Survey: After six years of Obama, morale of the military alarmingly low

[Little-Acorn]

After six years of cutting and running from terrorists who are killing us, "Rules of engagement" that prevent our troops from fighting back and going after them, failure to reinforce our people who are under active attack, and withdrawing from hard-won territory to let the previously defeated enemy have it back, it's hardly surprising that our military members are starting to wonder why they should even bother, and what the point would be in re-enlisting.

The rot starts at the very top. And has been spreading downward and multiplying for years now.

------------------------------------

Survey Morale of the Military Alarmingly Low - Katie Pavlich

Survey: Morale of the Military Alarmingly Low
Katie Pavlich | Dec 08, 2014

According to a new survey from the Military Times, the morale of the United States military has taken a major hit over the past six years as troops feel lost, without a mission and "adrift."

A Military Times survey of 2,300 active-duty troops found morale indicators on the decline in nearly every aspect of military life. Troops report significantly lower overall job satisfaction, diminished respect for their superiors, and a declining interest in re-enlistment now compared to just five years ago.

According to the Military Times survey, active-duty troops reported a stunning drop in how they rated their overall quality of life: Just 56 percent call it good or excellent, down from 91 percent in 2009. The survey, conducted in July and August, found that 73 percent of troops would recommend a military career to others, down from 85 percent in 2009. And troops reported a significant decline in their desire to re-enlist, with 63 percent citing an intention to do so, compared with 72 percent a few years ago.

The reasons for the decrease are fully analyzed in the Military Times piece, which can be read in its entirety here, but a lack of leadership from Washington, uncertainty, lack of mission and draconian budget cuts seem to be the biggest reasons for the drop in morale.

With a lack of direction over the course of the past few years combined with suffocating rules of engagement that prevent troops from doing their jobs, these numbers aren't surprising but are extremely alarming for both the short-term and long-term health of the military as a whole.

 

[CowboyTed]

Well when they get back we allow them to go down to a Mexican City and blow shit up...

Will that make them happy?

Less at war now... Why does morale have to be high?

 

[mudwhistle]

And Obama wants to do the same to our police

 

[mudwhistle]

Well when they get back we allow them to go down to a Mexican City and blow shit up...

Will that make them happy?

Less at war now... Why does morale have to be high?

To keep it them reenlisting and to keep them from putting a gun in their mouths.

 

[CowboyTed]

And Obama wants to do the same to our police

I do remember it was the GOP that invaded with no exit strategy?

 

[CowboyTed]

Well when they get back we allow them to go down to a Mexican City and blow shit up...

Will that make them happy?

Less at war now... Why does morale have to be high?

To keep it them reenlisting and to keep them from putting a gun in their mouths.

How about pay for the Vets Cost before you go to war...

How about them fighting wars for over a decade on a lie... And you think it is Obama who lost, the GOP and Bush have a lot to answer for but don't worry, they won't.

 

[mudwhistle]

And Obama wants to do the same to our police

I do remember it was the GOP that invaded with no exit strategy?

Having an exit strategy or a time-table for withdrawal is a recipe for failure.

 

[CowboyTed]

And Obama wants to do the same to our police

I do remember it was the GOP that invaded with no exit strategy?

Having an exit strategy or a time-table for withdrawal is a recipe for failure.

Sorry didn't know you were happy with the start and execution of the war. Cause with no exit strategy you happy to stay there forever.

 

[mudwhistle]

Well when they get back we allow them to go down to a Mexican City and blow shit up...

Will that make them happy?

Less at war now... Why does morale have to be high?

To keep it them reenlisting and to keep them from putting a gun in their mouths.

How about pay for the Vets Cost before you go to war...

How about them fighting wars for over a decade on a lie... And you think it is Obama who lost, the GOP and Bush have a lot to answer for but don't worry, they won't.

What lie is that? The Saddam had warehouses full of chemicals or that he was a threat we couldn't ignore anymore. Was the lie the same one Bill and Hillary said, or every friggen Democrat for that matter?

The Democrats used the war and casualty reports to win back Congress. Hillary even admitted it was purely political.

 

[Skylar]

Contrary to Katie's analysis, the survey itself doesn't cite the President as the reason for lower moral. These are the two main reasons given:

One trend to emerge from the annual Military Times survey is "that the mission mattered more to the military than to the civilian," said Peter Feaver, a political science professor at Duke University who studies the military. "For the civilian world, it might have been easier to psychologically move on and say, 'Well, we are cutting our losses.' But the military feels very differently. Those losses have names and faces attached to [them]."

It cites a difference in the perception of the missions between the civilian and military worlds. And second,

Troops said more stress is created by long-term budget cuts imposed on the force through sequestration — the much-despised but apparently inexorable automatic spending reductions over a decade approved by Congress — and drawdown measures designed to shrink the force. An Air Force captain working in security forces said the fiscal insecurity is taking its toll, causing more workplace exhaustion and frustration. And personal career uncertainty, he said, is driving many of his colleagues out of the service, perhaps earlier than they otherwise would have departed.

Which again, isn't the president....who opposed such cuts. The fat bonuses and larger pay increases are over, as we're no longer in the same kind of active military operations. This is the difference between war time and relative peace time. We saw similar drops in morale in the early and mid 90s as the military was dramatically scaled down after the Cold War.

As it should have been. You ramp up the military during the war. Ramp it down after the war is over.

 

[mudwhistle]

And Obama wants to do the same to our police

I do remember it was the GOP that invaded with no exit strategy?

Having an exit strategy or a time-table for withdrawal is a recipe for failure.

Sorry didn't know you were happy with the start and execution of the war. Cause with no exit strategy you happy to stay there forever.

We were in Japan, Cuba, Germany, 70 years or more after cessation of hostilities. Why must the Middle-East be different?

 

[DriftingSand]

After six years of cutting and running from terrorists who are killing us, "Rules of engagement" that prevent our troops from fighting back and going after them, failure to reinforce our people who are under active attack, and withdrawing from hard-won territory to let the previously defeated enemy have it back, it's hardly surprising that our military members are starting to wonder why they should even bother, and what the point would be in re-enlisting.

The rot starts at the very top. And has been spreading downward and multiplying for years now.

------------------------------------

Survey Morale of the Military Alarmingly Low - Katie Pavlich

Survey: Morale of the Military Alarmingly Low
Katie Pavlich | Dec 08, 2014

According to a new survey from the Military Times, the morale of the United States military has taken a major hit over the past six years as troops feel lost, without a mission and "adrift."

A Military Times survey of 2,300 active-duty troops found morale indicators on the decline in nearly every aspect of military life. Troops report significantly lower overall job satisfaction, diminished respect for their superiors, and a declining interest in re-enlistment now compared to just five years ago.

According to the Military Times survey, active-duty troops reported a stunning drop in how they rated their overall quality of life: Just 56 percent call it good or excellent, down from 91 percent in 2009. The survey, conducted in July and August, found that 73 percent of troops would recommend a military career to others, down from 85 percent in 2009. And troops reported a significant decline in their desire to re-enlist, with 63 percent citing an intention to do so, compared with 72 percent a few years ago.

The reasons for the decrease are fully analyzed in the Military Times piece, which can be read in its entirety here, but a lack of leadership from Washington, uncertainty, lack of mission and draconian budget cuts seem to be the biggest reasons for the drop in morale.

With a lack of direction over the course of the past few years combined with suffocating rules of engagement that prevent troops from doing their jobs, these numbers aren't surprising but are extremely alarming for both the short-term and long-term health of the military as a whole.

Morale of the entire nation can't get too much lower. The suffering is almost over.

 

[mudwhistle]

Contrary to Katie's analysis, the survey itself doesn't cite the President as the reason for lower moral. These are the two main reasons given:

One trend to emerge from the annual Military Times survey is "that the mission mattered more to the military than to the civilian," said Peter Feaver, a political science professor at Duke University who studies the military. "For the civilian world, it might have been easier to psychologically move on and say, 'Well, we are cutting our losses.' But the military feels very differently. Those losses have names and faces attached to [them]."

It cites a difference in the perception of the missions between the civilian and military worlds. And second,

Troops said more stress is created by long-term budget cuts imposed on the force through sequestration — the much-despised but apparently inexorable automatic spending reductions over a decade approved by Congress — and drawdown measures designed to shrink the force. An Air Force captain working in security forces said the fiscal insecurity is taking its toll, causing more workplace exhaustion and frustration. And personal career uncertainty, he said, is driving many of his colleagues out of the service, perhaps earlier than they otherwise would have departed.

Which again, isn't the president....who opposed such cuts. The fat bonuses and larger pay increases are over, as we're no longer in the same kind of active military operations. This is the difference between war time and relative peace time. We saw similar drops in morale in the early and mid 90s as the military was dramatically scaled down after the Cold War.

As it should have been. You ramp up the military during the war. Ramp it down after the war is over.

Lies. Obama is on YouTube demanding those cuts. He said that he would veto anything that came short of sequestration, then a year later tried to blame it all on the Republicans.

 

[idb]

There are millions of people grimly toiling away at unsatisfying jobs.
Welcome to the real world.

 

[Skylar]

Lies. Obama is on YouTube demanding those cuts. He said that he would veto anything that came short of sequestration, then a year later tried to blame it all on the Republicans.

The sequester cuts? Obama never advocated them. They were a disincentive and severe punishment if budget negotiations couldn't be met. The 'stick' that both parties would be hit with if they couldn't come to an agreement.

If you have a youtube video that says differently, show us. Don't tell us.

 

[Skylar]

There are millions of people grimly toiling away at unsatisfying jobs.
Welcome to the real world.

I come from a military family, born on a military base to a mother in the WAC and a father in CID. So I have nothing but love for our military families.

But there is a certain...insulation that comes from being in the military. My dad jokes that he spent most of his career working in a communist economy. Guaranteed raises, housing allowances, free healthcare, rock solid pensions, reenlistment bonuses.....these are guarantees that just don't exist consistently in the private sector.

Its a little surprising to hear how outraged many in the military are when they are expected to pay say, 5% of their own housing expenses. When everyone else pays closer to 100%.

 

[CowboyTed]

Well when they get back we allow them to go down to a Mexican City and blow shit up...

Will that make them happy?

Less at war now... Why does morale have to be high?

To keep it them reenlisting and to keep them from putting a gun in their mouths.

How about pay for the Vets Cost before you go to war...

How about them fighting wars for over a decade on a lie... And you think it is Obama who lost, the GOP and Bush have a lot to answer for but don't worry, they won't.

What lie is that? The Saddam had warehouses full of chemicals or that he was a threat we couldn't ignore anymore. Was the lie the same one Bill and Hillary said, or every friggen Democrat for that matter?

The Democrats used the war and casualty reports to win back Congress. Hillary even admitted it was purely political.

Wow... Bush also lied to the country.

 

[mudwhistle]

Well when they get back we allow them to go down to a Mexican City and blow shit up...

Will that make them happy?

Less at war now... Why does morale have to be high?

To keep it them reenlisting and to keep them from putting a gun in their mouths.

How about pay for the Vets Cost before you go to war...

How about them fighting wars for over a decade on a lie... And you think it is Obama who lost, the GOP and Bush have a lot to answer for but don't worry, they won't.

What lie is that? The Saddam had warehouses full of chemicals or that he was a threat we couldn't ignore anymore. Was the lie the same one Bill and Hillary said, or every friggen Democrat for that matter?

The Democrats used the war and casualty reports to win back Congress. Hillary even admitted it was purely political.

Wow... Bush also lied to the country.

Bush again??


Gonna use him for every lie you Democrats spew?

Pretty fucken pathetic.