My Pablo...

Wellington had his Napoleon....Lieutenant Commander Smash had his Pablo Paredes....and now, I thank my lucky stars I've got a slacker of my own....Specialist 4th Class Joseph Jacobo!

Yes, the Army's finally has it's relatively high profile jackass that was happy as a clam to take the money, the benefits and perks of being a reservist, but when things get hot, he wants out of the kitchen. By now you're probably thinking, what the hell is MajorDad babbling about this time. Here you go kiddies! Read this and come on back to see what I have to say about "that."

AWOL Reservist Cites Inadequacies - At Yahoo!.

Okay, have you had enough background reading to be conversant with this case?

Inadequacies in the Army??? Well dip me in excrement and call me "Stinky!" Do you think? Never saw M*A*S*H? Ever hear of Vietnam? Of course there are inadequacies in ANY military outfit...just like there are inadequacies in the corporate world too, but I think that SP4 Jacobo is hiding behind a perceived problem...rather than a real one.

Having just dropped off 13 of my friends back at Fort Bliss to catch their "ride" to the sand they received the same training that SP4 Jacobo is whining about...I can tell you for a fact that it's a much better program than it was a year ago when I said farewell to the first group of friends that deployed to and returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. Now is it perfect? Of course not. Trying to keep up with the improving insurgent tactics is tough even for the active folks that actually live as soldiers, rather than the reservists that only get a weekend a month and two weeks a year for training.

I don't mean to paint all reservists/guardsmen with the same brush, but for the most part, I've seen VERY FEW reserve or guard units that could fight alongside their active brethren and be indistinguishable. One of the reasons that the guard and reserves have been called up for so long is that someone finally realized (probably after the abortive attempt to call up three separate infantry brigades and actually expect them to fight in Desert Storm) that they weren't up to the task immediately after being called up. I work right down the street from a barracks with probably 400-500 reservist camping out while they train up to a standard worthy calling them soldiers and allowing them to deploy. They appear to change units about every six months...when trained, they deploy and the next group shows up. I'm only guessing here based on the unit patches I'm seeing on shoulders.

But back to SP4 Jacobo...and his seemingly doomed plight.
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First, let me ask someone with a little bit of a military background...how credible would you find a 46 year old "Spec 4?" Let me venture a guess that SP4 Jacobo has had a little trouble with the military justice system. I know sergeants major that are younger than 46!!! This guy's been up the rank chain before....and most probably busted a couple of times along the way. With the demand for reserves/guardsmen to sign on the dotted line, I think there might have been a recruiter somewhere that might have looked the other way on this enlistment contract.

Second, if SP4 Jacobo has been through the pre-deployment training at Fort Bliss...like the guys/girls I've worked with down there from my unit, there's no way in hell he can have a faulty weapon! I know that the training requires ALL deploying soldiers to zero (personalize the sight picture for their weapons) and QUALIFY in order to be certified for deployment. As deploying soldiers draw their weapons from the arms room at Fort Bliss, the armorers (weapon repair experts) have exactly what they need to keep the weapons in an acceptable condition. The M4 or M16s issued aren't exactly sniper rifles, but thanks to the lack of marksmanship training in the Iraqi insurgency...certainly good enough to win a gunfight with these jokers. SP4 Jacobo...you're welcome to respond any time either here in a public forum or privately in electronic mail.

Third, SP4 Jacobo is complaining about a lack of theater specific training to familiarize his unit with Iraq. Funny, I heard plenty of complaining several weeks ago as my friends went through a two week training cycle...saying that they had had enough country training for a lifetime. The training has also been augmented by convoy training, reactions to ambush training, and how to conduct a proper inspection of a vehicle to ensure that there are no car bombs driving where they ought not be. If SP4 Jacobo has called it quits within the last six weeks....he's a liar. The improved training began in late November 2004.

Finally, let me say in the defense of the Reserves and the Guard...I don't agree with the way you're being employed either. Many of you don't have the experience or the training to step off the planes and be completely ready....but let's keep in mind you've been happy to take a promised paycheck for you to satisfy your end of the bargain. It's no mystery to anyone putting on the uniform that you might just come home in an aluminum box under our nation's flag. That's what they meant by "defend the Constitution against all enemies both foreign and domestic" when you took the oath...or the multiple times that Jacobo's taken it as referenced in this story.

I would expect a gung-ho Marine to have a little more guts to stand and fight any problems than to "cut and run" from them. Semper Fi, Jacobo? You need to change the message on your cell phone. You can have that message back when you choose to be “always faithful.” Right now you’re dishonoring thousands of Marines, both living and dead by playing your games with the media.
First, let me ask someone with a little bit of a military background...how credible would you find a 46 year old "Spec 4?" Let me venture a guess that SP4 Jacobo has had a little trouble with the military justice system. I know sergeants major that are younger than 46!!! This guy's been up the rank chain before....and most probably busted a couple of times along the way. With the demand for reserves/guardsmen to sign on the dotted line, I think there might have been a recruiter somewhere that might have looked the other way on this enlistment contract.

Second, if SP4 Jacobo has been through the pre-deployment training at Fort Bliss...like the guys/girls I've worked with down there from my unit, there's no way in hell he can have a faulty weapon! I know that the training requires ALL deploying soldiers to zero (personalize the sight picture for their weapons) and QUALIFY in order to be certified for deployment. As deploying soldiers draw their weapons from the arms room at Fort Bliss, the armorers (weapon repair experts) have exactly what they need to keep the weapons in an acceptable condition. The M4 or M16s issued aren't exactly sniper rifles, but thanks to the lack of marksmanship training in the Iraqi insurgency...certainly good enough to win a gunfight with these jokers. SP4 Jacobo...you're welcome to respond any time either here in a public forum or privately in electronic mail.

Third, SP4 Jacobo is complaining about a lack of theater specific training to familiarize his unit with Iraq. Funny, I heard plenty of complaining several weeks ago as my friends went through a two week training cycle...saying that they had had enough country training for a lifetime. The training has also been augmented by convoy training, reactions to ambush training, and how to conduct a proper inspection of a vehicle to ensure that there are no car bombs driving where they ought not be. If SP4 Jacobo has called it quits within the last six weeks....he's a liar. The improved training began in late November 2004.

Finally, let me say in the defense of the Reserves and the Guard...I don't agree with the way you're being employed either. Many of you don't have the experience or the training to step off the planes and be completely ready....but let's keep in mind you've been happy to take a promised paycheck for you to satisfy your end of the bargain. It's no mystery to anyone putting on the uniform that you might just come home in an aluminum box under our nation's flag. That's what they meant by "defend the Constitution against all enemies both foreign and domestic" when you took the oath...or the multiple times that Jacobo's taken it as referenced in this story.

I would expect a gung-ho Marine to have a little more guts to stand and fight any problems than to "cut and run" from them. Semper Fi, Jacobo? You need to change the message on your cell phone. You can have that message back when you choose to be “always faithful.” Right now you’re dishonoring thousands of Marines, both living and dead by playing your games with the media.

As always, from the high ground!

MajorDad.