Qualities have begun to "fray" in the Marines?

"Disregarding orders and standards, substance abuse, sexual assault, hazing, self-destructive behavior, and failure to maintain personal fitness and appearance standards weakens our Corps," but none of this is new. So why pretend they haven't been going on for a very long time? Did he expect any of this to change with the "training" they have done on resilience? Did he really expect telling Marines they were mentally weak would get them to "behave" better?

Several years ago I was talking to a Marine at the VA in Orlando. He was with another Marine and they were trying to get through the paperwork for a claim. I had on my Chaplain gear in the smoking area when they were asking me questions. As we talked, the smaller Marine didn't have much to say but the bigger, tougher Marine had tears in his eyes. I asked him what was wrong.

He said he felt worthless and didn't deserve to file a claim.

We talked some more and that was when he said, "I didn't train right. It's my fault." I took his hands and said one word, "Battlemind" and the tears came harder. This Marine had been in Iraq after Afghanistan. He had PTSD but thought he was weak minded and didn't train right. After all, he was a Marine and shouldn't be falling apart. Right? Hardly.

He couldn't remember what he was like before PTSD took over. He couldn't remember exactly how tough he was when he was in Iraq, already dealing with what PTSD was doing to him yet still willing, able and ready to risk his life for his brothers in combat. He couldn't understand how tough he really was because the Marines told him he was weak minded with their bullshit training.

What this training has done to the war fighters is despicable. If there is greater erosion in Marine standards, it started with this training.

All of these issues being reporter are not new. They have been recorded here on Wounded Times going back to 2007 before they pushed this training. All the bad reports came out more but as the DOD spent more money and Congress funded these programs after holding hearings, they were not listening to the results.

Marine Corps Commandant: Bring Back the Discipline
Newsmax
Courtney Coren
October 18, 2013

The Marine Corps' top general wants his troops to snap back into the discipline and leadership mode exemplified in combat. Those qualities have begun to "fray" in the Marines after 12 years of deployments t Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Disregarding orders and standards, substance abuse, sexual assault, hazing, self-destructive behavior, and failure to maintain personal fitness and appearance standards weakens our Corps," wrote Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos in a letter sent to top corps leaders and noncommissioned officers, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

Amos said he's concerned that officers are allowing standards to relax when Marines return from deployment. That leads to serious problems, he said, and he is insisting that the same spirit and discipline that governs Marines in combat be encouraged as well when they return home from deployment.

"What concerns me is we come home and we've said, 'OK, I'm not a Marine leader 24/7,'" Amos said in an interview with USA Today.

"You would never even think that in combat. We don't stop being Marine leaders when we come home," he added.
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