Army Secretary Fires Entire Corps of Civilian Advisers from Communities Across US

[NWRatCon]

Army Secretary Fires Entire Corps of Civilian Advisers from Communities Across US (Military.com)​

"Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has ousted his entire slate of civilian advisers in a sweeping move aimed at clearing space for voices from the tech world, as the service doubles down on its push to modernize with a Silicon Valley-style lens.

On Friday, Driscoll notified the 115 members of the Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army program, or CASA, an all-volunteer group that serves as the secretary's eyes and ears in communities across the country, that their roles were being terminated.

"Moving forward, the Civilian Aide Program will focus on leveraging civilian expertise in strategic communications, advanced technology, innovation and digital transformation to advise the Army as we build a force capable of dominating the future fight," Driscoll wrote in a letter to all civilian aides Friday.

The move marks a significant break for the century-old program, whose unpaid members have traditionally served to facilitate connections with local businesses, university campuses and state lawmakers, and help boost recruiting efforts and community outreach."
_____

Among the many completely idiotic moves by this regime, this is quite high in sheer stupidity level. It may seem like this is unimportant, but it will be devastating. Although these Civilian Advisers are not all effective, the program has been monumentally important to the Army, especially since many Reserve Component units were moved onto Active Duty installations, and many reserve facilities closed as a result of base realignment (which itself was a pretty bone-headed move).

Since the end of the Vietnam War, the military, and the Army in particular, have struggled to maintain recruiting and local community connections. The military has become much more insular. Fewer and fewer citizens have any connection to our armed forces, much less prior service. This program has been invaluable to keeping those connections - local liaisons, most of whom have served, but are now members of the local community. They arrange Army participation in local events, assist in recruiting, and generally are advocates FOR the Army in the local community. They are a significant PR benefit for the Army. Over my 30-year career I worked with several of them, and have continued to keep many contacts.

The point is, this is OUR Army. They are volunteers that come from our communities. We should get to know them, and understand them, and this is the best way to help them understand US.

 

[Napoleon]

So this program involves leveraging civilian socialites as propagandists for the Army and a means for recruiters to network with influential people to boost enlistment. Seems like an old school way of doing things and the Secretary wants to modernize by leveraging technology to reach the target audience directly.

 

[lynnwinslow]

Army Secretary Fires Entire Corps of Civilian Advisers from Communities Across US (Military.com)​

"Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has ousted his entire slate of civilian advisers in a sweeping move aimed at clearing space for voices from the tech world, as the service doubles down on its push to modernize with a Silicon Valley-style lens.

On Friday, Driscoll notified the 115 members of the Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army program, or CASA, an all-volunteer group that serves as the secretary's eyes and ears in communities across the country, that their roles were being terminated.

"Moving forward, the Civilian Aide Program will focus on leveraging civilian expertise in strategic communications, advanced technology, innovation and digital transformation to advise the Army as we build a force capable of dominating the future fight," Driscoll wrote in a letter to all civilian aides Friday.

The move marks a significant break for the century-old program, whose unpaid members have traditionally served to facilitate connections with local businesses, university campuses and state lawmakers, and help boost recruiting efforts and community outreach."
_____

Among the many completely idiotic moves by this regime, this is quite high in sheer stupidity level. It may seem like this is unimportant, but it will be devastating. Although these Civilian Advisers are not all effective, the program has been monumentally important to the Army, especially since many Reserve Component units were moved onto Active Duty installations, and many reserve facilities closed as a result of base realignment (which itself was a pretty bone-headed move).

Since the end of the Vietnam War, the military, and the Army in particular, have struggled to maintain recruiting and local community connections. The military has become much more insular. Fewer and fewer citizens have any connection to our armed forces, much less prior service. This program has been invaluable to keeping those connections - local liaisons, most of whom have served, but are now members of the local community. They arrange Army participation in local events, assist in recruiting, and generally are advocates FOR the Army in the local community. They are a significant PR benefit for the Army. Over my 30-year career I worked with several of them, and have continued to keep many contacts.

The point is, this is OUR Army. They are volunteers that come from our communities. We should get to know them, and understand them, and this is the best way to help them understand US.

What's the real reason, I wonder?
Why sever ties with these guys? And why does it have to be an either or decision? Why can't both programs exist?

 

[Tangmo]

This is a boon for Hegseth's funding Sugar Daddy Peter Theil from the now defunct veterans programs the chronic drunk Hegseth in charge abused wildly and that had to be audited and shut down. Hegseth got away with guzzling millions of dollars worth of booze and trips to resorts while he ran the nothing programs.

The shake-up comes as the Army becomes increasingly singular in its deepening ties with Silicon Valley. Just last month, in a virtually unprecedented move, the service granted direct commissions at the rank of lieutenant colonel to a group of wealthy tech executives from firms including Palantir, Meta and OpenAI.

Indeed, corruption is the motto of the Trumph administration and Hegseth is already notorious for his sleaze. These Silicon Valley money grubbers going from career civilians to Army Lieutenant-Colonel is a new tact to self enrichment for Hegseth and Silicon Valley itself where we well know there are no scruples.

Army Secretary Fires Entire Corps of Civilian Advisers from Communities Across US

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has ousted his entire slate of civilian advisers in a sweeping move aimed at clearing space for voices from the tech world, as the service doubles down on its push to modernize with a Silicon Valley-style lens.

www.military.com

This will replace, volunteer, person for the Army, to person in the community interaction in recruiting but in civil-military relations broadly. This radical purge further distances the AVF from the people in their communities in favor of as yet unknown Army machines from Silicon Valley.

 

[Visbek]

What's the real reason, I wonder?

They're going to replace concerned citizens with Trumpian and/or Tech Flunkies.

 

[lynnwinslow]

This is a boon for Hegseth's funding Sugar Daddy Peter Theil from the now defunct veterans programs the chronic drunk Hegseth in charge abused wildly and that had to be audited and shut down. Hegseth got away with guzzling millions of dollars worth of booze and trips to resorts while he ran the nothing programs.

The shake-up comes as the Army becomes increasingly singular in its deepening ties with Silicon Valley. Just last month, in a virtually unprecedented move, the service granted direct commissions at the rank of lieutenant colonel to a group of wealthy tech executives from firms including Palantir, Meta and OpenAI.

Indeed, corruption is the motto of the Trumph administration and Hegseth is already notorious for his sleaze. These Silicon Valley money grubbers going from career civilians to Army Lieutenant-Colonel is a new tact to self enrichment for Hegseth and Silicon Valley itself where we well know there are no scruples.

Army Secretary Fires Entire Corps of Civilian Advisers from Communities Across US

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has ousted his entire slate of civilian advisers in a sweeping move aimed at clearing space for voices from the tech world, as the service doubles down on its push to modernize with a Silicon Valley-style lens.

www.military.com

This will replace, volunteer, person for the Army, to person in the community interaction in recruiting but in civil-military relations broadly. This radical purge further distances the AVF from the people in their communities in favor of as yet unknown Army machines from Silicon Valley.

So, is this just so they have a clearer path to the Pentagon's budget?

 

[Tangmo]

So, is this just so they have a clearer path to the Pentagon's budget?

Yes and for sure but there's a previous technological and online experience the Army had that bodes ill for this Trump-Hegseth-Silicon Valley swindle in the making.

The Army went online several years ago with games for military age young people it called "America's Army." It drew more than 13 million user accounts before it ran afoul of spamming and First Amendment complaints against its banning of spam posters.

The Army had formed up this new "esports" group of recently enlisted young gamers for the special full time recruiting assignment. After tryouts the Army put its most expert and youngest PFC and Corporal Soldiers into a special purpose building to play existing video games and new ones that the Army invented with military age civilians. The engagement was good as there was plenty of activity between the civilian young gamers around the country and the Army young gamers.

America’s Army allowed potential recruits to explore military life virtually and determine if joining the Army matched their interests and skills. The more than 13 million user created accounts contributed to the Army’s public relations and recruitment efforts.

However, the Army had to ban more than 300 civilian gamer accounts who attacked the site with spam, to include obnoxious questions such as "What's your favorite war crime?" The often violent games also got criticism for promoting the militarization of American culture and targeting young players. These criticisms and 1A challenges ultimately knocked the Army games program offline in May 2022.

It's not as if the Army hasn't tried technological and individually interactive approaches because it has. Yet as Yogi said so famously, if the people don't want to come out to the ballpark there's nuthin you can do to stop 'em. Indeed, Trumph, Hegseth and Silicon Valley have formed a technological big bucks triangle that benefits them only.

 

[Napoleon]

What's the real reason, I wonder?
Why sever ties with these guys? And why does it have to be an either or decision? Why can't both programs exist?

Probably because doing propaganda and recruiting campaigns through socialite soirées is very 1940s and going about things as though the internet was never invented is not very effective.

 

[Noodlegawd]

The point is, this is OUR Army. They are volunteers that come from our communities. We should get to know them, and understand them, and this is the best way to help them understand US.

You would know. I guess.

 

[Roadvirus]

They're going to replace concerned citizens with Trumpian and/or Tech Flunkies.

Or Trump donors from the Tech industry.

 

[Tangmo]

Armed forces online internet gaming with military age gamers continues to be a recruiting tool or method.

Each service does it to include the Army despite some challenges that it has overcome.

This is a good accounting of the whole of it...

The US military is embedded in the gaming world. Its target: teen recruits

Amid a recruitment struggle, branches are using huge hits like Fortnite as marketing tools. Some veterans see the practice as unethical – especially given the age of the gaming audience

www.theguardian.com

The only thing we can tell from this Silicon Valley purge of the Army community advisor program is that there's nothing presently from Silicon Valley and that whatever may come along, the primary interest of the Trump-Hegseth-Silicon Valley Tech Triangle is big bucks.