Letters

Praying Is Not Enough

* Your exceptionally interesting March issue included a "must read" piece by Col. Lloyd J. Matthews, USA Ret. ("The Officer as Gentleman: A Waning Ideal?"), and the jewel by Lt. Col. John A. Busterud, USAR Ret. ("The Treasure in the Salt Mine"), among other fine articles. Bill Carlson's letter and Paul Braim's response ("Hoping for a White Out") reminded me of an old training film which showed how small flaws can cause unnecessary deaths. Let us hope that their point will be acted upon, solved and save lives.

My principal comment, however, concerns "Why Army Modernization Is Vital to Our Future" by Lt. Gen. Ellis D. (Don) Parker, USA Ret. I completely agree with the general tenet of his article: staying alive is the key, and we must not shortcut defense. I completely disagree with the intelligence estimates he must have used to assert that "we are crossing our fingers, praying that estimates about future threats are accurate and that Comanche will be ready before it is needed."

I know that Gen. Parker would agree that we should fund and prepare for a much earlier threat.

Perhaps, in Col. Matthews' terms, a "waning ideal" finds our Commander in Chief wanting in several respectsnot the least of which is his lack of adherence to Gen. Parker's concepts about defending our country. That is epitomized by his attempts to kill the strategic defense initiative as well as by his "pushing" the Chemical Weapons Convention in spite of a lethal new nerve agent that Russia has developed in contravention of a previous chemical weapons treaty.

I hope Gen. Parker will not mind if I mimic his words-In the meantime, folks, cross your fingers and pray that all those estimates of missile and nuclear, biological and chemical weaponry of Russia and other nations are completely inaccurate.

TOM STRIDER

Citrus Hills, Fla.

Understanding Race

* The "Front & Center" by Lt. Col. Bryen E. Lorenz, USAR ("Understanding the Race Issue," February), hit home because of my personal experience in the Army as an AfricanAmerican soldier.

Compared to the civilian sector, the Army is more advanced in the area of racial equality.

The Army offered me the first job I have had where I have been judged by my performance and not by arbitrary things such as skin color and social origin.

It feels good to be in an environment where racism is systematically attacked.

As soon as I step into the civilian world, however, I am reminded of how far U.S. society has to go in this area. Even within my own unit there still exists a subtle resentment and suspicion between white and black soldiers. Some white soldiers argue that equal opportunity programs reduce the quality of Army personnel. This assumption is racist because it operates on the premise that minority soldiers are not as qualified and are only promoted because of their ethnicity.

The roots of this tension lie in ignorance of African-American history. The Army doctrine of freedom and the protection of the U.S. way of life are taught to new soldiers without including the history of African Americans in general and our struggle for equality in the armed forces in particular.

A lack of understanding of the history of the United States leads to alienation. This alienation works to disaffect military personnel and leads to an erosion of cohesion.

The Army must continue to lead the way in unifying this country, and one way to do this is to intensify the education of soldiers in U.S. history in general and the struggles and contributions of African Americans in particular.

PFC IBRAHIM MUHAMMAD Fort Polk, La.

Benefiting from the OER U I have a confession to make. Reading "New OER Set for October Debut" ("News Call," February) reminded me that I never saw a single officer efficiency report (OER) on myself at the time it was prepared. Nor was I ever offered the opportunity to review a report, or to benefit from any constructive comments it contained.

Upon reflection, I might have requested that my rating officer discuss his report with me or point out ways in which I could improve my performance.

As a brand new second lieutenant, however, I did not feel that my rating officer would admire or appreciate such audacity. Like many of my fellow officers, I merely kept my fingers crossed, hoped for the best and did not want to know the worst. Since I was fortunate to go from enlisted man to lieutenant colonel in four years and become a member of the Infantry Hall of Fame, I could hardly complain.

When I finally reviewed the reports in my Pentagon file (a long time later), I noted a number of observations that could have made me a better and more productive officer.

The new OER recognizes the need for regular counseling sessions. We can hope and pray that rated officers will become active participants in the rating process, thus benefiting the officers, the Army and our country. COL. ROBERT PURCELL, AUS RET. Port Charlotte, Fla.

Copyright Association of the United States Army Apr 1997
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