# 'SOCIAL ENGINEERING' WEAKENED OUR SOLDIERS'



## Freight_Train (11 Aug 2004)

from http://www.sftt.org/cgi-bin/csNews/csNews.cgi?database=DefenseWatch.db&command=viewone&op=t&id=594&rnd=241.63262417906588

'SOCIAL ENGINEERING' WEAKENED OUR SOLDIERS' 

Lt. Col. Ralf W. Zimmermann, USA (Ret.) 
DefenseWatch Senior Military Correspondent
Soldiers for the Truth, SFTT.org
08-11-2004

[Zimmerman is a decorated Desert Storm veteran and former tank battalion commander.]

With national elections rapidly approaching, the Defense Department and the Bush administration are trying to create the perfect illusion that all is well in Iraq. Officials tell us that schools are sprouting like sunflowers and Iraqi kids are smiling at the sight of our troops, their parents eagerly waiting for the first Wal-Mart grand opening. 

On the other side, social activists are reiterating that the answer to the Iraq quagmire is to pull out immediately. They insist that our troops are totally worn out and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) cases are more severe than during any other conflict in our history. Many even believe the government is willfully feeding our military men and women experimental vaccines and medications. 

What's the truth about Iraq, the war on terror and our military? 

As usual, the truth hides in the gray-shaded middle. 

No doubt, America has maneuvered itself into a tricky situation by underestimating the requirements for a post-conflict Iraq and extended Afghanistan presence. But like it or not, we can't just leave the mess we're in and bring the troops home now. The fact is that there are a few things that are going well and that we can have reasonable faith in our volunteer force, the National Guard and our Reserves. 

Of course, a guerilla conflict can be very unpredictable and nerve wrecking. Nonetheless, Iraq isn't as casualty-prone as fighting the First SS Panzer Corps in Normandy or the North Koreans and Red Chinese. And shouldn't our modern and "all-volunteerâ ? military, advertised as tougher and more capable than its predecessors be able to handle limited wars with Third World countries? 

Yes, it should! 

The truth is that over the years - and I'm talking before the Clinton terms as president - the U.S. military shifted its effort from building rough tough, technically competent and physically fit combat troops to producing gentler, kinder, more educated and much nicer-looking soldiers. 

By about 1995, the politically steered brass had succeeded! 

Instead of longer foot marches, hitting the enemy with precision rifle and machine gun fire and maneuvering through dangerous ambush situations, the Army had shifted focus. Closely guided by social engineers, it concentrated on the individual "soldier moduleâ ? and his/her relation to society. 

Instead of pushing combat readiness and combat team building, Army leaders had bought into the following 1990s best-sellers: 

- Sex training 

- Consideration for Others Training (the Army version of Barney the Dinosaur) 

- Uniform inspections for chinstraps, boot heels, and memory cards.

- Simulations in air-conditioned environments without the smell of cordite and the bang of the battlefield. 

- Overemphasis on Army Community Services and family team building that created an environment that didn't stress soldier self-discipline, self-help, and maturity but - "total system dependency.â ? 

- Force protection and safety paranoia gradually induced fear of the enemy and of your own equipment. 

- A ticket-punch centered promotion apparatus that undermined the stability of units, taking a severe toll on team combat proficiencies. 

Consequently, the PTSD wave shouldn't come as a shocker. As a combat veteran, I fully support thorough and semi-confidential treatment for combat stress cases. As a realist, I also know that the most potent remedies to psychological breakdown remain personable leadership, tougher training, personal discipline, and sound human understanding. 

To be effective, tough leadership and training must be applied in varied forms during all phases of pre-deployment, deployment, marshalling, combat, redeployment, and reintegration. During all phases, leadership and training create the most effective remedies to combat stress - unit cohesion and close camaraderie. 

Recent Army reform announcements to stabilize the Army have been encouraging. But stabilizing the force also mandates growing deeper professional experience. Only the best should lead or command - and for longer periods than the current 12 to 24 months. 

Like it or not, our troops will be battling insurgents and terrorists for a long time - regardless of who wins in November. As the struggle continues, Americans must realize that real war - high intensity or guerilla - is much different from the Dreamworks productions of Hollywood. 

To expect that humans can experience the stresses of war without residual emotions is simply unrealistic. As humans, volunteer soldiers must accept life as an obstacle course that will cause a few scars. Besides causing pain, some of life's inevitable scars actually make us better people and valued teachers for others. 

Maybe that's why real soldiers become more reluctant to go to war and the biggest warmongers are civilian elitists who've never been shot at. 


DefenseWatch Senior Military Correspondent Lt. Col. Ralf W. Zimmermann, USA (Ret.) is a decorated Desert Storm veteran and former tank battalion commander. His recent novel, "Brotherhood of Iron,â ? deals with the German soldier in World War II. It is directly available from www.iUniverse.com and through most major book dealers. Zimm can be reached at r6zimm@earthlink.net or via his website at www.home.earthlink.net/~r6zimm. © 2004 LandserUSA. Please send Feedback responses to dwfeedback@yahoo.com.
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Not being  soldier yet, I was wondering if any of these comments ring true for veterans (serving and retired) of the CF?
Greg


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