I have a harder time when the training slows and leadership has no real idea of what to do so they have us do stupid things. No I know I shouldn’t bash my leaders but sometimes making me do the same thing over and over again doesn’t make me any better. One reason why is you can only make training so real when you have to prevent any type of injury and you have very limited resources. So it becomes very bland. Now when training is specific and very realistic with plenty of assets soldiers including myself become must more focused and receptive to learning. When a soldiers interest is peaked or their mind is challenged they will participate more and are more than willing to give 100% of themselves to the process. When you dumb down….. If you will….. Training soldiers turn off their receptors and continue to go through the motions without recognizing any missteps or faults along the way. This creates bad habits.
MOB and deployment becomes harder when family doesn’t understand exactly what mindset the soldier has to try and remain in to keep their training effective. I try and keep my brain actively engaged during any and all training so as to increase my combat knowledge. I feel this gives me the best chance to be an effective leader. When it comes to explaining the combat/warrior mindset or battle mind to civilians or “regular” people its about impossible. Most Americans never have a job where the person to their left and right might depend on them for life and limb. Yes our jobs at home are stressful and our co-workers depend on us to pull our weight but no one is killed or is maimed if someone forgets to fax something or fills a form out wrong. I am not knocking civilian life. I am a civilian most of the time. I am just saying that soldiers when they are truly using their battle mind have a hard time hearing about your “bad day.” We care but we can understand why you don’t just fix the problem. If you are tired, go to bed. If you want to do something or need to go shopping do it. No matter how stressful or much of a hassle you think you have in front of you it will be nothing to us. Not that we have more to do, just that a soldier has to be ready 24 hours a day for change to happen. With that being said, that bad trip to the store could have been prevented by prior planning. If you know you have to go to the store and you have certain variables that will make that trip more difficult, and you have the ability to eliminate those problem variables, to a soldier it’s a no brainier. Make the decisions ahead of time and adjust your fire so your trip is easier. We care we just don’t want to hear it.
We love to hear about your day, write it in a letter, send it in a post card. Even though you can send us an email or call us doesn’t mean you shouldn’t send a letter. This holds true all the way out the family and friends line. People need that physical communication. Phone conversations are good but its instantly forgotten once something more difficult is presented to us. A letter can be reread and passed around. It can be carried in a pocket for when times are boring, difficult, stressful, or just bad. That one letter you may write or card you may send might be delivered at just the right moment to make a difference. Never ever think sending a letter will be forgotten. Those days when mail call is held and everyone of your buddies walks away letter in hand smiling because they know its form their girl or its from their parents with some cash or its from a buddy that you wouldn’t ever imagine would right, and you walk away empty handed. Well those are the days that break most men. To see the happy face of your best friend and know you have to wait for the next day to feel like that. Its horrible. Please make soldiers lives better, buy an envelope and stamp and write that letter. Just tell them you are thinking of them, tell them you care, just tell them hi.
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