A growing number
of Turkish parents are openly protesting the use of conscription, and
the often fatal abuse their sons receive because of traditional Turkish
attitudes towards military service, leadership and stoicism. The basic
problem is that Turkish NCOs and junior officers traditionally use
violence against soldiers who will not, or cannot carry out their duties
as expected. This means that sergeants will slap, punch or kick
subordinates who disobey or cannot perform as expected. It has been this
way for centuries. But culturally acceptable behavior changes over time
and in most of the world conscripts, and their families, are less
willing to accept this sort of thing. That’s one reason why conscription
began disappearing after the Cold War ended.
Such traditions of brutality are difficult to eliminate,
something the Turks are about to discover. For over a decade Russia has
been seeking ways to eliminate its traditional brutality towards new
recruits. This hazing originally developed after World War II, when
Russia deliberately avoided developing a professional NCO corps. They
preferred to have officers take care of nearly all troop supervision.
The Soviets failed to note that good NCOs were the key to highly
effective troops. The Soviets felt that officers were more politically
reliable, as they were carefully selected and monitored. The NCOs that
did exist were treated as slightly more reliable enlisted men but given
little real authority. Since officers did not live with the men slack
discipline in the barracks gave rise to the vicious hazing and
exploitation of junior conscripts by the senior ones. This led to very
low morale, and a lot of suicides, theft, sabotage, and desertions. The
hazing has been one of the basic causes of crimes in the Russian armed
forces, accounting for 20 to 30 per cent of all soldier crimes. This has
caused a suicide rate that is among the highest in the world. Poor
working conditions in general also mean that Russian soldiers are nearly
twice as likely to die from accidents, or suicide, than American
soldiers. Long recognized as a problem no solution to the hazing ever
worked.
Turkey always had a tradition of NCOs, but it also had a long
military tradition that tolerated the use of physical punishment against
troops who did not measure up, or simply annoyed their sergeants.
Americans who served alongside Turkish troops in Korea were amazed to
see Turkish sergeants line up their men, yell at them for some
infraction then knock the worst offenders to the ground with his fists,
continuing to speak angrily (if incomprehensibly to those who did not
understand Turkish). American troops knew about sergeants who would get
physical, but this was technically forbidden in the American military
and when it did occur it was never in public.
The Turks are not alone with this problem. South Korean troops
suffered from the same brutal customs. In addition to the brutality,
life was long regimented 24/7 in the South Korean army. Living
conditions were not all that great, and pay is minimal. For years, there
were suggestions from some veterans that South Korea adopt practices
similar to the Americans. This was because, since the Koran war, over
half a million South Korean soldiers have served in American units as
KATUSAs (Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army).
South Korean conscripts who speak passable English are still
eligible for this, and it is a much sought after assignment. The KATUSAs
remain part of the South Korean army, but report to American units and
are given a job that would otherwise have to be performed by an American
soldier. The KATUSAs are treated just like the American troops, living
in the same barracks, eating in the same mess halls and getting the same
medical care. However, there are South Korean officers and NCOs
available for any disciplinary problems, and to administer pay and other
personnel matters (like leave). There are few disciplinary problems.
The KATUSAs are usually smarter than the average 18 year old conscript
and see service in an American unit as an excellent opportunity to
improve their English skills, and learn more about Americans. This helps
later on, for getting into college and/or getting a good job. Also, the
living conditions are much better in the American army, and the work
generally more interesting. On the downside, KATUSAs come to their
American units right out of basic training, without any specialized
training. So KATUSAs generally don’t get any high tech jobs, and have to
be trained for whatever work they do get assigned. But since most of
the KATUSAs are good students to begin with, and ambitious, there are
often opportunities to train them for some pretty complex jobs.
The South Korean Air Force was the first service to listen to
the KATUSAs, and lighten up. Air force troops were given more control
over their free time, and less rigid discipline from the NCOs and
officers. It worked. The troops were happier and more effective. Since
the 1990s the army has been adopting similar practices, despite fierce
opposition from many of the older officers and NCOs. To solve the
bullying problem among the troops themselves, platoons are formed right
after basic training, with all the troops having the same time in
service. Any troops who bullied another soldier, were punished. As a
result, hundreds of deaths a year have been avoided. Military service
has also become less stressful, and many commanders have noted an
increase in effectiveness among their soldiers. Living conditions are
being improved and eventually the South Koreans hope to have the money
for an all-volunteer force.
The South Korean army is still a much more violent and scarier
place than the U.S. Army, or most other armies on the planet. But South
Korean combat units are considered tough, competent and able to handle
anything U.S. troops can. The Turks might find some solutions to their
brutality problems in the reforms the South Koreans carried out.
