Iraqi veteran injured at Occupy Oakland hated the Marine Corps

I would really like to find out what this guy’s real military record is.  Since he’s hooked in with VVAW, there’s a really good chance that he either wasn’t ever actually in the Marines, was in the Marines but never completed training, or was kicked out for doing something really illegal.

“Poll: Approval For Obamacare Among Americans Down To 34%, Support Dropping Fastest Among Democrats”

Now he just needs to find a more private place to defecate?  Mulberry patch anyone??

Chico,

You loose credibility with me when you start citing movies from Hollywood that supposedly depict the military, and the Marines in particular.  As far as re-enlistment rates… you must of been in the Army, huh?  In the US Army – Staff Sergeants drive trucks and walk post with rifles; they even have more Colonels than Sergeants Majors. WTF?  I’m just not picking on the Army… the Air Scouts have more Lieutenants than Airmen, and in the Cost Guard – the Admiral to Seaman ratio is just lopsided as hell.  In the Navy, used to be you could retire after 20 years as a 3rd Class Petty Officer (E-4).  WTF? How the hell does anything ever get accomplished with such crewed up structures?  The Marine Corps is different. 

What you fail to understand about the Marines is that its rank structure is built solely on the needs of the Corps.  Its highly competitive.  And if you haven’t experienced it, you’d be amazed how professional and motivated a Marine Sergeant really is.  Back in the day, a Corporal of Marines (E-4), was of higher rank than more than half of the Corps (50%)… and that was at the end of his first four year enlistment (2 additional years would be spent in the reserves, or FMCR, of a typical 6 year first enlistment contract – which you call Zone “A”). 

Well guess what there Chico.  The competition for Sergeant was, and still is, quite fierce.  Only half the Corporals ever make it.  The other 50% have to go home.  Half the Sergeants get promoted to Staff Sergeant, and the other half go home.  Ditto for ever enlisted rank continuing up through Sergeants Major/Master Gunnery Sergeant (E-9).  So what’s half of a half of a half of a half of a half of a half (E-4 through E-9)  Do the math.  Ya get the picture yet?

Not only do you have to be very good at what you do and be able to demonstrate performance in a billet at the next higher grade and duties… you also have to have a promotion allocation quota become available to compete for… in order to be even be considered by the promotion board.   In my case, for example, I was a Staff Sergeant (E-6) for a decade (10 year, 9 months actually) before a promotion quota even became available that allowed me to compete for the next higher rank of Gunnery Sergeant (E-7) against my peers (and remember, only half make the cut –  and the other half go home).  So what you completely miss here Chico, with your Zone A hooey is (at least in the Corps),  you not only have to be good at what you do… you also have to be very lucky in the timing, as the needs of the Corps comes first – everything else is recognizant.  

Without such acknowledgement of the needs of the Corps – you’d have 50,000 Sergeants in the Corps! and 50,000 Staff Sergeants!  Which can’t be right, could it… unless you are putting the tripe structure of the other branches of service onto the Marines.  The Corps’ structure is built like a spear, with Privates being the most common at the bottom, and Generals at the top, with a smooth tapered rank structure in between… the other branches of the service they look like… hell, I don’t know how else to visually describe it….except perhaps a donut???  WTF.  Which is how you get Doggie Staff Sergeants driving trucks.    

Last time I looked, the average rank structure for all the services (add up all the E-1s through O-10s)  was a 1st Class Petty Officer (E-6) for the Navy,  Sergeant for the Army (E-5), Staff Sergeant for the Air Force (also E-5), but a Lance Corporal (E-3) in the Corps.  WTF  Who the hell does all the work in them other services?  In the Corps its Privates… and its run by the Corporals.  

Saved round.  In 1977 when I first enlisted… the Corps minted 50,000 new Privates and 2nd Lieutenants. Care to take a SWAG how many of them transferred to the USMC retirement rolls 30 years later?  In 2007, that’d be 300.  I know, cause I was one of em.  So when they talk about the few, the proud, the Marines… They’re really talking about them retired devil dogs.

And just so you know,  unlike the Army and Air Force – Marines cannot retire at 20.  At 20 years of service – they may transfer to the Fleet Marine Corps Reserve (FMCR) and remain there drawing “retainer pay” until they reach what would of been 30 years of active service… only then do they get transferred to the retirement rolls from the reserves – and begin to draw “retirement pay.”  

Semper Fidelis-
MGySgt USMC Ret

Now the smearing of war heroes begins. The right wing never forgives the sin of not toting the right wing line.