Was I overly naive?

Hey Mama Mouse - thanks for your comments. Good to hear from you, too! Missed you, don'tcha know!

Your comments were very insightful, to say the least. I guess what happened to me was that I kinda sorta thought I'd found a volunteer organization made up of honest and forthright men and women who had the same goal of serving their community as I did! Those in whom I've found very dear friends are to be excluded from the following analysis of my predicament - thank goodness for you!

I believe what has happened is there are too many chiefs and not near enough Indians, if you know what I mean! And all the chiefs want to do is issue orders - which change in accordance with their moods or with the coming of inclement weather! First of all, I didn't know volunteers could be ORDERED to do anything, especially since it is crammed down our throats that WE ARE VOLUNTEERS! But, when it behooves these same chiefs, all of a sudden we are MILITARY.

Very few of these chiefs can be seen at any of the external missions (I know one sub-chief who is present for every one with his unit), but they know everything there is to know about how the mission should be run as a MILITARY UNIT, not how the mission should be run with a widely diverse volunteer group who work their butts off BECAUSE THEY WANT TO AND LIKE WHAT THEY ARE DOING, otherwise they wouldn't be where they are!!!

I can honestly say NOBODY has EVER issued me an ORDER in the two years I've served in this organization. Many requests have been made, with which I have been more than happy to comply. Directives come through the pipeline, however, in which it will be stated "we can't order our volunteers to do anything," and the very next sentence will state "we must follow orders or" .....! What are they gonna do if we don't comply? Take away our birthdays?

When a sniveling little pup who's nose is a different color than the rest of his face because of... well, you get the idea, I'm sure, has his own personal "clicque" of flunkies to report everything they either think they've seen and heard to some "chiefs" who believe his crap doesn't stink because he looks good in a uniform and can recite every regulation in the book, something is badly askew! Like my father used to say "Something smells rotten in Denmark, and it ain't just the fish." Yeah, book learning is wonderful, but putting it into practical use is another thing!! I believe if I were to take a poll of members, they all would say this particular individual hasn't done anything but talk a good game!

The organization grew by leaps and bounds and, all of a sudden, the chiefs didn't know what the heck to do! Might I just add here that the "dead" weight isn't at the bottom of the organization, either!!!

Yes, I'm getting along in years and there are some things that I just can't do anymore because of fear of breaking bones, but I give forth every effort to pull my weight whenever I am needed, wherever I am needed, and for however long I am needed. Everyone in my unit (with the exception of a very small minority) do the very same - plus!

Politics may be the reason for the change in mood, but I believe it can be put more to fear! Some of the troops are smarter than the chiefs are, work hard, strive for promotions, and guess what - they will be the chiefs some day!! Hmm, makes you wonder if things might just be a little bit different when the chiefs realize how hard they had to work to get there, rather than ... well, I won't go there, either!

Micky Finn is through for today!

I am a 68-year-old widow who joined the Alabama State Defense Force (ASDF) two years ago because I was sure this organization offered me an opportunity to continue to learn and achieve. At present, my position is that of Platoon Sergeant/Company Clerk, with the rank of SFC.

I’d like to think that I’m a fairly intelligent person, but why should anyone in the ASDF strive to better him/herself with any of the training courses offered? Lately, we’ve been informed if we desire promotions, most of the training is MANDATORY! We are, after all, VOLUNTEERS, not Regular Army! This is the first Volunteer organization wherein I’ve had to pay dues to belong! Even though I live on a fixed income, I’ve managed to pay my way to the best of my ability. But, when I’m told YOU HAVE TO DO THIS, it gets my hackles raised!

Every training class which has been offered, I’ve taken and am certified. I passed the MEMS/PDS courses to earn my MEMS Badge within a month after joining my unit, which at that time was a detached platoon. I am certified in Traffic Control, Storm Spotters, First Aid, CERT, and CPR. I’ve attended and received a certificate for Basic Brigade Course (SOS). Further, I am certified as a CERT Train-the Trainer.

If a directive were issued from Battalion stating any or all of the above training would be important towards being of assistance to our communities at external missions or during disasters or emergencies, I usually was one of the first to enroll – enthusiastically! As a former military wife, I know the importance of training. Also, as a college graduate (University of Montevallo, Class of 1998, BBA), I thoroughly understand the importance of furthering one’s education.

However, I am having a great deal of trouble understanding why our unit is being punished for actively participating in all the offered training courses. We have a wonderful rapport with the local police department, sheriff’s department, local EMA, parks and recreation department, and various local merchants who have come to rely on us to handle traffic control, parking issues, gate crashers, and patrol of sites because we constantly strive to follow the rules of the ASDF in these endeavors.

Our troops are being recruited away from our unit (a practice which I was lead to believe the ASDF would not condone), smear tactics are being used by those who (or so it appears) must be jealous of our good work and can’t or won’t catch up to our standards of performance, our unit is being subversively threatened with being shut down, and our Command Staff is treated like pariahs. A former member of our unit is actively pursuing “crash and burn” tactics against us, regardless of who may get hurt in the process. One of our current members was pinned at a Brigade function without waiting for orders to come down and without informing the commander, after a directive had been issued no rank can be worn until orders are received! What a slap in the face to those who have been awaiting orders for as much as six months for Assignment!

Some of the powers that be are convinced a member, who transferred to another unit and who couldn’t make it through AIT in the Regular Army, walks on water! I always thought the term “prior service” meant the person served at least one tour of duty in the military. These same powers that be lie and cheat their way up the ladder while professing to be “good Christians” and make every effort to subvert our unit by listening to the lies, innuendoes, and exaggerations of those who like to kiss butt to make themselves look important. The individuals who proudly claim to be “prior service” make a mockery of my deceased husband’s distinguished military career, as well as those members of my unit who not only served an extended time or retired from the military, but served in a war zone.

The secret organization that nobody is supposed to know anything about but everybody knows all about it contains persons of less than moral character.
I shudder to think that my back may be protected by them! I don’t want to be anywhere near them during a time of crisis, thank you!

High-ranking officers are making threatening phone calls to some of our members (wish I knew who they were because I’d really like them to call me and try to threaten me).
I appreciate the statement which rules the military – “nothing is as constant as change.” But, the ASDF is not and should not be one hundred percent military because it is comprised of volunteers who want to give back to their state, community, family, friends, and neighbors. I could drill with the best of them until I fractured my pelvis. I’ve had very few complaints concerning the way the unit’s paperwork is done, and have never backed down from doing anything to help anyone – whether in my unit or another.

The actions which are currently taking place are – in a word – reprehensible.