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| AH-64D Longbow Apache in Iraq |
The story, from USA Today (7/15/11): Reservists allege mistreatment by Army
Reservists with a Kentucky-based attack helicopter battalion have signed a complaint accusing the Army of mistreatment and discrimination during the four-month training period before their deployment to Iraq.
The soldiers (including company commanders) say they experienced virtual "lockdown" confinement to base and had their movements and freedoms severely restricted. The Army commander who oversees Reserve units during preparation for war says the restrictions were necessary to bring the soldiers up to speed on flying the latest version of the AH-64D Longbow.
What do you suspect? Is this another case of different (worse) treatment for reservists and Guardsmen? Or were the restrictions appropriate?
6 comments:
This is not a surprise to me at all. I became aware of the Army's disdain for reserves and national guard early in my Air Force career. When I attended joint military schools, the Army Reserve frequently was the only service not in attendance. The Army pulled all those IMA Days and converted them to something deemed better. The Army has an institutional bias against the Reserve, and only looks for failures to confirm this bias.
The same thing happened to my reserve unit, and we were only 15 people, all either MSG's, LTC, & COL's! It was unbelievable. It was as if we were children that couldn't be trusted to have a meal off base after our training was over.
DISTAIN, how about the retroactive retirement system. The congress passed a bill given credit for active duty for retirement and transferring your GI bill to your family but remove it from being retroactive to (/11.
The DOD used us and abused us, PERIOD. I tell every solder I see going in. Be prepared to be treat like %$$#@!! The regular are hate the National Guard and Reserves, Period.
I know soldiers men and women who dropped everything after 9/11 and we never got credit for it. They lost jobs, became non proficient in the civilian work skills, lost families through divorce, and businesses. I was regular Army for 8 years and have more time active in the reserves and I did then.
I got out so I won’t be call always so much. Don’t get me wrong I love serving my country but to the point where I lose my job, wife, business, well it is not worth it. The congress and DoD treats us reserves like &**^ and we have to take it. THAT IS NOT RIGHT! I would advise any you man to not join and I am a 30 year veteran. The Army just wanted to us the retroactive 90 day rule going forward to recruit new volunteers; well they have a 110 percent recruitment rate. What do they continue to treat all of us who dropped everything, lost their jobs and families like $%%#@!
My congressman Rep Wolf, Sen Webb and Sen Warner are all part of the problem. They don't support reservist or National Guard.
The AC has a definite bias; as a senior staff officer in theater for a year it was common for AC officers to be awarded BSMs as they rotated out while the RC received ARCOMs or MSMs.
Equality begins with Congress - let's fix those archaic laws!
Indeed, this is no surprise. As a son to 3 US veterans, I was perfectly aware to the wind blowing this direction. I hope they have conducted a useful system for learning their lessons off of cases such as this.
No surprise here as I have seen it from both sides. The active Army personnel do look down on the reserves. I served for 14 years on active duty as a USAR officer and was forced to become RA when I reached major. Then when I got off active duty I resigend the RA and joined the USAR for another 9 years. While on active duty in 1991 we received reserve and national guard and I admit I did not think much of them but brainwashing starts early in your active career. It was a great pleaseure to serve my remaining years in the USAR and though some of the personnel are not up to some of the AC standards that is not because they don't care it just is they don't have the time to acheive all the AC standards. As to being experts in their fields that is another story and is where the reserve and national guard shine. Many of them showing that they know more than their AC counterparts and end up training the AC when they serve on active duty.
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