Retired Army colonel here. Three combat tours. 60% disabled per the VA. Spent most of my tactical career in the 82nd Airborne.
Please read what I am about to say with the sneering condescension with which I intend it:
Mr. Kristol, you are a grifter. Worse, you are a lying grifter devoid of morals who lets his beliefs change with whatever winds point to more filthy lucre. Today's speech by Secretary Hegseth was both entirely necessary and entirely spectacular. Those of us rank and file who fought in the wars you and your yellow, slobbering neocon chickenhawk buddies sent us off to die in applaud this effort with the utmost enthusiasm. These clownish, dangerous, senior generals and admirals have been the architects of American military failure for 20+ years. Their silence is indicative of nothing more than the fact that they know the gig is up and their fatcat days of being Perfumed Princes are no more. So howzabout you shut your trap and let us warriors decide what this speech meant? Good day, sir.
@TheBuddyCSM Well i think it keeps people striving for more vs taking a knee. I saw people wait 2 years after getting a sequence number to pin. That’s 2 years of sandbagging for alot of NCOs who then got promoted because they secured it that one time vs staying competitive.
@EODHappyCaptain I am actually mindblown at how small the world is, specifically the Army. My soldier (68T) adopted Perle last year after she was retired. This is Perle now, living her best life in Germany, soon to be in South Carolina.