Major Points:
- American Citizens can and should know basic "military" tactics and doctrine, and should regularly train these skills
- I value every second I spent "serving;" however, if I am completely honest, I'd have to admit that at least 1/3 the time I spent in the Infantry was a demonstrable waste of time and tax dollars
- Any veteran that openly trashes "civilians" for training most likely has a corrupt reason, and it often comes down to money
- Instead of living on disability and past fame, experienced combat veterans should be continuing to serve by teaching their fellow citizens every valuable skill and tactic they know
- Military training should be viewed as a buffet: learn and train the valuable skills, and discard all the bureaucratic, politically-poisoned wastefulness
There seems to be a rise in bro-vets desperately trying to gate-keep knowledge and training. Too many talking heads seem to be very uncomfortable with "civilians" learning the same skills and information that they had to suffer through endless bureaucracy in an extremely politically-correct institution, in order to learn. Fun fact: every military unit spends (wastes) at least 40 hours per year just sitting in a classroom, being force-fed political correctness and being nice to one another. We literally have to take yearly classes on how why we should not rape one another.
Why should American Citizens know tactics and military doctrine?
Why do some veterans have a problem with this idea?
First, I have to cover my background, because we all know that's what the bro-vets will attack first. I did my time in the Army Infantry, serving in a deployment to Baghdad from 2003-2004, and then later to Ar Ramadi from 2005-2006. I finished my service in the Reserves, in Europe, mostly doing Civil Affairs, and deployed to Afghanistan as a "CA guy." Baghdad was a cake walk. As a 19 year old kid, I got paid (a lot) to walk around a city with a SAW (machine gun). Besides regular mortar and rocket attacks, and a massive car bomb on our checkpoint, Baghdad was relatively safe. Ramadi was exactly what we all expected war to be like: brutal. If you've read about The Battle of Ramadi, or heard the stories from guys like Jocko Willink, it's that Ramadi. Unfortunately, very few Americans only care about the SOF side of Ramadi and Fallujah. We took fire daily, and almost every road had bombs in it. EFPs (Explosively Formed Projectiles) were the norm. We lost many good kids there. That was the first time we painfully learned that the US Military is in fact not invincible, as basic training led us to believe. In fact, it seemed like we had no chance against supposed "untrained" and undisciplined guerillas. Every day they managed to defeat our expensive technology and crush any morale we still had left. Now, on to the debate.
Understanding American history is crucial to understanding why America is so amazing, why we have a 2nd Amendment, and why American Citizens must be prepared....for anything. This great history begins with the Minutemen. The Minutemen were citizens who trained at least six times per month, usually double that of the Militia. Unlike the Continental (federal) Army and Militia, the Minutemen came from the very community they supported. An unknown fact is that both the organized militias and the Continental Army often looked down on the Minutemen. Why? They were viewed as backwoods rednecks who lacked skills and discipline. They did not wear standardized uniforms, and did not stand in formation or march. They did not conduct "drills" like their British-raised, "professional" counterparts. Yes, most of the Continental Army's drills and ceremonies were copied directly from the British. Funny how that works. The bottom line is, there was a slight amount of hatred for the Minutemen. Doesn't this sound very familiar? In fact, these days a common complaint from the bro-vets is that the average "civilian" does not know how to train, has poor equipment, and lacks discipline. And yet, these veterans propagate the very ignorance the American Military has suffered in every single guerilla war we have dealt with. It's possible that the "1984ing" of this history has been purposeful, but few "professional" soldiers understand how crucial the Minutemen were to America's success in the Revolution, and how critical they still are today. Also, don't get me started on the word "professional" being blindly applied to the average modern service member. A five minute Google search will bust that myth like an old balloon. Drunk and disorderly, DUIs, rapes, and general misconduct are almost daily occurrences in the "professional" military. As a Squad Leader, in Germany, I was called every single weekend either because a Soldier was arrested for a DUI, had beaten his wife, or was involved in a fight with German locals. Every weekend is not an exaggeration. Very "professional," right? How is this possible? I personally believe it is the combination of lowered standards, and the fact that the US Military ignorantly prioritizes quantity over quality. I was often verbally reprimanded for stating that our numbers could be cut in half and we'd be better off by raising and actually enforcing our standards. You can imagine which type of "leader" had a problem with me saying such things.
So, what is the role of the modern Minuteman? Well, most would agree that it is the same as it was 250 years ago: to defend their communities and support larger operations if necessary. This purpose cannot be served without training, equipment, and the stewardship from experienced men. It's no different than groups like the Boy Scouts stewarding their valuable tradition. This purpose also requires the support of the local community. In the early days, Minutemen were funded by their communities - their neighbors, friends, and family. Today, often called MAG (Mutual Assistance Groups), the same applies. Most MAGs use donations, member dues, and other means of income to fund their training and development. I believe this is also a reason for the bro vets to hate them. In the military, we were paid very well, and often over-paid, to do our job. I always felt blessed to get paid to workout every morning, and then play with guns and practice tactics. What a job! Minutemen and MAGs have to go the extra mile. Most of these men have full time jobs, families, and other obligations, and do not receive tax dollars to do their "tactical" duties. Imagine if your average 23 year old Infantry Team Leader had to not only plan and manage training, but he had to figure out how to fund it and where to host it as well. Imagine if that same Team Leader also had to work with a local community in order to even train. I love the guys I served with, but most of them couldn't even plan a patrol. Not every veteran is a leader, and even many of the leaders had their hand held throughout their service. I often joke that serving in the Army is like Kindergarten for adult men. So long as you don't murder anyone, you cannot get fired, and will always get promoted. The point is, what is the typical stereotype of a GWOT veteran these days? Overweight, lazy, stoned daily, and living on disability, constantly reminiscing about the good old days. Why aren't they out there teaching? I sincerely believe that it's because our Oath is not properly understood. In fact, many service members have never even read the Constitution that our oath was created for. This fact should be more disturbing to Americans Citizens, but I doubt even know about it.
What if every combat veteran got involved in his community, and started training people? What if, instead of trashing his neighbors for doing something...anything at all, he decided to help? Maybe it's too easy to sit around telling war stories about our tax-payer funded vacations to the Middle East. Meanwhile, most veterans do have major complaints about this country and our future. We swore an oath to this country and our Constitution, yet that oath ended for most veterans as soon as they separated. Why?
Modern Minutemen support their communities in many ways, all year round: disaster response, mass casualty events, and community events. Let's imagine, however, that the US was actually invaded again. Who would respond to that threat? Across all branches, the US Military boasts about 1.3 million Active Duty personnel. Only about 5% of those are in combat-related fields. If we were to follow the "instruction manual" (the Constitution), those numbers would be cut by 99%, because our Founders never wanted a full time standing army. Why? Because of why we fought a Revolution in the first place. Regardless, does anyone believe that these puny numbers could stop any major attack on US soil? One would have to be delusional. What would happen if such a catastrophic event did occur? The same thing we did 250 years ago: The federalists would look to all those local and state Militias, as well as all the Minutemen to step in and pick up the slack. I believe, however, these "non professionals" would actually lead the way. In fact, judging by how crippled and demoralized our current servicemembers are today, thanks to endless bureaucracy and political correctness, Americans would be lucky if just 50% of those Active Duty personnel even reported for duty. Then, the slow machine of bureaucracy would ensure that the federal army wouldn't even have a plan of action until a few months have passed. During this time, who is doing all the fighting? Who would be organizing, arming, equipping, and putting up the first counter attacks? Who would be sabotaging enemy convoys and supply routes? The modern Minutemen, that's who. To be brutally honest, the main priority of the US Military would be to check all the servicemember's dental records and ensure their shots were up to date, before any movement could occur. Then, they'd all be standing in line to sign for their nearly deadlined vehicles. Next, they'd have to drive 4 hours away to beg for ammo from the depot. That is, assuming the Master Sergeant is still there, and the Soldiers have the proper paperwork. Meanwhile, the Minutemen would be in the mountains, or in the swamps, fulfilling their duties.
Am I claiming that the modern Minuteman is capable of taking on a large, organized military? Absolutely not, as that is not their job, and it never was. The role of the Minuteman is to serve and defend the community in which he resides. Based on the American model, every neighborhood or village should have a group that performs this role. Do American Citizens honestly expect the US Military to show up to their remote area and save them? As we have seen in every natural disaster, every year, the feds are the last people to show up, and usually end up causing the most problems. Sure, they can help people weeks and months after the fact, but someone must be there to act as the events unfold. Whether it is a response to natural disasters, or actual fighting, this role has belonged to, and will also belong to the Minuteman, and then the State Militia.
To be honest, there are a lot of outstanding combat veterans who are doing great things in this world. Completely off the internet and social media, they tirelessly work to steward their experiences and knowledge to citizens. They do this not for a paycheck, not for the credit, and usually not even for the fun of training with other like-minded people. They do it because it is necessary - it is invaluable, and they fully understand this duty. Most of these veterans remember their Oath on a daily basis, and they do their best to serve in every way they can. If this method of service is simply by teaching basic skills and tactics to their neighbors, then so be it. It could also be in the form of basic medical courses from an old combat Medic. Any veteran who has a problem with this stewardship, should re-evaluate his own morals, as many of these same bro vets are doing the same thing, but they only do it for fame and a paycheck. As it turns out, the famous words, "di oppressor liber," have just become a marketing term, misused by many to gain credit on social media, collect an easy paycheck, and then trash any "civilian" who just wants to be a good, prepared, American Citizen. They hate the fact that someone can cherry-pick good information, dispose of all the useless, wasteful, bureaucratic garbage we faced in the military, put together an efficient training plan, and train the average American. They despise seeing men do this for free, without going through all the proper bro vet channels.
It's sad, really, but it only shines a bright light on their ill-intended motives to join the military in the first place. Many of these veterans never fully understood their Oath, and how all of this is crucial in stewarding American Freedom and our irreplaceable way of life. For me, personally, I would much rather work with the guy who works 50 hours per week, has a strong family, and still finds the time to work with his fellow citizens, over the typical gate-keeping bro-vet looking for fame and fortune, any day. I understand this stance will draw a lot of fire from my so-called "brothers," and that's fine. Our brotherhood ended as soon as we either separated or transferred to other units anyway. I am aware that I am not part of the club, and that is completely fine with me.
"I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same."
Citizen's Oath
