There is clearly a good deal of feeling underlying your position, Army Sgt. I'm glad of it, because those who love the Army are the most focused on the good of the Army. Your assertions deserve a well-considered reply. I'm not going to be in a position to write such a thing today, so a well-considered reply will have to wait until tomorrow, for the most part.
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Originally Posted by ArmySGT.
This falls upon a special board. One that should be blind to race, gender, age, and other identifiers. A board that is convened solely for the purposes of retention. The official records of the Soldier should indicate their commitment to their profession of Soldier. The military schools they have attended, the correspodence the have completed, the civilian education they have amassed, the voluntary stuff like submissions for military schools, service clubs, and other voluntary community activities. That board shouldn't see just the latest PT test and weigh in but every single test from day one. That board should not see just the latest weapons qualifications but every single one. That board should also be presented with a report from the National Crime Information Computer aka the FBI database so that minor and major criminal offenders are in consideration too.
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I couldn't agree more. I will point out, though, that this idea flies in the face of an automatic severance for all single parent soldiers.
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Originally Posted by ArmySGT.
Skill ultimately can be bought.
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No, it cannot. To be certain, money is involved. Failure to pay probably will result in a lack of needed skills. But the skills of the senior NCOs cannot be purchased like software or a weapons system. The skills that are the backbone of the force must be grown and developed over years of training and hard experience. Again, money is involved; but we cannot slap down a quarter-million dollars and get a quality sergeant first class off the shelf. Commodifying human qualities is the mistake made by capitalists; the assumption that money solves all problems belongs to people who have plenty of money and little practical experience. You don't strike me as a capitalist (not to be confused with someone who views capitalism as the engine of economic growth) or as someone who has more money than sense, Army Sgt.
Now, before anyone gets up in arms about how the idea of growing the skills of the senior NCOs has some sort of direct correlation to the young single moms making careers in the rear while other soldiers pull their weight, there is no direct correlation. I make it practice to point out fallacy where it appears. When I fail to do so, the unaddressed fallacy often reappears and bites me; ergo, I address it when it appears.