Everybody Just Simmer Down!
I’ve been hearing about this all day. I’ve had people call, text, email, and post on Facebook about it. MOS 31E – Internment/Resettlement Specialist. For some reason, advertisements for this MOS on various job boards, like Monster.com, have brought out more crazies than the Birthers could hope to generate. It didn’t help that these ads were posted by National Guard recruiting. I have otherwise perfectly sane friends flipping their lids over this thing. As bad as I think the current administration is, I don’t think they’ve quite reached the level that this guy thinks they have:
I commented on this topic over at This Ain’t Hell , but I thought I might put my theory out here as well.
MOS 31E used to be “Corrections Specialist”. Now, put yourself in the flip-flops of an 18-year-old kid sitting at the recruiter’s office. Everyone knows that “Corrections Specialist” means “Prison Guard”. Most young men seeking to enlist in the Army would view that job title to be about as exciting as MOS 92G – Food Service Specialist (note: I am NOT disparaging cooks by any means! I have rarely ever had reason to complain about military chow, and actually worked as a line cook as a civilian for a time, so I know what a hard job it is). The fact is, most of these kids want to do something in the Army that involves ACTION! “Corrections Specialist” conjures up the image of sitting around dealing with criminals at Leavenworth or walking around on eggshells at Gitmo. So here’s my theory: some well-meaning Chairborne Ranger in USAREC got the idea that in order to gin up more interest in recruits for 31E the name needed to be made more appealing. “Internment/ Resettlement Specialist” to me fires up an image of rounding up Taliban on the battlefield or moving refugees out of the line of fire. I think it was probably a nice try at fixing a recruiting issue, but with people being on edge about the intentions of the government, it’s raised an irrational specter.
Look folks, I just don’t see the military rounding up U.S. citizens and putting them into concentration camps. We simply wouldn’t do it. I realize that a large portion of the populace still sees the military as being comprised of people not smart enough to tie their own boots without a Technical Manual and an order, but those people would be very shocked if they ever took the time to find out just how intelligent and educated the Armed Forces are…officers and enlisted (are you listening John Kerry?). Believe me, we, as a group, are probably more familiar with the contents of the United States Constitution than the average member of say, SEIU. There will be no Krystallnacht in America with the National Guard beating down your door. We wouldn’t let that happen.
Posted on August 9th, 2009 by Country Singer
Filed under: Abuse of Power, General Military
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