Active Duty Bad Behavior

[Green Tabasco]

First thread with a touchy subject (No trolling or baiting intended)



Why is it, that after a few beers, soldiers start to act like they own anything and everything, wherever they are at?

In short, they become violent asssh0les.

Your thoughts.

[daisrael]

First thread with a touchy subject (No trolling or baiting intended)



Why is it, that after a few beers, soldiers start to act like they own anything and everything, wherever they are at?

In short, they become violent asssh0les.

Your thoughts.

Could be the same reason why Cops and FireFighters get that way after they get drunk. They have allot of built up stress that they let out in a bad way.

[Scarecrow]

Don't know why, I was always a calm drunk. Plus it wasn't worth it to get in trouble especially if you were drinking. Losing half your pay for 6 months, reduction in rate or rank, and 90 days extra duty and 90 days restriction wasn't worth it.

[Dirt McGirt]

I never fought more then in the US Army in Germany. My post had 7 combat battalions alone. 2 Infantry, 2 artillery, 2 Armor, and 1 combined arms Cavalry Squadron. That is a lot of lonely Americans teenagers out on the town Fridays, and Saturdays nights. Fights were inevitable.

[Moishe]

First thread with a touchy subject (No trolling or baiting intended)



Why is it, that after a few beers, soldiers start to act like they own anything and everything, wherever they are at?

In short, they become violent asssh0les.

Your thoughts.

Might as well throw frat boys into the equation.

[Green Tabasco]

Might as well throw frat boys into the equation.indeed.

[DoyleG]

I never fought more then in the US Army in Germany. My post had 7 combat battalions alone. 2 Infantry, 2 artillery, 2 Armor, and 1 combined arms Cavalry Squadron. That is a lot of lonely Americans teenagers out on the town Fridays, and Saturdays nights. Fights were inevitable.

Being in an isolated posting doesn't help either.

[Dirt McGirt]

Being in an isolated posting doesn't help either.Bamberg was where I was stationed and it was a fairly big town.

[The Lieutenant]

Might as well throw frat boys into the equation.

I to use this comparison with my civilain friends. My Soldiers are like college freshmen. First time away from home, freedom to go out, get drunk, get in fights.

The good thing is, being a leader in the Army, you have the ability to take away money and free time (the more productive method). If they don't learn, you kick them out. After 2 years of service, most soldiers figure it out, just like college students.

[JBigjake]

Soldiers are like college freshmen. First time away from home, freedom to go out, get drunk, get in fights.
You're suggesting that soldiers didn't go out, get drunk & get into fights before enlisting?

[Nick_78]

I to use this comparison with my civilain friends. My Soldiers are like college freshmen. First time away from home, freedom to go out, get drunk, get in fights.

The good thing is, being a leader in the Army, you have the ability to take away money and free time (the more productive method). If they don't learn, you kick them out. After 2 years of service, most soldiers figure it out, just like college students.

Wow, that certainly is a simplistic, condescending view of the way the enlisted man thinks and acts. Wait, you're an Army officer? Color me shocked!

[Dirt McGirt]

Wow, that certainly is a simplistic, condescending view of the way the enlisted man thinks and acts. Wait, you're an Army officer? Color me shocked!
I think he was being fair and he's correct to a certain degree.I know that after two years of active duty I learned how to avoid trouble and keep out of Top's office. At the same time the culture of my unit was to never leave a man behind so if you saw one of your boys getting his ass kicked you jumped in and helped out. You might get some extra duty but usually Top didn't take money from the guys that went to help a buddy. Considering the demographics of your average line unit it's amazing more fights didn't occur.

[Nick_78]

I think he was being fair and he's correct to a certain degree.I know that after two years of active duty I learned how to avoid trouble and keep out of Top's office. At the same time the culture of my unit was to never leave a man behind so if you saw one of your boys getting his ass kicked you jumped in and helped out. You might get some extra duty but usually Top didn't take money from the guys that went to help a buddy. Considering the demographics of your average line unit it's amazing more fights didn't occur.

To a certain degree he is correct. I was just pointing out the overly condescending tone I've come to expect from Army officers.

[The Lieutenant]

Overly condescending? Maybe, but it is an honest assessment. As an officer, especially a commander, you are responsible for your men. When you have seen guys in other units get killed because of accidents involving alcohol, and you want to avoid it with your guys, sometimes you have to be a condescending dickhead.

Like Jaypro said, fighting wasn't as big of a deal. Except for the guy that started it. Extra time hurts a soldier more than taking money. As my old CSM used to tell us COs, "take away Joe's money, his buddy is going to buy him beer. Take away Joe's time, and he'll feel the pain (in my best deep southern accent)."

Something also to remember. Different types of units get differnet types of Soldiers. My platoon back in 1997 was Field Artillery. 16 guys and I would guess that 12 of them had some sort of dicipline issue. But they kicked ass in the field so you tolerated it and didn't kill their chances for promotion. My company command was in a Joint environment where I had Soldiers with masters degrees and PHDs. I had two problem Soldiers out of 125, and they were both Sr. Enlisted.

So yes, maybe I was beeing over simplistic, for all Soldiers, but maybe not for guys in Combat arms.

[Nick_78]

You seemed to have missed my point entirely.

[The Lieutenant]

I'll lose a lot of sleep over that tonight.

[Dirt McGirt]

Honestly don't officers need to maintain a certain amount of aloofness in order to affectively command? I didn't find anything the LT said as condescending just more a matter of fact. Who knows?

Speaking of active duty bad behavior in Germany the police have spring loaded billy clubs. Ask me how I know?:D

[The Lieutenant]

Reminds me of a funny story from the 2002 World Cup. We (about 5 guys from Sam's Army) were partying at Gecko's, a pub in Itewon-Seoul, along with a hundred Danes, 20 French dudes, a shit load of Irish guys, and other western fans. At about midnight the US Army MPs came into the bar. The fans looked at the MPs like "what the ********?" The MPs with their billy clubs looked at the fans as if "******** if I know if there are any soldiers out past curfew" and left. I had to explain what they were doing, and why I now needed a floor to crash on as I wouldn't be able to get back onto the base to my hotel until 0600 that morning.

[DoyleG]

Bamberg was where I was stationed and it was a fairly big town.

I've been to bases where isolation is part of the norm (especially in major training centers that require so much land). Those kinds of bases are located a distance away from communities that could offer the soldiers an escape, not the small towns that are adjacent to it. It's even worse when you don't have your own car so your basically left only being able to do what's offered on base.

[Nick_78]

I'll lose a lot of sleep over that tonight.

Oh don't go losing sleep on my account, LT!

Having worked with all five branches (you're welcome, Coast Guard) I've got to say the Army officers are the ones I wanted to shake the most. Don't get me wrong, I ran into some real peaches in the other branches, but it seemed like every time there were any Army officers around there were at least one or two douchebags who thought they were George Patton reincarnated and at least one ********tard butter-bar who would act as though you had just slapped his mother if "sir" didn't follow every third word out of your mouth.

Don't worry, I don't hold it against you. You never stood a chance. So sleep tight, LT.