Letters on Investment: Serving in Carter's Army

Posted By Grim

A couple of entries in our request for submissions on the importance of investment in the military:

Well, I remember watching my team sergeant writing with a pen insert. Take a government issue, ball point, click-type pen, once the pen body cracks, no replacements. When we ordered pens, we got the insides only. So, imagine writing with just the insides of the pens. A bunch of grown men, in isolation, planning their war plans in case of WWIII (10th Group type of guy) using only the pen inserts because the government was too cheap.

AW (as in, AW-350 AssWipe- 350 sheets), no replacement roll if you don't provide the empty core. So, after awhile, you bring in the empty cores from home so you can get replacements for the team room. Oops, not the same as the issue ones? No TP for you son. Eventually, you end up bringing it in from home.

Light bulbs, same thing. Bring in the burnt out or broken one for a one-for-one DX. No bulb, no replacement. I think the only reason they didn't do a Statement of Charges for broken bulbs was they couldn't justify lowering the dollar amount required to allow filing a Statement of Charges.

So, team fund starts paying for common, admin supplies to do business with. Pens, paper, pencils, highlighters, etc. Training slowed down in the 3rd quarter to insure that we'd have enough supplies for anything (like a surprise EDRE from higher) that might show up in the 4th quarter. Then, last month of the fiscal year, we're having convoys up and down the roads of Massachusetts to burn up the MoGas we've been hoarding. We can't carry it over and now we need to use it or lose it for the next fiscal year.

Gear was issued (TA-50) that wasn't in good enough shape to be turned in. Meaning, if you went around the building to the other side to turn it right back in, you'd be charged for the gear not being in good repair. We got it in substandard shape and had to turn it in better than it was issued or be charged for it. Or, do without. Try standing an AGI without a lot of your TA-50, in a tactical unit. You can technically do it, but you have to have all the documentation on hand showing why. With the subsequent load upon your chain of command. Who turns around and reminds you that you're SF, "grow up and buy what you need".  Wives that could sew were asked if we bought sleeping bag kits from North Face, would they sew them for us? So we could afford some Polar Guard sleeping bags with Gore Tex covers. It was stupid how we cheaped ourselves.

This what you're looking for?

Mark G. Besch
USA, MSG (Ret)
10th SFG(A)

Another below the fold.

I was an Army captain-aviator during the Carter regime.  I spent most of his term in US Army, Europe where I was stationed at Coleman Barracks, Mannheim, Germany followed by an assignment as a Battalion Logistics Staff Officer (S-4) for the 19^th Aviation Battalion, a composite battalion containing 2 CH-47 companies, and  an Assault Helicopter Company (UH-1). 

During this period, we were virtually starving due to the incredibly low pay resultant from Carter's 13% stagflation rate.  I bought my first home and was tickled to get a mortgage at all, the 16% interest, not withstanding. 

Operationally, it was terrible.  We had aircraft we could not fly because we had no budget for spare/repair parts.  We had vehicles we could not drive because we had no funding for gas or maintenance.  Morale was terrible among the junior enlisted, many of whom would have been eligible for food stamps except for being overseas.  Among the company grade officers, morale was likewise poor.  I hoped aloud to my friends that I would get caught in one of the numerous RIFs (reduction In forces) that gave the selected de-accessed officers $5K for each year of service up to a max of $25K. 

But, alas, that was not to be.  And when Ronaldus Maximus was elected, relief was at hand almost over night. 

I have always thought little of my fellow Georgian, Carter.  He was feckless while in office, was a miserable Commander in chief and has been a borderline traitor since leaving office. 

Tom Armstrong

Col. (Ret) USA

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Comments

Letters on Investment: Serving in Carter's Army

A couple of entries in our request for submissions on the importance of investment in the military:

Well, I remember watching my team sergeant writing with a pen insert. Take a government issue, ball point, click-type pen, once the pen body cracks, no replacements. When we ordered pens, we got the insides only. So, imagine writing with just the insides of the pens. A bunch of grown men, in isolation, planning their war plans in case of WWIII (10th Group type of guy) using only the pen inserts because the government was too cheap.

AW (as in, AW-350 AssWipe- 350 sheets), no replacement roll if you don't provide the empty core. So, after awhile, you bring in the empty cores from home so you can get replacements for the team room. Oops, not the same as the issue ones? No TP for you son. Eventually, you end up bringing it in from home.

Light bulbs, same thing. Bring in the burnt out or broken one for a one-for-one DX. No bulb, no replacement. I think the only reason they didn't do a Statement of Charges for broken bulbs was they couldn't justify lowering the dollar amount required to allow filing a Statement of Charges.

So, team fund starts paying for common, admin supplies to do business with. Pens, paper, pencils, highlighters, etc. Training slowed down in the 3rd quarter to insure that we'd have enough supplies for anything (like a surprise EDRE from higher) that might show up in the 4th quarter. Then, last month of the fiscal year, we're having convoys up and down the roads of Massachusetts to burn up the MoGas we've been hoarding. We can't carry it over and now we need to use it or lose it for the next fiscal year.

Gear was issued (TA-50) that wasn't in good enough shape to be turned in. Meaning, if you went around the building to the other side to turn it right back in, you'd be charged for the gear not being in good repair. We got it in substandard shape and had to turn it in better than it was issued or be charged for it. Or, do without. Try standing an AGI without a lot of your TA-50, in a tactical unit. You can technically do it, but you have to have all the documentation on hand showing why. With the subsequent load upon your chain of command. Who turns around and reminds you that you're SF, "grow up and buy what you need".  Wives that could sew were asked if we bought sleeping bag kits from North Face, would they sew them for us? So we could afford some Polar Guard sleeping bags with Gore Tex covers. It was stupid how we cheaped ourselves.

This what you're looking for?

Mark G. Besch
USA, MSG (Ret)
10th SFG(A)

Another below the fold.

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