Most personnel in the military react just the same to "authority threats", as the regular citizens of this country do.
I have to disagree about the "property of the US government" comment. While this is thoroughly beaten into your head, the truth of the matter is that command individuals leverage this mentality to get you to do things you would not normally do.
Let me back up for a second and say that I understand the absolute need for soldiers who follow orders. Let me also state that I have some pretty unique run ins with command individuals who will run willy-nilly all over you if given the opportunity.
I'll share a story to demonstrate (Sorry, this may be lengthy):
After deploying for the invasion during OIF I, I found myself tasked to various TDY and other unit oriented tasks (DPC/"Purple Ramp" etc.). Our unit was very "Hooah" about everything, and every task that came down from USAREUR, we volunteered for.
When the dust finally settled, I arranged a dental appointment over on another close post. I'm a sanitary dude, but I hadn't had my teeth looked at in over a year and half, so it was about that time.
Around this time I was seeing some ridiculously hot blonde. You know, all the right curves in all the right places, green eyes, huge ...you know. What was also hot was she was a 52D...a generator mechanic.
Well, around the time I was suppose to be at the dentists office, I ended up bumping into her in the hall. Somehow I ended up in her room, etc.
Missing an appointment without canceling in advance is pretty messed up, since medical resources were thin on our post, and just slotting to get in was difficult because of the ratio of patients to doctors.
2 days later, during a weekend field exercise, top (A term for a First Sergeant) calls me in.
"Why did you miss your dentist appointment?" he asked.
"No excuse First Sergeant, I knew I had the appointment and I neglected to cancel it before no-showing", I replied.
"You're going to go ahead and buff my floor in the battery area for the next week. Every morning before first formation, and every night after final formation."
"I understand top. Sorry for missing my appointment.".
This is proper "corrective training". I smiled and did what I was told to do when I was told to do it. I was the one who screwed up, and this is part of individual integrity.
The Battery floor was so polished for the next week that just before I was supposed to be done with my corrective training, First Sergeant came out and said, "You going to miss any other dental appointments?".
I said, "No top".
He says, "This floor looks great and has looked like you put personal pride into it all week. You're released from special duty, be gone.".
"Hooah First Sergeant".
This is a common type of corrective scenario. This is the way things should be conducted.
In another scenario that personally happened to me and members of my unit, a new First Sergeant was ignoring orders from a 4 star general (General B.B. Bell at that time), and retaining soldiers during periods of time wherein he was ordered to release them. In fact, the order was so stringent, Sgt. Major would hop into his van to ensure we were released during this period of time, by ordering if necessary, all First Sergeants, to release their units.
Our new First Sergeant would hide us in our heavy-doored motor pool with smoked glass, and order us not to sound off, in order to evade Sergeant Major.
In the end, after my personal challenge to him (I was only a Specialist at that time) since none of the NCO's would step up, IG fired him out of a cannon.
There were also other things going on on post, that caused our post to be "#1 in USAREUR for mischief". A title earned by command elements, not the soldiers themselves.
Our Sgt. Major had a flask of Whiskey and smelled of alcohol all day.
Our battalion commander was on to "bigger, better things", and clearly, running the unit was behind him.
Our post was 200k from any sizable command element.
Point is, the actions on behalf of the First Sergeant were improper. My bringing it to his attention irregardless of rank, was absolutely proper, so long as I attempted to follow the chain of command first. I did just that.
Had I not challenged this First Sergeant, this type of unscrupulous behavior would have gone on.
For the record, and to accent my point. IG (That's the Inspector General for those who don't know) came out and fired probably 1/8th of the command group. One commander had imprisoned his soldiers in a 8 foot by 10 foot room for over two weeks at one of our field exercise locations, because they could not pass their MOS qual tests.
IG sent out a full-bird, who started lopping heads. I don't think I have ever seen an officer so disgusted with command conduct in my tenure.
Now. Let's parallel this, so you civvies can understand:
It seems while in the service that things are more "cut and dry". Sometimes, nothing could be further from the truth. As I am sure the higher ranking veterans here could attest to, things are intensely political at times. Generals and Colonels wanting to look good, and approaching this with the same practices that say a representative or governor would.
Political posturing, "gun free zones", and other BS factors heavily into their decision making process.
In the civilian world, you could address this personally if you like, by contacting your congressman, writing letter, or other forms of remedial persistence.
In the military, this will get you hung. Not literally, but figuratively.
So where does the pressure come from? Who pressures the changes?
Realistically.
Nobody.
Reaching a General through the chain of command, is all but impossible. Then, even if you did reach said General, you have pissed everyone off along the way.
Your squad leader.
Your platoon sergeant.
Your First Sergeant.
Your Commander.
Your battalion XO potentially.
Your battalion commander.
Somebodies doing extra duty, I promise that.
So the pressure needs to come from somewhere, and the only place it can come from, are the freedom loving citizens of this nation who want their service members to have better lives.
How can you guys concentrate on them though, when it's likely that your local government is all screwed up too, and there are so many problems in the regular political system, never mind the military political system.
We're likely to figure out the DADT debauchery first.
Isn't that sad?
Your servicemembers died in a blaze of terrorist gunfire last year, but never fear...they almost have DADT figured out.
That should solve it.
Right?
