Is this use of a private Security firm a sign of the falling standards of in US military training?
April 12, 2010 by
Filed under Yemen News
October 2000: Al-Qaida bombers attack the USS Cole in Yemen, killing 17 sailors. Shortly afterward, Blackwater receives its first big federal contract, training sailors in counterterrorism.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-10-19-blackwater-iraq_N.htm
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story…
greggblack0590 Mine is a question!
But if you need things explaining then I will. By using an external non military group to train the Military indicates that there is a lack of high standards in the area of training.
And please do not assume to know to whom you are addressing!
A little respect NCO gregory black!
The Question is not about Terrorism or your personal experience.
And as for the insults to wards me for asking this question it shows that there is something lacking!
h h so why can’t those who trained them do the training? You are missing the point of the question!
What is wrong with some of you This a question simple about Military Standards concerning the choice of spending and structure!
The links are provide in case people are unsure of the subject. You all have access to the internet and can easily do the research for other links!
Really anyone would think that I had asked a question concerning the average IQ of some answers!
Thank you very much for taking the time to give your answer Technical Sergeant Mac.
So inclusion would it be fair to say that the choice in using a private organisation is due to slipping standard in funding concerning specialized training caused by poor governmental investment?
Final note I only give thumbs to people who rant instead of giving an answer.
The object of Q&A is for asking and answering question!
If you have received a thumbs down and you have not ranted and have given an answer, rather than an emotional responce to my Question then it wasn’t from me.
Just point out also Thump per person so to the answer who wants to say that it is me doing it, please take the to count one is mine but the others!
So one case in outsourcing in the biggest organization in the world is supposed to be a sign of falling standards?
Who was President then?
Bill who?
Bill Clinton?
No we are better trained than ever before.
I would say that it is a side effect of drastic military downsizing in the 1990′s. The plan was to get contractors to do many jobs if we went to war.
now we have to live with that plan.
No the US Army is very well trained these days.(compared to WW 2 or the Vietnam war days)
I believe in some ways it does reflect on standards especially in the protection area also it helps hold down the number of troops needed for these police actions.
No, I don’t think so! As a disabled Navy vet, (I lost my hearing in 1995 while stationed on the USS Enterprise) I think you have it all wrong.
The terrorists are using tacticts you can’t even imagine. Nobody had ever thought about using a plane as a weapon before 9-11. (My wife lost her cousin, who worked on 101st floor of the 1st tower that was hit.)
What we need is to get back into the anti-terrorist mode, such as what Richard Marcinko tried to do. He started SEAL team Six and Red Cell, but was forced to retire because he pissed off too many admirals by pointing out the weaknesses, making THEM look dumb!
(That was the whole point of Red Cell, to show the weaknesses of the bases and ships so that it could be remidied!)
If you haven’t walked the walk… DON’T try to talk the talk.
Well…..
The personnel used by Blackwater in particular were all trained by the US military.
Based on that I would have to say that your conclusion, or assumption is a logical fallacy.
————————————————–
EDIT:
You stated:
“h h so why can’t those who trained them do the training? You are missing the point of the question!”
My response is this:
Because you would have to take those personnel and take them off mission to conduct this training, the whole time they could be doing real missions.
The reason they would use contractors to do the training is that its easier than getting real military assets.
Commanders must use their personnel and assets in the most effective way possible to accomplish their objectives. Why would you take highly trained, heavily funded units, and have them do low priority remedial security training?
ANSWER: You wouldn’t, if you did you would be taking these valuable assets off mission and be misallocating valuable manpower for a low priority job…..instead you would just pay contractors with US military training to do it.
I don’t think I “missed” any point at all, I just think that you do not understand the subject matter.
usa today and npr are your sources????? you’ve got to be kidding me. obviously you are more than influenced by the liberal media and believe everything they tell you. for your information, we had the best equipment and training before 1993 in the world. did you catch the date?? when slick willie came into office, the military budget was slashed in a lot of areas, training was one of them. also during his tenure, he made environmental policies on military bases that were insane at best. do you know that there are stretches of beaches that the marines can’t practice their amphibious landings in hawaii? the air force can’t fly over certain areas of california because of the “endangered” condor? the army can’t use some of its rifle ranges due to a woodpecker?? and you want to blame the bush administration for this???? was it the bush administration that gutted the army of 7 divisions????? and you wonder why we have to go to private security firms for support???? its because the clinton office gave us no choice!!!!!!! why don’t you wake up and smell whats cookin? if you care to notice, the cole bombing took place on CLINTONS watch not bush’s. so did the embassy bombings in africa in 98, the first wtc bombing in 93, and the oklahoma city bombing in 95, waco in 93, do i need to go on about your beloved democrats?????
edit: its obvious that this individual wants someone of the liberal persuasion to give him his needed ego boost, with all the people that answered in the positive for bush getting the thumbs down.
No, if you really want to know what it shows……it shows that Congress has continually under-funded us, and in an effort by them to save money, they have tried to privatize as many aspects of the military they can. Look at the positions on base that used to be filled by service members that are now contracted civilians.
It’s a sign of an all volunteer army not getting enough volunteers.
It’s also a sign of the attitude growing in America.
edit: That’s amazing.
MILITARY: 51% and $1,228 billion
NON-MILITARY: 49% and $1,159 billion
How much more money do you need?
NPR is not liberal, it is unbiased. Amazing; people who equate intelectualism with liberalism.
And, by the way, people in power had thought of planes being used as weapons. WTC towers were designed to withstand that type of attack.
Keep toein’ the line kids. See where it gets us!
The problem is not falling standards – nor is it recruiting. It is simply the number of people need to do the various jobs vs. the maximum size of the Army allowed by law.
Because the Army was ‘downsized’ by Clinton there we no longer enough troops to do everything needed in wartime. The solution chosen by the Army was to hire retired military for certain jobs that did not absolutely require a soldier.
And Blackwater is the logical choice for counter-terrorism trainers because they simply are the best.
Nope, it is not.
While we could use current special operations forces to train
military personal in counter terrorist operations.
If we did, those special operation forces wouldn’t be actually doing the job we trained them for and they wouldn’t be training themselves.
So it makes much more sense, to have retired special operation forces, train military personal in counter terrorist operations under a civilan contract.
I do not think so, even though I do not know for sure. It seems it is only part of the privatization of nearly everything including questionably ethical practices so we do not have to carry either responsibility or guilt. Remember that even if Blackwater is a large company, it is not the only band of mercenaries in Iraq and they do not employ only Americans. There are many more, Blackwater is simply the favorite one as the owner is a rabid Republican.
Blackwater adds manpower (our armed forces are fewer, and commitments ever increasing). Much of our military ability is degraded due to restrictive engagement rules (putting our soldiers at unnecessary risk). With independence comes the added ability to move quicker to the action. Overall, fewer restrictions with contractors. I would guess terrorists fear the regular military far less than the hired guns. Having the enemy fear you is a good thing.