View Single Post
Old 04-15-2019, 02:31 AM
  #26  
Gundriver64
Gets Weekends Off
 
Gundriver64's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Jul 2017
Posts: 249
Default

Originally Posted by Hobbit64 View Post
So... maybe if the Army didnt have a dual class system (i.e. No Warrants) and ran their aviation like the other FOUR services; the leaders would have an opportunity to actually learn their trade... BEFORE they were, In Charge? Or do we just *have* to be different because we know better?

Kind of like the Army’s need to wear two piece flt suits.... unlike any other branch? At 4 Times the cost. Just one small nonsensical thing that makes you shake your head.

To be clear, there is no one size fits all. I’ve had lots of Great RLO’s and Warrants in my career. I made a choice an knew the ramifications before I started my path. I have little sympathy for a LT that comes up to the end of the PL time and freaks out because they are going to sit at a desk. Do I think they should leave me? H3LL NO. I want them to stay flying. ALOT. If anything, moonlight as an Asst S-3. Sometimes good guys (O-2’s leaving Platoon time) got a bum deal and sat in an S-1,S-2,asst. S-3, S-4 position and never flew. Waste a good Aviator IMHO. Why do we have an Adjutant Branch, Military Intel Branch, or Ordnance Branch then?! When I brought this up to a LTC Battalion CDR I was told the poor LT’s had to learn how the Army worked outside of aviation before they took command....(WTF? this in an RLO made debacle)
My salty Warrant Officer response was: “So, instead of leaving my future leaders with me so I can train them to do their ACTUAL JOB, you take them away from us and teach them stuff your Army trained other LT’s to do as their primary job?! So this whole thing is nothing but a situational training exercise for your types as we lowly ‘do-ers’ mire along like the pony express in reverse continually re-learning lessons for a career as LT’s and CPT’s move along in their careers?”
It is very frustrating to put so much time and effort in only to see your great LT/buddy leave for a silly job others spend a career doing.
It is a broken system.
Just my little rant.
Agreed. I've always thought the Army should do away with WOs (why in the hell does the Army need tech warrants?). I would much rather respect both the person and the rank versus the latter. And it's tough to respect your boss if they aren't the subject matter expert with regards to tactics and flying. Oh, there's going to be those here that will say "Oh they're ultimately trained to be strategists not expert flyers." Well, I think it can be soundly argued that you can't be the smartest guy (strategist) in the room if you aren't an expert with tactics and flying. I've flown with and trained a bazillion RLOs in a thirty plus year career. A fair amount of them were decent pilots. Many of them could have been a lot better if the Army would have gotten out of the way.

My present day assessment of a conventional war with China or Russia: we will get smoked. But hey, at least we'll all have nice teeth and a fresh flu shot...

P.S. You bring up an interesting point (reminder) of when I was a NCO in the Army in the mid-late 80s-which was a totally different Army in those days. There were no O-2/O-3 aviators doing personnel tasks down at the squadron HQs. If you had a personnel or adjutant issue you went to the (GUESS) base AG or S1 office. Gee, what a concept huh?

Last edited by Gundriver64; 04-15-2019 at 02:50 AM.
Gundriver64 is offline