Wheres the troops--

[marine]

Alright, here is my, "in the trenches" view on public officials.

The president. yup, stand there at attention and do the dog and pony show. no matter who. most military folks have been under the command of a woman at one point or another in their careers. nothing wrong with that really. Does it matter if the president is a man or woman? no not really.

Other officials. Honestly, troops in the trenches give two craps about who is coming to visit them and talk to them. Especially if it is just another person from the house or senate. oooooooo the speaker of the house? big friggin deal honestly. just yet another senator grabbing for a photo op.

stand there in formation, listen to the banter, and roll your eyes and everyone makes ridiculous comments to each other while the hot air flies.

Now, throw in a public official who has vehemently opposed the war and done things that negatively affect the military and its ability to recruit folks and upgrade itself.

Now make me stand there in the hot sun in uniform and take away from my time... yea... I'm gonna be real happy there and just be a bucket of respect.

woman vs man.... the mentality still exists in the military with the whole "combat arms and no women" occupational specialities = lack of leadership.
I'm not saying it to be funny or a wiseass. I am saying it because that mentality is STILL out there. Its a stereotype that is out there. Is it true? no, not really. Is it still the stereotype out there? you betcha.

Nothing funner than being deployed for months on end year after year... then standing in formation for an official or dignitary and having their military service record read off and its all office billets for 10 years or such. It makes you bitter. That bitterness carries over to all persons of that stature.

Its just like the people that are so damn dead set against recruiters on college campuses. They heard about one soldier's bad experiences so now every soldier is bad bad bad evil evil evil.
stereotypes.

 

[gardenweasel]

but she`s a "grandmother"!!!!

and hillary`s the new "margaret thatcher"....lol

you seriously think,smurph,that regardless of murtha`s service....and given his public views on the war and the military.....his defeatist attitude and his convicting those soldiers of atrocities BEFORE a trial...that they`d show him genuine respect?.....

you think,given a choice,they`s sit down and break bread with him?..... with guy`s like kerry and rangel that say only fools and the uneducated enlist?.....

i seriously doubt it....

 

[smurphy]

Weasel, my question was directed towards people who served, like DTB, Marine, DJV, Kosar etc - not you. I know what your opinion is already, but it's not based on any personal experience - unlike those guys who have been overseas in the uniform.

But thanks anyway....

i seriously mean that.....

 

[djv]

Marine summed it up nicely. You have to remember how changes take time. Back when I was serving there were no woman in congress. I take that back I believe two. But none in Senate. And those serving could only be Nurses and Typist/Office workers. But god bless all our Grandmothers and Mothers of ours that help save us in WW II. They took to the factories in force building Air planes, Tanks, Jeeps and making Ammunition.They were dam sure needed.