Army Soldiers unhappy seen by survey

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

Pannu86

Lost here
7+ Year Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2014
Messages
40
Reaction score
4
Check out this article from USA TODAY:

Army morale low despite 6-year, $287M effort

http://usat.ly/1yyUdWX

Wonder why the results are such despite all the perks they get.

Members don't see this ad.
 
DUH! That's because we need more face-to-face and online resilience training...preferably administered after formation at 0500 given by some sh/tbag E6 who barely espeaka englesch
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Lol! Yes that would be indeed very painful.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
A $287M optimism program? Wha ... ?!?

That exasperated sound I just made was another small aliquot of my faith and optimism slipping away and diffusing in the atmosphere.
 
"I rarely count on good things happening to me." I laughed the moment I read that. Sounds like my current job.
 
Oh boy.

Sharyn Saunders, chief of the Army Resiliency Directorate that produced the data, initially disavowed the results. "I've sat and looked at your numbers for quite some time and our team can't figure out how your numbers came about," she said in an interview in March.

So this MBA with a sigma six green belt doesn't believe her own data ...

Subsequent to USA TODAY's inquiry, the Army calculated new findings but lowered the threshold for a score to be a positive result. As a consequence, for example, only 9% of 704,000 score poorly in optimism.

... but upon further review she believes it enough to move the goalposts far enough to declare victory.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
On a scale of 7-10, how optimistic are you? It would almost be fun to write that report. "Survey participants averaged a remarkable 7.3365 on the optimism scale." Now pay me.
 
Check out this article from USA TODAY:

Army morale low despite 6-year, $287M effort

http://usat.ly/1yyUdWX

Wonder why the results are such despite all the perks they get.
Thus ridiculous ongoing efforts by the military to make itself more PC, more like a company, more like a social network. It is none of those things. It's supposed to be a fighting force, the problem is (especially in the Navy) that we're terribly bored . . . and so we dwell on such programs and Command Climate Surveys. The Navy of 1943 had no such concerns.

Morale low? I say, do what you can to fix it; if it doesn't work, offer these soldiers/sailors an early out option. That's right: if you don't like being in the military, we'll give you option to go home, no harm no foul, you can even have the GI bill and such (if you've served long enough). Servicemembers have this option every time they re-enlist. Funny thing is: many do re-enlist, b/c they realize that the civilian world isn't so forgiving of those with just a high school education. McDonalds wont give you a 6-month paid vacation (ie LIMDU) to deal with your mental health issues [incurred from poor life-style choices, not battle] or your basketball-induced torn ACL!

[yes, bad day at work]
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Wonder why the results are such despite all the perks they get.

Dude, I don't know where you've been living. Being enlisted in the U.S. Army consistently ranks as the most stressful job in the nation. And enlisted make up like 90-something percent of the Army. Are the "perks" you're talking about 12 month back-to-back deployments? Or better yet, fear of losing your job to the drawdown?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
They probably think that marking it laterally one way it will improve their future VA claims. My favorite visit- the <1 year left guy now wanting to "document everything because I have been sucking it up." Guess what the DOD didn't cause your sleep apnea or your knee pain because your 40, barely exercise anymore, and your overweight.

The military system is THE MOST generous in terms of benefits when talking about majority of those who enlist are fresh out of highschool with zero abilities. The qualifications are so minimal to join and even then there are waivers for almost everything. We even handhold them for almost everything in their life. A lot of the stress could be alleviated if they all didn't feel the minute they had an ounce of cash in their pocket to blow on the camero or other garbage, get married so they don't have to live in the barracks, produce a bunch of kids because they can't comprehend waiting a few years.

The disability system is insane and if anyone tried to pull half the crap that occurs in the military their employer would just laugh at them and they would be fired.

Lossing their job because of a drawdown- that is called life. Odds are they are <40 years old, have benefited their fair share, and have never been fired or loss a job yet in their life. That contrasts greatly with the typicaly 40 year old these days with minimal qualifications. Most people know if they are in an MOS that is overmanned. Those individuals need to re-class, go warrant officer, or officer route and pursue something new then. Coasting doesn't work in civillian world and it shouldn't work in the military.
 
I've filled out these surveys a dozen times. My favorite part is that they've now adapted the surgeon general's highly researched, clinically proven triad of sleep-excersize-eat into the mix. You're now asked about your diet, your excersize routine, and how much sleep you get at night. Because clearly if there is a morale problem its because you're F*&cking up the performance triad, you oaf.

If those boys at ISIL would just stop eating falafel, take a nap, and jog a little, they'd probably find no need to behead people...

$287 million for morale improvement
Breakdown:

$286 million: performance triad fliers
$1 million: online questionaire on surveymonkey.

I wish I could justify poor performance in my job by lowering the bar and placing the victory flag. "Well, Ma'am, your child's face is paralyzed. But he's not dead, so I consider this a win for the team. Please reflect that in your APLS survey."
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Normally I don't hate my life in the Army, but my morale shoots way down when I realized about to be lectured on basic life skills by some online Ph.D. Has the DOD considered the deleterious effects of YET ANOTHER survey/online training/lecture/stand down, and these negative effects are lowering responses?
 
Normally I don't hate my life in the Army, but my morale shoots way down when I realized about to be lectured on basic life skills by some online Ph.D. Has the DOD considered the deleterious effects of YET ANOTHER survey/online training/lecture/stand down, and these negative effects are lowering responses?
No.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
You are who you are when you get into the Army. And you are the same person when you get out. Just had a uniform and job for a period of time.


Sent from iPhone/iCloud
 
Life as an enlisted Soldier sucks. they get paid a minimum wage, albeit with healthcare and housing, to do bi*ch work that has nothing to do with their MOS like 90% of the times. Even medics, when they get sent to a line unit, spends 80% of the time doing CQ, PMCS and and cleaning motor pools. Some don't even see patients for over 9 months, and the army expects them to keep up with their lack of skills...

Oh and the medics do PT at 530 AM and ruck like every freaking week too. They probably end up injuring and hurting themselves before they even get the chance to help others :(

Officers have it easy, esp those in medicine and law. You guys shouldn't be complaining.
 
Life as an enlisted Soldier sucks. they get paid a minimum wage, albeit with healthcare and housing, to do bi*ch work that has nothing to do with their MOS like 90% of the times. Even medics, when they get sent to a line unit, spends 80% of the time doing CQ, PMCS and and cleaning motor pools. Some don't even see patients for over 9 months, and the army expects them to keep up with their lack of skills...

Oh and the medics do PT at 530 AM and ruck like every freaking week too. They probably end up injuring and hurting themselves before they even get the chance to help others :(

Officers have it easy, esp those in medicine and law. You guys shouldn't be complaining.
How exactly is it easy and where exactly is the slack given that you attributed to?
 
How exactly is it easy and where exactly is the slack given that you attributed to?

To start off, most officers (esp those in special fields like JAGS, docs, chaplains) don't do CQ or guard duty like 5 times per month, including weekends. They don't have to live in barracks even while being single. They don't have to wake up and do PT 5 times per week and be 15 minutes early for a 0600 formation. They don't have to waste their time sitting around in a motor pool all day while reading some basic soldier readiness books, and then get tasked out last minute to go clean latrines, motor pools, barracks and company headquarters. They don't have to go out for field works 3 to 4 months per year and set up tents and equipments in 100 or 40 degree whether wearing the whole battle gear. Not only that wake up at 0500 to do parameter guarding and even after chow at 2000. This is with the full battle rattle on. No shower sometimes after PT or during the field time for regular joes, but officers get all the time and power to do what they want (esp docs, chaplains, etc). Heck, even PAs and nurses can pull all that and no can say anything. As an enlisted he or she will get extra duties and Article 15's. There is just so much more... For example, one joe goes out and screw up drinking, the rest of the enlisteds get screwed and punished with curfews and restrictions.

My point is most officers in the medical field have it pretty easy compare to enlisted members, so they really got nothing to complain about. Yeah, if one went to USUHS or got HPSP, one will most likely be deployed to help out with getting rid of Taliban or ISIS, but just know that your medics have it like 100X worst. I am not feeling sorry for the enlisteds. I am just trying to point out how life in the army can suck for some people
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
To start off, most officers (esp those in special fields like JAGS, docs, chaplains) don't do CQ or guard duty like 5 times per month, including weekends. They don't have to live in barracks even while being single. They don't have to wake up and do PT 5 times per week and be 15 minutes early for a 0600 formation. They don't have to waste their time sitting around in a motor pool all day while reading some basic soldier readiness books, and then get tasked out last minute to go clean latrines, motor pools, barracks and company headquarters. They don't have to go out for field works 3 to 4 months per year and set up tents and equipments in 100 or 40 degree whether wearing the whole battle gear. Not only that wake up at 0500 to do parameter guarding and even after chow at 2000. This is with the full battle rattle on. No shower sometimes after PT or during the field time for regular joes, but officers get all the time and power to do what they want (esp docs, chaplains, etc). Heck, even PAs and nurses can pull all that and no can say anything. As an enlisted he or she will get extra duties and Article 15's. There is just so much more... For example, one joe goes out and screw up drinking, the rest of the enlisteds get screwed and punished with curfews and restrictions.

My point is most officers in the medical field have it pretty easy compare to enlisted members, so they really got nothing to complain about. Yeah, if one went to USUHS or got HPSP, one will most likely be deployed to help out with getting rid of Taliban or ISIS, but just know that your medics have it like 100X worst. I am not feeling sorry for the enlisteds. I am just trying to point out how life in the army can suck for some people
Why would I as a doc should I be happy with not being expected to do duties that I have no business of doing anyway? Am I missing something here?
 
This is fantastic. I read the post about how hard it is to be enlisted, and I found myself daydreaming about how great it sounds.
 
Military Residency is a joke and I know because I am in it. You do more administrative duties and mandatory training than operating.
 
Top