This Gen-Z Value Could Spell Trouble for Spec Ops Community

[rangerrebew]

This Gen-Z Value Could Spell Trouble for Spec Ops Community

CNA looked at the leadership traits valued by today’s youth, special operators, and strategists of tomorrow.
ELIZABETH HOWE | AUGUST 24, 2022 02:41 PM ET
SPECIAL OPERATIONS ARMY NAVY AIR FORCE PERSONNEL FUTURE OF WAR MARINE CORPS
   
What Gen Z and millennials want doesn’t exactly line up with what today’s military leaders offer—and a new report suggests there might be particular implications for the Pentagon’s special operations forces.

A study conducted by the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA) compared the leadership traits valued by three groups: today’s special operators, Gen Z and millennials, and the strategic thinkers envisioning tomorrow’s battlefield.

CNA found a lot of overlap. Eleven traits span all three: character, creativity, flexibility, determination, competence, relationship builder, trustworthiness, problem-solver, approachability, empowerment, risk-taker.

https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2022/08/gen-z-value-could-spell-trouble-spec-ops-community/376266/

[sneakypete]

Seems like these people don't have the first freaking clue as to the mindsets of yesterday's and todays Special Operations soldiers..

I was with the original Army special operations force named SOG,and while it IS true we had to volunteer for it BEFORE being briefed about what we would be doing or where we would be doing it,we DID get briefed on ALL of this once reaching the FOB,and ANY of us had the freedom to quit at ANY time and go back to a regular Special Forces assignment by merely saying "I quit!".

The ONLY exception to this were in cases where your team got a mission notification,and once that happened,you had to go because if you didn't,the 6 man recon team you  were on became undermanned,and there was no time to train a new man to take your place.

Once you got back to the base after the mission you were free to go,though. Not only that,but you got a pick of where you would be going and what you would be doing,providing that slot was open and available.

In 14 months with SOG,I saw this happen twice. Both times were with new guys who decided to quit immediately after the initial general mission briefing. In both cases,the men were sent back to either their original assignement,or sent back to the SFOB for re-assignment.

They,of course,still had the restriction of not being free to tell ANYONE anything they had heard or seen while at the FOB,though. IIRC,the minimum time to remain silent on this was 20 years. Which is why you didn't see any books about SOG or hear anybody talking about SOG for a long time after the VN war ended.

I don't know about anyone else,but I had told my parents that I would be working in the Group mail room at Nha Trang. They had no idea I was doing anything different until I came back home and they noticed the additional doo-dahs on my dress uniform. Back then we were ALL required to wear dress uniforms when traveling under orders.

AFATG,back then you could and would get arrested for being seen in a fatigue uniform while off base if you even did something as ordinary as stop at a 7-11 near where you were living to get a quart of milk to take home with you.