I can’t remember why I wrote this in 2016, but it’s still true today. Maybe more so, as organizations are tested by social pressures. Keep the faith my brothers and sisters. This too shall pass.
There’s a old adage in Special Operations, “Don’t confuse enthusiasm with capability.” I heard it used a lot over the years and was told it stemmed from the ill-fated Operation Eagle Claw, where an ad-hoc task force made up of different service capabilities was created to attempt the rescue of American hostages held by Iran. Truth be told, it’s probably even older than that. The point is, you can call yourself special all day, but that doesn’t mean that you are. With the Iran mission, everyone wanted a piece of the pie whether they were ready or not and the mission failed. Although the lessons learned from that mission led to the eventual creation of USSOCOM, don’t think this idea is solely the purview of SOF. It doesn’t matter what you do, or where you fit in the food chain, it’s applicable to everyone.
In more recent times, there were many new organizations stood up within DoD after 9/11. They were specialized in nature but not necassarily in capability. In each case, they were weighed and measured by the war. Some matured, others disappeared. The concept of enthusiasm being tempered by capability is an inescapable crucible.
Generally, SSD readers are a cut above. They care about their profession, or interest, and choose the best equipment. Others go a step further and seek out training to improve their capabilities. That is the sign of a true professional. However, such positive traits are not going to be true of everyone in an organization. We are truly as weak our weakest link and we all know someone who is all show and no go. Do not let them define you or your unit and don’t make promises you can’t deliver on.
Everything we do isn’t awesome. Accept criticism and reflect on it. That’s a trait of maturity. If you’re thin skinned, you’ve likely got maturity issues and aren’t very good at what you do. As an aside, don’t take criticisms of your profession in general, or of others in your profession personally. Every profession has plenty of room to improve. However, do deliver constructive criticism to your peers. Use it to grow professionally and personally and encourage others to do so as well. Make things better.
There is a current notion that everyone is a winner and gets a trophy. We must stop this concept from poisoning the profession of arms. Not everyone is going to be an Operator and we don’t need them to be. Figure out what it is you are supposed to do, and be awesome at it, both individually and collectively.
This isn’t meant as discouragement. To the contrary; love what you do. Create enthusiastic capability and make sure that you can deliver on demand, no matter the job. Help others rise to the same level.
Totally agree with everything you have written here. There is much written about special operators, special forces etc in the media and there is a danger of believing it. The truth in my opinion is humility is one of the most important traits all special operators, forces should aspire to have. There is something gravely wrong with arrogance. We should be quietly proud of our successes and forensic in our determination to identify our faults, comfortable acknowledging our mistakes and systematic in working to strengthen our weaknesses. In these days of the internet it is more important than ever to carefully select and then read books that have been written by those who paved the way. Take your time and choose carefully.
“Not everyone is going to be an Operator and we don’t need them to be.”
Indeed. Absolutely.
Brings me back to the old chicken/egg thing:
I think the GWoT era stunted / wrecked traditional ’80s specialties. Between the endless crap deployments that caused a lot of mid career dudes to get out, to the better opportunities that were available for guys willing to deploy… i.e. what red-blooded American male wants to be a stellar 12 or 13 or anything-useful series senior NCO when they can make easy six figs as a contractor working half the year? I know those years are largely over now but I saw a lot of it even after the early, cowboys-and-indians golden era.
“This isn’t meant as discouragement. To the contrary; love what you do. Create enthusiastic capability and make sure that you can deliver on demand, no matter the job. Help others rise to the same level.”
But why? What incentive can the military offer to get bodies in the door and keep the right people in the right occupations? Especially now considering how split the country is (patriotism is extremism), how woke the head shed has become (the main recruiting demographic has been weakened for over two decades) and how transparently fake and utterly mismanaged the conflicts we send these kids to die in are.
Common sense would say compensation based on merit, a concept that is sadly now verboten. And it has to be more than the delayed reward of retirement / the golden parachute of disability checks. Reminds me of an article about how a certain infamous security agency has a hard time recruiting and retaining: their reputation is horrible and the pay doesn’t rival the private sector.
The military’s only draw for non-adult daycare types is its monopoly on the ability to do Super Cool Stuff (SCUBA M203 CQB HALO Gustav ninja school). But that can’t be the draw for everybody… because, as you said, everybody can’t and shouldn’t be an Operator.
How many of us that were a part of the game for the last two decades want our kids to be any part of it? I don’t know if I do anymore.
I recognize you’re talking about professional soldiers being professional, I’m just pondering how to get them there and keep them going.
I hear ya, but here’s to all the non-operators out there who don’t have to naval gaze about operating operations operationally.
You know, those not-exactly-remf-guys-who-facilitate you guys (while still doing our own jobs), just because you guys are cool, you do good work and we’re all really very very proud of you. Plus, it’s nice to get to stand a little closer to the fire when you can, and, not everyone wants to fight the dragon, but everyone sure needs to get a good 360° view of the dragon in case we ever have to.
Anyway, I’m very proud of being a U.S. NAVY SEABEE [Once 1, Always 1]
We Build, We Fight. . . what did you have in mind?
As the wars ‘draw-down’ and there’s in-fighting as to what’s retained, I hope my guys keep their banner and guidon, but if not, the DoD knows where they found us, and can draw from the U.S. population, nearly overnight, and we’ll be back to full strength in a jiffy. Maybe not much in the way of over-match, but we’ll still level whatever obstacle you point us at, and we’ll build you a base and defend it and, if you leave us there long enough, you’ll have a few runways, worth of the space shuttle, hot showers, a chow hall, hard-floored and hardened berthing, a chapel, a barber-shop, a PX, and eventually a movie theater. Are we good? Nobody is ever their job, or their resume, until they are called to do it again. But, it’ll be the new situation that defines what ‘good’ is, anyway.
But SEABEES are (and will remain) just like real bees. Leave us alone and we’ll pollinate all of your plants, and make you a little honey. F with us, and we’ll tattoo you all in one color and no particular pattern. Operators? No, but we’ve seen a few scrapes to not have to sweat our reputation or our enthusiasm.