JC, as a former Regular Army MP, I have to say all-in-all, Sten is generally correct, with regard to combat arms units. You have to keep in mind that an MP is required to have nearly the ASVAB score as an officer, and the MP Corps is an entirely different experience than the infantry or armor.
I can see that to an extent... but he's also basing things off the Guard of 15-20 years ago. Those were the guys that jumped in the Guard to stay out of Nam, and they were generally the kind of folks that you didn't want in the military anyway.
Nowdays, it's a different animal entirely.
I know a lot of signals (once the WORST guys in uniform) and armor Guardsmen, and only 5 of the Armor guys lack Combat Action Badges- and only then because they were mediced out before the start of the war.
The Guard is changing, it's becoming the Repository of Knowledge for the Army rather than the Repository of Refuse.
LOL dude.. I hate to be the bearer of bad news (especially to my generation), but Nam was almost 40 years ago now. The guard of 15-20 years ago was my generation, and I was born the year 'Nam started to heat up. They mostly joined for the money and to play soldier on weekends.
The Vietnam vets are looking at Social Security now. Weird isn't it? Time sure does fly.
Shoot Andy, I know a lot of D.S. part one folks that are getting S.S.A., much less the Vietnam vets. We are getting old. I was fortunate though, I served with Vietnam vets who were in their golden years of experience and training, and they taught us well, not to mention we got away with a lot more stuff than after they retired.
After 91-92 the Army changed completely, IMHO. Well, they got their war now, so it's not just NCOERs and OERs that make you or break you.
Not to dis you J.C., but that combat badge just for being in combat is B.S., that is why we had a unit combat patch on our right shoulder instead of the left.
There are many proficiency badges in the armed forces, and though I have the C.M.B. I never even bought one nor would wear it. When my airborne qualified first Sgt. asked me why I kept my E.F.M.B. on, I replied 'I earned it, it was not a give me."
He respected that as less than 10% of medics that try for it get the badge, while just because we did a perfect field excercise in Iraq and kicked arse in a war, every medic in a combat theater of operations got a nice C.M.B., how nice...