Australia teaches us a little lesson

Filed in National by on June 15, 2013

and this lesson applies equally to every bigot, racist, bully, and chauvinist out there.

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  1. Steve Newton says:
    June 15, 2013 at 7:55 am

    So exactly why couldn’t our joint chiefs have done something similar rather than meekly saying to Congress, “We took our eyes off their balls” or something like that?

  2. Delaware Dem says:
    June 15, 2013 at 7:58 am

    Exactly, Steve.

  3. cassandra m says:
    June 15, 2013 at 8:32 am

    I just sent this to three of my favorite generals — two Army, one Air Force — asking them if they really are going to let the Australians outdo them on Zero Tolerance.

  4. Falcor says:
    June 15, 2013 at 5:43 pm

    They have, and in doing so have given defense counsels representing those individuals a round in the chamber for undue command influence….

    Australia’s and GB’s are way worse than ours in terms of this sort of conduct, especially as it pertains to alcohol.

  5. Falcor says:
    June 15, 2013 at 7:33 pm

    “So exactly why couldn’t our joint chiefs have done something similar rather than meekly saying to Congress, “We took our eyes off their balls” or something like that?”

    General Amos and Sergeant Major Barrett did just that, he also flew around the world and talked to almost every Marine Officer/Staff NCO and more or less gave them an ass chewing…

    Should probably do some research before throwing stones at people

  6. Steve Newton says:
    June 15, 2013 at 9:36 pm

    Hey Falcor

    http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/06/04/brass-testify-on-bill-aimed-at-military-sexual-assault/2387817/

    Read the damn article. The entire joint chiefs wimped out. Belated ass chewing by Amos doesn’t cut it when this has been allowed to go on for years.

    Next time do your own damn research before you spout off.

  7. Falcor says:
    June 16, 2013 at 3:31 pm

    Hey Genius,

    The “belated” ass chewing happened over a year ago. You don’t have a god damn clue what you’re talking about.

    This video was released by the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps 2 freaking months ago:

    http://blogs.militarytimes.com/battle-rattle/2013/03/13/sgt-maj-barrett-tells-marines-to-step-up-stop-sexual-assault/

    This video was released by both the Commandant and Sgt Major in 2012:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rl7uaArG5y4

    Him flying around the country happened OVER A YEAR AGO.

    If you want to be some rebel without a cause and make up things as you go to put people down that’s fine. But don’t expect anybody to take this issue seriously if you’re going to blatantly lie to their face.

    Things don’t actually get accomplished unless you have an honest discussion about it. Is it a huge problem? Yes, that’s pretty obvious to anyone with a brain.

    Is your mind numbing ignorance about how the military is dealing with it contributing to that solution? Nope.

  8. Steve Newton says:
    June 16, 2013 at 3:46 pm

    My mind-numbing scope of ignorance, falcor? I spent 21 years inside dealing with this issue. Sexual assaults in the USMC as well as all other services have continued to soar. You’re not interested in an honest discussion; you’re interested in white-washing the Corps.

  9. cassandra_m says:
    June 16, 2013 at 6:59 pm

    I wonder if Falcor even watched the Australian Chief’s video. The Marine Sargent Major’s video was good, but in comparison — it was focused on problem-solving (and soliciting the viewer to participate in that), honor, Marine identity. The Australian Chief describes conduct that is unacceptable, notes that each soldier must be treated with respect, defines the standard his soldiers are expected to live by and makes a specific invitation to those who won’t step up to the standards to GTFO. He makes it clear that those who enable or participate will be dealt with severely. “The standards you walk by are the standards you accept.”

    The Australian Chief delivered a set of pretty damned clear orders to me. The USMC M Sgt invited his bunch to problem-solve with him. All of the US Chiefs need to deliver the kind of orders that their Australian counterpart did and then ruthlessly follow up on it.

  10. Falcor says:
    June 16, 2013 at 7:03 pm

    Yes, your mind numbing ignorance. You asked why none of the Services could do something like this. I provided you 3 examples of it happening before the Australian Army’s video. Yet you still refuse to admit you were wrong.

    I’m not white washing anything, ask just about anybody in any of the services and they’ll tell you that outside of units set to deploy this is the biggest issue by far in the military ahead of even sequestration.

    It’s a cultural problem, a legislative problem and a legal problem. One that isn’t going to fix itself overnight, and isn’t boosted by ill informed remarks that serve no purpose other than to make you feel better about yourself.

    Any time you want to actually discuss it feel free, I think it’s easily one of the great crises the military has faced in the last 50 years. Especially considering it is(was?) the lone institution that most Americans had confidence in.

  11. Falcor says:
    June 16, 2013 at 7:13 pm

    “The Australian Chief describes conduct that is unacceptable, notes that each soldier must be treated with respect, defines the standard his soldiers are expected to live by and makes a specific invitation to those who won’t step up to the standards to GTFO.”

    Which the Commandant did in person at every single Marine Installation last year…

    Yes I watched it, and I thought it was very well done. It is the best of the line in the sand type video’s I’ve seen yet.

    My issue isn’t with the message, which is spot on across the spectrum(race, gender, orientation, etc.)

    It is the fact that you refuse to acknowledge that this is happening here and cling to the narrative that the services don’t care. Which is both a lie, and a pretty easy thing to disprove with a google search.

  12. cassandra_m says:
    June 17, 2013 at 10:16 am

    Statement of General Odierno re: sexual harrassment in the ranks.

    This isn’t much different from the M Sgt’s message above. Neither is a communication of direct orders to Quit It or GTFO.

  13. Falcor says:
    June 17, 2013 at 9:53 pm

    He’s a Sergeant Major, and I can’t speak for every service but I know that in the Marine Corps we heard a damn near verbatim version of what the Austrailian Service Chief said in person by the Commandant of the Marine Corps at every installion the service has…

    So, again you can cling to this narrative that it isn’t being taken seriously, but that’s not true. It’s a problem that didn’t develop overnight, and isn’t going to go away overnight. But now that the focus is on eradicating it I think the military’s track record of social change once it sets its mind to it(and it has gone kicking and screaming into some of these things, especially racial integration) is actually pretty decent especially the recent DADT repeal which has been a complete non-incident.

  14. Falcor says:
    June 17, 2013 at 9:57 pm

    http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/09/13/168410/tough-talk-by-marine-commandant.html

    Read it for yourself… He called the entire Corps soft, called the excuses “bull–it”

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