A Growing Morale Crisis In The U.S. Military

A U.S. soldier takes a break during a mission to clear Route 1 of improvised explosives in Wardak province, Afghanistan, Aug. 13, 2013. The soldier, assigned to the 87th Sapper Company, conducted the clearing mission to maintain freedom of movement for military and commercial traffic. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Chenee' Brooks

AMERICA'S MILITARY: A Force Adrift -- Hope Hodge Seck, Military Times

How the nation is failing today's troops and veterans.

After 13 years of war, troops feel burned out and without a sense of mission. More doubt their leaders and their job security.

For many of the war-weary troops who deployed to combat zones over and over again for 13 years, the end of an era of war in Iraq and Afghanistan is good news.

But for Marine Sgt. Zack Cantu and other service members, it's a total morale killer. For many of them, particularly the young grunts and others in combat arms specialties, it's the realization that they may never go into battle for their country and their comrades.

"Most people in [the Marine Corps] are in because of the wars," said the 25-year-old Cantu, a former infantryman at Camp Pendleton, California. Cantu has retrained as a telephone system and computer repairer, a specialty more likely to survive as the service downsizes.

"Now, everyone's coming to the realization, 'It's probably not going to happen for me,'" he said.

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My Comment: A brutal analysis on morale in the U.S. military. This is a must read.