[Warning: rant ahead]
I just ran across this article on the BBC News: Army chief warns of social 'gulf'. Key quote:
This sounds pretty fuzzy for a military guy: can't you just imagine a bunch of British folks in a pub, "acknowledging the value" of the military? What would that even look like?Gen Dannatt also called for a radical rethink on the equipment used in the British Army.... But the most important thing was to acknowledge the value of the armed forces, he added.
I can only imagine what I'd think of this if I were a soldier, but I already know what I think of it as an employee. Right now I figure that my value is "acknowledged" when my company doesn't second-guess my work, buys stuff that makes my job easier, and/or pays me more. That's it. I don't want a hug, I don't want an award, I don't want somebody senior to say, "gosh, good job!". I want management to get out of my way, let me do my job, and then fork over the bonus.
Somehow I bet the people fighting in Iraq want more or less the same thing: unlimited budget for the tools they need, the ability to make decisions to get things done, and a fat wallet when they come home. Respect? Acknowledgment? That tends to come as a nice side-effect of the pride most people feel when they get to make their own smart choices & then those choices pay off in results plus money.
And yes, I know that doesn't obviously match up with military command frameworks - but if you think of it small-scale, it could. I keep seeing news stories re: soldiers are short of armor. What if every soldier had access to simply go pick up a new set as-needed? In my job, I can do that with computer equipment. It works well. I am, after all, the best person to know when my keyboard hurts my wrists & I need a new setup. Isn't a soldier the best person to know when their gear is no longer working?
If the government really wants the military to be effective, it should support the theory with the cash. Half-assed solutions rarely get anywhere at all.
