then..and now

1945 - NCOs had a typewriter on their desks for doing daily reports.	2000 - everyone has an Internet access computer, and they wonder why no work is getting done.
1945 - you were taught to aim at your enemy and shoot him.	2000 - you spray 500 bullets into the brush, don't hit anything, and retreat because you're out of ammo.
1945 - officers were professional soldiers first and they commanded respect.	2000 - officers are politicians first and beg not to be given a wedgie.
1945 - they collected enemy intelligence and analyzed it.	2000 - they collect your pee and analyze it.
1945 - if you didn't act right, the Sergeant Major put you in the brig until you straightened up.	2000 - if you don't act right, they start a paper trail that follows you forever.
1945 - medals were awarded to heroes who saved lives at the risk of their own.	2000 - medals are awarded to people who work at headquarters.
1945 - you ate in a mess hall, which was free, and you could have all the food you wanted.	2000 - you eat in a dining facility, every slice of bread or pad of butter costs, and you better not take too much.
1945 - we defeated powerful countries like Germany and Japan.	2000 - we come up short against Iraq and Yugoslavia.
1945 - we called the enemy names like "Krauts" and "Japs" because we didn't like them.	2000 - we call the enemy the "opposing force" or "aggressor" because we don't want to offend them.
1945 - victory was declared when the enemy was defeated and all his things were broken.	2000 - victory is declared when the enemy says he is sorry.
1945 - a Commanding Officer would put his butt on the line to protect his people.	2000 - a Commanding Officer will put his people on the line to protect his butt.
1945 - all you could think about was getting out and becoming a civilian again.	2000 - all you can think about is getting out and becoming a civilian again Addendum- Military Life 2001 (in the Australian army).
1942- The soldiers marching order was approx. 20kg, and he slept at night.	2001- The soldiers marching order is 40-50kg, and thanks to Ninox he now never sleeps at night.
1942- A platoon commander was trained for the biggest war in history, against the most fearsome two military empires the world has ever seen, in 3 months.	2001- A platoon commander is trained in 18 months so he can chase the militia around Timor.
1942- soldiers who didn't smoke where social pariahs.	2001- soldiers who smoke are social pariahs.
1942- an under-resourced Army Reserve was used suddenly to help hold back the screaming hordes because the army was too tiny to do it alone.	2001- an under-resourced Army Reserve was used suddenly to help hold back the screaming hordes because the army was too tiny to do it alone.
1942- Officers used cool phrases like "Engage the enemy more closely" and "Fix bayonets!"	2001- Officers use really naff phrases like "Be pro-active", "Lets be mutually supportive" and "Stay on the ball".
Then came...
1960's- the Indonesians produced crap soldiers/insurgents who couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag.	2001- the Indonesians produced crap soldiers/insurgents who couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag.
1960's- the issue pack and webbing was rubbish, cheap, and falls apart.	2001- the issue pack and webbing was rubbish, cheap, and falls apart.
1960's- the Army enjoyed heaps of funding, bottomless pits of resources, and commanded absolutely zero respect in the eyes of the community.	2001- the Army enjoys little funding, no resources, and commands absolutely the highest respect in the eyes of the community.
1960's- drug dealers and thieves in uniform had seven shades of shit kicked out of them on the way to being dishonourably discharged.	2001- drug dealers and thieves formerly in uniform are paid large amounts of money to appear on 60 minutes, where they tell Richard Carleton about what the big bad NCO said to them that made them cry.
1960's- Risk management meant being good at playing that cool board game where you get to dominate the world militarily.	2001- Risk management means being able to push blame progessively down the chain of command.
1960's- Competent soldiers where the ones who had passed their infantry IET.	2001- Competent soldiers are the ones who have passed their infantry IET. Plus have a stack of files reaching the ceiling, signed and witnessed in triplicate, to authenticate that they have the competency to use a Knife Fork Spoon combination in a field environment.
1960's- Platoon commanders got to lead from the front.	2001- Platoon commanders get to lead from the front of a desk full of paperwork covering OH&S, Risk Management, Competency testing, and pr66's.
1960's- The army trained to chase an insurgent enemy to destruction, offering him no safe havens, no respite, no let up, and the promise of an early death in a contact with the RAR. Rules of engagement were kill or be killed.	2001- The army trains to chase an insurgent army to the border, bid them a fond farewell, and offer them a chance to come back after the wet season if they could be troubled to. POW's are given a pat on the back and rehabilitated into society. ROE's consist of letting the lead scout get drilled several times over before the patrol can yell "stop! we're with the U.N.!" Contact drills centre on looking right at the enemy in a nasty way.
1960's- we trained conscripts because we didn't have enough soldiers.	2001- we train reservists because we can't get conscripts.
1960's- The soldiers rifle was a feared awesome instrument of death, known widely as an "elephant gun".	2001- The soldiers rifle is a plastic toy that has lots of accidents and is often referred to as a "poodle shooter".
1960's- Left wing protesters demonstrated to get us out of South Vietnam.	1999- Left wing protesters demonstrated to get us INTO East Timor.
1960's- The army drove around in Land Rovers and M113's.	2001- The army drives around in Land Rovers and M113's. The Landy's are newish but the M113's are the same ones.
1960's- You could get a female soldier "in trouble" and it was the end of her military career.	2001- A female soldier can get you into trouble and pal, your military career is over.
1960's- 3RAR was a pretty effective battalion. Richard Carleton was a cadet journalist.	2001- 3RAR is a pretty effective battalion. Richard Carleton is a crap journalist.
1960's- Self serving, egotistical journalists nit-picked over the army's performance in Sth Vietnam, claiming instances of the RAR commiting human rights violations which on subsequent investigation turned out never to have happened.	2001- Self serving, egotistical journalists nit-picked over the army's performance in Timor, claiming instances of the RAR commiting human rights violations which on subsequent investigation turned out never to have happened.
1960's- Politicians with extensive experience growing up during WW2 directed the Army's future.	2001- Politicians with extensive experience growing up watching the A-Team and "Combat" direct the Army's future.
1960's- Female politicians knew it wasn't a good idea to put females into Infantry, because they remembered what their Dad told them of life on the Kokoda trail.	2001- Natasha Stott-whats-her-name knows its a good idea to put women in infantry, because she's played tomb raider and saw Starship troopers.
1966- a lone rifle company took on a main force VC/NVA battalion, 25 times its own size, and sent it packing.	1999- an Aussie brigade can meet a TNI battalion, and stand by in Dili and watch it packing.
1960's- you could swear in front of a recruit. But they couldn't see swearing on TV.	2001- you can't swear in front of a recruit. But they can always watch South Park.
1960's- school cadets got to take their 303's home on the bus.	2001- the sight of a teenager with a military rifle on the streets would send everyone running for cover.
1999- Richard Carlton can show the faces of pro-independence villagers from Timor on TV, getting them into so much strife with the militia that 3 RAR had to rescue them.	2001- Richard Carlton can get 3 RAR into so much strife, and no one notices the hypocrisy whilst no one saves them.