Post by ccgandrt on Jun 11, 2007 13:40:26 GMT -5
Friday, June 8, 2007
The standards of Army Induction have dropped to Vietnam levels.
After my leaving the Military for good, I found that my skills on the "outside" were very limited in the declining job market. Hence, I applied to work for a company called MPRI, which is a company founded by former members of the General Staff of the US Army. In any case, I was hired to work as a Guidance Counselor at the Los Angeles MEPS, (Military Entrance Processing Station), located in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Southern California. Ironically, it is also the largest such Processing Center in the nation.
Through my youth, and prior to my joining the Army myself and serving for 23 years as man and boy, I had heard the horror stories of "go to war or go to jail" from the Vietnam Era. That era marked one of the lowest points in United States Military History as many of the draftees and Enlistees were of, shall we say, less than honorable backgrounds. Taking nothing away from the valor of those who served in Vietnam, many of those who were sent there should never have been in uniform. Many were felons, drug abusers, or worse, however, due to the unpopularity of the Vietnam Conflict, (as it was called back then), the United States was willing to take whoever they could to fight in that conflict/war, regardless of moral or ethical standards.
Of course, post-Vietnam Military became all volunteer, therefore, more standards were put in place to ensure only the best and most ethical and sound of mind persons were allowed to serve in the uniform of the Armed Forces. It worked. As with any organization, some "bad apples" did sneak in, only to be removed before they could wreak havoc, however, for the most part, the dark days of mass rape and murders had ended for the Armed Forces, and for the United States Army.
Then, as if to set the clocks back to 40 years ago, along came 9/11. After that day, all things changed. The cries for Revenge rang out over the shouts of anger and pain. The United States War Machine was about to be unloosed upon the World. At first, the target was supposed to be Osama Bin Laden, and Congress wanted his head just as much as the fervent George W. Bush, however, the larger agenda for Bush was Iraq, the war his father never finished and the oil-rich nation he yearned to possess.
As time passed and the orders came down to invade Iraq. Yes, Iraq. The military slowly and inexorably moved ahead with the invasion of Iraq, and the eventual capture and death of Saddam Hussein.
To make a long story shorter, much shorter than this war will go on, I began working at the MEPS two years after the Invasion and occupation of Iraq. In fact, only three weeks after the famed "Mission Accomplished" speech. I figured my 23 years of experience would help me to guide young persons who wanted to join the Army find the right career path. I would find out in my training there that the mission was not to find these young persons the jobs they wanted or deserved, but to fill the ranks with anyone and everyone willing to go through the two-day ordeal of medical and paperwork filled days under the watchful eyes of salesman and liars.
Yes, I said liars. Recruiters do anything and everything to get a "bite" from a young and impressionable person, even going as far as promises of dating and adventure. But, during a time of war, this appealed most to those who previously had not been deemed qualified to serve in a military of any kind due to gang affiliations or past criminal activities. In short, the time to scrape the barrel was about to start, and I had a front row seat.
Under the very noses of my employers I witnessed for the brief six weeks I worked for MPRI and at MEPS the slow and methodical destruction of my former Army at the hands of all former Army Recruiters. Trained deceivers and liars whose sole purpose now as Guidance Counselors was to get anyone signed up, sworn in, and off their books as soon as each 18 hour day would allow.
Jump to today, June 8th, 2007. Read any form of online or written word on Iraq and you will find stories of torture, rape, murder, and looting. When I am finished, you will know why.
Back to 2005, and the eye-opening day that changed my ideals forever. In a 22 hour day, weakened by a yet undetected heart condition, I sat through the myriad of files of potential enlistees. It was on this, the beginning of my quiet protest against immoral and unethical practices of enlisting criminals and thugs first found its roots.
On that fateful day, (two days before Christmas), I started to notice that while reading the various files of potential Army Enlistees that several had not completed school, or had barely a GED. This was the first indication of an educational drop in standards from when I first Enlisted. Secondly, I noted that many of the male want-to-be inductees had criminal backgrounds ranging from gang activities to assaults. I thought, as a former Command Sergeant Major, there would be no way in Hell these people would even make it to swear in. Well, after being told by my Station Commander, (an E-8 who ironically officially I outranked), that these "standards" are changed from what they had been prior to the Iraq War. In short, I was told to pass along these otherwise disqualified persons to the Background Check Specialist, a former Kansas Lawman who handled getting those who had a rap sheet Enlisted. He was very adept at his job and the Operations Desk, one floor up signed waivers by the hundreds every day.
I saw thugs walk in the doors, dressed in Gang Attire with gang tats and gang logos on parts of the body formerly considered ineligible in AR 67-1, (Army Regulation concerning wear of uniform which states that tatoos of a certain type cannot be worn due to gang or radical organization affiliations), were being waived simply to fill the void in the Enlistment gap.
In short and quite appalling to me, the Army had gone back to join the Army or stay a criminal philosophy of the 1960's and 1970's. The only major difference was that a Draft no longer existed and judges were not sending these people off to train to kill and use weapons. No, it was the Department of Defense under the guidelines of then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. And the President, George W. Bush knew the standards of enlistment were now at the level below those even used in fast food establishments.
I approached several of the new inductees and asked them why they wanted to join the Army. Many said that they now could whereas before this war they would be told they could not. Others simply stated "they wanted to kill Iraqis". That was a real wake up call for me. Thugs wanting to train on how to kill, (anyone for that matter, and professionally), and then when they were done with the Army would retain said training and reinsert themselves back into their former gang neighborhoods. That was pretty much the beginning of the end for my job, as I went to the Officer in Charge and questioned this practice. I was told, in as curt a manner so undeserving of my 23 years service and commendations that "Your job is to do the paperwork, and to let the superiors worry about the whys and specifics as to the Standards now being enforced".
So, after six short, sickening and stressful weeks of having to swallow all my pride, all my honor, and watch potential murders, rapists, and looters bus off to training, my physical and mental stamina had broken. I submitted my resignation. I stated that I could no longer work for the MEPS as long as they continued to enlist persons of not only questionable character, but of self admitted gang affiliations, as their LA Tatoos proudly professed. I was told, "Thanks for letting us know how you feel Sergeant Major, but we can find someone of less conscience to do your job in a day".
It is now, after all these years and after a one-year stint at the Pentagon as a Military Analyst that I had to come forward and explain why the Army, the Marines and the hired Mercenaries from Blackhawk are conducting themselves, (not all mind you), in the manner in which they are. A standard holds you accountable for actions considered dishonorable. Well, with those standards now at an all-time low, and more and more thugs and criminals in uniform, it is no wonder there is so much murder, rape, and criminality being conducted by the Army, (as I can only speak to them as I enlisted a few at MEPS), but also by the Marine Corps. It is my conscience that has finally helped me write this to tell the people who have little or no knowledge as the the whys of the poor conduct of the Military, that it is the United States Department of Defense which is responsible for allowing criminals to wear what I once wore with honor.
Thank you.
Retired Command Sergeant Major Daniel L. Diaz, United States Army
greenberetranger1960.blogspot.com/2007/06/standards-of-army-induction-have.html
The standards of Army Induction have dropped to Vietnam levels.
After my leaving the Military for good, I found that my skills on the "outside" were very limited in the declining job market. Hence, I applied to work for a company called MPRI, which is a company founded by former members of the General Staff of the US Army. In any case, I was hired to work as a Guidance Counselor at the Los Angeles MEPS, (Military Entrance Processing Station), located in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Southern California. Ironically, it is also the largest such Processing Center in the nation.
Through my youth, and prior to my joining the Army myself and serving for 23 years as man and boy, I had heard the horror stories of "go to war or go to jail" from the Vietnam Era. That era marked one of the lowest points in United States Military History as many of the draftees and Enlistees were of, shall we say, less than honorable backgrounds. Taking nothing away from the valor of those who served in Vietnam, many of those who were sent there should never have been in uniform. Many were felons, drug abusers, or worse, however, due to the unpopularity of the Vietnam Conflict, (as it was called back then), the United States was willing to take whoever they could to fight in that conflict/war, regardless of moral or ethical standards.
Of course, post-Vietnam Military became all volunteer, therefore, more standards were put in place to ensure only the best and most ethical and sound of mind persons were allowed to serve in the uniform of the Armed Forces. It worked. As with any organization, some "bad apples" did sneak in, only to be removed before they could wreak havoc, however, for the most part, the dark days of mass rape and murders had ended for the Armed Forces, and for the United States Army.
Then, as if to set the clocks back to 40 years ago, along came 9/11. After that day, all things changed. The cries for Revenge rang out over the shouts of anger and pain. The United States War Machine was about to be unloosed upon the World. At first, the target was supposed to be Osama Bin Laden, and Congress wanted his head just as much as the fervent George W. Bush, however, the larger agenda for Bush was Iraq, the war his father never finished and the oil-rich nation he yearned to possess.
As time passed and the orders came down to invade Iraq. Yes, Iraq. The military slowly and inexorably moved ahead with the invasion of Iraq, and the eventual capture and death of Saddam Hussein.
To make a long story shorter, much shorter than this war will go on, I began working at the MEPS two years after the Invasion and occupation of Iraq. In fact, only three weeks after the famed "Mission Accomplished" speech. I figured my 23 years of experience would help me to guide young persons who wanted to join the Army find the right career path. I would find out in my training there that the mission was not to find these young persons the jobs they wanted or deserved, but to fill the ranks with anyone and everyone willing to go through the two-day ordeal of medical and paperwork filled days under the watchful eyes of salesman and liars.
Yes, I said liars. Recruiters do anything and everything to get a "bite" from a young and impressionable person, even going as far as promises of dating and adventure. But, during a time of war, this appealed most to those who previously had not been deemed qualified to serve in a military of any kind due to gang affiliations or past criminal activities. In short, the time to scrape the barrel was about to start, and I had a front row seat.
Under the very noses of my employers I witnessed for the brief six weeks I worked for MPRI and at MEPS the slow and methodical destruction of my former Army at the hands of all former Army Recruiters. Trained deceivers and liars whose sole purpose now as Guidance Counselors was to get anyone signed up, sworn in, and off their books as soon as each 18 hour day would allow.
Jump to today, June 8th, 2007. Read any form of online or written word on Iraq and you will find stories of torture, rape, murder, and looting. When I am finished, you will know why.
Back to 2005, and the eye-opening day that changed my ideals forever. In a 22 hour day, weakened by a yet undetected heart condition, I sat through the myriad of files of potential enlistees. It was on this, the beginning of my quiet protest against immoral and unethical practices of enlisting criminals and thugs first found its roots.
On that fateful day, (two days before Christmas), I started to notice that while reading the various files of potential Army Enlistees that several had not completed school, or had barely a GED. This was the first indication of an educational drop in standards from when I first Enlisted. Secondly, I noted that many of the male want-to-be inductees had criminal backgrounds ranging from gang activities to assaults. I thought, as a former Command Sergeant Major, there would be no way in Hell these people would even make it to swear in. Well, after being told by my Station Commander, (an E-8 who ironically officially I outranked), that these "standards" are changed from what they had been prior to the Iraq War. In short, I was told to pass along these otherwise disqualified persons to the Background Check Specialist, a former Kansas Lawman who handled getting those who had a rap sheet Enlisted. He was very adept at his job and the Operations Desk, one floor up signed waivers by the hundreds every day.
I saw thugs walk in the doors, dressed in Gang Attire with gang tats and gang logos on parts of the body formerly considered ineligible in AR 67-1, (Army Regulation concerning wear of uniform which states that tatoos of a certain type cannot be worn due to gang or radical organization affiliations), were being waived simply to fill the void in the Enlistment gap.
In short and quite appalling to me, the Army had gone back to join the Army or stay a criminal philosophy of the 1960's and 1970's. The only major difference was that a Draft no longer existed and judges were not sending these people off to train to kill and use weapons. No, it was the Department of Defense under the guidelines of then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. And the President, George W. Bush knew the standards of enlistment were now at the level below those even used in fast food establishments.
I approached several of the new inductees and asked them why they wanted to join the Army. Many said that they now could whereas before this war they would be told they could not. Others simply stated "they wanted to kill Iraqis". That was a real wake up call for me. Thugs wanting to train on how to kill, (anyone for that matter, and professionally), and then when they were done with the Army would retain said training and reinsert themselves back into their former gang neighborhoods. That was pretty much the beginning of the end for my job, as I went to the Officer in Charge and questioned this practice. I was told, in as curt a manner so undeserving of my 23 years service and commendations that "Your job is to do the paperwork, and to let the superiors worry about the whys and specifics as to the Standards now being enforced".
So, after six short, sickening and stressful weeks of having to swallow all my pride, all my honor, and watch potential murders, rapists, and looters bus off to training, my physical and mental stamina had broken. I submitted my resignation. I stated that I could no longer work for the MEPS as long as they continued to enlist persons of not only questionable character, but of self admitted gang affiliations, as their LA Tatoos proudly professed. I was told, "Thanks for letting us know how you feel Sergeant Major, but we can find someone of less conscience to do your job in a day".
It is now, after all these years and after a one-year stint at the Pentagon as a Military Analyst that I had to come forward and explain why the Army, the Marines and the hired Mercenaries from Blackhawk are conducting themselves, (not all mind you), in the manner in which they are. A standard holds you accountable for actions considered dishonorable. Well, with those standards now at an all-time low, and more and more thugs and criminals in uniform, it is no wonder there is so much murder, rape, and criminality being conducted by the Army, (as I can only speak to them as I enlisted a few at MEPS), but also by the Marine Corps. It is my conscience that has finally helped me write this to tell the people who have little or no knowledge as the the whys of the poor conduct of the Military, that it is the United States Department of Defense which is responsible for allowing criminals to wear what I once wore with honor.
Thank you.
Retired Command Sergeant Major Daniel L. Diaz, United States Army
greenberetranger1960.blogspot.com/2007/06/standards-of-army-induction-have.html