Gather around, kids, while we parse through issues with the Army and how this affects retention numbers. This is an open thread, so please feel free to add your own issues that you see.

Alright, so here is some objective issues with the Army from my foxhole as a former Sergeant Major and former Proponent Sergeant Major (now retired so I feel safe with discussing this).

First problem I have seen is that when senior leaders leave the tactical, and, to some extent, the organizational level, they lose sight of what effect their orders and directives have at the lowest level. We are very much a reactive, make it happen, Army. Soldiers need advance notice to make the impossible happen. As I am sure you know, jumping through your ass to make a mission happen with little notice or resources put so much strain on the tactical level. Even more so in combat. When a unit does make it happen because that is what the boss wants, what happens is that they see your unit’s ability to make the impossible happen. And because of that, they keep running to you to make more things happen by pulling magic out of your fourth point of contact. Not only does this frustrate the tactical unit, but it creates morale problems and often leads to low retention numbers.

Another thing is that the military spans four generations but it’s most senior leaders a late Boomers, early Gen Xers. The lowest level is gen z, soon to also encompass gen alpha. This leads to a huge disconnect in methods to accomplish tasks, as gen Z and alphas tend to go through things with a more technological answer than boomers, gen xers, and even millennials could provide. This military run by a gerontocracy mirrors what is happening in the country with people that are in their late 70s early 80s writing laws. Same is true of 60 year old or late 50 year old four stars. I don’t need to tell you how frustrating this makes it at the lowest level.

I’ll give you an example that encompasses both: McConnville’s people first bullshit. Why you might ask? Because he thinks he is doing a good thing for the younger generation, but along the way, you have other senior leaders and even company level leaders that know they cannot forego the myriad of daily tasks that still have to get done. So instead you basically see no change because even company level leaders don’t want to look bad to the battalion and higher level commanders by giving the unit time back by maybe sending people home by 1500 If everything is done because that might look bad.

So all this grouped together is enough to affect morale to a point where you have a retention crisis.

These are the two easiest for me to discuss though there are hundreds of reasons.

What are some reasons that if you could grab mcconville by his collar you would explain him?