The Real Reason For The Poor State Of Military Morale by Carl Forsling, Task & Purpose
… For the most part, the recent downward turn in morale can’t be laid on deployment schedules, either. Some units still have intensive deployment schedules. On an individual basis, some service members also have very high operational tempos, but on the whole, the pace of deployments has declined since the days of the Iraq surge. Only a few years ago, leaders were worried that the pace of deployment would break the morale of the force. Now that deployments have decreased, the worry is that morale is suffering for want of a mission. Service members complain about deployments, but they also complain when they don’t deploy. Deployments are a factor in poor morale, but they aren’t the driving force behind today’s military anomie.
The key factor is senior leadership that has not kept faith with its troops. The rest of the force that doesn’t live within the Washington, D.C., beltway feels that it is being ridden hard and put back wet so that the generals and admirals can claim success before civilian leaders in Congress and the White House. They have come to believe that they are expendable…
Comments
"Some would feel that the senior leaders have moved away from traditionally accepted values that are held by most of the troops" That is an interesting comment. While I accept that followership is key to leadership, I have trouble with the idea that the troops dictate the standards, ethics, and mores of the service. Leaders set standards for the troops; they do not accept ultimatums from them. Just my two cents.
I agree, the key factor for low troop morale is the senior leadership. I have heard that troops are afraid of Leavenworth time, should they shoot someone they should not have. No one in the chain has their backs. Overwhelming fire support will immediately tell the soldier or marine that the chain has their back. When the soldier or marine on the ground is not supported, little else matters. The force isn't going anywhere. Soldiers will revert to their own protective measures. Doctrinally at 1-152, FM 3-24, the statement is: SOMETIMES, DOING NOTHING IS THE BEST REACTION. Nothing is what the chain of command will get.It also appears that the Air Force and Navy Air can drop their smart bombs while the ground forces are driven into Military Helplessness by the most restrictive rules of engagement known to ever be applied to a modern military force. The Counterinsurgency Doctrine is not written for the soldier or marine who accepts most of the risk to maintain contact with the population.
There is also a cultural issue with 78% percent of the country claiming a Christian Faith. That faith opposes gay practices and gay marriage, which a senior leadership now forces Christians to accept and tolerate. I believe the gay population is something less than 2%. Yet, the leadership insists on retraining the 78%. Additionally, any officer or NCO who opposes women in combat units does not have a future. Some would feel that the senior leaders have moved away from traditionally accepted values that are held by most of the troops. Recruiting may also suffer and attract a different kind of soldier or marine.