How the US Military changed since 2001

[@Taskandpurpose]

Adapt and overcome! hooah? instagram.com/cappyarmy/

[@xx_insert_cool_username_he6876]

HOOAH (I'm not a marine)

[@philup6274]

How can you adapt to the patriot act?.... please explain .....hooray !

[@soup31314]

deployments went from 6 months to 12 months (OEF5/OIF2) to 12-18 months (OIF5)

[@sir_vix]

Adapt the title and overcome the algorithm?

[@surajitmukherjee7560]

China your real theat not Russia because chinis raod and belt insitive counter the quad is real NATO

[@jasonarcher7268]

I enlisted at 17, in 2002. After getting to the 82nd, I did a 4 month, a 12 month, and a 15 month deployment. The last one was entirely on stoploss. That was a real kick in the pants. They ended up scaring me into joining the guard after I ETSed. At the time, they were calling up inactive reserve personnel to fill gaps in the guard. The prospect of being recalled and deploying with the national guard was scary AF.

[@RobinP556]

I bet! Prior to joining the active duty Army I spent 4 years in the NG, and went through Basic between my junior and senior year. This was 1979-1983. My senior year we we called up for about a week to ride with independent truckers during a union trucker strike. They issued us our M16A1s, but no magazines or ammo. In 1983 I went on active duty to the 82nd Airborne, A co., 2/504 where I stayed for 4 years. Out of curiosity, what unit within the 82nd were you in? I deployed to Grenada with them, but that was it, MASSIVELY different than your experience.

[@jasonarcher7268]

@@RobinP556 Strike Hold! I was C 2/504 for all three of my deployments. The devils in baggy pants. After being in the devil brigade, going to a national guard infantry battalion was pretty maddening. They were playing fucking kickball during their monthly training.... knowing that they were deploying within a year. I had in my contract that I was non-deployable with the guard, as I was just finishing my IRR time, and I was very thankful.

[@RobinP556]

@@jasonarcher7268 It’s good to meet a fellow Devil in Baggy Pants! Sounds like the NG hasn’t changed. LOL

[@daviddevault8700]

The politicians are pussies, reinstate the draft

[@quitequiet5281]

Involuntary extension of my contract by the NSA in 1992... allowed the Army to not pay me around $10k and I got a letter saying that I would receive my separation pay with interest and bonuses when the “National Security interests were concluded” and named me a “National Security Asset” it’s 2021 and I am still in limbo... LOL The problem is that political agendas and political manipulation of records creates distorted realities and perspectives. Temporary duties are expected to be over soon and never end... Permanent duties are frequently dismantled before the offices are typically completed. Some things never change because the facts are not popular to recognize. What’s worse is self deception and political cover for political purposes and political agendas... Emotional reactions create cognitive dissonance and cognitive biases which prevents people from recognizing reality and instead continually projecting the false propaganda campaigns as reality. Which means that no matter what is done successfully the situation is failure because the facts are different from narratives.

[@mosterchife6045]

I can already hear KZbin sprinting over at Mach 3 to demonetize this

[@villain8323]

lol!

[@Sidewinder1996]

Moster chife, mind telling me what you're doing in this comment section?

[@Taskandpurpose]

yeah I cleared one title with them but then I changed it so I might adjust it now, this new one was cleared by them

[@demondaeys123]

@@Taskandpurpose dosnt matter my friend, if they dont like it they will take it down… they are commies controled by the Chinese cause, china owns alot of our debt i guess? If they start a war with us, kiss that money good bye. And your asses too!!!

[@ajaycease6542]

Just like every other platform with anything we say or do.

[@RobinP556]

Thanks for the acknowledgement of the role of Special Forces. I’m a SF operator, now retired. While we were about 2% of those in theater, we were about 10% of the KIAs. Full disclosure, I was not there, as I was paralyzed in a HALO parachute jump years prior. Training in Special Forces was far more realistic than I had experienced in Big Army. I don’t ask for, nor do I want sympathy, I had the best job in the world, period. I miss it and would gladly do it again. As a side note, I continued to work with various Special Operation Forces post 9/11, SF, SEALs, Rangers and others. You did make, in the opinion of myself and many others in the SF community, a mistake. The expansion of Special Forces consisted of adding 1 battalion to each of the 5 SF Groups, all of which formerly had 3 battalions. To put this into perspective, we had 5 Groups, each with 3 battalions for a total of 15 battalions pre-expansion. Post-expansion we still had 5 Groups, but with 4 battalions each for a total of 20 battalions, an increase of 5 new battalions, basically 1 2/3rds new Groups. You can’t mass produce SOF operators of any kind, and this was a HUGE mistake. While we had many SF operators that became part of this expansion, and many fine SF operators that came straight from the street to Special Forces (something not allowed before except for a very brief time in the early 1980s) without any prior experience, this previous experience was lacking, and is a great asset to the SF community. I’m not faulting all, or even most of them, but in the words of those that I knew that were trainers in the Special Forces Qualification Course, more commonly known in SF as the Q Course, “the standards were lowered, in Selection as well, and some that never should have made it got into SF Groups as operators. They were often not allowed to fail substandard candidates if a Q Course or Selection class had already fallen to a certain level”. For example, when I went through Selection in 1988 83% of our Selection class failed or voluntarily dropped. This was at the time a 17 day pre-requisite to a 6-12 month Q Course.

[@skenzyme81]

You make our country a better place. Thank you.

[@RobinP556]

@@skenzyme81 Thanks, I appreciate that. Bit put I’m no hero or anything like that. I known a few and they’re simply amazing!

[@asmrbully6980]

Sick, what sf were u on.

[@RobinP556]

@@asmrbully6980 In the US all Special Forces are Army. Other units like SEALs and whatnot are Special Operations Forces, SOF. I was in the 5th Special Forces Group as an 18B, Special Forces weapons specialist. All guys that are on Operational Detachment Alphas, ODAs, are 18 series MOSs with the exception of the Team XO, who is a warrant officer and is a 180A.

[@zatoby6705]

Someone build this man an exoskeleton.

[@thomaspinney4020]

Pretty good Cappy, but as a Vietnam-era vet who served until 2000, I can tell you that the plan to use the Reserves was a Direct Result of the experience of the armed forces in Vietnam. A lot of us openly talked about how the US should never again get into a fight without the country being behind us. There was a conscious, deliberate changing of the force of the reserves so that we were unable to fight a large extended war without calling up the Reserves. Support units, etc. were shifted in large measure to the Reserves. And it worked. By bringing in citizen soldier from the National Guard and Reserves into the fray, the public became involved. And support for the war was much greater than Vietnam, where a handful of professionals, (along with resentful draftees)were isolated from the rest of the Nation. So, yes, using the Reserves was a form of ghost draft.

[@kaizen5023]

So, are you saying you think the use of the Reserves was a good strategy that worked well?

[@teleguy5699]

@@kaizen5023 Worked well for the Military because it's a lot cheaper to have half your force only needing to be paid when called up. Like the commenter said, especially the Air Force, a large majority of the flying assets were Guard and Reserves.

[@OutdoorsWithChad]

I think its a double-edged sword. To me (as someone who only barely considered joining Reserves), I would gladly join the reserves for the purpose of being prepared to defend my homeland in a Ukraine style situation. But becoming a citizen soldier with the possibility of being sent overseas as an expeditionary force, sabotaging my civilian career, being away from my family... yeah... that's a no for me dawg. Hard pass. That rule change has got to have hurt enlistment for NG and reserve forces.

[@vinniekblue7834]

I came here to say just this. The reworking of the National Guard and integrating it into armed conflicts happened long before 911, they just didn't have the need to use them extensively in combat until Iraq and Afghanistan.

[@mkgibertjr]

​​@@OutdoorsWithChad finding your comment a year later. I totally agree. I was actually pretty enamored with serving as a guardsman here in the US, especially being deployed to "disaster zones" during Katrina and COVID. Also not opposed to dealing with anything civil war related. But I have a contentious relationship with US foreign policy and am not at all motivated to hop a trip overseas and murk some brown people to "clean up" messes that my own country made. So I ended up passing up that career and I feel that I could've been pretty useful to the Guard. EDIT: Because again this video ended on a quality quote. Folks aren't in the military to do what you want. You're in there to do what they need. The other thing that I realized is that I doubt that I'm a culture fit. The military prefers Right-wing patriots and I'm a Left-wing patriot.

[@t.m.1502]

The role expansion was huge. In the Navy we felt it as well. The Army liked borrowing Sailors and employing them to supplement their units, a Navy Senior Chief acted as a company First Sergeant in one instance. Sailors in the CS, LS, and BM ratings often drew IAs to infantry units and did infantry stuff. Sometimes even HMs were borrowed by the Army, but they would normally either work a field hospital or fill a 68W slot in a combat unit. The Marines took on the role of advising the Georgians and Afghans. So Marines and FMF Corpsman alike would end up filling a role that was handled by special forces in the Vietnam and earlier eras, advising and training a foreign military. Signed, Former FMF Corpsman L03A/809G, Field Medical Service Technician / Expeditionary Military Advisor-Trainer

[@christianluciano2383]

Not to mention the usage of MAs. The marines have their own mwd handlers but it seems like they steal all of ours and whenever a facility needs one were renting out a air force handler. Also to include the amount of MAs filling in billets with marine detachments to fill in.

[@yepepepep590]

I love how in these style videos you make it clear you’re giving opinions, as opposed to facts. It’s refreshing in a world where most media, especially about the military is telling you they know how it is, not how they believe it to be.

[@tar5us452]

You mean those OpEds that trend on Twitter with "Sources close to the investigation" aren't fact based?

[@lenny_1369]

@@tar5us452 *_Hmmm_*

[@Taskandpurpose]

thank you I appreciate the support. I like to investigate ideas and make theories about the military. I have no interest in telling people what to think.

[@ayomrwhiteigotdrip6235]

@@moatezgr4209 islam are terroristst

[@youtubeguy2k]

@@ayomrwhiteigotdrip6235 why you assosciating Islam with a terorist orginization

[@Ricossmft28]

The big one you missed is how we trained and fought, in 2011-2014 when I was in as an 11B the emphasis was completely on urban warfare we were taught mout training and room clearing exclusively and I was mech in a heavy armor unit so all we did was encircle whole towns with brads and tanks then dismount and clear room to room pre 9/11 that was unheard of for a heavy conventional force the high speed room clearing stuff was all SOF

[@TheGraffiti600rr]

Did foot patrols and set up TCPs in 04. 07 & 09 was in a Stryker unit and did mount and room clearing. Was also on an AKT once.

[@richard8808]

Dude, I did basic in 2002 and it felt like training for Vietnam or even the Battle of the Bulge with the emphasis on digging in. A few years later, basic had changed entirely.

[@TheGraffiti600rr]

@@richard8808 me too! 54B NBC Ft. Lenardwood Mo. Reclassed to 11B in 06 and got out in 10. 02 vs 06 (since I reclassed) basics were very different. For instance, in 06, I broke my heel bone and kept training for a month because it wasn't that difficult. In 02, that wouldn't happen. Lol

[@PLONG12345]

The basic in the late 90s is like preparing you for another world war or for another jungle operations like in vietnam. IMO, basic was just fine back then it creates much tougher(atleast compared to the present youths coming out of basic)recruits but the advanced(MOS training) is much better nowadays. The problem with Army now is that they just killed off everything that builds esperit de corps and aggressive nature.

[@richard8808]

@@PLONG12345 That is essentially what I thought when they took bayonet training out of basic. No more what makes the green grass grow. Sad.

[@thatoneengineer5525]

Been in for three years now, by no means have I been in long enough to see the transformation. But with that being said I am an engineer in the usmc, was attached to BLT 1/8 in Kabul. We went from putting up C-wire, to improvising obstacles out of pallets, to riot control, then to giving out food and water to the evacuating citizens. You go from putting a physical barrier to stop the “un named” enemy quite literally at the gates, to trying and figure out what a distressed afghani mother is asking you to do, and then onwards to going and finding her child in the crowd outside the wire. It’s definitely a wide spectrum of roles we were asked to accomplish, but my boys and I did our best, and praise god all my guys were on that plane home with me. Just a little contribution to the conversation, love the channel. Thank you for your time.

[@Pantone268Plus]

You guys did a lot of good work. You took and impossible task, embraced it, and accomplished it as Marines have done for over 200 years. You haven't seen the transformation, but as someone who was in the USMC from 07-11 I can say your adaptability was simply amazing to watch; I know the guys in pre-9/11 said the same about my generation. The Corps for a long time was becoming slow and lumbering like the Army but pivoting back towards a lightweight, adaptable fighting force was essential - well done in your work, it will impact the next generation of Marines more than you can imagine.

[@thatoneengineer5525]

@@Pantone268Plus thank you man, I really appreciate that

[@alexesquivel8566]

Was an 03 from ‘16-‘20 and u did more than I ever could while I was in. Semper Fidelis brother 🇺🇸

[@thatoneengineer5525]

@@alexesquivel8566 it means the world, Semper Fidelis brother

[@31clint]

I was in the infantry from 1999 to 2006 so I was there for the change. Before 9/11 the main focus on us infantrymen was appearance since we weren't exactly doing our jobs, only consistently training for it day in and day out. It was required to have a freshly pressed uniform and shined boots (preferably spit shined but not required) every morning. I would spend 2- 3 hours every night prepping my uniform for the next day. It was stupid and I hated it. Now the uniforms can't be pressed and the boots can't be shined so it went from being the primary focus to non-existent. Also, we went from having equipment that was 20-30 year old technology to almost all newly designed gear almost over night. For example, WEB gear and flack vests from the 70's and 80's to plate carriers with MOLLY pouches. The uniforms didn't change for a couple years but the "pressed and shined" requirements laxed quite a bit.

[@amateurastronaut5006]

I always found pressing uniforms and shining boots to be the biggest waste of fucking time, and could be spent doing meaningful training.

[@danieparriott265]

@@amateurastronaut5006 Same. It astounded me that starched BDU's were more important than Ma Duece pintle mounts that actually WORKED ....

[@kxkxkxkx]

All the "requirements" have laxed quite a bit 🤭

[@ChangedCauseYT-HateFoxNames]

​​@@amateurastronaut5006 The main goal of the pressing and what not is psychological pressure. It's to make you used to doing what you don't want to do for hours because this is just something that in all forms of desperate situations, could be useful in the field. Be it personal sacrifice for the betterment of the platoon or long tedious marches that nothing happens on. Here's a example on the last one. The goal of that type of training is to break the individual thinking and think of themselves being apart of it as a being so when asked do a patrol, your not thinking "augh I hate marches and patrols" but instead "well if my brothers and sisters will be safer for it, then I'll do it day in and day out no matter how boring because they would do the same".

[@DavidJones-hr9bn]

Four hours a day preparing your uniform?!! What were you doing, taking a 15 minute smoke break every 5 minutes? I was an MP in the 80’s wearing the same BDU’s and jump boots you were in the late 90’s and could prep a uniform and boots to an immaculate standard in 45 minutes!

[@harryh5620]

Oh, I saw the "Backdoor draft" live and in person in 2005 - dudes who had been out for AGES being yanked out of their jobs and sent down-range.

[@ES-je3em]

I remember too. Several of our guys were stop loss and after that deployment they would never even consider re up. I remember he huge bonuses they push just for people to stay in. Even the guard and reserves had trouble keeping people. There were guardmen down range I ran into that were doing 18 month long deployments.

[@alexmcmillan9595]

Was it actually ages isnt there a time limit for how long after you leave that they can recall you?? up here in the Canadian army you can be recalled up to 2 years after you get out and then you can choose if you wanna keep your name on that list or take it off after

[@NarutoMagicCyclops]

@@ES-je3em "had" technically still have, the WARNG at least is having a hard time keeping SM's in general, and I suspect a lot of guard units are as well.

[@Kriss_L]

@@alexmcmillan9595 The typical US military enlistment is 8 years, four active and four inactive reserve (no monthly drilling, but just subject to recall).

[@wakcedout]

Damn, 2005 was when i joined the USAF. Basic training in march of that year. March 15th to be exact. Wasnt until a year after i figured they were extra upset because they had to inprocess us on payday lol.

[@soap38]

I like how you brought up the mental health issues of gaurd and reserve upon coming home. I personally had a hard time when I came back home from my first deployment, you go from feeling like you're actually doing something, straight back into your dead end job that you had before you left. Kinda like a way less dramatic version of the end of the first Rambo movie.

[@Taskandpurpose]

the boring version of Rambo movie is right, that's the perfect reference to describe it. Its a shock to go from everything being life or death to the stakes being way lower. My unit was even given three months off so we didnt have to go to drill for 90 days after getting home which seemed like a good idea but only served to isolate some people more.

[@matheuspn2722]

@@Taskandpurpose The mental decline is the minimum you can expect from all the degenerated actions you nazis do. From financing literal nazis in Ukraine to turning the richest African country, Lybia, in a terrorist dominated country which sells slaves. Hell is what's coming from all you fascists! Also its nice to see how the serfs of the elite get indoctrinated. Who was the best boss towards you guys? The Intelligence, the politicians or the top military officials?

[@matheuspn2722]

@@serch3ster Okay clown, now dance to me

[@Frille512]

@@matheuspn2722 the nazis have been extinct for over 75 years

[@matheuspn2722]

@@Frille512 The term "nazi" is not a scientific and and you babble as if Hitler's high command were never at the top of NATO, UN and so on. Nazis are dominating Ukraine and mass killing for racist reasons, all that with support from the of likes of US Obama, Trump and Biden which sends billions of money and weapons.

[@baghdaddymike6669]

Well done. 2 additional points: 1. Toys. JK, but the acquisition system was revolutionized. In ‘03-‘04 I rode around Baghdad in soft skinned Humvees with the doors off, and was one of the few with SAPI plate armor. I had an M16A2 with no optics and wore tricolor desert camo , blue force tracker sometimes worked, and to talk over the horizon we had an ET phones home thing with an umbrella looking dish that took 10 minutes to set up, and -you guessed it- never worked. (think Generation Kill type gear). By 2006, there were uparmored Humvees, Mraps, body armor, optics, new coms, etc. granted, the advancements were to meet increasing threat, but I was in combat development from 2001-2003 and most of that stuff wasn’t even on the radar. How many lives were saved? 2. POGs in combat: Yup. As a loggie in the 90s we practiced some asymmetric battle, in the 101st we actually did convoy live fires, MOUT (CQB now) and such, but this practice was not common across the entire army. And it was once or twice in a 4 year tour there. I was still nowhere’s near the level of prep I needed the first time I cleared a building. I hope we continue to invest in the equipment and training of All soldiers. Because even in peer or near peer battles, ‘POG’s will be in regular contact with enemy special ops and irregular forces.

[@richard8808]

Haha, man, whenever I talk to guys who didn't go over until later, they are always surprised to hear stories about roving around Iraq in soft skin trucks bristling with guns in every direction. Obviously armor was a good answer against ieds, but I always missed those days when it felt more like we were prepared for a fight rather than hiding from one.

[@sam8742]

@@richard8808 I mean you can't exactly "fight" a pipe bomb

[@richard8808]

@@sam8742 You can't and I acknowledged that. Psychologically, though, it felt a lot better being ready to fight at the drop of a hat rather than hiding behind walls and steel plates. It had an affect on attitudes towards force protection and risk aversion.

[@sam8742]

@@richard8808 I guess so

[@Chaddlee]

We had the same thing in the British Army. Riding around Basra in land rovers designed to stop small arms in Northern Ireland. Not only did they not feel secure but the air-conditioning was worse than useless in 50*c heat. The kevlar didn't stop 7.62, the V8's would overheat and they had a nasty habit of catching fire if you got hit by an IED. Ahh, good times! The equipment available now is a huge leap forward, from body armour to vehicles it is radically different.

[@sdavrider]

The comments on this video by veterans are highly insightful. Thank you for the soldier's perspective.

[@hardikyadav4494]

It might be odd to say this but I'm an Indian and yet I always have been inspired by the US forces, the US military and the US special operations, when I look upto them I feel like they actually know the crap they are dealing with around the world, all other militaries are ok, but the US military is on another level, they are invincible and they are a strong built up, well comminuted organisation, they command operations overseas from their homeland, they are great at reconnaissance, they're god damn able to transport their heavy combat equipments anywhere in the world instantly, they know the real usages of the SOFs, no other country uses their sofs as better as the US does, I'm a big fan of the US Army Rangers, one of the most Elite light and specialised infantry in the US Army, unlike deltas, pjs, seals, marcos, the rangers are bigger in numbers, that's why I think of them as a light infantry. The US Military is a type of the military I always dreamt to join, but nowadays it's just hard, like first you have to migrate to the US then live there, work there, so it's drag, but y'all whoever serves in the US military, you should be proud and respect the uniform you wear, it's the world's strongest uniform

[@tacticaltanny27]

Any SF in the world needs the best training and the right mindset to join the Toughest Units and I think you should read more about SAS, SBS, Sheytat 13, Sayeret Matkal, Alpha Group, MARCOS, Special Group, GSG9, JTF2 and many more. You have less knowledge about various other units in the world. Explore more!

[@ChangedCauseYT-HateFoxNames]

I hope I can speak for every soldier in the US military when I say this. Thank you

[@historyandhorseplaying7374]

I was in the Marine Corps in the 1990s, and then in the Army post 9/11. Very different experiences, but probably more due to the differences in the branches (which are stark) rather than anything else.

[@shamasmacshamas7135]

Would you be willing to elaborate on what the differences were?

[@ddegn]

@@shamasmacshamas7135 I agree. I'd also like to hear more about the differences.

[@Covert_Arrangements]

@@shamasmacshamas7135 I can help by painting a broad picture of what my Marine Corps enlistment experience was like. After Bootcamp at Parris Island in 2003 I went home for liberty to visit with family. Then off to MCT at the time “Marine Combat Training” which was a very brief weapons familiarization and movement training etc. then off to MOS school. I shipped out to North Carolina for that. 6 months later I was deployed overseas to my first duty station. Okinawa Japan. It was a unique experience. While stationed there I got to deploy to all of SE Asia. I worked as an Armorer/ Armorer Guard for a little while as well. Then I went to Camp Pendleton and decided to not reenlist. I can tell you that the Marine Corps is heavy on tradition and doing things one way. The Marine Corps way. Don’t expect to get promoted very fast at all. After 4 yrs with good conduct I made it to E-4 Corporal. My friends who joined the army at the same time left at least as an E-5 or higher. The pay is minimal but if like me, you think the experience is worth it then go for it!

[@kaedyngraham1860]

@@moatezgr4209 your mom

[@mattipps]

@@moatezgr4209 the taliban🖕

[@josephfranzen5626]

I remember when we switched from BDU’s to ACU’s. It was on that day that I realized someone was making some poor choices. 😂. That and when the overall mission parameters and ROE made the 82nd 1st/504th into a quasi law enforcement group of sorts I thought to myself “I have an M249 that spits out hate and discontent like it’s going out of style and I’m over here shaking hands and smiling at the same asshats that are planting IEDs on our MSR’s”

[@ddegn]

I'd think having to try to make friends with people you think might want to kill you would do strange things to one's psyche. Why was the BDU/ACU switch an indicator something was wrong? Was there something wrong with the ACU or did you think they were worrying about the wrong problem? In case anyone reading doesn't know what these various abbreviations stand for here's what I found: BDU: Battle Dress Uniform ACU: Army Combat Uniform * ROE: Rules of Engagement IDE: Improvised Explosive device. MSR: Main Supply Route * A M249 is a light machine gun. I think it's also know as a Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW). * (I marked the ones I had to look up with an asterisk.)

[@josephfranzen5626]

As an E3 that about a year and a half before that was in high school trying to finger bang my girlfriend with my parents two rooms away my assessment of the ACU’s was as follows: “Ok so woodland camo seems logical as it breaks up your outline in forested areas and locales where the terrain and vegetation has a similar color scheme, even if it doesn’t do it well I can see the logic there. The only thing ACU’s remotely resemble is that couch your grandma has had since before you were born and you’ve always thought it was the most hideous thing on the planet.”

[@josephfranzen5626]

@@ddegn Making “friends” with people you may put in the ground minutes, hours or days later was common place in Iraq and Afghanistan. You never knew what members of the ANA or ANP were feeding Intel to the Taliban or if they were planning a blue on blue ambush which happened a few times. In Iraq it was the same thing and this was a direct result of our brilliant plan to rebuild the country under the assumption that the entire universe should have a democratic government. I mean we still had plenty of patrols and direct action related missions but large, offensive operations in the conventional sense where you have a list of tangible objectives that you can prove were accomplished with empirical data were no longer the focus. So now you have kids who joined a specific MOS wanting to do that job and being trained for that specific job fulfilling half a dozen other duties in addition to being an infantryman, maintaining situational awareness and keeping it at the front of your mind that the people your company’s medics are providing health care to could be lobbing mortars at your COP an hour from than or drive a VBIED into your next convoy op. After a while I developed an attitude where I was never unprofessional or rude by any means to any of the locals, but I didn’t trust any of them for shit. If you didn’t have an ISAF flag on your shoulder in Afghanistan I didn’t trust you, if you didn’t have an American Flag, British, German, Polish, Australian or French flag I didn’t trust you. I mean we at times were being used to pull security while CO and XO met with the local government, handed them a ton of tax payer dollars and essentially listened to their “We want” list. I enlisted because I didn’t want to be one of those people that watch things like 9/11 happen or Syria and say “Man I wish I would have joined” or “if I ever met one of those fuckers I would kill him dead” I’ve met hundreds of those types of people. The “almost enlisted story” is the worst story ever told. You’re telling me a story about something I actually did and than how you ALMOST did it. Anyway I truly wanted to see if I could put my money where my mouth was so to speak and go and fight a group of people who are born into levels of violence the average American will never experience. So it pissed me the hell off to be playing Mr. McFuckFace who has to smile at everyone when all I wanted to do was get on a Blackhawk for an Air Assault insertion, locate the enemy combatants and vaporize their center masses with a 7 round burst of 5.56mm. I can honestly say I spent far more of my deployment in Iraq wishing I was doing my job rather than actually doing it

[@Charon-5582]

Peacekeeping is a waste of money, just annex the place and start chopping heads if people don't like it. That is the only way the middle east works. Then again it's kinda just a waste to bother...

[@TheGraffiti600rr]

I did the uniform switch as well. First deployment was in DCUs. Also replaced 82nd in 04 Baghdad. Their motto was "shoot first..... what? Oh no... no questions." And I was ok with that back in 04 since it was a war, made sense. In 07, it was more of a relief mission IMO. in 09, it was a babysitting gig teaching and trading off to the IA (Iraqi Army).

[@parkercollins7946]

Great work Cappy . I enlisted in the guard before 9/11 and after 15 years moved to active duty as an officer. I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting and writing on this change in the military, and more specifically the army. I’ve sort of split the “culture” of the army into 3 eras within gwot. I loosely frame these eras in our uniforms and our changing understanding of our role/mission/etc. From BDUs/DCUs of the 90s (Cold War army, drill & ceremony, bunch of Desert Storm Vets in the guard)to the UCP ACUs (everyone is a Warrior and a door kicker, regardless of MOS), and finally MultiCam ACUs (trying to end GWOT cause it’s getting ooooooold, moving into “large scale combat operations” in our schools). Something like that anyway. Thanks for the video, I really like the dive into the impact on SF. My experience is all from a conventional force perspective, so I really appreciate that segment!

[@Taskandpurpose]

splitting the eras into uniforms is a really smart way to frame the changes in culture / mindset etc. what kind of writing did you do? email me maybe you can work a script in the future if you're interested

[@jamesray1439]

I deployed 3 times almost back to back on active duty. But the scariest war story I ever heard came from one of my buddies. He was National guard when he went to Afghanistan. He said he did his tour and within a few days of coming home he was working at Home Depo. On active duty hanging out with my platoon after the deployment was my safety blanket. I couldn’t imagine coming home from a hellacious tour and being completely alone coming home. Say what you want about the National Guard but there’s dudes who lived like that for years getting hit with deployments left and right.

[@kennethponder3883]

Then don't enlist!

[@jamesray1439]

@@kennethponder3883 move out basement dwelling troll

[@smartdevilevil]

US soldiers deserved to die... just like the civilians they killed while they INVADED(just like russia) other countries

[@Joyride37]

@@kennethponder3883 easy to say for someone who has no knowledge of what prompts someone to join the military in the first place. Sometimes it has nothing to do with wanting to get deployed, or just not having the resources to understand what you’re getting into and paying the price later

[@kennethponder3883]

@@Joyride37 when I enlisted for 4yrs, I did 2 extensions, and I had 1 COG(convience of goverment) it turned into 9 1/2 yrs. I deployed once and came home 7yrs, 8mths.

[@kevincoughlin4459]

I retired in 96. The seeds of change were already placed in the reserve force. Combat and Combat support units to the Guard and Service Support to the reserves. New equipment was talked about and NET teams came to train folks at the centers and armories. The modernization of the Guard and Reserve was a precursor to SWA, Much of it was from lessons learned in the first gulf war, Grenada and Panama.

[@joshuaforbus5853]

As a School of Infantry instructor witnessing the influx of students volunteer into the infantry made me terribly proud. Recognizing within months they would be clearing streets and houses. I felt a great peace fall upon me. It was surreal even uncanny. My thinking as a Corp. This is what we do and we all recognized it. I cry about the great just as much as the bad. If not more. Thank God.

[@311jbknight]

I think you almost nailed it. You left out SF having to learn calvary tactics riding horses while calling in bomb strikes. I wonder it that's taught in current SF training?

[@navyseal1689]

Lol, that movie was strange

[@damascus1111]

@@navyseal1689 that charge actually happened, but it’s probably a little over glorified

[@ivebeenfound1575]

@@damascus1111 it wasn’t actually a charge it was advancing with horses dismounting and then engaging I mean a few did charge on horses I don’t think they lived long though

[@christophertipton2318]

I knew SF guys. And yes, horseback riding became part of team training. For the most part, the horse mounted SF acted like dragoons. Ride to battle, dismount to fight or call in air strikes.

[@Author_Paluthor]

@@TheCrusher72 pretty sure they did use horses. They didn't charge on horseback. They just used them for transportation and dismounted before engaging.

[@truckert9729]

Yup, I was ANG. At the time I went over to the Afghan aor NG made up around 30% of all deployed. Even after I separated, my old unit was sending people every 6 months or so up till around 2015 give or take.

[@smithpauld1501]

A Vietnam Navy vet, I was wrote on Reserve Affairs for Army Times Publishing (still family-owned back then) from '78-86. After Command Post Exercise Nifty Nugget, the Carter Administration started revamping Guard/Reserve roles and the Reagan Administration put that in hyperdrive. M1As, Bradleys and HMMVs to the Army Guard and Reserve, A-10s and F-16s to the Air Guard. Upgraded aircraft to the Naval Reserve. Old news. But at the time, the military and civilian folks I talked to had learned the lessons of Vietnam. In an all-volunteer environment, they saw the upgraded reserve establishment as a tripwire against Vietnam-style insurgent wars. By 2001 the Schwartzkopfs were long gone and Powell was coopted. You can go from there.

[@jenjohnson492]

Wow. Didn't know most of this. I've worked w addicts for yrs and some were vets. When covid hit, I couldn't send anyone to rehab bc they were all closed. I quit answering my phone bc I lost so many ppl. Last count was abt 200 last Dec. I hope our vets are being taken care of. Thank you for your service.

[@coax31]

They used the Guard and Reservists as well as implemented stop loss during Desert Storm in 1991, that is not a new thing.

[@aethelwolfe3539]

Desert Storm did not last two decades. Desert Storm had clear and obvious political goals that were achieved in a timely manner.

[@coax31]

@@aethelwolfe3539 I agree with your statement, my point is that they used the Guard and stop loss during Desert Storm

[@zulumike3228]

I came in post 9/11 (2002). The evolution was pretty spot on in this essay bro. Well done.

[@Taskandpurpose]

thanks glad to hear it!

[@tyshalley6130]

Excellent topic and very thoughtfully done Cappy. My experience was on the very front end of this, as I ETS'd in Oct. 2001 after 4 years as a topographic engineer (I made maps). My very last morning in the barrack was 9/11. Still had 3 years on my contract as "Individual Ready Reserve", but never got the call up. Lots of folks I went through AIT did though. Keep the good stuff coming!

[@Taskandpurpose]

thanks for watching ! you got out right in time, I feel like they didn't start really dipping into the IRR till like 2006

[@danieparriott265]

@@Taskandpurpose It also seems to me that about 2006 was when they were accepting all waivers ..... "anybody with a pulse" and advertising on local radio ....shit IIRC, they took in a a guy at 56 years old, prior service .... Armor Dude .... he had blog ... whatever happened to him?

[@syoung2333]

I was one of the few who had the pleasure of serving in Desert Storm, Shield, and Recovery as an engineer and the United States Army. I took a break in service and came back in in 97 and of course a few years later, ended up being in Iraq three more times. So I had a chance to see the Cold War military as well as it's wild west wartime lowest and it's evolution or change however you choose to put it. It was an amazing historical time to be sure. I often wondered about the guys who served in World War 1 and World War II and then later Korea. And imagine if that's how they feel as well.

[@danieparriott265]

It seemed to me that Desert Storm was pretty "Wild West" .... but that's coming from a Cold Warrior perspective .... I joined my local National Guard unit in March of 1985, just after turning 17, signed on to be a Cannon Crewman because teh 109's they had were the closest things to tanks I could get on my end of the state .... transferred to an 8" M110a2 unit in Germany just over 2 years later ... was prepared throw 40Kt hand grenades at the Rus .... was certain that I would die in the process, because "there is no bear so dangerous as a crippled bear" ... and lo and behold! The Russians crumbled ..... folded and went home .... yet, within a few years, Britain sacked the Iron Lady, Germany elected a Communist Apparatchik to Chancellor .... and even though we laid out a very good case for an ass whoopin', and then did execute same, on on Saddam Hussein's assorted armed factions (not cohesive enough to call an "Army", IMO) .... we lost the peace of that Victory, too .... The Second Gulf War resulted in the Same .... just took much longer..... and was more expensive .... Afghanistan, 2X Same. Just my 2 bits .... Why do we ALWAYS lose the Peace? "I Have Plowed the Sea."

[@teleguy5699]

@@danieparriott265 "Why do we ALWAYS lose the Peace?" In my opinion it's because we try to put Western ideals in the nations that want no part, (Afghanistan, Iraq, Vietnam). It worked in Western nations like Germany and yes, Western nation in waiting, Japan.

[@danieparriott265]

@@teleguy5699 Conversely, it COULD be said that where our "Nationbuilding" worked, the nation in question became a "Western nation" .... where it did not, they did not. Also, I think that it is preposterous to think of Imperial Japan as a "Western Nation in waiting" or as having "Western Ideals" ... the people running Japan in the generation running up to WWII most certainly did NOT have Western Ideals foremost in mind, but Empire. Same for Germany. They were pretty much forcibly Westernized after total defeat. They both surrendered unconditionally, and we literally sat on them, militarily, economically, and politically, for a generation.

[@teleguy5699]

@@danieparriott265 Let me clarify. Japan wasn't a 3rd world nation like some of the other Nation building countries we tried to change their society. Japan was already advanced in many ways and I believe it was an easier task to get them into the 1st world.

[@urielmartinez2161]

I appreciate these videos bro. You teache me more than any history professor. I should be paying you!

[@Taskandpurpose]

I appreciate your time thank you for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@reddevilparatrooper]

The last conflict the National Guard was used was in some big capacity was Korea. The 40th and 45th Infantry Divisions of the California and Oklahoma. Both units fought in WWII.

[@JohnSmith-oe5rx]

National gaurd held quite a few areas in Iraq too as far as i know, not as big of a presence compared to Korea but it still proves that the national gaurd is combat-ready when called upon.

[@TheCCBoi]

Really great and insightful video! Also, reserve units were deployed WAY more than their active duty counter parts - when i was in, i knew a NG intel guy that spend 2 and a half years straight in Afghanistan.

[@sauljahboi5965]

@@moatezgr4209 you're gay

[@teleguy5699]

In the Guard, they'd let you volunteer for as long as you wanted to go. You're right, some people were always deployed.

[@schweinhund7966]

A VERY interesting perspective! As an ol’ retired Army active duty and reserve 11/18 guy it is interesting to see the perspective of my bothers in arms from other branches, services and countries. (1) I went on active duty to Korea in 1980 in the infantry while Carter was the president. We were nothing more than a speed bump. Reagan became president and 6 months later we were an Army that was a noteworthy obstacle but certainly not what we would be when Reagan was re-elected. Funding soldiers, primarily through pay builds motivated and capable soldiers. More pay generally means less need for a draft but there are exceptions.In addition, the Vietnam War soldier who rose to be generals knew any future war had to engage the Reserves and Guard to have the community buy-in for any future war. (2) Special Forces … you are one of the few who seems to understand our core mission! Well done. Special Forces was expanded way too big and way too fast and the core mission was ignored. While Special Forces was “abused” in Vietnam too the misuse got out of control post 911. Short of a national target like Bin Ladin, any competent Ranger company could pull off most of those “high value targets” and the 82nd could have even handled many of those targets. Special Forces drifted way way too heavy on direct action and lost a ton of talent for true UW. Hence many Special Forces guys lacked the traditional conventional unit time that gave Special Forces the incredible experience and understanding of training guerrillas. Guys with conventional time don’t react to ambushes like happened in Niger in October 2017 (3) the army has a mission requirement for OCCUPATION duty. We did it in WWII in Europe and Japan. It is not fun but it is an Army requirement and we even issued a medal for Berlin Occupation duties. (4) not discussed much in your video was the appearance of the modern soldier. In urban fighting they are well protected but try taking that body armor in the swamps and jungles, or high in the Andes or Himalayas. All of that equipment is utterly crushing and mobility hampering. In our era we could quickly cross water, move through jungles of Latin America and our logistics was minuscule compared to today. While technology is crucial for the future of warfare and drones can do a LOT, the basic grunt on the ground still has the final say in who is in control. (5) All of that Special Forces direct action time was largely wasted (except for true national leaders as targets). They should have been focused on UW and FID and let Rangers do most of those hits. With UW and FID the Afghan Army likely would have performed better. (6) in the end, technology lost to the Afghans living in stone huts and caves. Technology is not everything and never will be. (7) the USA military needs to focus DILIGENTLY on major warfighting again…as the Peoples’ Republic of China (PRC)🇨🇳 will be a modern version of WWII. (8). Great video!

[@xaviercruz4763]

Whats fid and uw? Also 2. Man, modern lighter weight but same caliber protection body armor, for people pushed to be able to carry 100 lbs of gear for training, do you say is burdensome like before or can be well carried? Thanks man

[@schweinhund7966]

@@xaviercruz4763 FID: Foreign Internal Defense; teach the government forces to defeat guerrillas. UW: Unconventional Warfare; overthrown a foreign government from within their borders by enabling guerrillas to bring the government to its knees.

[@schweinhund7966]

@@xaviercruz4763 it is one thing to train to carry 100 pounds of equipment; it is completely different to operate in combat environments with that mich weight. The training was more to determine who really wanted to be there. In actual missions, one might infiltrate with 100 pounds but would caché much of it quickly. One cannot move far and fast with more than 60 pounds of backpack PLUS load bearing equipment; grenades; water; etc. Even 60’pounds is way too much when bullets are flying. A good SF team should not be making contact often and body armor is all but ridiculous except for urban warfare and specific raids that have excellent support (helicopter extraction). One cannot reasonably move or fight in jungles or mountains with more than 50 pounds of gear on their back. Genuine combat in extreme terrain is often reduced to drinking water; bullets; grenades; gun cleaning kit; one meal and a poncho …. Keeping in mind someone carries the radios too…..tactics win battles…. Logistics win wars…. I hope this was helpful.

[@xaviercruz4763]

@@schweinhund7966 it is helpful and john lovell said that about carriying water is utmost important when people carried too many bullets extra that didnt use but were so thirsty and about to faint because they didnt carry water with them. I ask you this question because of the new lighter material the armor is made and supposing you carry what you need as mentioned and lets say its 40 pounds then would you like to have full body armor with the newer material (neck cover, leg and arm) since shots in those places get people out even if they dont die they are out of fighting. Say in gaza would that be an improvement? Also is there a registry of what is the most hit section of the body with bullets in the wounded cases of war? Which parts get most hits?

[@schweinhund7966]

@@xaviercruz4763 a person can only last “so long” without water… even in Arctic environments. Water is critical but so are bullets. My era soldering … body armor is only worth the weight in urban combat. Gaza is “urban” combat. Forests, Arctic, mountains, jungles, swamps, etc body armor is a hinderance. Try swimming across a small river in a jungle. Try avoiding perspiring heavy in an Arctic environment with body armor. Try staying dry from sweat ascending mountains. A soldier can only operate effectively with “so much” weight in each environment. There is a lot more to the matter… with “Aim Point” type sights body armor is ever more important but those sights require batteries (logistics) and how well do such devices work in true jungles, swamps and extreme cold like mountains and Arctic? I’d readily wear armor in an urban environment but otherwise it truly wears down the soldier.

[@joseskinner438]

I am glad you went over NG and Reserve having to deal with going home almost immediately after their tours were complete. Then dealing with going back to their regular lives within a matter of weeks.

[@antwarior]

this was your best presentation by far, non of the cringe jokes or the sus skits you usually do, this is it and i want to see more presentaions like this moving forward, if you have more presentations like this, i could stand to watch more of your channel,

[@starfoxdelta]

Chris Capybara is such a good content maker

[@davidwhittington7638]

I was a soldier in the British Army and then Reserves. When the first and second Gulf Wars started, I was there on the ground before hostilities began. I also served in the Balkans. When I became a Reservist, it was expected for us to back up the regular military in any conflict, which we did, not just home defense. I am surprised and dismayed that the US, had to change its doctrine, and did not prepare it's National Guard to take on multiple "peace" roles in a conflict zone. I would have expected, after Vietnam, the military would have had training in "Police Actions" and "Hearts and minds" deployments. The major issue is, the lack of understanding by politicians of what its military can do, the toll it takes, and how easily it can get bogged down for years, trying to win the peace. Just throwing bodies at a problem, is not a solution. The problem should have been thought out prior to engagement, without jingoism clouding judgement.

[@justme_gb]

Regular US Army divisions were deployed to IFOR, SFOR, and KFOR. If I recall properly, very few (if any) National Guard units were deployed prior to September 11th. I think reserve units started deploying to the Balkans after 9/11.

[@davidwhittington7638]

@@justme_gb Our two countries have different doctrines. Reservists in the UK are on call in national emergencies and conflicts. I believe, only after 9/11 and the long years in Afghanistan, that changed deployment measures in the US.

[@saiprateek5779]

Salute to those US soldiers sacrifices in Afghanistan, love from India 🇮🇳♥🇺🇸 P.s - Big fan🤩🥰😍

[@m1a1abrams3]

"no other way we could have left"

[@LandonDF]

Thank you for the kind words Sai, we appreciate the support

[@joshuaforbus5853]

Thanks friend. India stands strong against the CCP. Thank you. Stay safe and good luck.

[@ponz-]

It’s always nice hearing support from overseas. Thank you for your support and stay safe in this crazy world!

[@kameronjones7139]

I hope USA and India can get closer

[@matthewmorris6378]

Had to share this one to socials. This actually makes me feel a lot better about how hard it was and how hard healing/moving on has been.

[@Garrettthebanana]

"I thought we were here to blow shit up not play model un" single best line ever

[@marcusaurelis]

We succeeded in changing our military into a fighting force capable of counterinsurgency operations and unconventional warfare, but completely dropped our guard in regards to our conventional warfare capabilities... which allowed our adversaries such Russia, China, Iran and North Korea to catch up and diminish our advantages over them.

[@lorwally13]

Very true

[@RARufus]

In the case of China, I think the amount of investment US companies made into their manufacturing capabilities allowed them to catch up technology-wise. As far as the Iran and NK, the US didn’t take nearly enough steps to disrupt their nuclear armament progress. For Russia, from what I’ve seen they’re still a ways behind us in conventional armament, but they have large scale capabilities to be sure.

[@jeannemore1431]

north korea???

[@guillermoelnino]

the us military has spent the past 2 decades training troops to kill civilians who resort to guerrilla warfare. and now they've been brought back home just in time to kill civilians here.

[@marcusaurelis]

@@crusaderman4043 i'm sorry, wtf are you even talking about? Russia and China have a military alliance.... Russia is NOT an uneasy ally at all.....but I get it: you hate Biden it's A-OK

[@bradleyanderson4315]

You forgot about Korea. My dad said that the US threw ill equipped and ill trained National Guard and reserve soldiers into the Korean War while they stood up regular units. Casualities were high.

[@gort8203]

1. Leaning on the guard and reserve is totally justified when your active forces cannot meet the operational demand. That reserve depth is there for a reason. However, I believe stop loss was completely unjustified and unfair, even un-American. If the war is that important take further steps to induct greater numbers. Nobody should be forced to go again when others who have not gone are available. 2. The massive expansion of the SOF meant the special operations were no longer really special, but the new normal. This 'crossing of the streams' was detrimental for both the SOF and the conventional forces. Trying to prosecute the 'global war on terror' while realizing a so-called peace dividend seriously degraded the capacity of the U.S. to deter or fight a 'near' peer opponent. The U.S. will still be paying for this long after I'm pushing up daisies.

[@MrShovelBottom]

I guess Tier 1 units and the CIA SAC are the only true “special operators?”

[@gort8203]

@@MrShovelBottom That's a cryptic sort of question that seems to be rhetorical or semantic in nature. With deference to Orwell: Some animals are always more equal than others, but there are also different kinds of animal.

[@craiglarge5925]

The Vietnam War became unpopular when not just the poor and uneducated had to go serve in South East Asia. In order for the military to win a major conventional war with Russia or North Korea, and simultaneously dealing with a war on terror, well that would mean a lot more resources than the liars in congress would allow for. The Vietnam War generation in power would not have allowed that. A return to very high taxes on the rich and forced military service on the poor to middle class is not likely. It wold really be the day when the US of A spends 10% GDP on the military , which would be what would be required. Too much sacrifice for the uber rich, the couch potatoes, the entitled generation, the progressives, etc.

[@OutdoorsWithChad]

In my mind, leaning on the guard and reserve is cop-out, because the those are made up of citizen soldiers, often with other careers, who joined with the intent of being prepared for home defense only. National Guard -- it's even in the name. They are not an expeditionary force. If operational demand exceeds the capacity of active duty forces... you either need to expand active duty forces, or reduce operational demand. I think we both agree that the "global war on terror" was an optional commitment of military assets, it wasn't a direct threat to NATO nations, and choosing the scale of military commitment was purely a political one. It was absolutely necessary to call up reserve forces.

[@gort8203]

@@OutdoorsWithChad If you had ever been in the National Guard or a Reserve component you should know that your concept of why we have them is incorrect. They are not meant for use only within our borders, and you also don't seem to recognize that you can't actually defend the homeland from there.

[@mike9205]

Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant. Utterly brilliant analysis. THANK you. Thank you for your service.

[@texassabre7214]

By far the best American military channel. Cheers!

[@chappy48]

When I was a Navy Recruiter from 2007-2010, we would occasionally get Army or Marine guys in our office who were on the inactive portion of their 8 year contract and they were getting recalled to active duty. They didn't want to go back active into the Army or Marines so were trying to go active/reserve with the Navy.

[@ES-je3em]

A very interesting point of view. I would of like to hear more but it is what it is . I joined the army in 2000 and left active in 2007 then spent time in the guard til 2010. I saw the changes in retime and remember them well. I’ve seen the changes within the SF community on active and in the guard as well since I deployed multiple times. GWOT put such a high emphasis in SF to a point it became the standard go to community with everything which gave a lot of budget and battle experience to the community however, burnout was high and people leaving SF land was super high. It was from multiple reasons from the op tempo, personal family reason to even medical. While i know it was a net positive it came at a massive costs . Now as far as the regular army, we now see the negative effects which I saw coming when I was on active. GWOT has degraded the conventional fighting forces abilities to engage a pier to pier enemy and in a sense our military has forgotten how to counter an opposing force with near or same capabilities as our military (ie Russia , China ).USAs hardware was already aging when I was on active and multiple deployments wore things down even faster. The ability to replace old systems with new is expensive slow and extremely bureaucratic. A lot of the manpower now on active is inexperienced and have little to no combat experience since my generation is begun to retire or are retiring soon. Although what I am outlining is cyclical it seems this time the USA will be ill prepared for the next conflict and due to social economic and political changes the USA will be limited with its capabilities for another long duration conflict which may not go in our favor .

[@yuukimasamura5143]

From what I know about my country, constription makes your soldiers either scared to fight or totally insane. Not worth it.

[@The_Devil_Himself]

Japan?

[@yuukimasamura5143]

@@The_Devil_Himself thats right

[@dawdoh3226]

yes, there's a good reason they stopped doing it. Conscripts don't usually perform so well as professionals. I'm sure there are exceptions, but generally

[@patwheeler377]

Conscripts have had, let’s call them morale and quality issues, for as long as we humans has been fighting each other. Turns out, people who don’t want to fight in the first place don’t make good soldiers. Who knew?

[@itzikashemtov6045]

Excuse me? As an Israeli I totally disagree, The I.D.F / Service to the country is one of the stuff that builds the " Israeli" in you, It's hard to explain but it's one of those phases in life here that makes you who you are. About professionalism it's a double edged sword, You will find every kind of person, The Lazy ones who prefer to run home everyday from base and cry about the base's food/medical/living standards and the other side where you find the most badass men and women who are willing to throw themselves in combat every single day or a genius tech person who is wild in computers. In conscription the MOST important thing is the recruiting phase, Which in Israel begins in the age of 16 (2 years before the enlistment) and here the Army tests you're physical/brain/logic/social behavior and more, Then decides where you can go from an office soldier to Combat grunts, Officer corps or even an Air force fighter pilot.

[@raymondw.wilson5360]

Good presentation. One addition: National Guard units also served in Korea during the Korea War. While my experience during the Global War on Terror was in MI, the first half of my career was Infantry (Regular Army and National Guard).

[@agonzalez8924]

i was USMC from '99-'03, got to witness transition from peace time in the military to war time.

[@jamespark2437]

Thank you for your Service! Reading many comments, I could see why the Afghanistan government fell as US troops left. US troops were the local police, economic development, and local government peacekeepers.

[@ridingdeep8530]

I deployed three times as an infantryman in the Marine Corps and then twice as a grunt in the California National Guard. You are 100% correct regarding the challenges of being a National Guard Soldier. It was strange to be out on patrol one day, then two weeks later be back home in my cubical at work as a civilian. Coming home was much better/easier when I was active duty, in the Corps I was surrounded by my brothers when we came home, as National Guardsman I was alone - it was difficult. I wouldn't change anything, but it was definitely challenging. I was with a good Guard unit luckily, some of the best former Marines and Soldiers I have ever served with were with that unit, we were well trained and had good leadership. The war weeded out the weak troops and leadership - thankfully. I got out in 2015 when they started back up with the "Transgender Awareness" type of "training" and it was clear that we weren't deploying anymore.

[@JT-hh6pi]

This biggest change in my split 19 year career in the army is the advent of the combined arms battalion… which I will bemoan to this day. I’m a 19k and I have seen the proficiency of the armored force atrophy ever since. In my first stint in the army from 98-04 we were “armor pure”. I trained in OSUT primarily to be a Tanker. We didn’t carry rifles, we had our cursory “hell week” where we did learn some ground fighting skills. But, halfway through our red phase we were in the Motorpool on the tanks, learning our craft and we were better for it when we made it out to the force. Training in armor pure battalions was more focused and we were much better at the fundamentals than were are now. Gunnery was a religion and we were devout subjects. Yes, during the big training operations we did task-organize, but the emphasis was placed more on being experts on our jobs as opposed to being “diverse soldiers”. I understand, in the COIN fight this is what was needed. But mark my words… the next fight is going to be a big one. Near-peer. You’re going to need Tankers to be Tankers again.

[@Harrydog88able]

and they gonna be needing more people again being less selective and more lenient

[@shadowlord1418]

Why would you bemoan combined arms battalions as a tanker you should know what happens to amour without infantry support

[@jeffsilkwood9878]

I was a combat engineer deployed in Iraq from 2003-2004. And this video summed up the situation well. I was a 12 B going into the army later changed to 20 B. We were able to handle the “kind of infantry” task well enough as the Bravo section of the MOS is the front line demolition/ mine warfare part of the combat engineer while out Charlie (C) counterparts focused more on construction rather then front line duties. While us as 12B managed the role it was far from what our training was meant for. From QRF (quick reaction force) to patrolling neighborhoods our job varied from week to week. We did maintain our field in demolition while seeking out and destroying IED’s and other munitions captured by US forces in our sector. Good video thanks!

[@straitsouthern8]

Key points were spot on. Went from the motorpool turning wrenches to dismounted security and village searches all with an unknown timeline and knowing what was my primary role was. We go where we are needed and that sometimes puts you in a position where you are I’ll-prepared to conduct.

[@GETitHOWuLIVit]

"Successfully did there best with what they had" is one hell of a statement.

[@Taskandpurpose]

Translation from my dumb writing : “They did a good job all things considered” lol

[@smithnwesson990]

Honestly if the Army ends up sticking with the 5.56 for a while they need to go to a free floated 16 or 18 inch barrel and heavy 75 or 77gr bullets. Going from a 20 inch to 14.5 really hurt the capability. 50 or 100 yards matters.

[@markmcintosh7095]

We had 20 inch barrels when I was in. The Marines still use 20 inch barrels. Your correct it makes a big difference.

[@orlock20]

While accuracy shows up in hunting, it falls apart in combat. Most of the soldiers couldn't hit targets past 200 yards in practice. That includes all those National Guard troops and office workers sent into the field. The British and Russians and two guys per platooned assigned rifles and training for long range accurate kills.

[@thorfinthorfin3010]

I was in the Army during the Gulf era. I can say I was underwhelmed by our training. It needed some major improvements. After 911 training looked to be push/pull whatever it took to graduate boot and AIT. I got out because I had zero confidence in our training, leaders and new ROE. Everybody was 11 Bravo crossed with a Social Worker. Anybody with enough hash marks to get out did for a reason. Enter Stop Gap. When your troops give up and get out there is a reason. The brass just doubled down in the wrong direction and never looked back. How did that work out? Our military is still in my opinion a non-functioning social experiment with no way back to what it should be.

[@robertortiz-wilson1588]

What are some of the training issues, if you don't mind me asking?

[@jsinope2786]

I would love for you to do a follow up on this. How the money has changed and how your opinions and theories have changed. Keep up the great work, Chris!

[@XxBillyGoatNinjaxX]

Absolutely love this type of content. I learn more from this channel than many others or even the news.

[@RolfHartmann]

During Korea large numbers of National Guard were also activated, however I'll point out it wasn't done in a terribly effective way like just using them as a pool of replacements who generally took too long to mobilize anyway. The units which saw combat took nearly a year to train up. We should remember the debacles of planning that come up with a disturbing frequency, like the Universal Camouflage Pattern (4 billion just to develop that garbage). Also when Stop-Loss became controversial and was abandoned to score political points, the military went to activating the Inactive Reserves. Which was an objectively worse system since many of the people brought in were not in needed roles and their lives were disrupted far more.

[@Forsaken6882]

I enlisted at the age of 20 in 2002 as a 19K (Tanker). Deployed in 05. Witnessed the transition from Amor Battalions to integrated battalions. Then got stop lossed on my deployment. Then when I was ETSing, I was supposed to go to an Armor NG unit here in East Texas and once I got there, was told I needed to reclass because now they were a heavy infantry company. Yaaaaay, joined the Army to not walk and ruck and here we go. Deployed with them as well. They were like two separate deployments. First I was deployed as armor but was also still doing infantry jobs, the second I was infantry but now doing the job of MPs at times. Although I will say, if I was to compare the two deployments; deploying with the NG was a joke compared to my AD deployment. Not fun of course and still people died, but crap man....Command was.............

[@LairdErnst]

Sounds like a good assessment overall. It sounds like we need new professions for people to fill. It’s a good idea to get the average soldier to try and think more about what they’re getting into but at the same time when the job is capture, destroy or repel enemy forces how much more thought do you need?

[@darklordboehm428]

You've come a long way since your early videos Cappy. Glad to see your not as camera shy as you used to be and your more comfortable in front of it like you should be. Keep up the growth

[@CorpHicksCM]

I found this video very informative and thank you for your service

[@thomasb5600]

SF problem on overuse is currently an issue in Australia too. It has lead to a small few facing war crimes.

[@brad506th]

There's always been war crimes since there's been war. It's just more of it is brought to public attention since society has become obsessed with whoring themselves on social media. Its the hard reality of putting men in that situation. They turn one man's buddy into wet shreds of flesh, he heads out fully intent to get that piece of ass and balance the equation. I got home, my granddad shared with me his experience fighting in Korea. What they did to our men, and what we did to their men. We like to say "we're better than that..." but no, every man has that point where all humanity is tossed to the wayside and he plunges into the darkest depths of violent acts. For some men it comes sooner than most. The good commands know this and instil hard discipline, to keep soldiers professional but eventually discipline will always break. Why there should always be a draft in wartime. Then maybe populations will think twice about going to war.

[@thomasb5600]

@@brad506th not disagreeing. Sending the same guys 4 or 5 times increase risk of breakdown. As along as women get drafted too. A vote in Aust for the draft back in WW1 men(mostly soliders) voted against.

[@reverseunocard1807]

KZbin Video has 9/11 in title KZbin: Well guess who's not getting any revenue?

[@MarvelousSeven]

Mk318 ammo is twice as effective at dropping an enemy combatant than the M855 green tip we started the war out with. And it has far better barrier penetration. Same number of troops carrying same weight in ammo can do a lot more damage to the adversary.

[@danieparriott265]

Just fix the enemy. You don't have to kill them. Just make them go to ground and call in their grid .... Arty will kill them and then bounce the remains around in the dirt enough that nobody has to bury a body ...

[@raideurng2508]

Nothing slaps you upside the head like hearing your 6th month deployment is now "indefinite". That was nuts. (and for the folks who scoff at 6 months, it was 6 on, 3 off)

[@fordjohnson5321]

Think you did a good job in meeting your objective. I continue to get a lot out of your videos. Thanks

[@JGray1968]

The expansion of Special Forces reduced the overall quality of the force. When I served you had to be an E-4 P to even apply for the Q course. At some point, they began offering 18 series MOS to recruits. I'm not saying none of those recruits were SF material, but they didn't have to maintain high standards for at least a couple years to show they deserved a chance.

[@RichardTuckman]

I believe I would straight up ignore a letter calling me back after I had already separated.

[@adamneville1809]

They would send a chaser to find you and bring you in. At least that's how they used to do it.

[@danielwells7083]

I would have liked for him to talk more about the technology used by our forces and that transition.

[@patricofritz4094]

Yeah all the new equipment like body armor optics night vision goggles and other stuff

[@honestabe1940]

Great job! No analysis of the military is ever 100% coorect, but you get an A for the effort.

[@destrytosh]

For me, the expansion of soldier roles beyond the original intent of their MOSes was the biggest and most relatable takeaway from this video. I deployed as a Guard 13M (MLRS/HIMARS crew member) and spent less than 5% of my time actually doing 13M-related tasks. Most of us spent our time sitting in a tower with a 240, staring at empty fields, simply because there was not enough infantrymen to maintain 24/7 security. Even when my battalion had deployed many years prior, they spent their entire deployment doing detainee ops. Don't get me wrong, I think versatility and cross training is super important. It just felt odd to do so much MOS-specific training only to spend most of my time playing "grunt" in a combat zone.

[@Romes944]

You ought to do a video about how drastically the Military has changed (for the worse) from 2019 to 2021. Don't be afraid to get political, it's all part of the same fabric.

[@hsuaojclabk8604]

Well sir I say they should stop playing grab ass and show them what America is made of like Trump said shut it down

[@CivilDefenseEngineer]

"Back then voting to reinstate the draft was caree- ending politics." Politics today: Let's draft women! Weeeeee

[@koda3452]

Thats a misinterpretation if I ever had seen one.

[@jintsuubest9331]

It probably is still career ending nowdays.

[@Taskandpurpose]

still funny though

[@nobodyherepal3292]

Eh, I got no problem with women getting drafted.

[@AzureRoseMarshal]

@@nobodyherepal3292 if men get shafted with a draft, then they should get shafted as well, cause equal rights am I right

[@MrBassmann15]

I feel like the Army should create new MOSs for nation-building. These soldiers can be trained in various fields like Political Theory, International Relations Theory, and Political Economy to build a nation's specific field. This can free up the infantry and other soldiers to fight the war while the nation-building soldiers can stay behind the front lines and win the hearts and minds. It might be a good idea to build the nation and deploy more of these troops when the war is won as well.

[@pavelthefabulous5675]

I think the USA would benefit from a "Carabinieri" corps within the Army, modeled after the Italian federal police of the same name. They would be skilled in policing, counter-terrorism, and urban warfare; while also being trained to interact with civilians. On the other end of the spectrum, we could train and equip Cossacks.

[@Taskandpurpose]

thats kind of like the Civil Affairs job in the army, they do exactly that. I had a buddy who worked in Afghanistan as one but he said they werent able to really make much of a difference unfortunately

[@johnbaker4246]

Or we could just not have the military do "nation-building" at all. Leave that to other govt groups or better yet don't do it at all.

[@xtank66x24]

@@johnbaker4246 exactly! Let them take care of their own countries

[@jaysdad420]

@@Taskandpurpose Civil Affairs guys are capable but the academics tagging along make it tough to make any substantive change there. OERS were always the priority during my visit to the graveyard of empires....

[@GratuitousSets]

A surprisingly balanced analysis ? Thanks for this - sincerely. 😊

[@ntchindi_o5]

chris cappy your the man i like this show and i also like how you explain in detail about military hardware

[@infernonigh0]

Was it ever about coming out successfully, so much as it was about funding, testing out new weapon systems, and 2 decades of hardened warfighters trained in the globes hottest and harshest sandbox?

[@eschus2057]

You forgot the lithium

[@andrewsteele7663]

Thank you, a really interesting look at how your military has coped through the last 20 years. I was only chatting recently to friends on what we thought the National Guard actually did. My brief encounter with them was in Hawaii whilst on exercise with your military. Really nice group of individuals who obviously enjoyed their part time service.

[@jarkoer]

As someone who retired from the reserves, I was there that day when we went from being "grown-ups playing Boy Scouts" that received little respect because we did little of anything important prior to 2001 to actually being incorporated into the Big Military. From the reservist point of view, whether voluntarily or otherwise, it was a good career choice to get activated. Reservists who had been in the sandbox got preferential promotion reviews compared to those who somehow had dodged enough bullets to stay behind, and depending on how long they were active would also give them a bigger retirement check at the end of 20. It was also good in weeding out the bad ones too. All of the sudden those who didn't want to go to war or couldn't stay away from their civilian lives starting getting out, and all our fat boys slowly started getting cut loose. But yeah, it's hard for an older service member to get cut off from your home and family AND your regular civilian job to a combat training camp to getting shipped over seas and after a while getting sent straight back home to your family... and sometimes your job if it was still there. But honestly that should have always been the role of the Reserves to back up our active duty counterparts. Even back in my active duty days during Desert Storm I remember that our unit got inflated by dozens of reservists almost overnight.

[@mrwolf5011]

Great content an perspective. I was infantry 1980 to 84, Berlin for 2 years. I'm amazed with the equipment they have today in comparison to what we had.

[@joeokabayashi8669]

Very thoughtful video; much to think about and consider. Thank you!

[@Soulessdeeds]

Joined the Army in 95' Russia was still the big bad back then. And we trained for a possible war with them. Even though post's were basically open and really nearly anyone could drive onto them. At least that's how FT. Carson was. Our equipment and vehicles were left over from the cold war. When 9/11 happened I was @ FT. Polk roasting my brains out during a field training for a NATO Kosovo rotation coming up. Someone had a TV with rabbit ears to pick up local channels. I heard people talking about this crazy movie trailer so I walked over in time to see the 2nd plate hit a tower. We seriously thought this was some wild ass movie marketing or something. It slowly dawned on us that this was really happening. Nothing like it had ever happened before in our life time. Bases went from open and chill to locked down. I was stationed in Germany later and my unit 1st ID was supposed to invade Iraq from the North through Turkey. But Turkey backed out and we had to sit in Germany and watch the war happen. We did go to Iraq and we were part of the first rotation in Iraq. Just in time for the insurgency to kick off and to see Iraq turn into a complete shit show. I did 3 tours in Iraq. The first two were only 6 months apart and during the more "rougher" times to be there. After Obama pulled the troops out and what every soldier knew would happen due to seeing the Iraqi Army in action happened. And Isis was born "Thanks Obama", I was left with many of the same feelings that my uncles who were Marines during Vietnam felt. WTF were we even over there for? Why did my friends die if all we accomplished was brushed away by a moron leader? And I hoped and prayed no other soldiers would have these thoughts and feelings after what happened in Iraq. But then we got Joe Biden and Afghanistan. At this point if I was still serving I would have to ask myself why? And then seriously question ANY future wars our country would try to send us. And the biggest question would be WHO PROFITS or what natural resources does the other guy have? Because right now all those soldiers who gave their lives or are mutilated laying in VA hospitals have had their sacrifices completely erased by incompetent politicians. Just my thoughts feel free to disagree.

[@dawdoh3226]

the politicians and big corporations made a lot of money from those wars. As far as they're concerned they did win, they did achieve their goals

[@navyseal1689]

Iraqi army actually succeeded after America left. They didn't collapse and manage to take down Isis themselves.

[@SteveJ2824]

Technically, ISIS started around 2004, during Prez Bush-2. 2nd term,. & It was Bush's decision to invade iraq, -. But I do agree the Prez Obama's decision to end operations by a specific (calendar date) vs if other criteria was accomplished, was poorly made . . . Unfortunately, we have to look at the decisions made by All the administrations, over the past 20 years . . . Also back to the 1980's when we supported Afghanistan fighting against the Russians

[@dawdoh3226]

@@SteveJ2824 what you say is true, although I'd point out the US did continue air strikes and sf Operations against isis after largely withdrawing from Iraq. Also, did Obama not ask to keep US bases in Iraq but the Iraqi government said no?

[@lcifermorningstar191]

Congratulations! You finally took off the blinders. Soldiers are willing pawns of the oligarchs in power.

[@carlhursh9692]

We didn’t learn from the Afghanistan- Russia debacle! We dove head first into a “Tribal” country, and LOST another war!

[@CrayonEater255]

Poor leadership

[@tommygun5038]

Well i never remember the US declaring war on Afghanistan. It was mainly a base of operations to wipe out Al Qaeda and find Bin laden.

[@cuentaprincipal3225]

@@tommygun5038 No one doubts that the reason for America to go to Afghanistan was al Qaeda, what is criticized is leaving such a large amount of weapons, armored vehicles and aircrafts that they gave to the Taliban

[@tommygun5038]

@@cuentaprincipal3225 .....Large amount of weapons that are easily destroyed by airpower. Plus they can't maintain anything except what they're used to. Everything left will be inoperative within 2 years.

[@cuentaprincipal3225]

@@tommygun5038 I only read excuses 20 years lost a lot of murica blood was spilled, millions of American taxes were wasted while the American health system lets thousands die of cold and hunger

[@toddsmith293]

I served in the US Army (active duty and Guard) from 1983 - 2005. HUGE changes during that time. Desert Storm changed things a lot, but yes, 911 was the big demarcation line. Bottom line though, we as a nation are still asking FAR too few Americans to serve as soldiers. We have been able to make this work, barely at times, but it WILL NOT work forever.

[@onlychild5213]

Who are they even gonna recruit? Everyone the military is signaling to isn’t gonna join them.

[@danieparriott265]

@@cin806 Shit, I told both my kids that are serving that their Senior leadership isn't worth their Service. They tossed Stu Scheller, they ain't worth a weak fart in a windstorm. None of 'em. I'd rather they sign up with Ukraine than Uncle Sam.

[@milgram12]

Great discussion. One item I think you missed is the significant increase in contracting being used to fill roles traditionally done by the military. We immediately think of logistics (which absolutely was contracted whenever possible), but also security, intelligence, and prisoner interrogation. Contracting is “out of the bag” and will continue to be a go-to method for the US military.

[@geneotrexler8246]

Well done & thoughtful video👍

[@Taskandpurpose]

thanks much appreciated!

[@jimcricket8128]

Definitely almost joined the national guard in 04 when I was in high school. Couple years later thanked god I didn't when I found out how many got sent to iraqistan.

[@11bsavage64]

Some National Guard units deploy more now then regular Army. It is cheaper to send the Guard then it is Regular Army. My drill sargent called the Guard a speed bump as is often the case Guard will cross an enemy 1st and then after that the Regular Army figures out what they are up against.

[@carlorazzeto]

I'm only a civilian through and through, but the commentary about guardsman and reservists not necessarily transitioning back to that "reserve role" caught my ear. So as a pure civilian I ask, then do we actually have reserves?

[@crusaderman4043]

Reservists are pretty much discount grunts. They have much easier drills, are much less disciplined and much more slacked, and are made up of those that want a portion of military benefits without the commitment of joining the military. They get the benefit of being half-way soldiers, but also get reeled into deployments they wouldn't have been involved in if they weren't aware that the NG could still be deployed. Think of it as bait for lazy college students and tired blue collar workers looking for a quick buck for their families.

[@snokeflake]

“Leave no units in reserve”

[@d.m.3645]

@@crusaderman4043 Maybe that's how the Army Reserve is, but that's completely inaccurate WRT the Army National Guard. The Guard upholds the same standards as active duty and their members maintain a civilian career on top of that. I've been in ARNG aviation for 19 years and we typically show up with much more experience and proficiency than our active duty brethren.

[@oldmikie]

Nice work. I think the military as an organization did the best they could. But OUR Government, Department of Defense, State Dept, National security, and especially the joint chiefs of staff. Knew the reason we stayed in Afghanistan is to gain control of mineral deposits. The reason we stay in Iraq is to maintain access to fossil fuel.

[@ironseabeelost1140]

Seen it. The sick feeling just came back watching this and I was a regular with a couple of decades.

[@monstrok]

Great analysis and commentary. I did not realize that SF and the Guard were carrying so much of the burden.

[@jacksavere6988]

The backdoor draft is what happens when I eat too much chilli.

[@bigjohn697791]

It's interesting you talk about the tours and length of a tour is a lot long than the standard 6 months tour in the British Army I know the American do much longer tours However we worked out a long time ago that anything over 6 months is not good for you! Even then there's always news of guys on the UK Military forums or Facebook pages Who have sadly taken there own lives due to PTSD It never makes the mainstream news here only on the various UK Veterans pages etc.. I would hate to think about how high that number is amongst US Military. I know the US General tried to get the British Army to change from 6 month tours and we told him to polity fuck off! I think you guys should be changing your tour lengths to 6 months as there is a lot of medical evidence to support it lessening the after effects of PTSD

[@JohnSmith-oe5rx]

The leadership of the US military isn't likely to change it's mind on that anytime soon,. the American mentality is simply way too different compared to you brits.. What your saying is right and it would be much better mentally and would simply be better as a whole but leadership simply doesn't care and because of the "always be ready to strike first" America has continued to keep people deployed as long as possible and there are obviously a few other underlying issues.,,

[@bigjohn697791]

@@JohnSmith-oe5rx I suspect your right! sadly although I think there is a cultural aspect as well. Having worked with American soldiers there are a lot of similarities to a lot of what we do but we might call it something different. However were a bit more reserved and drink like fish lol... that probably helps haha lol.. but your right john the higher ups in the Puzzle Palace (HQ) are probably not looking to change to much

[@themastermason1]

Everytime there is a specialized unit be they sappers, engineers or actual special forces, there's some general out there who's screwed up and needs bodies to clog the hole he made.

[@timothyhernandez3803]

Good analysis, especially when you discuss the increased roles of the Guard and Reserve, and how special operations necessarily grew. The nation building you described is really a large element of civil affairs (CA), which is it's own MOS. When the wars started the Regular Army didn't have sufficient civil affairs troops to cover down on those mission requirements. More than 95 percent of CA assets were in the USAR, and couldn't cover down on all the mission demands of the global war on terror. It took nearly a decade to get a civil affairs brigade, with five battalions, stood up in the Regular Army; in the mean time, infantry, armor, and other combat arms Soldiers had to pick up the slack on a typically special operations mission, in civil affairs.

[@danieparriott265]

The Post 1991 Army (They paid me $10Grand to leave and never come back in Oct 95, and then were sniffin' around 10 years later promising bonuses twice that .... ) was too small for much of anything beyond keeping a cadre to build something else up as needed ... We Traded a Capable Military (Capable of fighting a Two Front War for one that struggled to defend (and eventually failed) ... in two regional conflicts ... they called the money not spent in the short term "The Peace Dividend" .... I ask you: What of lasting value did that buy?

[@timothyhernandez3803]

@@danieparriott265 nothing, because we gutted the Army again from 2012 to 2018 with sequestration. The government always cuts the military deep when they want to expand social benefits spending. Sequestration turned out to be worse than BRAC/RIF of the nineties. Our leaders are short sighted, except for those looking to colapse the system via Cloward and Piven.

[@Samtzu]

I'm a Vietnam Veteran..... we were ordered to do a lot of stupid shit in Vietnam (I actually talked to some Utah NG troops who felt very betrayed!!) but when I heard how you guys were being used I genuinely felt your pain, especially the terms of your deployment. We were twelve months and out... if survived.... but I remember talking to one guy who was going back for his FIFTH deployment in the Middle East..... he seemed to be doing tours of six to ten months when I talked to him, with about the same amount of time home in between.... he had my utmost respect, because I know that wasn't what he had signed up for.....