Gay acceptance to be priority mission in Afghanistan
AndyMFM sends us link to an article in the Washington Times by Rowan Scarborough about how the ranking enlisted man in Afghanistan tells us how sensitivity training for accepting gays in the ranks will take priority over combat operations;
Army Command Sgt. Maj. Marvin Hill, the top enlisted man in Afghanistan where 100,000 U.S. troops are deployed, said that the sessions on respecting gays’ rights will go right down to the forward operating bases, where troops fight Taliban militants.
“I have heard about the training that will be forthcoming to the battlefield,” Sgt. Hill told Pentagon reporters via a teleconference from Kabul.
“We will take our directions from the Department of Defense, from the secretary of defense, the chairman, as well as the service chiefs of each service. Our plan is to take their direction, and we’re going to execute that training right here on the battlefield.”
No unit is exempted, he said.
“Our goal is to not allow a unit to return to home station and have the unit responsible for that,” he said. “While we own those soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, we’re going to execute that training on the ground. We hope that it will have little impact on their combat and security operations here.”
See that last line beginning “We hope…”? Notice there was no “We hope we can find time for idiot sensitivity training while we’re fighting our nation’s enemies.” It’s “we hope we can still fight while we’re sitting around, circle jerking and navel-gazing over some douchbag’s feelings”.
I’ve had some real doinks for sergeant major over the years, but never one that has pistol grips on his boots.
Category: Military issues
While I was a supporter of seeing DADT go away, this idiocy is exactly why I didn’t want to see the issue dealt with till after the war.
Oh come on. It’s one more stupid PowerPoint (or S-3 presentation) in the avalanche of stupid PowerPoints mandated by DoD or the individual services, forward deployed or not. You’re only pissed because it’s about gay people.
Glad to see that the Sergeant Major has his priorities right. Screw actually fighting, make sure everyone gets their sensitivity training. Along with not losing diversity, this is what’s really important.
No, not at all, ask the folks here, I’ve been very vocal about my support for the repeal of DADT. My primary concern as it relates to this article is for soldier safety and the idea that when you’re in a war zone you should be thinking about war, not social issues.
Please don’t presume to tell me why I’m pissed, especially since you don’t know me at all.
At the end of the day, the CSM has to follow orders. I did notice the reporter got the CSM’s rank incorrect; and the PAO who reviewed the report failed to correct the errors. Last time I heard tale of a CSM being referred to as “Sgt” said CSM provided close, personal mentoring to the offender.
Heavy sigh here.
To use an old and stupid line from the liberals…
“IT WILL ONLY BE USED AS A RECRUITING TOOL FOR AL-QAEDA!”
“We hope that it will have little impact on their combat and security operations here.”
Yeah, well when the left was selling us this BS they assured us that it would have NO IMPACT whatsoever on combat and security operations, if not a positive impact. So now we’re going to have sensitivity training for soldiers in the combast zone and hope for that the disruption will be minimal.
Jacobite,
I was replying to John’s post, not your comment. Sorry for the confusion.
NSOM, you need a new act, this one is getting old. Haven’t you noticed that I pick on everyone who is not EXACTLY like me?
I got mad when I had to do sensitivity training on race in the seventies.
I got mad when we had sensitivity training on gender in our infantry battalion.
I got mad when my last sergeant major used sergeants’ time to have the local NCOA rep come in and try to sell us insurance.
Get the idea?
This the kind of issues that our troops don’t need on the battle field. What part of this issue don’t powers to be understand? DADT came about with Clinton when he tried to lift the ban. For those of us that were there and remember that lifting it or rumor of it was a mess at the time. The gay bashings that followed even ended in deaths.
Now we have come back to this issue in a time of war? Earlier attempt required alot of time and resources of the senior ranks to try keep a lid on the damage that took away from our real missions. As the CSM states hopefully they will be able to continue their real combat missions without being so side tracked that we have higher combat deaths because of gay rights.
CSM Hill coined me twice in Iraq years ago when he was the 101st CSM. I think DaveO is right, like everyone else a CSM must follow orders. The fact that General Petraeus has selected him as his enlisted advisor on multiple occasions means something as to the capabilities of the man. I honestly liked him, especially after Christmas at Tal Afar, when CSM Hill took the stage to lead us in carols.
I think there comes a time in a CSM’s career where one must decide how much they want to play politics. It’s just my opinion, and I mean no disrespect to anyone, but especially those CSMs selected to serve with general officers must start playing PC. Compare any Infantry battalion or even brigade CSM to their division, corps, or higher counterpart and the difference is plain. The same could be said for officers. There are many great LTCs and COLs that will never see the general ranks just as there are many great SGMs that will never get CSM time past the battalion level.
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Lulu, Thomas Coolberth, ccs, Roger Loiselle, A Proud Veteran and others. A Proud Veteran said: Gay acceptance to be priority mission in Afghanistan http://bit.ly/ej6z2y Via This Ain't Hell […]
Jeez….
Now if some Spc tells you to blow him you gotta wonder if its an invite, a slur, or figure of speech.
“Sgt. Hill is an outspoken proponent of ending the ban.
“If there are people who cannot deal with the change, then they’re going to have to do what’s best for their troops and best for the organization and best for the military service and exit the military service, so that we can move forward – if that’s the way that we have to go,” Sgt. Hill said on the television show, “Washington Watch” in December.”
There is a difference between following orders and being a cheerleader for policies.
I especially like the idea that people who cannot deal with the change will have to exit the service. I wonder how many linguists/other critical specialties we’ll lose/fail to gain now?
Whisky tango what the fucking fuck!!!!
Steady there, Claymore, you’re gonna blow a fuse.
John,
I’m sure you didn’t like the other sensitivity training but that’s not how you’re phrasing it. You came out angry about GAY integration training. You didn’t say “oh no, MORE sensitivity training.” See the difference? You’re against DADT being repealed and you’re clearly harping on this because it’s the result of that, not because of the silly notion that troops will some how not get what they need on the tip of the spear because they had to sit through a new 20 minute brief. I mean come on, be real.
I’ve never said I was against the repeal of DADT. I’m against the repeal NOW! While there’s a war going on. And it’s not going to be a 20 minute power point presentation. The Puzzle Palace Wizards have been noodling over this for years and you think all of that brain dust will fit into a 20-minute slide presentation? Who is the one who is not being real?
“the silly notion that troops will some how not get what they need on the tip of the spear because they had to sit through a new 20 minute brief.”
Is that really your perception of the impact this will have NSOM?
One sees the concept getting lost in translation in, say, Afghanistan.
“Reza, it’s your sixth day of literacy training at officer school and you’ve done very well, especially since this is your first brush with formal education in any sense of the phrase. You go, girl.
So how about a little celebration (good times)? Today we’re reading a very special book called ‘Farouk has two Daddies and one of them wears halter tops and that’s OK because it’s fine.’ And if we finish comprehension quick enough maybe we leave early, crack open some Ben & Jerry’s (get it, BJs?), queue up some GaGa on the Youtube and hit the club!”
Jacobite,
Yeah, I do. This Chicken Little act with DADT going away is silly. The notion that troops forward deployed getting a new sensitivity brief has some tangible affect on our war fighting capacity is flat out hysterics.
Even if throwing a new special class into the mix in the middle of a combat zone wasn’t an issue, can anyone explain to me how making “acceptance of homosexuals” a priority could possibly not hurt our “hearts and minds” campaign in a nation of people who predominantly hold an anti-homosexual attitude that makes NSOM’s characterization of Jonn’s opinion of homosexuals look like a Barney song?
John,
I expect it to follow the same template used for all the other damn briefs we’ve had to sit through. People are getting crazy with the way their imagining this going down, like their base Parade Deck is going to turn into a mini-Castro district.
Cortellaen,
Good point. Better our female troops into armored burkas.
Well NSOM, if your thinking is indicative of the new thought process common amongst our fighting forces, I’m damned glad I just retired, and I’m more than a little worried for the future of our military. Drive on Marine, you’re gonna make a great staff weenie some day.
Okay, I’m a little slow in this arena, so you guys might have to help me with this. The article says that the training will go to the forward operating bases. Those are ours guys behind the sandbags looking at the insurgents, right?
And someone is going to talk with these men, who will probably hunker down with their (loaded) rifles across their laps to listen, about being sensitive to homosexual feelings?
My impression, with the above mental image, is that such briefings would be a) short, and b) profane.
And if the Pentagon didn’t get the message from the combat soldiers before DADT was repealed, I have a feeling that they will now!
Jacobite,
The pasture is that way.
Off the top of my head, these are the “20 minutes” of power point slides that I have to sit through annually – SEDA, EO, sexual harassment, suicide prevention. Add to that DADT now. Depending on the presenter, plan on almost 2 hours for each training event. I know that there are more, I have just become the drone who gets the e-mail to be someplace at some time for some required annual training.
Add to that DADT now.
–And exactly what does it involve? Couldn’t this be seen as a waste of time by, I don’t know, gay troops at the front? Really, is a hide-the-hose-in-the-shed joke going to put off someone getting shot at by the Taliban, who as we all know give homosexuals such a great shake.
Lol, I’m reminded of a parable concerning the ‘age wars’.
Two bulls, one old and one young, standing at the top of a field watching a herd of cows. The young one says, “hey let’s run down and mount one of them”, and the older one says, “patience, let’s walk down and mount them all”.
Run along and learn Marine, and when you get a little older remember to look back fondly on those years when you thought you had all the answers not only for yourself, but for other people as well. 😉
Jacobite,
Bizarrely inappropriate and self congratulatory parables aside I’d like to point out that I’ve never claimed I’ve got all the answers. Far from it.
Bobo: I hear yah! RR/EO, and the whole alphabet soup of annual classes to make us more tolerant. Funny thing is after all that I still just expected my soldiers to be soldiers and do their jobs to their fullest.
The response was perfectly appropriate since you made reference to the idiom ‘out to pasture’, and it was not self congratulatory at all since I made no emphasized references to personal accomplishments nor did I pat myself on the back for anything.
As for you claiming to have all the answers I quote, “The notion that troops forward deployed getting a new sensitivity brief has some tangible affect on our war fighting capacity is flat out hysterics.”
In addition to that you are trying to paint a picture of the integration training as being no big deal, nothing to worry about, and likely no more than sitting “through a new 20 minute brief”.
What exactly are you basing your opinion on if not presentiment or clairvoyance?
NOSM, the focus on Jonn in regards DADT is interesting, esp. given the obvious hard on you have for him.
Jacobite, I would say from the yell that the shot was on target…
Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ, NSOM, it’s “Jonn”- 2 n’s, 1 J, 1 oh my God, you’re an unfortunate child. There is no “h”.
Can you not read his posts, or the top of the page, or the bottom of the blogs…………………
Nice that he’s motivated, but he should get out of the “just following instructions” ghetto and be an NCO (non-comissioned officer) instead of a “Sergeant” (private with three stripe… and three rockers and a star here). Priorities here, people. This is garrison bullcrap that can be done during refit/redeployment. And, it tells muslims we’re Godless, deviant and weak, and confirms their worst fears and justifications to fight us… but that’s beside the point, I guess.
ROS: That is how self-centered he is. NSOM can’t see the whole picture. He reads a line, speedreads the writer’s name, and stumbles on. Most of our trolls have some redeeming quality, (Joe aside), but NSOM?? I have yet to read anything of substance from him. Hell, I have even agreed with Southern Democrat on more than one occasion.
This is no different than the Suicide Awareness training that was mandatory for everyone right down to the smallest FOB. It’s all check the block. Stop saying that this will interrupt fighting. It won’t interrupt combat any more than Suicide Awareness or some EO brief. Anything else just Chicken Little or hysterics. Just stop it now.
33, 34, 36
That’s a whole lot of butthurt.
@Brian- please compare and contrast suicide awareness and homosexuality.
I just want to know how they are going to keep slamming heterosexual male and females who go “behind closed doors” in FOBs? How can you keep this policy when you now have two homosexuals bunking together? There is so many policy problems they haven’t thought through, and the ramifications are going to be felt soon.
@39 (ROS): It’s pretty easy. Both were previously stigmatized and a huge issue for the military. It’s the same. Both affect morale.
That’s right, “both affect morale”. Morale isn’t a ’20 minute power point presentation’ or ‘check the block’ issue. And using existing EO briefs as some kind of lame excuse for further distraction is laughable. It’s not right to be distracting FOB soldiers with ANY of that crap.
Bore them to distraction when you rotate them rearward or home, not when they’re supposed to be concentrating on fighting.