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Lonestar
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AECCP Dark Lord of the Sith
Aug 2000
time: 00:28
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quote:
Originally posted by Tingkai
Well Che, you didn't respond. Maybe you're busy. But I started thinking about this and came up with some interesting examples to show that the military does not turn people into one type of personality.
The interesting thing about looking at this question is that it explores why people think differently and it can help us understand how people behave. The caveat being that this is not an expert analysis.
But I'll propose the hypothesis that the way people express themselves on Poly is linked to the jobs they do and their academic training.
For this analysis I'll use three people: mtg, gp and myself. Now I'll include myself because I come from a very different part of the military than mtg and gp. By no means am I suggesting that I'm even close to their expertise. They are professionals with proven backgrounds. I was an amatuer.
Mtg was a combat soldier. That means he was trained to achieve objectives in an unknown environment. If he was told to take and control a town, he would have limited information about the environment. He doesn't know if a group of enemy soldiers is in the woods or a building. The situation is always changing because both sides are moving about. Add to this the fact that he has seconds to analyze the situation and to make the correct decision.
GP was, if I remember correctly, an officer on a sub in charge of nuclear reactors. He was dealing with a known, but highly complex environment. He needs a different type of intelligence, an intelligence that can understand complex systems. By contrast, mtg is dealing with fairly basic technology. He doesn't need to know the technology that will deliver a bomb from an aircraft exactly where he wants it. He just wants the bomb on target.
GP also deals with different problems than mtg. GP starts with a given situation and must ensure that the system remains at an optimal point.
As for myself, I was a part-time military instructor. My job involved teaching people information. I need to understand how people think and how they learn. And I deal only with thought process which is completely different from gp and mtg. They deal with the physical world, although they also have to understand leadership and that involves understanding how people think, behave and react. Again, they know how to do things that I cannot imagine.
Now take these different backgrounds and look at how each of us behave.
MTG left the military and eventually became an entrepreneur. That perfectly suited to his military experience and the way he approaches problems. As a businessman, he is dealing with unknown environments where he applies techniques that should achieve a desired outcome.
Gp earned a Phd in chemistry. Again, this is a natural. His military training involved understanding complex equations and concepts.
I'm a journalist which ties in with being a military instructor because both jobs involve communication and knowing what needs to be said so that people will understand what I want to communicate.
The three of us have different personalities and these personalities can be seen on Poly.
Mtg tends to only post messages where he will be correct. In a broad sense, his goal is to win the battle and he won't fight a battle that he knows he might lose.
Gp tends to post messages on academic level, except when he is drunk, and he tends to prefer talking with people who understand the complex concepts that he know (at least on poly, on CG he's more easy going). He's looking for an intellectual challange on what he knows and few of us can challenge him because we don't have the necessary background information.
I'm argumentative and I'll go on for ages trying to get people to understand my point. Just like a teacher, and just like a teacher I'll keep arguing even if I'm wrong.
So, three people all with military training, all with different personalities and all with different approaches to life.
Now the thing that could be interesting, to anyone who has read this incredibly long post, is to look at the ex-military Poly posters, look at what they did in the military and then see if that matches or explains how they post on Poly. |
So, what am I? Besides saying "Roger That" and "As I was" often, I don't think I've changed that much...
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MichaeltheGreat
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Apolyton Grand Executioner
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mooning the house that Ruth built.
Oct 1999
time: 21:28
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quote:
Originally posted by Azazel
But in combat, there are, AFAIK, very little or no highranking sergeants. They usually are in combat-supporting forces. |
In the US Army infantry, you have E5 or E6 squad leaders, E6 or E7 platoon sergeants, E8 tops, and you have an E9 as your battalion CSM. The tops and CSM are paper pushers in their repective HQs, so they're not fighters unless the HQ gets into action. With airborne and airmobile troops, that can happen, but it's far less likely with regular infantry. I'm not sure how armor splits out their company HQ, since they have two tanks, and a CO, XO and top. There's other stuff besides the tank crews themselves.
Last edited by MichaeltheGreat on 08-06-2003 at 00:26
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MichaeltheGreat
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Apolyton Grand Executioner
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mooning the house that Ruth built.
Oct 1999
time: 21:28
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quote:
Originally posted by GP
The ideal situation is to have a top-notch platoon sergeant and be able to learn from him. The new officer picks up what he needs to know and the platoon sergeant helps train him. But in the end, if you are that officer, you are still responsible for the platoon. If you have a poor platoon sergeant or one who doesn't want to do things or what have you, you are going to have to deal with the situation. |
I don't know how the Navy deals with officers through their careers, but with the Army, officers are never in one place for long - after platoon level, you'll do company XO and lower level staff in some order or another, then company CO, higher level battalion staff, some REMF duty at Corps or higher level staff, battalion XO (maybe), more REMF duty, battalion CO. A teaching/training slot in there somewhere. Moving to different staff slots takes you out of the unit you were in, so whenever you get back to a line assignment, it's a new situation.
That makes company and battalion officers a lot more dependent on having good Staff NCO's who know the unit and it's operational situation inside and out, so they can educate the newly assigned officers and get them focused where they need to be.
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Agathon
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Leafs 4TW!! - CPA
Dec 2002
time: 00:28
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Jesus, how many people from the States end up at one time or other in the military? I only know three people (only one of whom was a close friend) who joined the military.
I thought about joining the air force when I was a teenager, but I guess, since our air force has now been scrapped, that turned out OK for me.
I was a bit of a bastard actually. I used to go to the NZ Forces recruiting vans they had visit our school and make fun of their antiquated equipment in front of the other students. I mean, this was 1990 and they were still using Westland Wasps and Bren Guns.
Sample: Recruiter: "This is a Leander Class Frigate, the standard frigate of the RNZN, does anyone know what they are good for?"
Ag raises his hand.
Recruiter: "Yes, young man."
Ag: "Harassing errant fishing trawlers and finding lost yachties."
Recruiter: "Very funny. The Navy does more than that, son - this is a warship."
Ag: "Yeah, I suppose it would make a pretty awesome tomb if you tried fighting anyone other than the Fijian Navy".
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panag
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MY WORDS ARE BACKED WITH BIO-CHEMICAL WEAPONS
Oct 2000
time: 07:28
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quote:
Originally posted by Azazel
I sometimes pity people in such militaries. But then I realize that they don't have a chance of getting killed.  |
hi ,
well you are not the only one , .....
thats why we try to help them now , great postings 
but after a while , ...... 
actually one would be surprised as to see how some of them catch on 
the NZ airforces and navy are going to be modernized btw , ...
would someone tell them we have the worlds smallest guided missile cruiser with helideck , ...... 
some of our saars are for sale , ...... we have three subs for sale , ........ 
agathon , the nz special forces must take up all the money , cause those guys , ...... whoo-ah
have a nice day
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panag
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MY WORDS ARE BACKED WITH BIO-CHEMICAL WEAPONS
Oct 2000
time: 07:28
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quote:
Originally posted by Agathon
You'd have to find them first. I believe they are currently in Afghanistan.
Actually they could be anywhere, the government uses them to gain brownie points by allowing them to be used for missions that most NZers would oppose (like Afghanistan). But most of us never hear about them. Someone told me that the British, Australian and NZ SAS are basically all one unit for practical purposes, but I don't know if it's true and they aren't telling. In fact very few people know who they are.
My friend in the air force showed me their digs once. Pretty primitive looking, but he said that Hercs were always leaving in the dead of night ferrying them to places unknown. |
hi ,
they are very small , .....
have some pics from them around , .....
they have range rovers with six wheels and a whole bunch of fancy equipment , .....
some of it they buy in Israel , there was an incident when one was picked up on a buying tour , .... after the embassy intervened everything was cleared out , ....
hey , how would you feel when a guy walks into the mod and says he is sas and wants to buy this and that , ......
the rest of the army is having problems with limited funding , aldo they are getting better and better , ....
have a nice day
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07-06-2003 12:02
Hey! I got three medals for doing that!
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