Ironically, this was also the subject of a number of discussions at the Reunion last week…
What follows are the words of an individualist (who prefers to remain unidentified) who has set down in writing what a many of us “Old School Guys” have been thinking for a while. Entitled “Where have all the fighter pilots gone?” it is about far more than fighter pilots. It is about leadership and how the homogenizing effect of political correctness in the military (and elsewhere) is causing the number of leaders to dwindle. . Read on….and pardon the non-political correct language….
I received the following from one of my comrades who served with me during the Harvest Reaper/Combat Lancer project –
It makes a lot of sense to me, and I agree with this assessment of one of the areas in which the military has followed the wrong path…
Where Have All The Fighter Pilots Gone? We used to go to the Officers Club or NCO Club Stag Bar on Friday afternoons to drink, smoke and swap lies with our comrades. Think about this when you read the rest of the letter below.
What happened to our Air Force (or Military)?Drinking then became frowned on. Smoking caused cancer and could “harm you.” Stag bars became seen as ‘sexist’. Gradually, our men quit patronizing their clubs because what happened in the club became fodder for a performance report. It was the same thing at the Airman’s Club and the NCO and/or Top 3 clubs.Now we don’t have separate clubs for the ranks. Instead we have something called All Ranks Clubs. Their open to men and women of all ranks….from airman basic to general officer. Still, no one is there. Gee, I wonder why.
The latest brilliant thought out of Washington is that the operators (“pilots?”) flying remote aircraft in combat areas from their duty station in Nevada or Arizona should draw the same combat pay as those real world pilots actually on board a plane in a hostile environment. More politically correct logic? They say that remote vehicle operators are subject to the same stress levels as the combat pilot actually flying in combat. —– REALLY!!!???Now that I’ve primed you a little, read on…
There are many who will agree with these sentiments, but they apply to more than just fighter pilots. Unfortunately, the ones with the guts to speak up or push for what they believe in are beaten down by the “system”.Unfortunately there is a lot of truth in the following text – supposedly, Secretary Gates has a force beating the bushes to learn who wrote this….
Subject: Where Have All The Fighter Pilots Gone?Good Question.
Here is a rant from a retired fighter pilot that is worth reading: It is rumored that our current Secretary of Defense recently asked the question, “Where are all the dynamic leaders of the past?” I can only assume, if that is true, that he was referring to Robin Olds, Jimmy Doolittle, Patton, Ike, Boyington, Nimitz, etc.? Well, I’ve got the answer:They were fired before they made major.Our nation doesn’t want those kinds of leaders anymore.
Squadron commanders don’t run squadrons and Wing commanders don’t run wings. They are managed by higher ranking dildos with other esoteric goals in mind.Can you imagine someone today looking for a LEADER to execute that Doolittle Raid and suggesting that it be given to a dare-devil boozer – his only attributes: he had the respect of his men, an awesome ability to fly, and the organizational skills to put it all together?
If someone told me there was a chance in hell of selecting that man today, I would tell them they were either a liar or dumber than shit.I find it ironic that the Air Force put BG Robin Olds on the cover of the company rag last month. While it made me extremely proud to see his face, he wouldn’t make it across any base in America (or overseas) without ten enlisted folks telling him to zip up his flight suit and shave his mustache off.I have a feeling that his response would be predictable and for that crime he would probably get a trip home and an Article 15.
We have lost the war on rugged individualism and that, unfortunately, is what fighter pilots want to follow; not because they have to but because they respect leaders of that ilk. We’ve all run across that leader that made us proud to follow him because you wanted to be like him and make a difference. The individual who you would drag your testicles through glass for rather than disappoint him.We better wake the hell up! We’re asking our young men and women to go to really shitty places; some with unbearable climates, never have a drink, have little or no contact with the opposite sex, not look at magazines of a suggestive nature of any type, and adhere to ridiculous “regs” that require you to tuck your shirt into your PT uniform on the way to the porta-shitter at night in a dust storm because it’s a uniform.
These people we’re sending to combat are some of the brightest I’ve met but they are looking for a little sanity, which they will only find on the outside if we don’t get a friggin’ clue. You can’t continue asking people to live for months or years at a time acting like nuns and priests. Hell, even they get to have a beer.Who are we afraid of offending? The guys that already hate us enough to strap C-4 to their own bodies and walk into a crowd of us? Think about it.I’m extremely proud of our young men and women who continue to serve. I’m also very in tune with what they are considering for the future and I’ve got news for whoever sits in the White House, Congress, and our so-called military leaders. Much talent has and will continue to hemorrhage from our services, because wanna-be warriors are tired of fighting on two fronts – – one with our enemies, another against our lack of common sense. AMEN!!!
Most of us (old farts) would have been kicked out of the service for what we did back in the day, not only for the partying, but also for the actions we took onstation/in combat without ‘guidance’ from higher… I know for a fact I had more latitude as a JG and LT than most full CDRs have today…
Comments from any other old farts out there???
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Sadly there’s virtually a mirror post out there somewhere about where all the real cops went. Society wants real men of action to solve it’s problems when diplomacy fails, but the PC crowd comprised mainly of wimps, failures and assorted liberals (redundant, I know) has as it’s goal the subjugation of such warriors. Society is now geared towards driving the attributes that make heroes right out of our men and women who have always had those attributes and applied them to our benefit. They’ve mostly succeeded in crushing the warrior culture and excising any would-be warriors from our midst.
A couple of thoughts. I read something on a blog somewhere a couple of months ago about what I guess could be called the “brain drain” in the military.
Apparently group think is in, individualism, initiative, and thinking are out. As a result, some of the most talented field grade officers are leaving the military well before they have served 20 years. All that training and education go to the private sector.
It’s not just the military. I see this in the civilian world as well. Boys are being demonized in a very sick way. Rough housing is now bullying, unsupervised (by an adult) sports are frowned upon. I don’t think that most people with ADHD are boys. That sort of rambunctious behavior used to be normal for boys because they grow up differently. Now, it’s considered a “syndrome” and boys who are “hyperactive” are drugged to make them more docile. Girls are given preference in every area of academia, at the expense of boys.
It’s the femininization of much of western society. For now we have enough alpha males to staff our military, police, and other professions that need aggressive characteristics, but I wonder ho much longer that will last.
Just call a male chauvinist pig.
Not sure if I qualify as an old fart, but things are definitely different. What was once denounced as chickenshit is now considered the order of the day. Rigidly enforced uniform and grooming standards in the field, reflective belts, and no alcohol or hanky panky directives are a symptom of leaders who don’t trust their troops to do the right thing.
What it boils down to is a group of senior leaders who grew up in the parade ground of the 1990’s and never learned that getting the mission done comes first, and sometimes you have to look the other way or relax your grip in order to get your people to perform.
Politicians and lawyers. They ruin everything.
Bravo!
Flower power thinking in full bloom.
Even back in the 90s we were joking that we didn’t have the USAF or USMC anymore; it was US Air and the US Marine Corporation.
I retired as an E-6, never made E-7 basically because they hated my ass for bitching about their chickenshit. Glad I did. I don’t think I would have survived much longer without getting busted, especially in today’s climate.
Wait a minute – can’t hear well for all the F22s buzzing overhead…
Can’t comment from direct experience but the son of a friend graduated very near the top of his class at the Academy several years back. I guess that gives one options.
He started out wanting to be a fighter pilot – ended up choosing A-10s … because he could “fly” them.
My only experience with flying things is air-air/air-ground missiles … and things that look down on things flying through the atmosphere – and mostly the pilots control those.
But I’m glad we have the best pilots on our side…(as I’ve been hearing that NATO’s complaining about missing our capability now the US is backing off Libya.)
I suppose if you can be a “pilot” and live in/near Las Vegas, one can get the attitude of why do the real thing and get shipped to strange places?
The will is probably still there in the select few – but the outside incentive is probably a bit lacking anymore.
From the outside, the military as a profession seems to be a worse career choice now than anytime since Vietnam. I hope it isn’t that way on the inside…
As previous comments have noted, there seems to be a prevailing “greenie group-think” attitude. That and the politicians having an apparent disregard for how we treat and deploy our troops.
Just a thought – and an uneasy feeling we’ll need that capability for real in the near future.
“We have lost the war on rugged individualism”
This goes hand-in-hand with my post a while back about Masculinity. How instead of improving ‘men’ there was an effort to devolve men into pre-pubescent boys.
They were fired before they made major.Our nation doesn’t want those kinds of leaders anymore.
How true!
It’s not really a brain drain in the military – more of a testosterone drain. And it’s what the military wants. And that’s what they get.
The tag line here is that while eagles soar, weasels don’t get sucked into jet engines.
Murph- VERY true…
TOTW- We are even losing the GOOD females that are JOs for the same reason…
DB- Risk adverse is THE buzz word…
Alan- True!
TJ- Thanks!
WSF- point!
Crusty- That’s why I retired as a LT. 🙂
Anon- You’re points are valid and hopefully we can recover BEFORE we get to that point…
North- Hadn’t thought about it in that light, but you’re correct… sigh…
LL-Dead on, but the weasels make rank… dammit…
2 words: Pat Schroeder
Its the same in the corporate world as well. I was fortunate enough to begin my professional career under the tutelage of WW II veterans. They cared more about results than political correctness. Here’s an example:
When our Marine Department Manager learned that the IRS had locked the shipyard where our brand mew tug boat was moored for non-payment of taxes he didn’t call a meeting and brainstorm options. Instead he had a coule of his guys paddle a pirogue up the dock and rescue our tug from the Yankee Government.
As youn engineers we were put in charge of construction projects worth several milions of dollars and we were expected to finish them on time and on budget. We had to make decisions on the spot when we were miles offshore without the aid of coputer models, cell phones or fax machines. We could not hide behind a group concensus. I miss those days!
When was the last aircraft you saw with nose art? That’s when it started.
Gerry
Alan nailed it succinctly and it permeates all parts of our lives.
It’s the reason some are crying for universal health care…
We don’t want personal responsibility anymore…
None of that “tough decision making” for me, please!
And one other thing I heard and agree with the other night:
There’s nothing “correct” about political correctness. Let’s stop using that term and instead use “Cultural Marxism”…
-Being forced by the thought police into saying words that won’t offend.
When society collapses around us, real leaders will again come to the fore.
Be prepared, or be a victim.
Still at it, after passing 65 a while ago. Viet Nam, Desert Storm, got the credentials. We are not allowed to fight, and we are not allowed to win. Dilbert is us. I teach pilots that are so good at their craft, that I am humbled, but the army treats them like children. Children rebel, men don’t, men lead, or leave.
We still have some in SOF and NSW in particular. Not “fighter pilots” literally but certainly we have no-kidding operators wearing gold shoulder boards. We still have our share of fools and sons-of-bitches (always have, always will) but they are the exception rather than the rule. I bailed at three stripes, one of my contemporaries (and one-time boss) has three stars and may get a fourth.
Yes, we lost some especially good LT’s (O-3) in the 90’s, but we’re bringing up some good lads these days. Michael Murphy anyone?
Stretch- Good point, hadn’t thought about her, but she was the start…
PE- I hadn’t realized it has become that pervasive… sigh…
Gerry- Vietnam, I don’t count the 2-3 examples during the first Gulf War.
GB- Dead on the money, dammit…
In the 60’s (Air Force) we drank hard, and worked harder. We were given some slack, because we kept the planes in the air. I served with WW2 B-17 pilots, and Korean War B-29 pilots, and I expect they wouldn’t be wanted now either. …they were irreverent as hell, and solid as a rock. Woody
“TOTW- We are even losing the GOOD females that are JOs for the same reason…”
At my place if I said that, or worse said “minority” instead of “females” I’d probably be fired. The best I could hope for would be a long suspension and a sentence to a re education camp. I mean, sensitivity training. Because it is absolutely verboten to suggest that someone might have been hired or promoted because of their race or gender. Even if they failed the process and the process had to be retooled so they qualified.
I admit to being old, the rest I will selectively not hear… but I loved to train a bunch of young men and then take them to where they had never been before – running twelve miles out in the empty spaces in Oklahoma, sending them off to do some unwanted, unsung detail and then seeing their surprise because I was there in the dark and cold with them. Part of my problem with my time immediately after Gulf War I was that I really did think I knew more about what needed done than many of the Commanders and staff echelons above me. But then I had an alarmed 1LT mother telling her son that he might not be old enough to use scissors cutting snowflakes with the Old Sergeant
Major, who definitely had a different opinion of the boy’s capabilities – he was eager, he was a keeper (so what that he was six).
wv rearsit (back of the bus)
Anon- You ARE one of the old breed… I cheerfully followed one of your contemporaries into more than one ‘situation’ because he was leading from the front… Thanks for still taking the time to do the ‘right’ thing!
Boat Guy- You are right, and I know of whom you speak. The ‘advantage’ of NSW is they are pretty much under the ‘radar’ of the general Navy population, and can/do get away with grooming/growning community leaders that are GOOD! Having said that, I still know a few Chiefs that are less than happy with the current crop (Murphy not withstanding).
Woody- Good point! Gen Dolittle being a prime example, Yeager another…
TOTW- You know me, I’ll say it because it’s true, and damn the PC asshats… But you do make a good point.
Earl- I would venture to guess you did, since you were not looking at the situation with ‘rose colored’ glasses, but through the hard eyes of a long time professional soldier. And boot officers, regardless of the service are ALL the same… need leadership from a GOOD senior enlisted…
As soon as I started reading this the name Robin Olds popped into my head.
One of the guys I work(ed) with at Boeing knew him in ‘Nam, and says everything you hear about him is true….including the fact that his men would fly through Hell and back for him.
It’s like the last line in the movie “The Bridges at Toko Ri”, where the carrier commander asks “Where do we get such men?”.
Indeed, where do we get them TODAY?
drjim- They are there, but in VERY small numbers by comparison…
Flying a UAV from home base is nothing like risking your ass over potentially hostile airspace.
Old NFO, your blog is right on, I wonder who authored this pcs to start with. Today, all you have to look at are the JCS and their underlings. I believe one of the 5 JCS has any real combat time/experience, maybe from behind the front lines. One of the JCS bloated about s bronze star with V, but never mentioned what the V was for. What we have within the JCS is no mystery, hand picked to support the Weak Dick in Charge, who by the way is scared sheeeeet of the military. Today, one has no idea who these generals are loyal to, we will see when the tide turns. Bunch of weak dicks, corporate generals all licking obama’s arse.