An Unhealthy Atmosphere: Social and Moral Issues in the US Military

The US military is the most powerful in the world. Trained and trained personnel make a decisive contribution to their combat effectiveness. However, servicemen often face social, moral, criminal, and other problems. All this negatively affects both the climate in individual units and the performance of the entire army. They are trying to fight against negative phenomena, but they are far from complete victory.

Long-standing problems

The main social and moral problem of the US Army, from which all others grow, should be considered the lack of due respect for comrades in the service. This leads to various forms of bullying, incl. on racial, national, sexual, social and other grounds. There is also a classic hazing associated with titles and length of service. Often, such phenomena develop and lead to open crimes.

For a long time, the Pentagon has been fighting the problem of banditry. Due to the imperfection of the selection system, members of criminal or extremist organizations are recruited. In some cases, they are specially "introduced" into the army for the study of military science and the subsequent use of this knowledge in illegal activities. Attempts to build gangster cells in units are also identified and suppressed.

At the end of the 1s, the FBI estimated the share of such a contingent in the army at 2-XNUMX percent. Thanks to a set of measures in recent years, this indicator has significantly decreased. However, the problem has not been fully resolved, and the Pentagon, together with other organizations, has to continue working.

In recent decades, the Ministry of Defense has been paying great attention to the problems of sexual violence. According to reports in recent years, tens of thousands of military personnel of both sexes face it every year. Until recently, not all of them applied to the relevant authorities, and only 5-7 percent. established cases ended with a real punishment for the perpetrator. In addition, in some cases they tried to take revenge on the victims.

Subsequently, programs were launched to improve the moral climate in teams, to prevent harassment and violence, as well as to prevent silence and “letting go” of established cases. These programs, as well as various socio-political processes observed in the army and in the United States as a whole, led to a certain improvement in the situation, but did not completely eliminate the problem.

Another long-standing problem is the suicide of military personnel, both in service and after dismissal. During the 30s, the number of suicides among the military and veterans was about twice as high as the average for the United States - 100 per 14 thousand of the population per year against 2012. In 177, losses from suicides among soldiers and officers in service exceeded combat losses - 176 against XNUMX.

Measures of various kinds have been taken since the mid-nineties. In the XNUMXs and XNUMXs, the legislative framework was expanded. The Pentagon's Office of Veterans Affairs has received new powers and capabilities. Also, new organizations were created to provide psychological, medical and social assistance. By the end of the last decade, all this led to a significant reduction in suicide, but has not yet completely solved the problem.

Equality issues

The current socio-political agenda in the United States pays great attention to issues of equality, diversity and inclusion. However, in general, sound ideas are implemented in a very specific way. There is both opposition from disgruntled persons and overly active performance that runs counter to common sense. After the well-known events of the last year, such problems have manifested themselves especially strongly.

One of the main current trends related to racial and other issues is the revision stories USA in the light of current views and opinions. This is already leading to scandals in the military. For example, in the spring of this year, Lt. Col. M. Lohmeyer of the Space Force published the book "Irresistible Revolution", in which he severely criticized such processes and called them an attempt by Marxists to undermine American defenses. The command considered this unacceptable, and the lieutenant colonel was removed from his post.

In mid-September, at one of the conferences, an opinion was voiced on ways for the further development of the Special Operations Forces. It is proposed to involve not only "strong bearded guys" in them; there must be other types in advertising for such a service. How such "diversity" will affect the combat capability of the MTR is unknown, but the proposal has already attracted criticism.

In publications and interviews on the topic of diversity and inclusion, there is a fairly balanced opinion. Military veterans point out that the army has been quite diverse over the decades. Men and women of all races and nationalities served in it, and such issues did not really matter. During the service and during operations, everyone was not worried about the gender and skin color of a colleague, but his skills and abilities.

However, the US military and political leadership does not share this opinion. It remembers the importance of preparation and skills, but now pays increased attention to other aspects as well. This approach is not without reason gives rise to claims - and its critics are accused of racism and other sins.

Threat from above

The army must follow the orders of the country's leadership. Obviously, mistakes of the latter can lead to certain problems and losses, incl. moral and reputation character. For example, the operation in Afghanistan and its recent completion hit the mood and the positive image of the army.

The US military has fought terrorism in a faraway country for nearly 20 years and has sometimes even shown some success. However, all this was accompanied by setbacks that spoiled the overall picture. Finally, an urgent evacuation with various unsightly episodes finally consolidated the negative result.

One of the reasons for all these failures, including the recent evacuation, is reportedly due to dubious decisions by the military and political leadership. In particular, the organization of the export of citizens from Afghanistan was entrusted not to the armed forces, but to the foreign policy department, which did not have all the necessary tools and coped with the task with great reservations.

The events of previous years also do not improve the image of the army and the country's leadership. Iraq, despite all efforts, a few years ago almost completely fell under the rule of terrorists, and the Syrian operation is being delayed and does not give any clear results. Perhaps the US army could deal with these situations as part of a full-scale operation - but this is not what the authorities want.

There are also other questionable decisions. The top officials are seriously discussing the possibility of abandoning the previously approved plans to increase the size of the Navy. Despite the growing "Chinese threat", the White House does not rule out saving on navy, which will become the main means of confronting the new enemy.

As a result, the US military can no longer perceive itself as an invincible force. In addition, there are doubts about the prospects for development and the ability to meet current and expected challenges, such as the growing military forces of China. Such doubts do not contribute to maintaining the correct attitude and moral climate, at least at the level of individual departments.

An unhealthy future

Thus, for all its advantages and high performance, the US military continues to face various social and moral problems. Over the years, various measures have been taken, due to which it is possible to improve the situation both in individual areas and in general. Nevertheless, none of the characteristic social and moral-ethical problems has yet been fully resolved. Moreover, over time, new ones have appeared.

It is obvious that the Pentagon will continue to implement the programs already started, and this is likely to lead to a new reduction in harassment, harassment, etc. We should also expect the launch of new measures to combat other phenomena that contradict the current socio-political agenda.

It can be assumed that current and future programs and projects will gradually improve the morale in the army, but still will not be able to completely rid it of all problems. In addition, the reasons for some of the observed negative factors should be sought at the very top of the political and military hierarchy - and they are unlikely to be actively combated.

Comments

[teptyar]

Interesting article. You can even have a series of similar articles about the armies of potential adversaries. thanks

[Cat Alexandrovich]

And here the article seemed to me very superficial, shallow - like, an unsubscribe from the one who was forced (or simply asked) to write it. Well it is necessary, so here you are.

[teptyar]

and that's why they threw me cons)))
Here I, for example, how I think and act - I read an article completely unexpectedly, I liked the topic and began to study it, expand my knowledge, if it is interesting to me. Otherwise, this article would not exist and I would not think about it

[knn54]

The army is a part of civil society, and no Pentagon programs will significantly help, because the problems of society will be problems in the army as well.

[AUL]

And this applies not only to the United States.
We see a straw in someone else's eye ...

[Zufei]

But somewhere there is our log)

[The leader of the Redskins]

I absolutely agree with you. In the article, you can change the phrase "US army" to most others (well, I miss the armed forces of the Vatican, the Principality of Monaco, etc.) and the problems will remain the same. Although, as far as I know from the media, "hazing" from amers is eradicated. By our standards.

[Viktor Sergeev]

This article is about the US army, if you want to write about the Russian army. As I understand it, you are only interested in a speck in your eye.

[AUL]

Quote: Victor Sergeev

As I understand it, you are only interested in a speck in your eye.

A speck in my own eye bothers me. I know about these motes firsthand. And how are things in the US Army - so let them itch in their body, and it is deeply equal to me!

[Yuri Grubov]

who does not know his enemy, but knows himself, that bulet should be lost in half the case (c) an old Chinese girl

[Viktor Sergeev]

Can you tell me about our motes? The army is not Smolny. I served in the early 90s, this was a huge log.

[Magic archer]

When generals change sex, it only says that this society is incurably painful. The military has always been associated with a defender, a brutal male. The army was a male stronghold of chtoli, no offense to female military personnel. But the charging society itself did everything to make the army a laughing stock. So it's not a pity. Continue. Rainbow flag in your hands

[Yuri Grubov]

the brutal male is a tautology. And how the breeding function determines protection

[Ros 56]

The US military is the most powerful in the world.

This was especially evident in Afghanistan in the last month of their stay there. And where else did this manifest itself, the author will not tell you? Just mind not citing Middle Eastern and North African examples. After all, everyone understands that no matter what modern weapon to give a monkey, it will still remain a monkey.
So there is no need to sing the praises of the striped ones, they are even afraid of Comrade Eun.

[Filxnumx]

The category of power of the US Armed Forces is most prominently manifested when their budget is announced. Judging by the allocation figures published yesterday, the Pentagon is seriously preparing to repel an attack by a race of space animals led by Boris-animals.

[English tarantas]

You forgot in the locker room:

[Pashhenko Nikolay]

After the death of two soldiers in the same unit, it’s time to talk about the unhealthy atmosphere in the US Army. It's kind of awkward about ours.

[Roma 1977]

The soldiers' job is to die. Now, if in the same unit two soldiers turned out to be transgender ...

[Aviator_]

What are the guys with the shovels doing in the very first picture? Is snow removed in Siberia?

[Undecim]

Is snow removed in Siberia?

The Americans have enough snow of their own. This is the Donnelly Training Area in Alaska. Quite a picturesque place.

[Ilya Nikitich]

The place is really picturesque, but where is the snow?

[Undecim]

and where is the snow?

Falls out in winter.

Did you know that it is summer in Alaska?

[Ilya Nikitich]

Yes, there that summer ...

[kova1967]

No empire exists for a long time! She's bursting from the inside! Example; Roman Empire, French Empire, Russian Empire, USSR. All died due to internal problems!

[Evil troll]

The Roman Empire existed for five centuries, wow "not for long."

[paul3390]

And if you add Byzantium, which, in fact, seriously considered itself Roman, then 1500 years .. Not bad for an empire ..

[Yuri Grubov]

well, then the third Rome should be added

[Prisoner]

"The US armed forces are the most powerful in the world. Trained and trained personnel make a decisive contribution to their combat effectiveness. However, military personnel often face problems ... They try to fight against negative phenomena, but they are far from complete victory." (with) Directly the editorial of the Krasnaya Zvezda magazine. What power, etc. can we say when these POWER in a panic shot each other at the Kabul airport? And they have their own morality for them, their own mattress - their own shirt is closer to the body, while no one sees do what you want. They will eradicate the bald trait in their troops when the whole society lives by these laws.

[Alex_Bora]

This is Kirill Ryabov. He translated the article published "there", and stamped the translation "here" without even combing the wording.
So we got an article similar to the report of the "political department" or the department for educational work.

[Wildcat]

"In recent decades, the Ministry of Defense has been paying great attention to the problems of sexual violence. According to reports of recent years, tens of thousands of servicemen of both sexes face it every year. Until recently, not all of them applied to the relevant authorities, and only 5-7 percent of cases were completed with real ones. punishment for the guilty. In addition, in some cases, they tried to take revenge on the victims. " Hmm, they don't know our customs there ...

Our army is ready to face sex abusers. Personnel trainings are held regularly, the special forces are still in the lead: "They raped with a mop. Two GRU special forces were detained for bullying subordinates." medical examinations. As Osechkin specified, other victims are currently testifying. " https://www.gazeta.ru/social/20/2021/09/27.shtml
"... the major tied the soldier's hands and fixed them so that the private was fixed in a standing position with his arms outstretched. At this time, Panov continued to beat the soldier with a branch, insulted him and threatened him with a construction stapler, which was in his hands. attach .... .... a private to a tree. " And further in the text.
How do you like that, Ilon Musk?
How will the Pentagon respond?
How are they there in America?

[Knell wardenheart]

The main challenge for the US Army is that an effective war machine is based primarily on UNIFORMITY. This is in a well-known conflict with the American cultural and social policy of recent decades, which has a negative attitude towards uniformity, both external and cultural-moral-sexual-racial, etc. Here, in my opinion, the United States falls into the same insidious trap that the USSR fell into when it began to flirt with the national policy of cultural encouragement and pluralism. Instead of imposing and encouraging uniformity, contributing to the strengthening and creation of a nation, the opposite motives were imposed, as a result, this resulted in a parade of sovereignty and small-town nationalism-elitism. By analogy, this whole line of tolerance of all types in the US Army will lead to the fact that a solid part of the army runs the risk of being incapacitated or rapidly decomposing in wartime in a prolonged stressful environment, implying precisely these same bonuses from uniformity. Such as persistence and predictability, for example.
HF in which national men, women, representatives of non-traditional sex serve. orientations - they risk being less persistent, and history teaches us that resilience in war is a very important parameter, if not the most important one.
So far, they are solving this problem by consolidating and building up the structure and emphasizing the use of various remote vanderwaffe, which reduces the impact of prolonged stress of combat conditions on personnel. In local conflicts, this works, but in wars of attrition or potential global conflict, it may not fire, as happened in Vietnam, for example.

In my opinion, there is no conceptual solution here because, as I noted above, the basic principle of building an army is in conflict with the national-socio-cultural policy of the United States. And there is a tendency for this contradiction to grow.

[Mikhail3]

"So the service is good, but like a fire - at least quit." The problem of any army, the main one from which all the rest grow up - for the sake of which a soldier should die. Wearing a uniform, getting a salary, doing various workouts and exercises, all this is quite tolerable and normal. But like a fire ...
US troops used to focus on "preserving our way of life." They say we, in the USA, have a paradise surrounded by hordes of barbarians. And we are obliged to protect this paradise from all these savages, for the sake of our children and our future. It was a good topic, correct and correctly presented. But it's over.
In the United States, it has long been not a paradise, and it is precisely for those who, in the main, go into the army. So the question of why to go into battle is more acute than ever. And since there is no correct answer to it, the army is rotting. This is how it should be.