The military leadership did it to themselves. Commanders are more worried about maintaining control so that nothing 'Bad' happens that Draconian controls could have prevented, like an accidental shooting, that they have turned the military into the ultimate nanny world, thus ensuring the career safety of their own asses. The US military is all about control and wave avoidance, not combat.
Hi5, and very true. Commanders have become so risk averse, that they will go to great lengths to avoid the slightest hint of impropriety. Leaves and passes are a great example; it used to be, all you needed to take leave in the army was a DA 31, and an LES. Now, you have to kill several trees and include the tears of Gaia along with your Leave packet showing your trip risk assessment, leave form, LES, route the soldier will take if driving, Has the soldier been through all the mandatory training requirements? Does he need to jump before going on leave so he doesn't lose parachute pay? (82nd-ism there), etc. The list goes on and on. And all to avoid risk.
Platoon Sergeants are fired because their soldier went out on the town, got drunk, and got a DUI. HOW DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? What happened to individual accountability? It went away when we got these risk-averse officers who are more concerned about their career after the Army than doing the right thing while they are in the Army.
I know that the Army goes through cycles, but this is a particularly bad one. And it is very disturbing in my opinion.
