Yeah, keep growing the size of government
I’m sure I’ll get much blowback on this, but this sort of thing is a bad idea, period. ..
Military units should be independent, no matter where they go or what they are doing. Relying on a baggage train of civilians for basic functions is just asking for trouble.
Unit cohesion is based on everyone being able to gripe about the same duties that everyone does. If everyone gets KP and Latrine Detail occasionally, then, it is just another experience that they have in common; and, (significantly), another ongoing opportunity for NCO’s to demonstrate leadership.
Everyone is a rifleman. And washes dishes occasionally.
The Roman Legion operated this way, and look what they accomplished. (That is, before they started relying on auxiliary troops.)
Sorry SOF’s. Elite doesn’t mean that you’re exempt from basic ongoing military tasks.
I got assigned to do 30 days mess duty at Camp Lejeune in 1975. I got promoted to corporal just a few days later, so I was then put in charge of the 20 or 30 others also assigned. I also had to do one or two weeks of guard duty a few months prior to that. Since I was the only low ranking single person in my small shop, I got all the crap details.
I can honestly say that this move makes sense. The US Army did it beginning with the All Volunteer Army. The Post Engineers took care of the building maintenance (not daily cleaning), mowing parade grounds, maintenance of firing ranges (small arms and AFV). When in Germany we took care of the grass in front of the barracks & orderly room, and the ‘ever popular’ morning ‘police call.’ At Ft. Knox, in the mid-70’s, each battalion had a month’s “training holiday” when it was taken off training and did all of the mowing, road garbage pickup, guarding the ammo dumps, until those responsibilities were changed sometime after I departed there in 1975
I can honestly say that this move makes sense. The US Army did it beginning with the All Volunteer Army. The Post Engineers took care of the building maintenance (not daily cleaning), mowing parade grounds, maintenance of firing ranges (small arms and AFV). When in Germany we took care of the grass in front of the barracks & orderly room, and the ‘ever popular’ morning ‘police call.’ At Ft. Knox, in the mid-70’s, each battalion had a month’s “training holiday” when it was taken off training and did all of the mowing, road garbage pickup, guarding the ammo dumps, until those responsibilities were changed sometime after I departed there in 1975