US military bans karaoke and salsa nights in Afghanistan

[The Straight Story]

The decision follows the decree by the austere new commander of Nato-led forces in the country that banned alcohol for headquarters staff.

General Stanley McChrystal, a gaunt former special forces commander who pushes himself mercilessly and reportedly eats one meal a day, began his purge soon after arriving in Kabul earlier this year.
...

The latest move, which is so far confined to US troops, is also an attempt to dispel the perception that those on large airbases have a soft life compared to those on the front line.

On the largest airbases, personnel can drink at coffee bars and eat at fast food restaurants while at forward outposts, troops eat combat rations for months and cannot shower.

Salsa and karaoke nights have already been cut at Kandahar air field and fast-food restaurants closed at a base in Jalalabad.

The move has not been universally popular. Private First Class John Armstrong, a US military driver, said: "I think it's pretty disheartening for all the soldiers, taking away what little morale they have here."

Command Sergeant Major Michael Hall, a senior adviser to Gen McChrystal, said he expected grumbling, but added: "Frontline soldiers don't get that stuff and they don't need that stuff".

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/6460658/US-military-bans-karaoke-and-salsa-nights-in-Afghanistan.html

[DJ13]

1. That ought to be a moral boost

[Zywiec]

9. Do you have a moral objection to karaoke and dancing? n/t

[DJ13]

14. My post was sarcasm

[Arctic Dave]

2. Dumb.

Dumb to ban it is just as dumb to be over there.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. Keeping the cannon fodder in their place.

Killing is jim-dandy, but god forbid they dance and eat fast food.

[hughee99]

4. If the money for such things can be better spent, that's one thing...

but it sounds like McChrystal is just trying to spread the misery.

[NeedleCast]

5. Douchebag commander

Nothing rallies the troops like taking away what little they have.

[unhappycamper]

6. Complete with pics:

http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=65733

[glen123098]

7. All I gotta say is I'm glad I never joined the military.

[RaleighNCDUer]

8. Huh? And what are the frontline troops supposed to do for entertainment

when they finally get a few days OFF the frontline? Play solitaire?

The fact that the REMFs have those things available all the time does not diminish the importance of their availability for the frontline troops when they get the opportunity.

[sandnsea]

10. McChrystal is a loon

One meal a day?

I predict this isn't going to end well.

If someone else were in charge, I'd continue to consider supporting staying in Afghanistan. Not with McChrystal. This guy is crazy. And you can't treat troops this way and expect them to work hard for you.

[NeedleCast]

12. I had a Brigade Sergeant Major like this in Korea

Everyone hated him, including his peers. He appeared to see the troops as nothing but machines used to do a job. Tried on several occasions to get "fun" stuff banned in the name of saving money or that it just wasn't part of the mission. Our commander activly defied him on several occasions, thank dog.

One of my fondest military memories was during a TA-50 inspection (basically we have to lay out and spit shine every last piece of equipment we have). My team was working 12 hour night shifts at the time so our commander exempted us from the inspection. Since my room was the first one in our hallway and most everyone else in the barracks was standing outside their room awaiting inspection, the Sgt Major came bursting into my room and called "at ease" (which means we're supposed to lock up into Parade Rest from whatever we're doing). I was asleep in my bunk in my boxers. I remember rolling over and saying "Could you turn the light back off Sgt. Major?"

I've never seen a human turn quite that shade of red.

[gratuitous]

11. Beatings will continue until morale improves

Yep, suck the very marrow out of what little bones of life these guys have. Don't worry, General. You won't be the one dealing with these broken specimens of humanity if they survive your little outing. You'll be safely ensconced in some sinecure, double and triple dipping from various pension and retirement funds, as grateful defense contractors share a bit of the wealth you've helped generate for them.

Sucks to be the rest of us, though. We should have all chosen to be Commander Warpigs.

[demosincebirth]

13. Thats the Army for you...nobody said if was going to be fun

[AllentownJake]

15. More issues with the President's HR skills

Sounds like another douche bag hire.