I spent seven years in the USAR 1985-1992 as a Cavalry Scout instructor (19D H 30) with 3/85th Div Tng. I saw both good and bad during my service. My unit, of course was good
Actually it was.
Our LTC for much of that time was a Vietnam LRRP who got a battlefield commission. A fantastic leader. He would, on occasion, borrow an E-6 uniform and have a few cocktails with his senior NCOs in the rocker club at Ft. McCoy. My peers were dedicated and motivated. We had a Regular Army mission with RA evaluators so we had to be on top of our game. Basically, we would drop into Fort Knox and relieve a unit’s Drill Sergeants and instructors for two weeks in the middle of a regular training cycle. I served with a number of ex Vietnam era troopers (one Silver Star, one Bronze with V), ex marines and generally squared away individuals. We even had a Captain who was an MD, but kept it quite so that he could stay in Cavalry. We did have some loads, but not that many and we put them in safe places. For example, there were several E-7s that drove buses, etc. during summer camp.
It was an interesting unit as well. Since we were all cadre, we really had few privates (they would be the trainees when active). It was not uncommon to have E-5s doing KP, but at the same time there was a lot of integration between officers and NCOs of all ranks that made for a tighter, more motivational atmosphere. Not buddy-buddy so much (except with the NCOs of course), but mutual respect.
However, there were a lot of sloppy units also. As I recall, we were the only battalion in our brigade allowed to do a vertical displacement with a RA unit for much of my time in the unit. We also took part in an experiment at Fort Hood around 1988 that was educational to say the least. This involved a Basic Training/AIT (actually OSUT) Squadron that was fully trained, 2 weeks at a time, by reserve units. We arrived late in the AIT phase to find some undisciplined, sloppy troops. We went trough them like a hurricane, sweeping all the porn and junk food from the barracks, locking them up and driving them hard. For example, the MD captain who was a short guy with strong arms, dropped them one day at PT for about 300 push up as I recall.
I got an Army Achievement medal for locking up one private who actually mouthed off to me when I was starting a class on estimate range (I was telling the class to get situated and as he sat down I think I heard him say “carry on”). I tore into him immediately, the DI took over immediately and took him outside to the leaning rest, and the class proceeded in an alert and attentive manner. A RA evaluator told our LTC that I could have been the last Troop’s First Sergeant (which helped our unit evaluation and got me my little ribbon). Now, this is not a reflection on Charon, bad-assed NCO -- nothing in my behavior was extraordinary compared the basic training environment I personally experienced as a trainee. Rather, it was a reflection as to how poor the discipline and training environment was from the units that preceded us. I only hope the unit that followed helped keep them squared away. I also had a nervous private almost roll a track on me at the driving range, and the road march from a hell in a track still painted from "Reforger 84" but that’s another story
Charon
