pollo hermanos said:
I would love to hear the thoughts of senior military folks. Most of us on this thread don't really know what the hell we're talking about. Let's get the thoughts of folks that we're getting talked to. Would be fascinating to hear.
As an O-5 with an O-6 board coming soon, all I could think about during the speech was how much I wish that this level of vocal support for commanders/NCOs and policy-level enforcement of standards was in place when I was in squadron command.
We've strayed too far from setting and holding high standards - and it shows in how our troops carry themselves in and out of uniform. Not long ago, you'd likely be thrown under the bus by your leadership if you caught any flak from subordinates for being hard on beard waivers, uniform compliance, and the like. My squadron was an oasis of exceeding standards in my wing without being draconian - morale was high and even our climate assessments (typical anonymous annual venting session from the squadron) were glowing. Our unit culture was built around being solely focused on merit in recognition/promotion, celebrating excellence as a lodestar for others to follow, and empowering Airmen with opportunities and the tools they needed to be the best at what they do. The formula isn't cosmic - and it seems that's what Hegseth wants across the force.
If we really think things are only going to get worse over the next few years with China, Russia, and Iran aligning, the Department's culture around standards need to change fast. Otherwise, we're looking at a June 1950 problem of preparedness across the force (read the beginning of "This Kind of War" by T.R. Fehrenbach if you want to see how bad U.S. forces perform when you relax standards and let the culture be defined by the mood of your troops with a threat looming).
