I'm here because of that and I'm what you can define a pacifist hahaha! not a fool though, I know true peace is very far away and i respect soldiers. humans are still humans. fast to craft and expand, slow to change. I'm not from US either, it is interesting though to see what's going on, little pieces of a huge puzzle.
Retired senior enlisted here. I will tell this to anyone that is willing to listen, the best weapons and best equipment are great, but mean very little without leadership, training and discipline.
"Out of every one-hundred men, ten shouldn’t even be there, eighty are just targets, nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle. Ah, but the one, one is a warrior and he will bring the others back." -Heraclitus
That was a quote from me not Heraclitus. Any man with clitus as a name is far from warrior status. His mother should have just went zero to a hundred and named him clitoris.
What a load of rubbish when lots of people never come back from wars does that mean they weren’t good enough.well listen here even the very best don’t always come home
Worked for him at USASOC while I was working my way out the door for retirement. He’s a solid down to earth and no nonsense dude, and I hope he stays that way.
@stevenphillipson3101 Lie on y'r back, put pillow on back on y'r head, so y'r chin touch y'r chest (while you 've your mouth close). In this position you 're able to sleep quiet, without snore! Ps. With sleep I meant, half asleep. Always be aware of your surroundings, ànd your pillow not slip away.
I’m a Marine officer…not a soldier. But the SMA’s comment (14:16) that the “non-commissioned officer is an asymmetric advantage” is spot on! The training + employment of NCOs is what gives me confidence that we can ‘out-cycle’ the enemy. Any officer can make a decision but it is strong, competent, mission-ready, mission-focused NCOs that understand the end state that are our competitive advantage.
Sure, but the Army develops better NCO's than the Marine Corps at the moment because they aren't hammering their NCO's to go be Drill Instructors or Recruiters right as they get a grasp of their job and grow into a mature adult in their mid-20's. We cut off our NCO Corps at the knees for the sake of having them either march around with a funny hat or slay themselves on recruiting. We need knowledgeable, technically and tactically proficient NCO's to STAY in the FMF. Furthermore, regarding recruiting, the Army allows poolees to choose their MOS. We do not.
@@cm-pr2ys The Army has all the same recruiting and entry-level training requirements that the Marine Corps has...and more since their active end strength is ~2.5 times ours. So while I agree w your assessment that proficient NCOs are needed in the FMF, I'm not sure how you reached the conclusion that the Army is developing "better NCO's than the Marine Corps." Would be interested in seeing those statistics or proofs. In addition, Marine poolees with high scores are able to choose their MOSs. Of course, school seats ultimately based on the needs of the Service. Same as the Army.
@AustineRawllins unless something changed in recent years, poolees are not allowed to choose a specific mos unless they are enlisting into the reserves. Not sure how it is for officers, but that's how it is for enlisted. Maybe officers aren't affected by the hsst list as much as enlisted are, but sir, I'm telling you- so many good enlisted Marines get out because they don't want to be forced to go drill instructor or recruiter. It's not for everyone and it should not be forced on people that don't want it. That's how you get drill instructors that make recruits jump off third deck or recruiters that screw poolees. Provide Marines with more incentives to go DI or Recruiter and we wouldn't have this issue. Make every SDA a B-Billet (with a ribbon- looking at you Security Forces and I&I) and Marines wouldn't be so apprehensive about the HSST list. HQMC will never get rid of the HSST- fine. But at least don't be pants on head retarded about it. You find far fewer soldiers saying "I got out because I was being forced to be a drill sergeant/ recruiter" than you do Marines, and their branch is bigger than ours. Think about how much better our NCO Corps would be if we kept them in the FMF, sent them to more advanced schools, and got them more experience instead of removing them from their job for 3 years, promoting them, then expecting them to take a Staff NCO level position in an MOS field that they weren't in for the last 3 years. This prioritization of B-Billets over all else causes a cascading effect of decreased mos proficiency, morale, family readiness, and good leadership. It's time for a better system.
Seeing this two months later. I hope you realize how much we civilians appreciate what you do, and that we have strong organized leaders still in the military. Thank you for what YOU do. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!!!
So for those of yall who have never heard of this guy. He is the first person from special forces that has been selected to be sergeant major of the army. This dude has been to war on a different level then guys like myself have. I might have two deployments under my belt as a cav scout and I mightve lived outside of a fob on a tiny little patrol base. But this guy is on a whole 'nother level. This dude is a badass
Green Berets are also probably the smartest of the special forces (they’re the special forces sent into foreign territory to organize rebellions and insurgents). Some other special forces they might wake you up in the middle of the night and make you run, green berets they’ll wake you up and ask you to draw a map of Africa with every country named.
I was Cold War fixed Air Defense large tactical nukes, back in the day. Ended up in medical and a career at VA. There is a bearing to a man who has fought in war. My dad had it, Omaha Beach on day 3, but it was my 100 year old D day shrapnel wounded friend who helped me understand the toll war takes on a soldier. Our military requires the best of the best. Green Berets are just that, apparently. Grateful to all soldiers, brave combat and steady vigilant, and to people who make it a vocation to care for our Veterans. 🇺🇸
“READINESS IS EVERYTHING “ I hope everyone heard that loud and clear. As a great American General once said: “ it is sad to be READY and not called. But it is TRAGIC to be called and not be ready”. LETS GET READY!!!
@@rmf9567What concrete evidence do you have for this statement beyond some platitude? Every living Sec of Defense called on soldiers to not listen to illegal orders from Trump. Now you have an administration that is continuing to find the military and got us out of Afghanistan to stop grinding our men and women up. You are stuck in a cult of personality and can’t see beyond your cult mantras.
@rmf9567 People have had opinions like yours since as long as the US has been a nation, in a couple of years, you'll realize your alarmism was overblown.
This one segment should be required viewing for all young Americans in high school or college. The sergeant major is an example of how not only military individuals should prepare and live their lives, but how all Americans should be preparing every single day for what they have ahead of them in that day in that week ahead in the coming year. If you follow his guidelines, there is no way it cannot be successful in whatever endeavors you pursue. I am pushing 70 and was still reinvigorated after viewing this podcast. Thank you!
Our children will never fight for America again. We remembered how America treated black soldiers after WW2 and Vietnam. Fight your own war because we have never received a piece of America pie
Accessable, yes. If required it's too easy to make it propagandist. There are plenty of speakers giving very similar "algorithms for success" from all walks of life. Besides, those w no interest in the military won't hear the message or be able to translate it into something they can use anyway. As a 55yo army vet, retired fire/medic, I am skeptical of anything required/forbidden. Perhaps the happy medium is a required vid from a speaker w an ideology considered opposite or distanced from military ideology. Not stating either 1 is more correct. Just considering how best to reach the kids without implanting any special interests.
@@jay-by1seis desert Storm considered a war? Dunno what your parameters are but we did some ass-whoopin' on that 1 (completely coincidental that's the only combat I saw. 13 bravo!)
Daily Keys To Success: 1) Prepare the night before. Reflect on your day and prepare for tomorrow’s tasks. 2) Do something that will strengthen yourself, be it emotionally, physically, spiritually, first thing in the morning. And eat a good breakfast. 3) Read and study. Maintain inquisitiveness.
I’m a Vietnam Era career retired soldier. It’s because of the Vietnam experience you encountered that our Army has evolved to what it is today. There will always be “bad apples” that don’t deserve to be a soldier.
Your experience and advocacy after Vietnam has drastically changed today’s Army. Just rest easy knowing that your sacrifices and experiences in Nam have been incorporated into better leaders in today’s Army. You guys did not fail us. Thank you 🙏
Hey man, I came from your short. Big respect to all of our veterans, just gained a subscriber in me, especially since this interview doesn’t feel like the army paid for it, it feels genuine. Thanks!
That's an absolute fact! I retired in 2017 and had lost all hope in the Army. SMA just restored my faith. I wish I served under him while I was in Baghdad / Sadr City 06-08.
Having a CSM who can talk the talk and no doubt walk the walk, and “get the hay down where the goats eat,” will significantly improve the individual NCO and improve retention of good soldiers.
AF officer here. Thank you for your experience and wisdom. I thoroughly enjoyed and agreed with you. We should never allow our differences in the services to stand in the way of learning from each other.
Prior service member here, retired after 20 years, traveled the world, have 5 campiegns under my belt. Graduated with top honors. I'm honored to be a soldier
@StolenValor24. 4mo ago "I've never seen combat and never seen war. I was not in the Military. I was going to join the marines but couldn't because I have a medical condition preventing me from joining. I sign on the dotted line and went to meps. Maps Dr evaluated me and said " sorry son your ineligible to join" I was devastated. Anyways that's my Military experience." The fact that people don't read your user name and have questions is astonishing.
I love Mike, he is a Great NCO and a Great Soldier. As a student of Military History, it is silly to believe that after everything we are seeing in UKR/RUS that Near-Peer Warfare is even possible. Our best bet for the future is sustaining our gains from the GWOT, continuing to focus on targeting and intelligence collection, and of course small unit tactics. ALL those skills are applicable and scalable across the Combat Spectrum. The "Hybrid Threat" Model made sense in 2010, and it makes sense now.
He brought it up and I'm glad he did, soldiers sitting around wanting something productive to do, Its not hard for officers to create a training schedule that keeps soldiers engaged in productive, educational and beneficial activities during the scope of a normal work day, There is so much more to being a professional combat soldier than battle drills and Inspections. The US Army does not train the way they are supposed fight. They put the weight of tactical expertise on the officers and forget that when they get killed somebody has to be ready to take over. You may have that in more elite units but the Army needs to rethink the word professional warfighter. Example, one day I was chatting with a SSgt in a Scout platoon so I asked you are a scout correct? Yes he replied and then I asked him to recite the fundamentals of reconnaissance and he said what are you taking about? Point being learn your job!! You cant learn it waiting around for the word!!
I think part of the problem is that if they trained the army how it's supposed to be trained then it would protect against enemies both foreign AND DOMESTIC. You can't commit high crimes when there's guards watching. Same thing goes for the police. If they were trained properly then how could those in high places get away with the crimes they get away with?
I stumbled on this podcast and man this guys advice can be used in the corporate world. I’m a manger at a consultancy and I can use some of his advice. Thanks man!
This is gold! I wish that every leader of any organization could hear this. I retired with 20 years of service. I served both as an NCO and Warrant all in aviation. (Fixing then flying them). Leadership was always a hot button for me because I experienced both good and not so good of leadership. I am so glad to hear the leadership emphasis especially as we come out of the GWOT era into the next era. Thank you so much for this video!
Great interview Sir and great vision SMA! You know I’m a 21 year Senior NonCom and was never lead with some of these amazing insights like…”know how to lead yourself first” etc. I’m surprised to hear we will make numbers this year, but it must be due to great leadership! Sit down with your NCO corp, comrades, sons, daughters, grandchildren, neighbors etc and give them a this vision in a way they really understand. Show at your leadership schools and even your retired Soldiers events.
A smart, committed, and seasoned NCO will intuitively fix any weakness in our technology and quickly see the weakness in any enemy technology, and exploit it for the win.
E5 12N AGR soldier here with 4.75 years of service so far and have loved my career minus COVID times which weren't best for me because I sought exemption. But now I'm dropping my E6 packet after having been an E5 for a year and currently filling an E6 position as S3 NCO in my Engineer Company. I wish to transition to Officer side once I have my Bachelor's done soon and take my experience as an NCO and bring it to the Officer Corp. This was a good podcast love to hear more from the SMA
When I joined the Army there was still a tech sergeant that had converted over to the normal ranks of sergeant back in 2002/2003 having since retired with mix of active/reserve and guard time and now a federal employee theres a ton and i dont use that word lightly of stuff some might use the word knowledge gained over the years having been in all the branches the army has to offer I would say buying into what the army is as an organization matters to the unit and to the soldiers when it comes time to promote and even for life after the service long or short the nugget I have to offer is be as thorough as a 420A and as meticulous a drill sergeant telling you to get your items squared away for a inspection be it dress uniform or otherwise I’ve see just about all sorts of people in good and bad units rise to the top and fall for all sorts of reason don’t take being infantry as cool understand what you want the army for cause it only has one thing in mind for you which is to be ready to deploy but always understand what your own goal is and never ever less those bad apples change you while your in cause there gonna try to stuff out your light you’re just stay focused on your goal an stay healthy above all else. 12B/2002 Iraq with 4 stars on my ribbon retired 2023 as 42A you don’t see too many 12B retiring as 42A.
That’s hella funny I gotta agree. But lately I’m thinking if you work anywhere near any sort of government, and the higher up the worse…. You might just fuck around and come up missing these days. They MIGHT fuck around and say you were killed in a grocery store run with two other people. This government will murder children to hide shit.
As a former Marine I am very impressed by CSM Mike Weimer and his candid conversation about the actual readiness and state of the Army. I love his emphasis on good leadership and the ability to change. If we go to war with a near peer adversary it will be painful and costly for the United States. The Marine Corps has restructured for the conflict in the Pacific and it has been met with resistance. The Army will be much harder to restructure but with leaders like this I feel much better. General Milley was worthless and had committed what I consider treasonous acts. Go Army!!!
Came from the short. I hope this SMA’s attitude and urgency when it comes to readiness and the gravity of the next fight we face rubs off on current Air Force Leadership.
Very odd feelings watching this interview. I'm a late-40's OIF vet with a great civ job now in the tech sector, but I too would dump it and re-join if ever needed. Truly.
As a Norwegian noncom this is quite interesting. Especially his comments about recruitment and retention. Norwegian servicemen (Military, fire and police) have all had a fixed pension age at 58. Some can even get out at 57, but most end up staying in until 60. The Government recently decided to change the pension age from that 58 to 62. Now we have to be in the military 4 more years and they REFUSE to give us pension for all our pay. Overtime pay, exercise pay, risk pay etc etc. None of it affects our pension and they want to increase the pension age? There is a fight to get something out of this, but if we lose that fight a lot of our experienced personnel is going to leave and it takes 10+ years to replace all of it.
The best way to get GOOD representation in government is for those with the relevant experience to run for government leadership roles. More military career veterans need to be in government leadership roles, and then the interests of members of the military will be understood and respected. If none of the government members making those legislative changes have any professional, career military experience, how can you expect them to make good decisions on military matters? When you finally do retire from the military, run for office. Encourage those who are currently retiring, or those who have recently retired, to run for office.
Pension age in America was 62, now 65. From what we know of European social benefits, they are generous. We are in a different situation here. One now being experienced by Sweden from what we hear, causing them to trim their benefits. Some things work much better with a homogeneous population, despite all the worshipping of "diversity".
May God bless this gentleman. We are a nation at war against evil. The Department of Veterans Affairs is having a very negative effect on military recruiting. Zero suicide must be always the goal. We need every American to see the need for an Invincible U.S. Military. An Invincible and Highly capable U.S. Military will deter futures wars and unite a divided nation. May God bless America.
There is certainly a segment of the suicides that stems from "survivor's guilt", but I think there's a goodly portion of it that comes from not being able to find rewarding work that also is able to properly support the veteran's family. A young man gets married, is enlisted and goes off to fight or to a potential war zone. He serves his nation, sees his share of fighting, all the while seeing the cost to his family through his absence that results from his commitment. His DEROS comes along and he returns home and decides it is time that he dedicates himself to being present full-time for his family, so, he exits. Unfortunately, his time served didn't give him a great deal of marketable skills, with the possible exception of team work and leadership. But, Corporate America isn't likely to slot him into a role of leadership right off the bat, especially in the absence of a degree. These times are not like the early 50s and late 40s when the nation welcomed vets home with job offers. Corporate America has no welcome mat at their front door for vets any longer. They see the potential liability of time off due to PTSD, or worse... flashbacks, in the most severe cases, that result in injuries. It sucks, but they are now reluctant to hire a vet. So, the young vet, still being dedicated to growing a thriving family, now has to struggle with either not finding a job, or earning low wages. That will eat a man up. At some point, out of pure desperation, suicide looks like a good option. We need to step up and overcome this challenge. Instead of giving the meaningless "Thank you for your service." , find a way to give these vets a decent job, one that has clear guideposts with a path forward and upward. It's just a thought...
I've never served in the military, but I respect all those who have the courage and discipline to do so. Thank you for your service, gentlemen, especially those who have gone beyond just serving and actually made it into a special forces unit.
Please, Sergeant Weimer, when you have completed this mission, consider the VA. The VA desperately needs a protracted and carefully considered, planned, and enacted overhaul. Please, as an Army Brat to VA Leader go all the way and consider a top leader role at VA when you are done with this most important mission you are on. Commitment is and has been lacking at VA for some time now. A leader that can instill this philosophy of vocation and commitment that you understand and model is sorely needed at VA. Thank you for your committed service to this great nation. I would salute you, but I don’t want to tick you off. 🇺🇸 I am always vigilant praying every day for the USA. I am adding you to my daily prayers.
I’m an army brat and a 16 yr A.D. SNCO in the AF. I enjoyed listening to the perspective from my sister service’s Sergeant Major of the Army. Very powerful message for our current leaders whose job is to mold our next generation of war fighters!💪🏾
I think this SMA has taken major steps back from SMA Grinston’s focus on improving the personnel issues the Army faces, however it is good to know he still understands what will be needed to succeed in a LSCO fight.
True. Not sure what Gen Z and Gen Alpha need from the organization in order to join up, but I suspect conscription generally won’t work. They’ll just leave or injure themselves to avoid going.
@@visionforetold4568 Sorry this is five months late, but this is something I've been putting a lot of thought into and it's gonna make my brain itch until I vocalize it. Apologies in advance. There is a difference, I suspect, between kids these days and kids 30 years ago, or 50 years ago, or 80 years ago, but it's not the one that everyone points to. There's still a drive to achieve, a desire to face and overcome challenges, and a longing to belong to part of something bigger. They still seek purpose. None of that has changed. What has changed is information. If I knew 20 years ago that I'd need a cane on rainy days and still have to fight to get the benefits I've earned and the help I need, I might not have joined. Or if I had, I wouldn't have gone down the same path. Back then, social media was in its infancy and most of what I knew about the military, I knew from older friends and family members talking about the good old days. I had very little concept of what I was signing up for. Kids these days have unfettered access into what military life is really like, and for a lot of them? It just isn't worth it. The pay isn't competitive with minimum wage in a lot of places, the benefits are notoriously hard to actually use, and if they get hurt, they know they're not going to get the help they need. The day to day life is one of endless drudgery and pointless BS under leaders who just see them as tickets to their next promotion. Even the lines about noble sacrifice and selfless service ring hollow when they've seen how politicians treat the military. Kids these days aren't soft, they're informed. Without a ground up overhaul of how we understand the concept of a professional fighting force, I really don't see the recruitment problem getting better anytime soon. From the time I joined, when Iraq was still fresh, to my last deployment to Syria, warfare itself underwent several paradigm shifts that leadership still doesn't properly understand. Until they wrap their heads around the fact that 19th century ideals about how to run a military should have been discarded with rifled muskets, things are only going to get worse.
The toughest man in the Army. Period. Sergeant Majors are a different breed of soldiers. My God they are so vicious and tough. I was in the Army, so I know.
I believe the 1st Green Beret selected as SMA of the Army, was then SM Richard A. Kidd, 9th SMA. Not to take away our current SMA's Special Operations experience.
Its funny but when I try to view his time in SF there's no history of it to be found, just says he earned the SF tab but doesn't list his group or duty assignment. Only thing I see is him being with 82nd and assigned to a weapon training unit at the 1SWTG (A). Anyone got more info??
@@scottcampbell7249 yes 1966-67 - Communications Chief, Squad Leader, Platoon Sergeant, Company C, 2d Squadron, 5th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, Republic of Vietnam; Patient, Medical Holding Company, 106th General Hospital, Japan 1967-68 Wire Foreman, HHC 3d Battalion (Abn), 325th Infantry, 82d Airborne Division; Weapons Training (Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C. 1970-71 Light Weapons Infantry Adviser, U.S. Army advisory Group (USAAG) Military region 3; Third Regional Assistance Command, U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, U.S. Army Pacific, Republic of Vietnam
Just found this channel & subbed! 57:54 thru 1:00:23 is one of the most accurate & wisest statements he made. I'm not military nor do I have any current family members who are serving (my father was a Marine,) but I think this was an excellent interview full of interesting facts & plenty of wisdom too. Thank you to ALL who have or currently do sacrifice to serve & protect us! My appreciation is extended to their families as well. For sacrificing time away from their loved one who's serving & who often times gives up a stable home life to move all around the world in support of their loved one. Merry Christmas & wishes that you each have a healthy, happy & prosperous New Year with enough time to enjoy them all! 🇱🇷 ❤🤍💙
This civilian found this discussion fascinating. I’m so grateful to you all for protecting us and making it possible for us to flourish in this dangerous world 🇺🇸 I have been thinking a lot about how dysfunctional so many of our corporations and government organizations are, yet how the Armed Forces are still relatively on-point. I’ve noticed in the many types of organizations for which I’ve worked that it’s a universal problem that the information only flows from the top-down. Leadership is increasingly out-of-touch, in my opinion largely because there is an attitude of contempt for hands-on experience and arrogant leaders will not listen to workers or middle management regarding inefficiencies and issues in the system. It struck me as profound that the NCO Corp in the US military is a force working against this corrupting tendency.
As a retired NCO in order to remove the toxic leadership in the senior levels we should have a civilian agency to assist the military since we can't police our own. Toxic leaders are embedded within the military and needs to be weeded out.
Based on your experience, do you think it would create more division between both those currently serving and the civilian agency? It feels like this could work if all of the military gems were at the top of, or held significant positions in this civilian agency.
The civilian agency ran by government would assist the military leaders in determining who are toxic. They will not however, be over the military. There needs to be a balance.
@@rollievancleave7753difference is that your boss in the military can’t smoke you for questionable reasons, absolutely screw over and hold your career hostage at the whim of any second. There’s a difference between being soft and behaving like gentlemen
You know what thing that I think that’ll make the conventional force, ie..82nd and other units better. Is if all guys E6 and below are able to have a voice in certain situations to improve welfare and living conditions. Most senior leaders came up a certain way and they don’t want to change or adapt to the constant changes of the world or everyday life
During my time in service I was in my late teens to the age of thirty. I was in it for tradition. To fight and if so die. Some guys thought I was crazy. I was raised old fashioned. I didn't care for politics or formality. I was loved or hated. Soldiers loved me, my higher ups didn't. That was my experience. I miss the field training, the ranges, the triathlon competitions, and deployments. To me technology was cowardly. I never liked it or cared for it. Depending on to much technology will ultimately be the end of you.
Nothing but Respect for SOF... however there needs to be a priority on modernizing the Infantry... we need better gear, more suppprt, nutritionists/Performance briefings at the battalion levels etc. Start investing into the Combat MOSs .. then we will reenlist to fight .. revitalize the training cycles to actually make sense. More marksmanship training, hell even hire private contractors, former or retired SOF etc.. to teach tactics etc... look at the Aussies, their conventional forces, specifically grunts are miles ahead of us.. Lastly, bring back the importance and spirit de corp of the Infantry .... most guys get out, not because the job is hard but the lack of spirit de corp and poor leadership from the NCO all the way up to the Battalion Commander.... treat us like warriors and athletes, give us the tools and training and I guarantee you'll have more reenlistments... SOF has been the main focus for the last decade.. however who took the most casualties during GWOT..... the Grunt and all related MOSs... Im not bitching, but bring back the Infantry ! And what it stands for.... it use to mean something..
That sadly will never happen so long as the military allows civilian contractors, all of which are the lowest bidder, to have control over military infrastructure and supply chains.
In my opinion, there should be precisely zero profit anywhere in the military. It should be a matter of the most effective distribution of resources. If conflicts only costed our society money, and didn’t inflate the pockets of crooked military-industrial corporations and contractors, we’d have far fewer wars/conflicts.
What's lacking in the Army then and now is the lack of Espirit De Corps. Alot of Soldiers have pride based on their units that they are assigned to (82nd, 101st, Ranger Regiment and etc.). We need to look at the USMC and model their ways on developing our troops.
Kinda hard to do that these days with all the inclusiveness and DEI going around instead of taking the toughest, smartest, and most capable SOB available.
The Army is not the Marine Corps. Every year the Army "breathes" an entire Marine Corps, meaning they enlist and discharge a whole Marine Corps every year. It is right for the Army to focus on unit Esprit de Corps IMO.
No. The Army in WWII had esprit d'corps because there was one common enemy that the entire country was fighting. Until there's a real war to fight, you'll never get that again.
@@jiminysnicket86 Japan and Germany were not one common enemy, whatever their extremely thin political alliance may have been. The U.S. was fighting a two-front war. The WW II esprit d'corps was because the U.S. had a monopoly on propaganda on its citizens, and the average American male knew little besides what FDR wanted him to. Now the internet has laid a world of information and perspectives at the fingertips of the common man, and nations are working overtime to create that kind of total information dominance again.
I retired with 23 years in the Army. So much has changed in the 10 years since I left. 50 years of being a volunteer force is a great thing. However some of the policies that have been implemented in just the last 10 of those years have adversely effected the overall combat effectiveness of the force. Forcing current liberal social norms into the ranks is number one. For 40 years we were separate but equal American fighting men and women with no focus on sexuality or race. In my 20+ years of service I never once had a "class" on preferred pronouns or critical race theory. And we all lived and worked together like family. After 9/11, we deployed together and fought and died side by side, without as much as a thought about each others skin color. Now mandatory classes on those topics take as much time out of a Soldiers day of training than rifle marksmanship. Somebody, not a Soldier, came up with the idea that these things were important and that we needed these agendas in the ranks. They called it progress. That's not progress. The results have been ranks mixed with patriotic American men and women who want to defend the Constitution of the United States, but would prefer to live separate but equal to their civilian counterparts, without the strings of some political or social agenda, that they may not agree with morally or spiritually tying their minds up, but that's not what they get so they leave. If you really want recruitment and reenlistment numbers to increase, maybe try to withdraw the politics from the ranks. Get back to Soldiers being Soldiers, training to shoot, move and communicate. Tough, realistic training builds teams. It has for 50 years.
Thankful that you and your generation are no longer in the army to keep fucking it up with your outdated opinions and biases. If you want young Americans to join the army, you have to show them that you’re aware of today’s issues and problems. This bullshit narrative that people like you vomit all over comment sections shows have pervasive Fox News and OAN’d propaganda spreads.
Couldn't agree more. Who the CIC is, and their admin can play a big role in this. Also, the whole Covid thing was a mess in the way it was handled. Then there's the whole topic of trannys. No offense, but I would never take an order from a dude pretending to be a chick, or vise-versa.
Former GWOT Army Sargent. Couldn't agree more on Command turn-over. In 8 years, I had the following: 4 Company CO's, 3 Battalion CO's, yet only 2 CSM's and 2 1SG's during the same time period. I have no problem saying that out of all of the Officer's I served under...only 1 Company CO was worth a shit. Thankfully I had excellent NCO Leadership throughout my time in service. The "buy-in" is a real thing. Something I think the Officers I served under, never understood.
There's no do overs in the last fight either. Good grief. Every E-9 in the US military has a career built on organizational failure at this point. We just lost a 20 year war. The first step to getting any better is admitting it. Senior command took the all volunteer force for granted. The people currently in charge are not worth following until they admit it and apologize to America for serving defense contractor profits and not national defense. Results matter, remember?
I don't think this is a fair assessment. At the end of the day, the military operates by political goals set by policymakers. Many of the faults were outside the realm of the DoD and with congress. When the military is tasked with solving a political problem, they realistically only have military solutions.
@@Saltweasel did you forget that both of those invasions were LSCO? Half a million Americans invaded Iraq in 2003. Did you forget that Iraq had the world's fifth largest army until they buried their gear in the desert and waited for the Americans to declare victory before they really started fighting? By the way militia usually wins LSCO when they have a home field advantage. We just don't want to admit it. So US military "leadership" is trying to minimize the losses in Iraq and Afghanistan by labeling them as insignificant and minor wars now. Once again the first step to getting any better is admitting the US military is a losing team led by losers based on their recent measurable results.
George Dunaway SMA 68-70 was the CSM of the 1st SFG 61-66 and 5th SFG 66-67, but was not school trained. SMA Glen Morrell 83-87, spent 62-73 with the 5th (3 tours in Vietnam), Training Group, 8th and 7th Groups before going back to the conventional forces. SMA Kidd 91-95, was in the 6th and spent a year in Vietnam as an Advisor on his 2nd tour 70-71. SMA Weimer is certainly the first out of the SF Community when picked.
I think the biggest question people have, is the Army still woke? Also, General Mark Milley is probably the biggest recruit repellant the Army has ever had. Military leadership matters.
Awesome Interview: 22:15 - As a Marine gone Army, totally agree. Leader from Day One is something the Army fails to capitalize on, that the Marines espouse. I understand SMA's point here with "leading yourself first" - but if you're not messaging you're a Leader and giving Leadership Opportunities right there at Basic Training - it's a missed opportunity for not just inculcating increased leadership that can be developed later, but also increased ownership (aka commitment).
I agree with this.... there needs to be a massive overhaul of all Army PME for NCOs and Officers. Recentering around real leadership, standards and warfighting things.
I agree. Because at the E4 level in the Marine Corps, you’re considered a noncommissioned officer. And they cultivate that leadership from Boot Camp. In the army, you’re an E4 but you get into this thing called E4 mafia. You’re a specialist but you’re not considered a noncommissioned officer unless you’re a corporal. And you can go to what was called in my day primary leadership development course, and that’ll make you a specialist promotable. You might see some leadership there. I remember I had my leadership roles when all of the NCOs went for some type of training I was acting company first sergeant. That was an honor. This was at Fort Campbell Kentucky. But as a specialist, it’s like midway between private and sergeant. It’s like John C Maxwell said, if you wait to get into a leadership position to be a leader, are you a leader?
Excellent interview. Love the SMA focus on leadership, keeping the right folks in and going back to standards and discipline. Love the release of a blue book. Takes me back to the old days when we have to carry CTT books and else….Again excellent interview.
I really appreciate rhe CSMA's dedication and professionalism, but most of all, I appreciate his remembering it is his oath was to the Constitution and not that he swore an oath to a person sitting in the White House nor to a political party. Too many have forgotten that extremely important difference, or... they never took it seriously from the beginning.
It's not that they forgot or didn't take it seriously at any point, it's that doing what's right isn't as important as their next promotion or next assignment.
It's not that they forgot or didn't take it seriously at any point, it's that doing what's right isn't as important as their next promotion or their next assignment.
While this is true everything comes down to funding. You want better pay/benefits talk to your government or campaign yourself and push better funding for the people. At the end of the day all this expensive tech doesn't do shit without people guiding it.
One thing I learned from history books in high school is that the United States military when facing another country willing to fight until the last solider and die fighting for their nation (Japan) they step back and just drop nuclear weapons on civilians. In Vietnam the VietCong said "black man go home".
They need to interview military members from the bottom up, making sure they are anonymous and allowed to speak their mind without fear of reprisal. They would figure out VERY quickly who the dogshit officers are, the ones mired in concerned with personal ambition than taking care if their men, the ones who always skirt responsibility and blame shit on someone else, and the straight up dangerous ones who are gonna get guys killed for some bullshit mission just to appease some officers pet peeve.
I've talked with a lot of younger people, and there's a lot of interest in military service. But ultimately they're choosing not to join and I don't blame them. They saw the disastrous results in Iraq and Afghanistan. They see veterans committing suicide left and right. They see the failures by the VA to provide proper care and support. And now the force-feeding of DEI training, experimental vaccines.
We who are awake and pay attention see the new battle field, drones are deadly to infantry and mechanized as well, my cousin was MacVSOG during Vietnam, 8 of my cousins in all, they talked about the guerrilla warfare that Charlie fought against formal troops so they adapted and overcame with their own way of fighting through a ruthless guerrilla style of their own, i will always back up our military who fight outside of the box
The UA-cam short worked
I'm here because of that and I'm what you can define a pacifist hahaha! not a fool though, I know true peace is very far away and i respect soldiers.
humans are still humans. fast to craft and expand, slow to change. I'm not from US either, it is interesting though to see what's going on, little pieces of a huge puzzle.
@@hic_tusa pacifist doesn’t mean you can’t be a realist. Upvote.
We're not on reddit bud haha @@NB_Strikers
@@brandontruong9172 no idea what that means
@NB_Strikers upvotes are a feature on Reddit, UA-cam uses thumbs down/up. same shit. makes zero difference, he was just yapping lol
Retired senior enlisted here. I will tell this to anyone that is willing to listen, the best weapons and best equipment are great, but mean very little without leadership, training and discipline.
And the Army is in very short supply of those three things.
@@beadcutter8644
So you serve or served in the Army?
We learned this in Ukraine. The fun toys get spent quick and then it’s just men in a meat grinder.
"Out of every one-hundred men, ten shouldn’t even be there, eighty are just targets, nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle. Ah, but the one, one is a warrior and he will bring the others back." -Heraclitus
I think that ratio is accurate and reflective of humans no matter which Army.
Sort of analogous to any organization.
That was a quote from me not Heraclitus. Any man with clitus as a name is far from warrior status. His mother should have just went zero to a hundred and named him clitoris.
@@AlfonseGambino 😂
What a load of rubbish when lots of people never come back from wars does that mean they weren’t good enough.well listen here even the very best don’t always come home
Worked for him at USASOC while I was working my way out the door for retirement. He’s a solid down to earth and no nonsense dude, and I hope he stays that way.
Not a brown-noser and a-hole?
Loved this,
1 - reflect on your day, prepare for tomorrow.
2- Mental / physical fit.
3 - Read, continue learning.
@@biscuitandtea tell us something we don’t know because some just get on with it and some can only dream because they’re not capable um
@stevenphillipson3101
Lie on y'r back, put pillow
on back on y'r head, so y'r
chin touch y'r chest (while
you 've your mouth close).
In this position you 're able
to sleep quiet, without snore!
Ps.
With sleep I meant,
half asleep.
Always be aware
of your surroundings,
ànd your pillow
not slip away.
Your breaking my heart and please you stinking smelly trump fan your blowing bubbles and you really should keep it simple you simple twat
What in the ever loving fuck 😅
I’m a Marine officer…not a soldier. But the SMA’s comment (14:16) that the “non-commissioned officer is an asymmetric advantage” is spot on! The training + employment of NCOs is what gives me confidence that we can ‘out-cycle’ the enemy. Any officer can make a decision but it is strong, competent, mission-ready, mission-focused NCOs that understand the end state that are our competitive advantage.
Sure, but the Army develops better NCO's than the Marine Corps at the moment because they aren't hammering their NCO's to go be Drill Instructors or Recruiters right as they get a grasp of their job and grow into a mature adult in their mid-20's. We cut off our NCO Corps at the knees for the sake of having them either march around with a funny hat or slay themselves on recruiting. We need knowledgeable, technically and tactically proficient NCO's to STAY in the FMF.
Furthermore, regarding recruiting, the Army allows poolees to choose their MOS. We do not.
@@cm-pr2ys The Army has all the same recruiting and entry-level training requirements that the Marine Corps has...and more since their active end strength is ~2.5 times ours. So while I agree w your assessment that proficient NCOs are needed in the FMF, I'm not sure how you reached the conclusion that the Army is developing "better NCO's than the Marine Corps." Would be interested in seeing those statistics or proofs.
In addition, Marine poolees with high scores are able to choose their MOSs. Of course, school seats ultimately based on the needs of the Service. Same as the Army.
@AustineRawllins unless something changed in recent years, poolees are not allowed to choose a specific mos unless they are enlisting into the reserves. Not sure how it is for officers, but that's how it is for enlisted.
Maybe officers aren't affected by the hsst list as much as enlisted are, but sir, I'm telling you- so many good enlisted Marines get out because they don't want to be forced to go drill instructor or recruiter. It's not for everyone and it should not be forced on people that don't want it. That's how you get drill instructors that make recruits jump off third deck or recruiters that screw poolees. Provide Marines with more incentives to go DI or Recruiter and we wouldn't have this issue. Make every SDA a B-Billet (with a ribbon- looking at you Security Forces and I&I) and Marines wouldn't be so apprehensive about the HSST list. HQMC will never get rid of the HSST- fine. But at least don't be pants on head retarded about it.
You find far fewer soldiers saying "I got out because I was being forced to be a drill sergeant/ recruiter" than you do Marines, and their branch is bigger than ours. Think about how much better our NCO Corps would be if we kept them in the FMF, sent them to more advanced schools, and got them more experience instead of removing them from their job for 3 years, promoting them, then expecting them to take a Staff NCO level position in an MOS field that they weren't in for the last 3 years. This prioritization of B-Billets over all else causes a cascading effect of decreased mos proficiency, morale, family readiness, and good leadership. It's time for a better system.
We lost every war👍
@jay-by1se
Which is why the USA is still the dominant world power... right.
Seeing this two months later. I hope you realize how much we civilians appreciate what you do, and that we have strong organized leaders still in the military. Thank you for what YOU do. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!!!
So for those of yall who have never heard of this guy. He is the first person from special forces that has been selected to be sergeant major of the army. This dude has been to war on a different level then guys like myself have. I might have two deployments under my belt as a cav scout and I mightve lived outside of a fob on a tiny little patrol base. But this guy is on a whole 'nother level. This dude is a badass
SMA Kidd was the first SF SMA. We absolutely need SMA Weimer. He will find a way to fuse SOF and big army in the next fight.
nah
Green Berets are also probably the smartest of the special forces (they’re the special forces sent into foreign territory to organize rebellions and insurgents). Some other special forces they might wake you up in the middle of the night and make you run, green berets they’ll wake you up and ask you to draw a map of Africa with every country named.
I was Cold War fixed Air Defense large tactical nukes, back in the day. Ended up in medical and a career at VA. There is a bearing to a man who has fought in war. My dad had it, Omaha Beach on day 3, but it was my 100 year old D day shrapnel wounded friend who helped me understand the toll war takes on a soldier. Our military requires the best of the best. Green Berets are just that, apparently. Grateful to all soldiers, brave combat and steady vigilant, and to people who make it a vocation to care for our Veterans. 🇺🇸
Id like to introduce you to SMA Glen Morrell. He predates the tab but was in several SF units in key roles.
“READINESS IS EVERYTHING “ I hope everyone heard that loud and clear.
As a great American General once said: “ it is sad to be READY and not called.
But it is TRAGIC to be called and not be ready”. LETS GET READY!!!
Was that General Patton?
Sad that our current administration is damaging our country from within
@@rmf9567What concrete evidence do you have for this statement beyond some platitude? Every living Sec of Defense called on soldiers to not listen to illegal orders from Trump. Now you have an administration that is continuing to find the military and got us out of Afghanistan to stop grinding our men and women up. You are stuck in a cult of personality and can’t see beyond your cult mantras.
@rmf9567 People have had opinions like yours since as long as the US has been a nation, in a couple of years, you'll realize your alarmism was overblown.
Being prepared is never over blown. Just as long as it doesn't control your life @@JusufBideovic
Met SMA Weimer out in the Box at NTC, he’s a good dude and a true leader
This one segment should be required viewing for all young Americans in high school or college. The sergeant major is an example of how not only military individuals should prepare and live their lives, but how all Americans should be preparing every single day for what they have ahead of them in that day in that week ahead in the coming year. If you follow his guidelines, there is no way it cannot be successful in whatever endeavors you pursue. I am pushing 70 and was still reinvigorated after viewing this podcast. Thank you!
Our children will never fight for America again. We remembered how America treated black soldiers after WW2 and Vietnam. Fight your own war because we have never received a piece of America pie
We lost every war we have fought for the least 80 years, and the army is failing to recruit and at soldier satisfaction at the highest level ever.
Accessable, yes. If required it's too easy to make it propagandist. There are plenty of speakers giving very similar "algorithms for success" from all walks of life. Besides, those w no interest in the military won't hear the message or be able to translate it into something they can use anyway.
As a 55yo army vet, retired fire/medic, I am skeptical of anything required/forbidden. Perhaps the happy medium is a required vid from a speaker w an ideology considered opposite or distanced from military ideology. Not stating either 1 is more correct. Just considering how best to reach the kids without implanting any special interests.
@@jay-by1seis desert Storm considered a war? Dunno what your parameters are but we did some ass-whoopin' on that 1 (completely coincidental that's the only combat I saw. 13 bravo!)
Why? Why are you so determined to sending young Americans to die for Israel and Ukraine.
Daily Keys To Success:
1) Prepare the night before. Reflect on your day and prepare for tomorrow’s tasks.
2) Do something that will strengthen yourself, be it emotionally, physically, spiritually, first thing in the morning. And eat a good breakfast.
3) Read and study. Maintain inquisitiveness.
@@CivilianOperators that’s very good preparation
Where was this Sargent Major when I was in Vietnam? I never served anyone who cared about his men like this hero does.
I’m a Vietnam Era career retired soldier. It’s because of the Vietnam experience you encountered that our Army has evolved to what it is today. There will always be “bad apples” that don’t deserve to be a soldier.
Welcome home sir🫡
Your experience and advocacy after Vietnam has drastically changed today’s Army. Just rest easy knowing that your sacrifices and experiences in Nam have been incorporated into better leaders in today’s Army. You guys did not fail us. Thank you 🙏
Man the US.. and we in the west are so incredibly well served by our volunteer militaries.👍🇳🇿🇺🇸
Love listening to leaders speak. It’s a different mind set. What a struggle this day and age getting people to join, I can only imagine.
People won't join because army leadership is so toxic. These are just words, in reality the army is a disaster of failure.
The long form interview really brings out the context from the "shorts" that are circulating.
The Army really got it right picking him.
Hey man, I came from your short. Big respect to all of our veterans, just gained a subscriber in me, especially since this interview doesn’t feel like the army paid for it, it feels genuine. Thanks!
Appreciate that and thanks for watching and subscribing. Much more to come!
Came from the short. This man could lead me over a cliffs edge and I'd never doubt him all the way down
I was in Ajrotc with him in high school. He was the same way then too. Unflinching and uncompromising, solid as they come.
That's an absolute fact! I retired in 2017 and had lost all hope in the Army. SMA just restored my faith. I wish I served under him while I was in Baghdad / Sadr City 06-08.
Having a CSM who can talk the talk and no doubt walk the walk, and “get the hay down where the goats eat,” will significantly improve the individual NCO and improve retention of good soldiers.
This UA-cam channel is criminally underrated
SMA is a true quiet professional. His example for other leaders is what the position needs.
Planning to view the the second half of this with my non-Army, military team next week. Great stuff. Thanks
Thanks for watching and sharing with your team!
34:20 I like that comparison SMA makes about being in "combat" but not in a "war"(large scale combat operations with a near peer).
When was the last time USA was technically in a 'War'?
@@biscuitandtea Gulf War probably
@@Jishhhhhhhh doubt they were even what could be called a near peer
As a GWOT guy from the early days in Kuwait...Let's hit up Mister Frosty's later for some Fanta and nachos. (Not actually war, agree w/ the SMA)
SMA nailed it!
AF officer here. Thank you for your experience and wisdom. I thoroughly enjoyed and agreed with you. We should never allow our differences in the services to stand in the way of learning from each other.
Thanks for watching. Only love for our sister services!
@59.38 pure gold and a great baseline habit, regardless one's craft. That should be a UA-cam short as well.
Beat me to it. 👌
"It's better to have it and need it, than need it and not have it." -Lt. Stone, Ranger School Instructor, class of 03-2010.
*have it and not need it, I am guessing you meant
@@jesusthroughmary nope. Reread the original comment.
@MrWorstNews I read the original comment correctly, I was positing that you mistyped because it's not a very useful statement as written
Prior service member here, retired after 20 years, traveled the world, have 5 campiegns under my belt. Graduated with top honors. I'm honored to be a soldier
What is a campaign? Did you fight in ww2?
You should be proud. Well done man
@StolenValor24. 4mo ago
"I've never seen combat and never seen war. I was not in the Military. I was going to join the marines but couldn't because I have a medical condition preventing me from joining. I sign on the dotted line and went to meps. Maps Dr evaluated me and said " sorry son your ineligible to join" I was devastated. Anyways that's my Military experience."
The fact that people don't read your user name and have questions is astonishing.
I love Mike, he is a Great NCO and a Great Soldier. As a student of Military History, it is silly to believe that after everything we are seeing in UKR/RUS that Near-Peer Warfare is even possible. Our best bet for the future is sustaining our gains from the GWOT, continuing to focus on targeting and intelligence collection, and of course small unit tactics. ALL those skills are applicable and scalable across the Combat Spectrum. The "Hybrid Threat" Model made sense in 2010, and it makes sense now.
He brought it up and I'm glad he did, soldiers sitting around wanting something productive to do, Its not hard for officers to create a training schedule that keeps soldiers engaged in productive, educational and beneficial activities during the scope of a normal work day, There is so much more to being a professional combat soldier than battle drills and Inspections. The US Army does not train the way they are supposed fight. They put the weight of tactical expertise on the officers and forget that when they get killed somebody has to be ready to take over. You may have that in more elite units but the Army needs to rethink the word professional warfighter. Example, one day I was chatting with a SSgt in a Scout platoon so I asked you are a scout correct? Yes he replied and then I asked him to recite the fundamentals of reconnaissance and he said what are you taking about? Point being learn your job!! You cant learn it waiting around for the word!!
I think part of the problem is that if they trained the army how it's supposed to be trained then it would protect against enemies both foreign AND DOMESTIC. You can't commit high crimes when there's guards watching.
Same thing goes for the police. If they were trained properly then how could those in high places get away with the crimes they get away with?
I stumbled on this podcast and man this guys advice can be used in the corporate world. I’m a manger at a consultancy and I can use some of his advice. Thanks man!
This is gold! I wish that every leader of any organization could hear this. I retired with 20 years of service. I served both as an NCO and Warrant all in aviation. (Fixing then flying them). Leadership was always a hot button for me because I experienced both good and not so good of leadership. I am so glad to hear the leadership emphasis especially as we come out of the GWOT era into the next era. Thank you so much for this video!
Great interview Sir and great vision SMA! You know I’m a 21 year Senior NonCom and was never lead with some of these amazing insights like…”know how to lead yourself first” etc. I’m surprised to hear we will make numbers this year, but it must be due to great leadership! Sit down with your NCO corp, comrades, sons, daughters, grandchildren, neighbors etc and give them a this vision in a way they really understand. Show at your leadership schools and even your retired Soldiers events.
A smart, committed, and seasoned NCO will intuitively fix any weakness in our technology and quickly see the weakness in any enemy technology, and exploit it for the win.
E5 12N AGR soldier here with 4.75 years of service so far and have loved my career minus COVID times which weren't best for me because I sought exemption. But now I'm dropping my E6 packet after having been an E5 for a year and currently filling an E6 position as S3 NCO in my Engineer Company. I wish to transition to Officer side once I have my Bachelor's done soon and take my experience as an NCO and bring it to the Officer Corp. This was a good podcast love to hear more from the SMA
When I joined the Army there was still a tech sergeant that had converted over to the normal ranks of sergeant back in 2002/2003 having since retired with mix of active/reserve and guard time and now a federal employee theres a ton and i dont use that word lightly of stuff some might use the word knowledge gained over the years having been in all the branches the army has to offer I would say buying into what the army is as an organization matters to the unit and to the soldiers when it comes time to promote and even for life after the service long or short the nugget I have to offer is be as thorough as a 420A and as meticulous a drill sergeant telling you to get your items squared away for a inspection be it dress uniform or otherwise I’ve see just about all sorts of people in good and bad units rise to the top and fall for all sorts of reason don’t take being infantry as cool understand what you want the army for cause it only has one thing in mind for you which is to be ready to deploy but always understand what your own goal is and never ever less those bad apples change you while your in cause there gonna try to stuff out your light you’re just stay focused on your goal an stay healthy above all else. 12B/2002 Iraq with 4 stars on my ribbon retired 2023 as 42A you don’t see too many 12B retiring as 42A.
What was the result of your exemption request?
@@Motoguy94 exemption request for what?
@@Motoguy94 mine was pending the whole time during COVID, so I neither got an Approval or Denial
@@fixagent81 Did they approve your request for an exemption for taking the vaccine?
I ended my Army career as a Recruiter.
Thank you for your service!
Outstanding interview, the Master Sergeant certainty appears to be the represent the army’s enlisted population and doing an excellent job of it.
Deep in to the center of the Pentagon? You are brave sir…
That’s hella funny I gotta agree. But lately I’m thinking if you work anywhere near any sort of government, and the higher up the worse…. You might just fuck around and come up missing these days. They MIGHT fuck around and say you were killed in a grocery store run with two other people. This government will murder children to hide shit.
That was a great short. I respect this man. The short really was the best part.
As a former Marine I am very impressed by CSM Mike Weimer and his candid conversation about the actual readiness and state of the Army.
I love his emphasis on good leadership and the ability to change. If we go to war with a near peer adversary it will be painful and costly for the United States.
The Marine Corps has restructured for the conflict in the Pacific and it has been met with resistance. The Army will be much harder to restructure but with leaders like this I feel much better.
General Milley was worthless and had committed what I consider treasonous acts.
Go Army!!!
Oh is that cause he badmouthed Trump ??
It is because he tipped the Chinese on the state of security national affairs of the US. I suggest you switch from CNN 😂
Came from the short, glad i stayed for the whole thing. That was incredibly insiteful!
Came from the short. I hope this SMA’s attitude and urgency when it comes to readiness and the gravity of the next fight we face rubs off on current Air Force Leadership.
I like this SMA. I kind of wish I could get back in. If the nation called, I would do it.
I'm 43 and have a good job at Ford Motor Co, but I have a feeling the next big one is coming. And I would proudly serve even though my age.
Very odd feelings watching this interview. I'm a late-40's OIF vet with a great civ job now in the tech sector, but I too would dump it and re-join if ever needed. Truly.
Thank You, Sargent Major.. I would follow you anywhere....
As a Norwegian noncom this is quite interesting. Especially his comments about recruitment and retention. Norwegian servicemen (Military, fire and police) have all had a fixed pension age at 58. Some can even get out at 57, but most end up staying in until 60. The Government recently decided to change the pension age from that 58 to 62. Now we have to be in the military 4 more years and they REFUSE to give us pension for all our pay. Overtime pay, exercise pay, risk pay etc etc. None of it affects our pension and they want to increase the pension age? There is a fight to get something out of this, but if we lose that fight a lot of our experienced personnel is going to leave and it takes 10+ years to replace all of it.
The best way to get GOOD representation in government is for those with the relevant experience to run for government leadership roles. More military career veterans need to be in government leadership roles, and then the interests of members of the military will be understood and respected. If none of the government members making those legislative changes have any professional, career military experience, how can you expect them to make good decisions on military matters? When you finally do retire from the military, run for office. Encourage those who are currently retiring, or those who have recently retired, to run for office.
Pension age in America was 62, now 65. From what we know of European social benefits, they are generous. We are in a different situation here. One now being experienced by Sweden from what we hear, causing them to trim their benefits. Some things work much better with a homogeneous population, despite all the worshipping of "diversity".
May God bless this gentleman. We are a nation at war against evil. The Department of Veterans Affairs is having a very negative effect on military recruiting. Zero suicide must be always the goal. We need every American to see the need for an Invincible U.S. Military.
An Invincible and Highly capable U.S. Military will deter futures wars and unite a divided nation.
May God bless America.
There is certainly a segment of the suicides that stems from "survivor's guilt", but I think there's a goodly portion of it that comes from not being able to find rewarding work that also is able to properly support the veteran's family.
A young man gets married, is enlisted and goes off to fight or to a potential war zone. He serves his nation, sees his share of fighting, all the while seeing the cost to his family through his absence that results from his commitment. His DEROS comes along and he returns home and decides it is time that he dedicates himself to being present full-time for his family, so, he exits.
Unfortunately, his time served didn't give him a great deal of marketable skills, with the possible exception of team work and leadership. But, Corporate America isn't likely to slot him into a role of leadership right off the bat, especially in the absence of a degree. These times are not like the early 50s and late 40s when the nation welcomed vets home with job offers.
Corporate America has no welcome mat at their front door for vets any longer. They see the potential liability of time off due to PTSD, or worse... flashbacks, in the most severe cases, that result in injuries. It sucks, but they are now reluctant to hire a vet.
So, the young vet, still being dedicated to growing a thriving family, now has to struggle with either not finding a job, or earning low wages. That will eat a man up. At some point, out of pure desperation, suicide looks like a good option.
We need to step up and overcome this challenge. Instead of giving the meaningless "Thank you for your service." , find a way to give these vets a decent job, one that has clear guideposts with a path forward and upward.
It's just a thought...
I've never served in the military, but I respect all those who have the courage and discipline to do so. Thank you for your service, gentlemen, especially those who have gone beyond just serving and actually made it into a special forces unit.
Please, Sergeant Weimer,
when you have completed this mission, consider the VA.
The VA desperately needs a protracted and carefully considered, planned, and enacted overhaul.
Please, as an Army Brat to VA Leader go all the way and consider a top leader role at VA when you are done with this most important mission you are on. Commitment is and has been lacking at VA for some time now. A leader that can instill this philosophy of vocation and commitment that you understand and model is sorely needed at VA.
Thank you for your committed service to this great nation. I would salute you, but I don’t want to tick you off.
🇺🇸 I am always vigilant praying every day for the USA. I am adding you to my daily prayers.
Sir that's so true my appreciation for a straight message proxied through the same pipeline.
35k a year is just our way of saying thank you for your service.
Immigrants get double that & still not happy!
@dartymcphee6738 no they don't, you've been fed lies.
@@maxxlanglois in Australia they do!
@@maxxlangloisno it’s not a lie we seen the receipts. They’re all over Tik toc
@@maxxlangloisanything is too much
I sing, educate myself daily and don’t retreat; learned that from the Air Force & Marines.
That was an amazing interview ! thanks man
Im glad to hear a sensible man speaking on behalf of the Pentagon
Thank you for your service to our country and your father and grandfather’s service. True American Hero’s.
I’m an army brat and a 16 yr A.D. SNCO in the AF. I enjoyed listening to the perspective from my sister service’s Sergeant Major of the Army. Very powerful message for our current leaders whose job is to mold our next generation of war fighters!💪🏾
Meet him in Ft Jackson a month or so ago. What a great person he is.
I think this SMA has taken major steps back from SMA Grinston’s focus on improving the personnel issues the Army faces, however it is good to know he still understands what will be needed to succeed in a LSCO fight.
True. Not sure what Gen Z and Gen Alpha need from the organization in order to join up, but I suspect conscription generally won’t work. They’ll just leave or injure themselves to avoid going.
Grinston was my 1SG in Charlie Battery 1-7FA during OIF2. He’s a badass. He’s also from near my hometown here in Alabama.
The LSCO fight is definitely a higher priority. Once those ducks are in a row I’m sure he’ll lean towards the personal issues.
@@southboundguitarhe was my 1SGT back in 2002 with 2/503 INF HHC.
@@visionforetold4568 Sorry this is five months late, but this is something I've been putting a lot of thought into and it's gonna make my brain itch until I vocalize it. Apologies in advance.
There is a difference, I suspect, between kids these days and kids 30 years ago, or 50 years ago, or 80 years ago, but it's not the one that everyone points to. There's still a drive to achieve, a desire to face and overcome challenges, and a longing to belong to part of something bigger. They still seek purpose. None of that has changed. What has changed is information.
If I knew 20 years ago that I'd need a cane on rainy days and still have to fight to get the benefits I've earned and the help I need, I might not have joined. Or if I had, I wouldn't have gone down the same path. Back then, social media was in its infancy and most of what I knew about the military, I knew from older friends and family members talking about the good old days. I had very little concept of what I was signing up for.
Kids these days have unfettered access into what military life is really like, and for a lot of them? It just isn't worth it. The pay isn't competitive with minimum wage in a lot of places, the benefits are notoriously hard to actually use, and if they get hurt, they know they're not going to get the help they need. The day to day life is one of endless drudgery and pointless BS under leaders who just see them as tickets to their next promotion. Even the lines about noble sacrifice and selfless service ring hollow when they've seen how politicians treat the military. Kids these days aren't soft, they're informed.
Without a ground up overhaul of how we understand the concept of a professional fighting force, I really don't see the recruitment problem getting better anytime soon. From the time I joined, when Iraq was still fresh, to my last deployment to Syria, warfare itself underwent several paradigm shifts that leadership still doesn't properly understand. Until they wrap their heads around the fact that 19th century ideals about how to run a military should have been discarded with rifled muskets, things are only going to get worse.
The toughest man in the Army. Period. Sergeant Majors are a different breed of soldiers. My God they are so vicious and tough. I was in the Army, so I know.
I believe the 1st Green Beret selected as SMA of the Army, was then SM Richard A. Kidd, 9th SMA. Not to take away our current SMA's Special Operations experience.
SMA Kidd is the 1st SMA Green Beret. He was my SMA in the early to mid 90s
Its funny but when I try to view his time in SF there's no history of it to be found, just says he earned the SF tab but doesn't list his group or duty assignment. Only thing I see is him being with 82nd and assigned to a weapon training unit at the 1SWTG (A). Anyone got more info??
@@scottcampbell7249 yes 1966-67 - Communications Chief, Squad Leader, Platoon Sergeant, Company C, 2d Squadron, 5th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, Republic of Vietnam; Patient, Medical Holding Company, 106th General Hospital, Japan 1967-68 Wire Foreman, HHC 3d Battalion (Abn), 325th Infantry, 82d Airborne Division; Weapons Training (Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.
1970-71 Light Weapons Infantry Adviser, U.S. Army advisory Group (USAAG) Military region 3; Third Regional Assistance Command, U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, U.S. Army Pacific, Republic of Vietnam
@@scottcampbell7249He's not wearing a long tab or Ranger tab
Who's not wearing it??
Taking notes during convo
Absolute stud move
Great interview, great content this channel is going to grow like crazy.
You boys make an ol man feel proud again
Hearing from this leader will help me sleep better at night.
Just found this channel & subbed! 57:54 thru 1:00:23 is one of the most accurate & wisest statements he made. I'm not military nor do I have any current family members who are serving (my father was a Marine,) but I think this was an excellent interview full of interesting facts & plenty of wisdom too. Thank you to ALL who have or currently do sacrifice to serve & protect us! My appreciation is extended to their families as well. For sacrificing time away from their loved one who's serving & who often times gives up a stable home life to move all around the world in support of their loved one. Merry Christmas & wishes that you each have a healthy, happy & prosperous New Year with enough time to enjoy them all! 🇱🇷 ❤🤍💙
He’s gonna have a lot of uniform updates 💪🏽
This civilian found this discussion fascinating. I’m so grateful to you all for protecting us and making it possible for us to flourish in this dangerous world 🇺🇸 I have been thinking a lot about how dysfunctional so many of our corporations and government organizations are, yet how the Armed Forces are still relatively on-point. I’ve noticed in the many types of organizations for which I’ve worked that it’s a universal problem that the information only flows from the top-down. Leadership is increasingly out-of-touch, in my opinion largely because there is an attitude of contempt for hands-on experience and arrogant leaders will not listen to workers or middle management regarding inefficiencies and issues in the system. It struck me as profound that the NCO Corp in the US military is a force working against this corrupting tendency.
As a retired NCO in order to remove the toxic leadership in the senior levels we should have a civilian agency to assist the military since we can't police our own. Toxic leaders are embedded within the military and needs to be weeded out.
Based on your experience, do you think it would create more division between both those currently serving and the civilian agency? It feels like this could work if all of the military gems were at the top of, or held significant positions in this civilian agency.
A civ agency ran by the gov? Who would oversee them to make sure they aren't just firing people for their political opinions or DEI reqs.
The civilian agency ran by government would assist the military leaders in determining who are toxic. They will not however, be over the military. There needs to be a balance.
As a retired Marine and retired healthcare worker, there is toxic leadership in civilian industries as well. Doesn’t just exist in our military.
@@rollievancleave7753difference is that your boss in the military can’t smoke you for questionable reasons, absolutely screw over and hold your career hostage at the whim of any second. There’s a difference between being soft and behaving like gentlemen
You know what thing that I think that’ll make the conventional force, ie..82nd and other units better. Is if all guys E6 and below are able to have a voice in certain situations to improve welfare and living conditions. Most senior leaders came up a certain way and they don’t want to change or adapt to the constant changes of the world or everyday life
Impressive and comforting. It'd be a big help to the layman to flash up the definitions of the acronyms😮
During my time in service I was in my late teens to the age of thirty. I was in it for tradition. To fight and if so die. Some guys thought I was crazy. I was raised old fashioned. I didn't care for politics or formality. I was loved or hated. Soldiers loved me, my higher ups didn't. That was my experience. I miss the field training, the ranges, the triathlon competitions, and deployments. To me technology was cowardly. I never liked it or cared for it. Depending on to much technology will ultimately be the end of you.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE! Stand strong and firm. We are all depending on your expertise. ❤
Just found this Jedburgh Podcast. Excellent!!!
Subscribed and clicked the Like !
Python3 is what I like to read atm. Thank you both for your service!
Nothing but Respect for SOF... however there needs to be a priority on modernizing the Infantry... we need better gear, more suppprt, nutritionists/Performance briefings at the battalion levels etc. Start investing into the Combat MOSs .. then we will reenlist to fight .. revitalize the training cycles to actually make sense. More marksmanship training, hell even hire private contractors, former or retired SOF etc.. to teach tactics etc... look at the Aussies, their conventional forces, specifically grunts are miles ahead of us..
Lastly, bring back the importance and spirit de corp of the Infantry .... most guys get out, not because the job is hard but the lack of spirit de corp and poor leadership from the NCO all the way up to the Battalion Commander.... treat us like warriors and athletes, give us the tools and training and I guarantee you'll have more reenlistments...
SOF has been the main focus for the last decade.. however who took the most casualties during GWOT..... the Grunt and all related MOSs...
Im not bitching, but bring back the Infantry ! And what it stands for.... it use to mean something..
That sadly will never happen so long as the military allows civilian contractors, all of which are the lowest bidder, to have control over military infrastructure and supply chains.
In my opinion, there should be precisely zero profit anywhere in the military. It should be a matter of the most effective distribution of resources. If conflicts only costed our society money, and didn’t inflate the pockets of crooked military-industrial corporations and contractors, we’d have far fewer wars/conflicts.
@@0psec_not_goodgood point on that
Great interview. Mike's the real deal!
What's lacking in the Army then and now is the lack of Espirit De Corps. Alot of Soldiers have pride based on their units that they are assigned to (82nd, 101st, Ranger Regiment and etc.). We need to look at the USMC and model their ways on developing our troops.
Kinda hard to do that these days with all the inclusiveness and DEI going around instead of taking the toughest, smartest, and most capable SOB available.
The Army is not the Marine Corps. Every year the Army "breathes" an entire Marine Corps, meaning they enlist and discharge a whole Marine Corps every year. It is right for the Army to focus on unit Esprit de Corps IMO.
No. The Army in WWII had esprit d'corps because there was one common enemy that the entire country was fighting. Until there's a real war to fight, you'll never get that again.
@jayaidsmarstef7340 you mean felons like during the Surge?
@@jiminysnicket86 Japan and Germany were not one common enemy, whatever their extremely thin political alliance may have been. The U.S. was fighting a two-front war. The WW II esprit d'corps was because the U.S. had a monopoly on propaganda on its citizens, and the average American male knew little besides what FDR wanted him to. Now the internet has laid a world of information and perspectives at the fingertips of the common man, and nations are working overtime to create that kind of total information dominance again.
I retired with 23 years in the Army. So much has changed in the 10 years since I left. 50 years of being a volunteer force is a great thing. However some of the policies that have been implemented in just the last 10 of those years have adversely effected the overall combat effectiveness of the force. Forcing current liberal social norms into the ranks is number one. For 40 years we were separate but equal American fighting men and women with no focus on sexuality or race. In my 20+ years of service I never once had a "class" on preferred pronouns or critical race theory. And we all lived and worked together like family. After 9/11, we deployed together and fought and died side by side, without as much as a thought about each others skin color. Now mandatory classes on those topics take as much time out of a Soldiers day of training than rifle marksmanship. Somebody, not a Soldier, came up with the idea that these things were important and that we needed these agendas in the ranks. They called it progress. That's not progress. The results have been ranks mixed with patriotic American men and women who want to defend the Constitution of the United States, but would prefer to live separate but equal to their civilian counterparts, without the strings of some political or social agenda, that they may not agree with morally or spiritually tying their minds up, but that's not what they get so they leave. If you really want recruitment and reenlistment numbers to increase, maybe try to withdraw the politics from the ranks. Get back to Soldiers being Soldiers, training to shoot, move and communicate. Tough, realistic training builds teams. It has for 50 years.
If they force me to use liberal words I’m gonna get in trouble
Did you apply for disability yet?
Thankful that you and your generation are no longer in the army to keep fucking it up with your outdated opinions and biases. If you want young Americans to join the army, you have to show them that you’re aware of today’s issues and problems. This bullshit narrative that people like you vomit all over comment sections shows have pervasive Fox News and OAN’d propaganda spreads.
Couldn't agree more. Who the CIC is, and their admin can play a big role in this. Also, the whole Covid thing was a mess in the way it was handled. Then there's the whole topic of trannys. No offense, but I would never take an order from a dude pretending to be a chick, or vise-versa.
Damn, SMA Weimer is a philosopher warrior. What an impressive guy.
Can't wait for it to go back to Fort Bragg !! My home town!
This is one intelligent soldier, discusses complex military psychology with ease.
Here from the short, as a veteran I wish I had some NCOs like him when I was in.
Former GWOT Army Sargent. Couldn't agree more on Command turn-over. In 8 years, I had the following: 4 Company CO's, 3 Battalion CO's, yet only 2 CSM's and 2 1SG's during the same time period. I have no problem saying that out of all of the Officer's I served under...only 1 Company CO was worth a shit. Thankfully I had excellent NCO Leadership throughout my time in service. The "buy-in" is a real thing. Something I think the Officers I served under, never understood.
Very interesting 👌 👍 🤔..GOD BLESS FROM THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND 🇮🇪
There's no do overs in the last fight either. Good grief. Every E-9 in the US military has a career built on organizational failure at this point. We just lost a 20 year war. The first step to getting any better is admitting it. Senior command took the all volunteer force for granted. The people currently in charge are not worth following until they admit it and apologize to America for serving defense contractor profits and not national defense. Results matter, remember?
I don't think this is a fair assessment. At the end of the day, the military operates by political goals set by policymakers. Many of the faults were outside the realm of the DoD and with congress. When the military is tasked with solving a political problem, they realistically only have military solutions.
Many of the current issues with the military are thanks to Joe Brandon.
@@rwdyeriiiyou are suffering from Biden derangement syndrome
I’d rather the be fully focused on the LSCO fight than deal with AFG/IRAQ and a LSCO fight.
@@Saltweasel did you forget that both of those invasions were LSCO? Half a million Americans invaded Iraq in 2003. Did you forget that Iraq had the world's fifth largest army until they buried their gear in the desert and waited for the Americans to declare victory before they really started fighting? By the way militia usually wins LSCO when they have a home field advantage. We just don't want to admit it. So US military "leadership" is trying to minimize the losses in Iraq and Afghanistan by labeling them as insignificant and minor wars now. Once again the first step to getting any better is admitting the US military is a losing team led by losers based on their recent measurable results.
George Dunaway SMA 68-70 was the CSM of the 1st SFG 61-66 and 5th SFG 66-67, but was not school trained. SMA Glen Morrell 83-87, spent 62-73 with the 5th (3 tours in Vietnam), Training Group, 8th and 7th Groups before going back to the conventional forces. SMA Kidd 91-95, was in the 6th and spent a year in Vietnam as an Advisor on his 2nd tour 70-71. SMA Weimer is certainly the first out of the SF Community when picked.
I think the biggest question people have, is the Army still woke? Also, General Mark Milley is probably the biggest recruit repellant the Army has ever had. Military leadership matters.
Almost all major Army bases being in crappy southern towns is probably a bigger one.
Awesome Interview:
22:15 - As a Marine gone Army, totally agree. Leader from Day One is something the Army fails to capitalize on, that the Marines espouse. I understand SMA's point here with "leading yourself first" - but if you're not messaging you're a Leader and giving Leadership Opportunities right there at Basic Training - it's a missed opportunity for not just inculcating increased leadership that can be developed later, but also increased ownership (aka commitment).
The Marine Corps does junior leadership far better than the Army
I agree with this.... there needs to be a massive overhaul of all Army PME for NCOs and Officers. Recentering around real leadership, standards and warfighting things.
@charlescurtis, well said.
I agree. Because at the E4 level in the Marine Corps, you’re considered a noncommissioned officer. And they cultivate that leadership from Boot Camp. In the army, you’re an E4 but you get into this thing called E4 mafia. You’re a specialist but you’re not considered a noncommissioned officer unless you’re a corporal. And you can go to what was called in my day primary leadership development course, and that’ll make you a specialist promotable. You might see some leadership there. I remember I had my leadership roles when all of the NCOs went for some type of training I was acting company first sergeant. That was an honor. This was at Fort Campbell Kentucky. But as a specialist, it’s like midway between private and sergeant. It’s like John C Maxwell said, if you wait to get into a leadership position to be a leader, are you a leader?
Excellent interview. Love the SMA focus on leadership, keeping the right folks in and going back to standards and discipline. Love the release of a blue book. Takes me back to the old days when we have to carry CTT books and else….Again excellent interview.
I really appreciate rhe CSMA's dedication and professionalism, but most of all, I appreciate his remembering it is his oath was to the Constitution and not that he swore an oath to a person sitting in the White House nor to a political party. Too many have forgotten that extremely important difference, or... they never took it seriously from the beginning.
It's not that they forgot or didn't take it seriously at any point, it's that doing what's right isn't as important as their next promotion or next assignment.
It's not that they forgot or didn't take it seriously at any point, it's that doing what's right isn't as important as their next promotion or their next assignment.
Great interview! 👍🏼👍🏼
45:08 I'd say our troops deserve better than "decent" healthcare
AMEN.
While this is true everything comes down to funding. You want better pay/benefits talk to your government or campaign yourself and push better funding for the people. At the end of the day all this expensive tech doesn't do shit without people guiding it.
@@zachbunch8701😂😂.
Don't you know they owned the printing press ?
really cool!
One thing I learned from history books in high school is that the United States military when facing another country willing to fight until the last solider and die fighting for their nation (Japan) they step back and just drop nuclear weapons on civilians. In Vietnam the VietCong said "black man go home".
Great interview. Thank you for your service.
Crazy to think I also enlisted voluntarily in ‘93 but my career was 100% compliance. The commitment idea was not a priority back then.
Amazing Warrior and Leader!
This was amazing interview
They need to interview military members from the bottom up, making sure they are anonymous and allowed to speak their mind without fear of reprisal. They would figure out VERY quickly who the dogshit officers are, the ones mired in concerned with personal ambition than taking care if their men, the ones who always skirt responsibility and blame shit on someone else, and the straight up dangerous ones who are gonna get guys killed for some bullshit mission just to appease some officers pet peeve.
I've talked with a lot of younger people, and there's a lot of interest in military service. But ultimately they're choosing not to join and I don't blame them. They saw the disastrous results in Iraq and Afghanistan. They see veterans committing suicide left and right. They see the failures by the VA to provide proper care and support. And now the force-feeding of DEI training, experimental vaccines.
This man is far more introspective than I was expecting. He is one of those "kids these days are just too lazy" or what ever nonsense people say.
We who are awake and pay attention see the new battle field, drones are deadly to infantry and mechanized as well, my cousin was MacVSOG during Vietnam, 8 of my cousins in all, they talked about the guerrilla warfare that Charlie fought against formal troops so they adapted and overcame with their own way of fighting through a ruthless guerrilla style of their own, i will always back up our military who fight outside of the box