Strong words used......
Cowardice.... That's about the strongest word you can use in the same paragraph as "Soldier"
You should all have more moral courage and realise that the army is in decline due to the yes-man ure that has evolved
No, the Army is "in decline" due to the acceptance of Yes, Can do with less
Succesive Head Sheds, have allowed themselves, 90% through no fault of their own, to be steamrollered by the Treasury's approach of "No money for the Armed Forces"
Serving in the Armed Forces, is no longer as attractive a vocation, as once it was. Young people today , have no need to join to "see the world". Pay and conditions, do not reflect the outside world (See DHE thread on the other means)
Young people are now more informed as to the state of the world, and better able to formulate an opinion, and the opinion they come to , is "No Thanks, not when my Playstation, can give me all the warry experience I need"
15 years ago, if you were in Germany, you could feel the "constantly aware" mood, especially the closer you got to Checkpoint Alpha. Berlin was the same. Travelling in country, listening to BFBS, you felt a real buzz, thinking "Our Armed Forces", with a local population, by and large, pleased you were there to defend them from the Red Hordes....
Now that threat has gone, and with that, the gradual dismembering of our forces, and an increased reliance on the Septics.
We don't have an empire anymore, we don't have posts, where a young man or woman can think "Wow, here I am in the back of beyond, doing my bit" No, you can do a significant part of a 3 year tour , in the Emerald Khazi, Bosnia or the UK........ Whoppeeeeeee.
So Fatty, when you have a bunch of guys under your command, whom you feel, aren't doing enough, or haven't been buggered about nearly as much as you like, remember something.
They are professional, VOLUNTEER soldiers, who really don't have to be there. It's guys like these, that have been the backbone of the British Army since 1964, and will continue to be, long after you are gone( with any luck) They know what their rights are, and they also know, there is an embuggerance factor, especially if they get a Captain, who thinks he is General Slim. But they keep on soldiering.
If you want to improve performance, which appears to be at the root of your post, then .....
1. Stop buggering them about for no good reason, it fcuks with Morale.It sounds like you're trying to allieviate your boredom, by screwing with their downtime.
2. Get some extra activities organised, Hearts and minds stuff, integration with the locals, spot of building, training, Adv. Training etc
3.Take an interest in them, and their wishes, and they'll respect you. Do they come to you with any suggestions, or are they "Afraid"? Sounds like a breeding ground for resentment to me.
What you fail to see Fatty, is that far from the Boss being the problem, with his laid-back attitude, a lot of the problems, may be directly traceable to your desk. Therefore, examine yourself/needs/priorities before you jump in anyone else's sh1t......