Join the new world

So, due to bugs in the Media system, when I deleted a duplicate article (also due to a bug) it removed the original. Knowing how the system works, there will probably now be three copies of this article.

When I sat down to write this, I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted the outcome to be. Change, of course, has always been one of the reasons behind this, but there are other reasons. Mostly the fact that I’ve been a part of the military for about twenty months now, and I don’t want to see it go down the road it’s on. I wouldn’t trade the time I spent there for the world. The experiences were one of a kind and many of the people I met are great examples of what the military should be.

“What is this?”, you’re probably asking. I guess you could consider it an exposé, of sorts, on the military. My time in the military has come to an end, but I want it to be enjoyable to the people who come after me. As an eagle scout (sup J?), I am of the belief that you should leave things better than you found them. These are some of my suggestions.

I don’t know where to start with this, but I basically just want to present you with a list of what I believe the major opportunities the military currently has to improve and possible ways to go about improving on them. If you’re reading this because you want to see a blood bath you’ve come to the wrong place.
The examples I present in this article are all going to be fairly recent because you cannot judge anything by things that occurred months ago.



1) The leadership is too set in its ways and you cannot even question what those ways are.

The major flaw in any organization comes when the leaders do not allow you to openly question their actions. Understandably, insubordination cannot be allowed, but there is a difference between insubordination and a question of policy.

There are three major examples that I have run into recently.
The first one came when I realized that XOs were not listed as JCS anymore. I started a thread on the forums (http://eusmil.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=966). That is, actually, the second thread I started on those forums, because immediately after posting the first one, it was removed with no warning given.

Basically, for those of you who can’t see it, it went like this:

Dimension: What is considered JCS?
Bia Pandora: Talk to your Branch CO. (Follow CoC)
Dimension: (I went and talked to Goalie and nothing of value came from it.) That didn’t help. Who is above the CO in the CoC?
GoalieBCSC: I’m glad you find me no help. Next time, don’t be a douchebag.
This thread is now locked. Anyone who posts will receive a DD.

Telling me to talk to my CO is fine, and following CoC is good practice, but shutting down threads on a forum is absolutely asinine. The fact that no one is allowed to openly, and respectfully, question the policies of the JCS is absolutely uncalled for.

The second example is almost exactly like the first.
I started a thread asking about whether or not JCS are allowed to participate in politics. (http://eusmil.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=1591) It goes like this:



These are very basic questions, and I could understand locking the thread if I was being disrespectful, but what are they trying to hide? Why can basic JCS policy not be known to the forum goers?



Last but not least, is what happens when I do actually follow my Chain of Command. The current CO of the MI, whose name I will not put here (but it’s not Goalie anymore), seems to be unapproachable with any questions at all.

He recently held a Q&A with the officers, where we were invited to ask questions we had.
Here’s the log of how it went:

[19:55:13] <%Dimension> i have a question
[19:55:33] <%Dimension> very basic, but following CoC, how is ABCDwp being ordered to handle iNCi requests?
[19:57:40] <&redacted> I have a wait and see attitude with INCI
[19:58:01] <&redacted> Everyone was running around crying about the sky falling
[19:58:17] <&redacted> but I have yet to see any real issues
[19:58:21] <@Herr_Vootsman> they were welcomed about two months ago by Gov
[19:58:38] <&redacted> Besides the fact that they make terrible workers in my private companies
[19:58:40] <@Herr_Vootsman> executive branch that is
[19:58:43] <%Dimension> redacted i'm being informed that Jankems has stated that iNCi are considered a PTO threat and not allowed into the military?
[19:59:03] redacted has set mode +b *!~Dimension@*.Original.Thief
[19:59:03] Dimension [~Dimension@The.Original.Thief] has been kicked from #redacted by redacted

I was then informed via PM:

Feb 08 21:59:17 You ever do that again, and you are out of the MI
Feb 08 21:59:22 do what again
Feb 08 21:59:29 counter something you say?
Feb 08 21:59:58 If you quote Jankems in an open channel and make me look bad, you're out
Feb 08 22:00:09 NO discussion here, that's it
Feb 08 22:00:15 that didn't make you look bad
Feb 08 22:0😇2 it did when you kb'd me but it didn't make you look bad

There are more logs like this where he threatens me but these two do the best to show just how far it has come that you do not question your superiors.

I kept the names out of these logs because I’m not targeting the individual, but the organization. It should never reach a point where someone is afraid to ask questions, or be threatened with a DD for countering an argument given by a superior.

How can we fix this? Encouraging discussion on the forums is one way. Maybe the JCS could also post a list of their policies, or start a thread where members of the military can ask any questions they might have.



2) Money could be spent more wisely

I can’t get into huge specifics here because I do recognize that giving out too much information does violate OPSEC, but the fact is that at the time I was in the Marines, they were wasting a calculated 116 gold a week. This was calculated back in January, so 50 USD = 1 Gold, but I’ve been informed that very little has changed.

The backstory to this: I left the Mobile Infantry on Dec 23rd, 2010, and rejoined the Mobile Infantry January 7th, 2011. Why the short stay? Because I realized that I could do more damage without having to work in a commune if I was in the MI than I could do being forced to work for $6 a day at a marine commune.

I wrote up a short analysis where I explained that the Marines could increase damage by 35% and decrease spending by 45%. This could all be done by just changing where each marine worked, and I even wrote up an exact list of where to place the individual marines.

I am going to put this bluntly here, so there is no confusion: The only thing the Marines had to do is shuffle members around companies they already owned, and they could end up saving about 116 gold a week. NO GIMMICKS.

I told the entirety of the Marine Corps this around December 30th (I don’t remember the exact date) and the majority agreed that it was a good idea. However, nothing happened, so I went back to the Mobile Infantry. I told GoalieBCSC about this, and he told Jankems. That was about January 10th, iirc. Jankems has yet to do anything. When I ask him about it, he tells me that something is being done about it, but he cannot tell me what that is.

What can we do to fix it? Well, I’m actually fairly sure that the only reason this hasn’t changed is because of who the CO of the Marine Corps is. If we remove him I know that Kell Draygo will do what he thinks is best for the Marines.



3) Blacklists are way too hard to get off.

As of this posting, Publius, Xtasia, and Dishmcds have all been denied access to the mobile infantry. Why? Because they have been blacklisted, even though everyone else trusts them. Hell, Publius is one of the two guys who controls all of the money that is in the US. Xtasia is an admin of the game, and Dish is a past CP who is back in the US and actually being a contributing member of society. There is also Syrup, but no one cares about Syrup. 😉

Seriously, the military takes it way too far with security sometimes. Syrup is not a threat. Dish is not a threat. Xtasia is not a threat, and Publius is absolutely not a threat. Not one of these people will leak orders to the enemy. And it wouldn’t matter if they did, since our orders are so basic as to just list where to fight upon last login and give the time for the Mass Attacks. If the enemy is stupid enough not to know when our Mass Attacks are, why the hell did we lose all those RW’s last week?

These people are not a threat, but we treat them like they are. How can we fix it? Treat this game like it’s a game, and get over some of the petty crap that you’re stuck on. So what if Publius tanked for Dio? So what if Syrup let in Zoli? So what if Dish was in the UK for awhile? We let PrincessMedyPi back in. We let GladDOS back in. They aren’t threats.



4) The military thinks it can dictate foreign policy

Quit doing that. It’s not our job. It’s fine to say “Hey, what you’re saying might have these ramifications with this country because of this reason.” but it is not okay to say “I will not order troops to fight there.” If the President tells you to fight somewhere, you need to convince him it’s a bad idea or order damage there.

Also, this whole business with INCI. Let them in. It’s stupid to keep them out. Everyone recognizes this but you. There might be a problem with logistics, but that is no reason to keep them out. Have you even tried talking with them about this? From HR’s last thread it doesn’t seem like it, and when I follow my CoC I get threatened with another kick ban.

In fact, I started a thread on milforums that asked “Do you know what INCI is? Yes or No only please.” I was surprised by the number of military members who actually did know what it was, but what was more surprising was that the moment I suggested the military accept INCI as members, the thread was locked and I was not informed.



That’s about it guys.

The military is not what it used to be, but it’s not difficult to get it back to where it belongs.

Really, all that needs to be done is change the way communication is handled within the military. Allow people to ask questions, allow people to question policy, allow people to be people. Just because you have been raised to the rank of JCS does not give you the right to treat people like they are worth less than you. (This isn’t pointed at all of the JCS, since some of you are actually useful.) If the JCS would listen to its members, I think the military would fair much better.

Also: DIO DIO DIO
(You can’t say that in eusmil and especially in the MI)