Dinar - Private Sector - Economic Stability - Financial Reform - Al Sudan
Today at 7:01 am by Rocky
» Iraq officially signs the “Singapore” agreement to resolve trade disputes
Today at 6:59 am by Rocky
» Parliament Finance advises raising exchange rates again... What about oil revenues?
Today at 6:55 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: Iraq is in the process of recovery and has taken its leading position that attracts work
Today at 6:54 am by Rocky
» Al-Araji: Iraq is prepared to deal with all circumstances and seeks partnership with the United Stat
Today at 6:52 am by Rocky
» Sudanese from Michigan: The government represents all components and is keen to take care of the aff
Today at 6:50 am by Rocky
» Democratic Party: The "new generation" is the most corrupt and has dozens of cases in court
Today at 6:47 am by Rocky
» What is the benefit of Iraq establishing a petrochemical plant in Egypt?!.. An oil expert explains
Today at 6:46 am by Rocky
» A judicial delegation participates in the Permanent International Forum for Commercial Courts in Qat
Today at 6:43 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: The government follows a balanced policy that makes Iraq a station for security
Today at 6:42 am by Rocky
» Deduction of 160 million dinars from the salaries of MPs absent from Parliament sessions
Today at 6:40 am by Rocky
» Central Bank: Washington praised Iraq's measures to resolve 80% of the financial transfer file
Today at 5:13 am by Rocky
» Voices of Resilience: Al-Sudani’s frankness embarrasses the White House
Today at 5:12 am by Rocky
» Al-Alaq confirms the formation of a committee between Baghdad and Washington regarding sanctions on
Today at 5:10 am by Rocky
» Former MP: The Democrat will not hand over power after the regional elections
Today at 5:07 am by Rocky
» Document/allocation of 20% of the lands of Al-Jawahiri Complex to employees of the Ministry of Defen
Today at 5:06 am by Rocky
» Al-Hakim: Al-Sudani’s visit to Washington was a protocol and missed the two most important files
Today at 5:05 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Security: The National Security Service law will be voted on by Parliament soon
Today at 5:04 am by Rocky
» Reconstruction and Housing: Zarbatieh residential project completed by 82%
Today at 5:01 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani reveals an intention to establish Al-Faw refinery with a capacity of 300 thousand barrels
Today at 5:00 am by Rocky
» Government readiness to move the Doura refinery to an alternative location.. What are the conditions
Today at 4:59 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani’s visit to Washington.. Implications and results
Today at 4:56 am by Rocky
» Association of Iraqi Private Banks: The suspension of some electronic payment services yesterday was
Today at 4:55 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary memorandum.. Two solutions were before the Federal Court instead of removing the compo
Today at 4:53 am by Rocky
» Blue fuel... Iraqi steps towards inexhaustible wealth for a century
Today at 4:51 am by Rocky
» For fear of being "upset"... MPs "evade" signing to host Al-Sudani in Parliament
Today at 4:50 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani’s statement to convert 40% of Iraq’s exports into derivatives.. What does it have to do wi
Today at 4:48 am by Rocky
» An Iraqi-American partnership to benefit from oil field gas
Today at 4:46 am by Rocky
» The Minister of Commerce announces the distribution of the first payments of farmers’ dues for the 2
Today at 4:45 am by Rocky
» Sudanese to members of the Iraqi community in the American city of Houston: Iraq has regained its he
Today at 4:43 am by Rocky
» Romanski announces loans worth $50 million to support the Iraqi private sector
Today at 4:42 am by Rocky
» Prime Minister: We plan to invest production capacities for export
Today at 4:41 am by Rocky
» “Something happened” in Iran and no one is talking about Iraq and Syria. This is what we have so far
Today at 4:38 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani asks the American Baker Institute for assistance in preparing studies related to the oil m
Today at 4:36 am by Rocky
» The Interior Ministry denies the occurrence of explosions inside Iraqi territory and diagnoses “the
Today at 4:35 am by Rocky
» Tensions between Najaf and Baghdad over the airport... the rule of law over “military force” and the
Today at 4:34 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani from Washington: We agreed with Abu Dhabi on joint management of Al-Faw Port
Today at 4:33 am by Rocky
» "Al-Party" talks about the region's elections and reveals the reason for refusing to pay salaries di
Today at 4:31 am by Rocky
» Russia's oil is taking more of the Middle East's shares in the Indian market.. How much has Iraq los
Today at 4:29 am by Rocky
» Early next month.. Traffic confirms that the electronic payment system is working only
Today at 4:27 am by Rocky
» The Service Council accuses state departments of refraining from disbursing bonuses because of the m
Today at 4:25 am by Rocky
» Electricity: The Baghdad street lighting campaign will be completed before the middle of this year
Today at 4:24 am by Rocky
» Oil poses two conditions for moving the Doura refinery to an alternative location
Today at 4:23 am by Rocky
» The Foreign Minister reveals the truth about his resignation and the reason for his departure to Erb
Today at 4:22 am by Rocky
» Progress: Al-Halbousi’s acquittal has become conclusive, and his return to the presidency of Parliam
Today at 4:20 am by Rocky
» Disagreements strike Al-Maliki's coalition over choosing the governor of Diyala
Today at 4:19 am by Rocky
» The Union accuses Türkiye of exploiting the political situation for a ground incursion into Iraq
Today at 4:18 am by Rocky
» The Democratic Party: Barzani is eagerly awaiting the results of Al-Sudani’s visit to Washington
Today at 4:17 am by Rocky
» Frame: Al-Halbousi in the news and his return has become a pipe dream
Today at 4:16 am by Rocky
» A parliamentary request to capitalize on Erdogan’s visit to Baghdad to end the water crisis
Today at 4:15 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani urges the US corporation Honeywell to help finish the Basra refinery
Yesterday at 2:48 pm by Rocky
» Al-Sudani Meets with Representatives of Western Media Outlets in Washington
Yesterday at 2:46 pm by Rocky
» Chairman of the Investment Authority signs the United Nations Convention on International Mediation
Yesterday at 2:44 pm by Rocky
» PM: We will sign a contract to establish the Al-Faw refinery with a Chinese company
Yesterday at 2:42 pm by Rocky
» PM arrives in Houston as part of his visit to USA
Yesterday at 2:41 pm by Rocky
» Militia Man & Crew 4/18/24 Bush signed it and all presidents implemented it. Iraq’s funds have been
Yesterday at 1:46 pm by Rocky
» Iraq is close to launching the electronic signature
Yesterday at 7:12 am by Rocky
» The Basra government discusses with an international oil company the implementation of social benefi
Yesterday at 7:11 am by Rocky
» The Prime Minister confirms to an American company: Gas projects in Iraq are a priority for the gove
Yesterday at 7:10 am by Rocky
» The Minister of Planning discusses with the World Bank mechanisms for scheduling external loans
Yesterday at 7:09 am by Rocky
» Oil sets the twenty-seventh of this month as the date for opening contracts for the fifth complement
Yesterday at 7:08 am by Rocky
» “Electronic begging”...professionalism and fabrication of stories” generates millions of dinars dail
Yesterday at 7:05 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani calls on the American company Hanwell to contribute to the completion of the Basra refiner
Yesterday at 7:03 am by Rocky
» An American company expresses its willingness to establish LED lighting production lines in Iraq
Yesterday at 7:02 am by Rocky
» Including Iraq.. Iran announces the possibility of exporting 300 megawatts of “renewable electricity
Yesterday at 7:01 am by Rocky
» Political forces present two options to find an alternative to Al-Halbousi
Yesterday at 6:58 am by Rocky
» Parliament is awaiting the arrival of the budget schedules and the government is studying higher spe
Yesterday at 6:56 am by Rocky
» The International Monetary Fund adjusts its expectations for the development of the world’s economie
Yesterday at 6:54 am by Rocky
» A representative talks about the difficulty of finalizing the file of “electing the Speaker of Parli
Yesterday at 6:50 am by Rocky
» Work on preparing a law for diplomatic passports
Yesterday at 6:49 am by Rocky
» A female representative accuses the Ministry of Immigration of corruption
Yesterday at 6:47 am by Rocky
» Minister: Solving the Kurdistan salaries problem is the beginning of addressing other disputes betwe
Yesterday at 6:45 am by Rocky
» About 270 million dollars were sold by the Central Bank of Iraq in the currency auction
Yesterday at 6:42 am by Rocky
» The volume of trade exchange between Jordan and Iraq will exceed 800 million dinars in 2023
Yesterday at 6:41 am by Rocky
» Iraq signs memorandums of understanding with American companies in the fields of electricity, oil an
Yesterday at 5:31 am by Rocky
» The American company that manufactures the F16 expresses its readiness to implement the terms of con
Yesterday at 5:30 am by Rocky
» The volume of expected Qatari investments for the Iraq Fund for Development exceeds $3.5 billion
Yesterday at 5:29 am by Rocky
» Decrease in dollar prices in Baghdad and Erbil
Yesterday at 5:27 am by Rocky
» The President of the Region brings together the Kurdish parties to resolve the election file
Yesterday at 5:26 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani receives in Washington the Chairman of JPMorgan
Yesterday at 5:25 am by Rocky
» Transport is starting to transform its ports into smart ones
Yesterday at 5:23 am by Rocky
» Sudanese reveals the volume of exchange with America
Yesterday at 5:22 am by Rocky
» "Al-Eqtisad News" publishes the memorandums of understanding signed between the Iraqi delegation and
Yesterday at 5:21 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani urges an American company to contribute to establishing a chemical materials factory
Yesterday at 5:20 am by Rocky
» Iraq stresses the importance of Lockheed Martin's commitment to opening military aircraft maintenanc
Yesterday at 5:19 am by Rocky
» Iraq is on the verge of a “water disaster” by 2035
Yesterday at 5:18 am by Rocky
» Great satisfaction and optimism with the results of Sudanese’s visit to Washington
Yesterday at 5:16 am by Rocky
» Transport is beginning to adopt a plan to transform its ports into smart ones
Yesterday at 5:15 am by Rocky
» Completed 8,000 loan transactions at the Housing Bank
Yesterday at 5:14 am by Rocky
» Prime Minister: We plan to invest production capacities for export
Yesterday at 5:12 am by Rocky
» Transformation and partnership...a new horizon in Iraqi-American relations
Yesterday at 5:10 am by Rocky
» What is new in the economic dimension of the Washington visit?
Yesterday at 5:09 am by Rocky
» Two letters to the future
Yesterday at 5:08 am by Rocky
» National interests first
Yesterday at 5:06 am by Rocky
» Iraqi-American rapprochement...a national necessity
Yesterday at 5:05 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani’s visit to Washington and the course of Iraqi-American relations
Yesterday at 5:04 am by Rocky
» Sudanese carries security, economic and development files to Washington
Yesterday at 5:03 am by Rocky