What is Going on? By: James Phipps

OK people, everyone that I am friends with knows by now, that I am in the Army and happy to be serving my country, at a time of war. I have been deployed to Iraq twice and deployed in support of the war on terror in another part of the world, once. I have had this on my mind for a few weeks now and cannot help but vent it here. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS GENERATION!!?!?!?!? WHAT IS GOING ON?!?!? I have to tell you, I am in Korea right now, which for those of you that don't know, a lot of new soldiers in the Army are sent here right out of school. Most of these new soldiers have no idea about their jobs, or really what it means to be a soldier. I have one I will use as an example. I'll call him Private Smith, just to be nice and not throw his real name in the mud. PVT Smith joined the Army and went to basic training in FT Jackson SC. He graduates basic and progresses to Advanced Individual Training, where he begins 18 weeks of training, to become familiarized with the aircraft engines he will be required to maintain and fix during his 6 years, that he agreed to serve. PVT Smith scrap's through and is sent to the Republic of Korea. Now, I am not a discriminating type at all but the first time I saw PVT Smith, I was down right disgusted at his appearance. He is overweight by more than the Army would ever allow a person to be, even with a medical condition. I asked him when he was taped to see where he stood as far as his Body fat percentage (the army has a standard percentage that you cannot exceed). He told me he had never, ever been taped. So this kid made it through basic and AIT somehow never being taped... OK, well i guess some people slip through the cracks. I told him that I was a Engine guy also and I would be working with him and teaching him in our shop. Little did I know that he would pretty much become my soldier and I would have to see that he was squared away on everything that he did. Well, every soldier has to have a Physical fitness test completed within the first 30 days, so PVT Smith is given a PT test. He failed every event. EVERYTHING!!! He is 8% over on his body fat... the worst I have ever seen in my military career. When I sat down with PVT Smith to see where the problems were and how we could fix it (me trying to help my soldier) he lost his temper, told me he didn't care about some stupid test, and that his dad was a chief warrant officer 3 retired and he didn't have to take this crap. Well for those of you in the Army, NCO's, Officers, and lower Enlisted, you know what happened next. I spent the next 2 hours smoking the daylights out of a spoiled little brat. The problem is, he doesn't care. But me being a NCO, I cannot allow a new soldier to think he can talk to me that way, especially when I am trying to help him. As I am out there with him in the blistering heat and humidity, I am talking to him and the more I ask him the madder and madder he is getting. I am baffled. What is this kids problem? Well apparently he joined the Army because he thought that it would be fun. That he could pretty much just skate on through everything, because his daddy was a such and such. WRONG! This kid grew up with a TV for a babysitter while his father and mother worked all day long. He has never had to be responsible for anything, especially his actions and now he is thrown into a unit with a prick (that would be me), of a NCO that wants to pick on him. Remember what I said about trying to help this kid? He took everything I was doing as an insult and took it as me picking on him. Wwwaaaaaa... cry me a river people. What is he going to do if he has to go to Iraq and possibly have to shoot his weapon? Apparently that won't happen to him, either. I was in Iraq when this fat blob was sitting on his mommy and daddy's couch eating chips, drinking soda and getting fatter... I was over there dodging mortars and bullets, maintaining all our aircraft as the only engine mechanic, keeping this little spoiled brat free and he wants to whine to me about how hard the army is... Come on, what in the world is really going on in some of these homes across America, that this is the quality of people that we are staring to get, to defend our great nation. I am really scared that we are going to start seeing more and more of this and those of us that have the stomach for doing what we have to, to defend our country and families are going to have to start fighting twice as hard to make up for those soldiers that really shouldn't even be called a soldier at all. I have had it with these people. I am not going to go to war with a person that will quit the first chance they have because its HARD!... I have seen hard PT. This is not hard; it hurts but its not hard. I will not take the chance that I might be killed, and my children will lose their daddy because some punk kid thought the Army would be fun. Like summer camp. I'm serious these are the type of soldiers that are starting to filter into our Military ranks.

I gave PVT Smith 30 days to show me improvement in both body fat % and his attitude. If he still acts and looks the way he has been looking, disgracing this uniform that so many soldiers... so many of my own friends have worn and died in, I am kicking his butt out of the Army and he can go back to serving all of you great Americans, your burgers. I will not trust my life and the future of this country to a spoiled brat that doesn't even have enough respect for those that have worn this uniform and died to keep us all free, to at least honorably serve his country for a short amount of time and give back a little of this gift that he has been handed on a silver platter. Freedom is far from free; it is paid for in blood. Blood of those who have come before me and of those whom I have been dear friends with. I will not disgrace those people, and have pledged to not let others do it, either. The only way to keep our country safe is to have people defend it that are dedicated to giving their all, and if need be making the ultimate sacrifice so that others may live. I heard it said once by an Admiral that was in charge of our small group that, "We will fight this fight tonight, we will kill the enemy on their grounds so that our families and friends can sleep in peace." Somewhere out there while you are sleeping, a soldier is firing his weapon. Your freedom and PVT Smiths freedom are paid for with the blood of my brothers in arms. Please remember that, as you raise your children, people. Someday our kids will become our defenders, I want to know that there are strong men and women serving this country, that are dedicated to its defense. I want to be able to sleep in peace when I am retired and know that those young soldiers are willing to pay that ultimate price for my freedoms. I know I am more than willing to give my life tonight so that each of you can sleep in peace. I am raising my sons to know and think that serving their country is an Honorable thing, that is in no way easy but it is very rewarding. If you have not ever been in the Military, I do not hold that against you. It is not meant for everyone, but for those of you who are in, or have served, I pray that you take every second of this serious because trust me, when the bullets fly past you there is no asking for a timeout. Whoever just sent that round at you wants one thing and that one thing, is not for you to go home alive. You have to be committed to finish the task, no matter what the cost. Those are the type of Soldiers this nation needs. Not the ones who think its a game. Or that sitting on the couch eating chips and drinking soda is more fun.

I ask you now to pray for out Military because we are in a time of war and all we can seem to get are a bunch of punk kids that have more talent blowing snot bubbles, than keeping their minds focused on being better than the enemy. The example I gave is one soldier I have that I am dealing with. There are 5 total in one Platoon (53 people) ,2 of which are NCO's, leaders of soldiers!!, that have hidden in Korea for the past 5 years, since they joined the Army to avoid the war. How sorry is that? I have been. I am going to go back. I have volunteered for a organization that will have me back in Iraq possibly by this time next year. Why because I am dedicated to making sure my family and yours is safe. Think about the future; I know I am.