Army guy shows up at a war
The Stars & Stripes writes about Sergeant Major of the Army Raymond Chandler who visited and took questions from the members of the 3rd Stryker Bridgade, 2nd Infantry Division in Zangabad, Afghanistan. the soldiers seemed as concerned as the rest of us about being shot by their “allies” in the Afghanistan National Army and the Afghanistan National Police, but Chandler was a bit dismissive of their concerns;
“With all the green on blues, why are we still doing joint patrols (with Afghan troops)?” one soldier asked.
“I would assume we are still doing it because that’s what command tells you,” Chandler said. “What should we do?”
“Not patrol with the Afghanis (sic),” the soldier said.
As the Army’s top enlisted soldiers, matters of morale are at the heart of Chandler’s job and nothing has been more deflating to troops than the prospect of being shot in the back by their supposed allies.
Another Zangabad soldier voiced concerns the attacks were coming on orders from up high.
“Is Big Army doing any investigation to see if this is deliberate within the (Afghan National Army) command?” he said.
Chandler acknowledged the attacks are a dire threat and said the Pentagon has been sending additional intelligence and criminal investigation experts to Afghanistan to help stop the attacks. With international combat troops set to leave at the end of 2014, giving way to a smaller advisory force, trust between the coalition and the Afghan security forces is crucial.
“Overall there is a sense of a lack of trust, but you’ve got to rebuild that relationship and I have a lot of confidence in these guys,” Chandler said.
Yeah, if I didn’t have to go out on patrol with them, I’d say I have confidence with “these guys”, too.
Speaking of green-on-blue “insider” attacks, maybe someone can ask the good Sergeant Major why it took five days to release the name of Sergeant First Class Daniel Metcalf, that soldier who was killed in the incident back on September 29th which we discussed. yeah, it just went up this morning. Names of 3 soldiers who were killed on October 1st were released yesterday. And how’s that investigation going into whether insurgents instigated that particular September 29th incident?
The article doesn’t say whether he did or not, but I hope Chandler lectured the troops on how tattoos reduce their combat effectiveness.
Updated: I guess they’d have to release SFC Metcalf’s name today since it’s also the day of his funeral. I guess he was a homeboy, too. I lived in Macedon for awhile and began kindergarten there a few years back.
Category: Big Army, Terror War
“I would ASSUME we are still doing it because that’s what command tells you,” Chandler said.
I already know who the ass is.
Kinda surprised none of the soldiers invited the good Sergeant Major to go on patrol with them and help establish that trust level.
I thought the standard Army response to any morale issue was:
1. Drink water
2. Do PT
Lmao, I have told all my fellow soldiers that this guy is a out of touch ass who is “dismissive of soldiers” and this article demonstrates this perfectly! Wow…
WOW … Did he go to any of the SEN ENL Academies?
A good CMC would have handled that much differently!
Here is his bio, which also outlines what “schools/academies” he’s been to:
http://www.defense.gov/bios/biographydetail.aspx?biographyid=285
You Army folks can explain to the rest of us what these mean. Not sure how they translate to Marine Corps academies or what is taught there. I do wonder what they are teaching at the SgtMaj Academies, or what kind of “institutional thought” he’s been exposed to? He should strap on protective equipment, grab a weapon and lead a patrol himself, and we’ll sit and wait to see what happens.
@3- Don’t forget eye-pro and reflective belt.
This guy can’t even face the troops while he’s spewing his BS.
SMA Chandler is a desk jockey whose primary concern seems to be violations of haircut and uniform standards. #2 Dave Thul had a good idea, let Chandler go out on patrol or put him at a checkpoint all day with three armed Afghan soldiers.
People say that more ANA are killed by these type of insider assassinations than Americans. Ok. If that’s true, let’s use this fact.
No more joint patrols.
Challenge/password interactions if separate patrols run across each other in the field.
Require, not just allow, soldiers to be armed, even in areas presumed to be safe.
Then, when the ANA has eliminated the deaths of their own troops, we should consider joint operations. But until they get their own house in order, we shouldn’t let them into our house.
Or, better yet, we just pull out and let the Afghan government sort itself out.
8 MSMs says more about his career than the sum total of that whole bio, in my humble opinion.
Jonn .. who the hell has 8 MSM’s?
His bio says he has 7 OLCs on his MSM. 7 OLC on his Arcom, too.
BTW … I am a recipient of the Order of Saint Patrick (a bar on 1st and 23rd), the Distinguished Order of Saint Bridget (a bar on 9th and 47th) and the Honorable Order of Saint “Dirty” Murty O’Hoey (a wee little place in Queens).
But it’s ok to skirt the issue that the soldier brought up, because the soldier has “unauthorized tattoos”, I still can’t get over this desk jockey telling me that my soldiers are shitbags simply because they have tattoos that this desk jockey dislikes. It doesn’t matter if they served with distinction, or have been repeatedly awarded for valor, because of their tattoos, in his eyes they are shitbags. Wow. Stop drinking the damned kool aid and start thinking like someone who is supposed to advocate for their soldiers and run interference for them. I lost count of the number of time I’ve seen CSMs stab their soldiers in the back in the name of kissing the COLs ass. It needs to STOP.
Jonn, you are absolutely correct!
Jonn .. just my point ………. usually 1 or 2 MSM’s … and if your good … Def MSM … or Legion of Merit … but he got stuck in the MSM for a long time. Kinda like being passed up for promotion, but not that bad where they to boot you out of the service!
@#5 / MCPO NYC USN (ret.) “A good CMC would have handled that much differently!”
I wholeheartedly agree. I would like to believe SgtMaj Chandler would have gone there to inspire his people instead of rubbing their noses in the obvious. I saw in the (Big) Army Times (the announcement of his posting as CMC) where he says, “Wherever they (soldiers) are, you have to go there and talk with them. You have to know their concerns, what’s on their minds and convey that back. I’m a scout for the chief. I gather info and take it back, and I communicate the Army message to soldiers and their families.” As the CMC, I would think he would make it his personal objective to meet with as many units as he could to bring a better message. To say, “People (in America) have other things on their minds and I attribute that to the incredible job these guys are doing,” (from the Stars and Stripes article) sends mixed signals. I wouldn’t want MY people to think that their country had stopped caring about them, or that I did.
The Combat Badge …. looks like my Dad’s unit crest from Korea …
How does a non combat type get that Badge?
He’s doing what is expected of him right now by his bosses: Show up, speak to the potential future victims, and leave them with the message that if their superiors tell them that the emperor’s new clothes are beautiful, then the emperor’s new clothes are beautiful. And that’s that. The pressure must come from Veterans and other concerned Americans.
MCPO: the CAB was authorized in May 2005, with retroactive authority to 18 Sep 2001. It’s awarded to non-Infantry types “who personally engaged, or are engaged by the enemy”. Firefights, IEDs, and being on the receiving end of IDF all count. Detailed criteria are in AR 600-8-22, para 8-8.
What a tool. Yes I understand he has to toe the party line.
But still, WTF indeed.
Might as well told that soldier to f**k off for crissakes.
ROG … Looks exactly like 7th Infantry Bayonette!
His combat time was either as a brigade or division CSM in Iraq. Somehow he got a CAB… He has about as much trigger time as Teresa King…never mind I am going to keep my mouth shut now. I don’t know he is a bit above what my pay grade was, so I don’t know.
What a turd i can do 3 tours in 7 years two iraq one afghan and this desk jockey has only done one tour in desert land the whole time hes been in.
Real leaders lead by example. Has Chandler suited up and gone on a joint patrol this trip? Of course it would have been with a totally vetted ANA unit, but it still would send a positive message to Joe. My guess is he hasn’t and won’t.
Why is he addressing the troops with his back to them?
A: (Fill in the blank)
I know his kind… I would ask him if he was trying to suck up and make E-10. A political whipping boy. It looks like he made sure his awards and decorations were put through…what about those in his unit? This guy is clearly out of his element.
Ex-PH2… the ANSWER is because he lacks the character to face them.
Jonn, today was not SFC Metcalfe’s funeral. It was a Memorial Service. He is going to be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery
I have very little respect for him. From his digs at the Cold War era and Desert Storm Army to comments about tattoos and how the drawdown will be (mis)handled, nothing of value comes forth from his commentaries.
So he’s a pompous blowhard who doesn’t know what he’s talking about and just repeats the party line while focusing on irrelevant minutiae like tattoos or uniforms?
Hmmm…sounds like 75% of the E-9s I ever came into contact with.
Still waiting for the results of his attempt to force all Soldiers to be clean shaven…even while on leave. Good luck trying to enforce that.
Anyone else getting flashbacks to the 90’s?
Army leadership not giving a rats ass if Joe dies from stupid ROE restrictions or shitty deployments that are half-ass thought out. But it’s all good, as long as the tattoo’s are being inspected and all the companies get their PT streamer.
SMA Chandler would’ve been a great DIV CSM when I came in in 96. Roll out to the field (in probably one of the only humvees in the unit with a working heater), jump all over a Joe on day 7 of a FTX for having a dirty/ripped uniform, wearing unauthorized gloves, and not being clean shaven, then zip on back to his office.
“But he points to the lack of interest as proof the war is succeeding, that things are going well enough for Americans to ignore Afghanistan.
“‘People (in America) have other things on their minds and I attribute that to the incredible job these guys are doing,’ he said.
Wow, delusional much? How does a noncommissioned officer in my Army sell that to soldiers in the field with a straight face? I’m ashamed to share a uniform.
I never met the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps but I did meet the Sergeant Major of the 1st Marine Division, SgtMaj Massaro. He was the speaker at the graduation ceremony of my NCO Academy class. It’s been said Marines are brainwashed and if we are, I’m glad for it. The SgtMaj stressed that we were responsible for the Marines placed in our charge. Everything about our Marines came before anything about us. Be it a Fireteam, Squad, Section, Platoon, etc. I believed it then and I believe it now. My role model was SgtMaj Meza, SgtMaj of the 3rd Amtrac Bn. He stood behind each and every Marine in our Bn.
By the way SgtMaj Massaro became SgtMaj of the Marine Corps!
@28 – Yes.
So then the question is just how brown is SMA Chandler’s nose?
SMA Chandler forgot to bring his teleprompter loaded with appropriate responses.
Should have made now retired CSM Neil Ciotola the SMA. Oh wait a minute, the CSM openly lambasted Sen Hairy Reid for his defeatest attitude on Iraq – never mind.
I attended SFC Metcalfe’s services. There are no words.