January 2009 - Retired Reservist

  • They do the training differently these days

    I just read the Stand-to article about the train up of the 56th Division for their deployment to Iraq. The thing that strikes me as the single most significant difference from the old school method is the significant active component support to the training effort. Gone for the moment are the days in which the Active Component did little to assist the training needs of a reserve component unit. Here we see the complete effort as it should always be to provide resources (Funding, scheduling, trainers...
  • Gay members in the Military

    Read the piece in Newsweek titled Don’t Ask Too Fast In that article it discusses the President –elect’s stated goal to allow openly Gay men and women into the Military Ranks. In the article I found interesting the passage In the next year, Mullen might have to ask troops to do something many will find even more uncomfortable: welcome openly gay men and women into their ranks. Such was the promise made by President-elect Obama in the 2008 campaign—gay-rights groups will hold him to it. To many civilians...
  • 2009 - the year of the NCO

    Happy New Year to all – 2009 – the Year of the Non Commissioned Officer The news about what the Army has done for this year In October 2008, Secretary of the Army Pete Geren announced that 2009 would be designated as "the Year of the Noncommissioned Officer." In noting his gratitude and support for noncommissioned officers (NCO), Secretary Geren remarked that NCOs have provided invaluable service and continually proven their dedication and willingness to sacrifice. With our nation at war...