The War Within...

The following begins with a letter to the editor written by 1st Lieutenant Ryan Donaldson, a transportation officer in Taji, Iraq. And shortly thereafter is the response to his letter by none other than our very own "spray on".

I reprint this because it illustrates perfectly what I like to call the "War Within" or the rivalry and disrespect that occurs between the Active Duty Army and the Reserves and National Guard. But more on that later. Either way here we go.

'FIX' RESERVE, GUARD TROOPS.

This is in regard to "army standards being ignored" (letter, June 24). You are on a forward operating base that is overrun by Army reserve and National Guard units. They have no idea what the standards are. I'm not saying they don't do their jobs, but these units don't have the discipline instilled in them like active duty soldiers do. To see these soldiers walk around way out of regulation in regard to Army regulation 600-9 ("The Army Weight control program") is absolutely disgraceful, and makes the ones who are doing the right thing look bad, but these soldiers don't know any better. They go to training once a month and they think they are soldiers.

Well, part of being a soldier is always doing the right thing. The leaders of these units need to take a look at themselves and see that they need to fix these soldiers.

First Lieutenant Ryan Donaldson
Taji, Iraq

That letter appeared in the June 26, 2009 Stars & Stripes.

And this is what our boy "Spray On" had to say about that...

Lt. Donaldson,

You have a lot of nerve to write what you did about the National Guard and reserves in Stars and Stripes. Sure, you witness a few Soldiers out of 600-9. I see Active Duty Soldiers here in Afghanistan as well who do not make weight or tape. That is life, and they are dealt with. Are you in their chain of command? Did you sign these Soldiers counseling statements? Do you know if they have a bar to reenlist or not? No. Stay in your lane. For you to say that “they train once a month and they think they are Soldiers” is by far the most ludicrous thing that I have ever heard. Not only do Soldiers of the National Guard have lives and back home that they are uprooted from to deploy, but they are the only branch with a dual mission: Homeland Security and National Defense. I hope you never have to experience a flood or some other natural disaster,
but if you do, we will be there to help. So, I must not be a Soldier because I am in the National Guard. I suppose the Active Duty schools that I have been to, the deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, my years in service, the medals that I have been awarded, my equipment and my weapons, GEN McKinley, the NGB, my leadership, the training that I have been through, the firefights and IEDs that I have been struck with, the comrades that I have lost, and everything else that I have done while wearing this uniform must be a sham because you say we are not Soldiers. Right. The way that you grouped 2 whole branches of the Service (which I would like to point out that the National Guard is the oldest branch of the US Military) because of a few is beyond ignorant. I would like to see you have the balls to go up to a grieving family of a loved one who lost their lives in combat who was a member of the Reserves or National Guard, see if you make it out of there in one piece. I hope that you never need the services of the Soldiers of the National Guard or Reserves while you are deployed. I know I would have second thoughts about helping you.

Get your facts straight, and worry about your Soldiers instead of slapping the face of every one in the Guard and Reserve. You are a 1st Lieutenant. Want to think what the enlisted man thinks of you? Didn’t think so. You pretty much summed up yourself in the article.

Fake SSG "Spray On"

Finally this is the email that Spray on got back from this douche bag!

I did spout off at the mouth and lumped a few bad apples into one group. I am thankful for the job the RC does, and should have had the facts straight before i opend my mouth. I meant no disrespect to those Soldiers that lost loved ones from this conflict. I am sorry for any disrespect to you, your Soldiers, and the Reserve Components that serve this nation.

Of fuck yeah. That's my boy! And you'll all be hearing from me on this issue shortly. Stay tuned.

Later,

I love you Mom...