I was a third-generation soldier. My paternal grandfather served during the Great War. Dad, WW2, and was recalled for Korea. I served in Desert Storm and Joint Endeavor, although I was comfortably ensconced in Germany for that last one. There have been other soldiers in the family; my great-great-grandfather, most notably, served in a volunteer infantry regiment during the Civil War and later died at age 46 from complications of wounds (fortunately for me, not before siring my great-grandfather.) My wife served as well and was awarded the Bronze Star in Desert Storm for her setup and command of a medical aid and transfer station that handled thousands of patients.
So, you could say I come from a family with a military tradition. No generals, no career types, no Medal of Honor winners, no high-speed, low-drag special operations types; of the three of us shown above, Grandpa was a cook, Dad was a bomber navigator, and I was a medical supply puke. But we all served, went where we were sent, and did what we were told, and after a few years, we went home. Grandpa served for two years. Dad, four, all told. Me, twelve, between active Army and reserve formations. Grandpa left the service a Quartermaster Sergeant (Senior Grade), Dad, a Second Lieutenant, and myself, a Captain, with a fair chunk of time as an enlisted man.
And even though a draft was in place for much of the time span that applies to my ancestors, none of us were drafted; we were all volunteers. This is why I find it distressing that the Army, now, is having trouble recruiting soldiers, and in hanging on to the ones it has.
Army Times obtained internal Army Recruiting Command figures that indicate the service has reached approximately two-thirds of its combined active duty and Army Reserve enlisted contract goals as of Sept. 1. The command issues internal contract goals that differ from the Army’s official accessions goals, explained Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Ruth Castro, who authenticated the numbers.
According to the internal document obtained by Army Times, the command intended to sign nearly 94,000 active and reserve applicants before Sept. 30. But as of Sept. 1, with one month to go in the fiscal year, only around 62,500 recruits (or two-thirds of the contract target) had signed up. Pre-training losses winnowed that number to just under 60,000, or approximately 63.7% of the signing goal.
While the Army Times does not speculate as to the reasons for this shortfall, policies such as the Obama Administration's change on transgender service members, opening combat arms roles to women, and the development of gender-neutral physical fitness standards certainly played a role. The common thread seems to be that, as the military forces forget about war-fighting and embrace woke-ness, fewer and fewer young men will see the value - and, yes, the honor - in service.
Our military is important, but so are the traditions and customs that give it meaning and definition; a family tradition of service is a vital part of that. We need families like Hershel Williams, a WW2 Medal of Honor recipient whose grandson, like me, served in Desert Storm. We need families like the Sullivan brothers, all five of whom perished on the USS Juneau in 1942. We need families like the Lees, starting with "Light-Horse" Harry Lee, who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution and whose son, Robert Edward, is best known for commanding the Army of Northern Virginia.
Families with this tradition were once common. When I reported to Ft. Dix, NJ, in the spring of 1984 for my basic training, I remember wishing I had a dollar for every young man in my company who cited a father or grandfather who had been a big part of their reason for joining. But now, due to the Pentagon and the federal government's mishandling of the military, I'm afraid we will be losing those family traditions, and the Army I loved will become just another federal make-work operation. We are losing not only recruits but also families with a history of service because of stupid and misguided policies. When soldiers serve, they should serve knowing that we will not seek out war, but should it come, we are prepared to fight it and win. Right now, it's not at all clear we are ready to do that.
This has to change.
My colleague Bonchie recently pointed out how the military's general/flag officer corps needs a serious revamp. He's right. But the civilian leadership needs to remember, too, that the function of a military is not to provide jobs to the "disenfranchised" or "disadvantaged" groups but to win wars. Until war-fighting resumes its rightful priority, fewer families will continue to see the value of a military tradition. We have six grandchildren; none of them are in the military. None of them plan to be. Were they to ask my advice, I would warn them away from serving in today's environment. I'm proud beyond words of my family tradition of service. But I don't want to see any grandchildren lost due to stupid practices that destroy readiness.
The proper role of an Army is to close with and destroy the enemy by fire, maneuver, and shock effect. Until the Pentagon and the civilian leadership remember that, fewer and fewer families will continue to see the value of a military tradition.
This seems appropriate.
