Generalissimo DeSantis’ “Special” FL Army Has “Issues”

Wow.  Who would ever have believed the ruler of “Floriduh!”, the guy with the iron fisted control of all goings on there, who’s awesomeness is so great FL can’t contain it and he’s destined to rule us all would have any trouble creating his own, personal shiny new Armed Forces.  This is Generalissimo Ron “Ruler of us All” DeSantis we’re talking about here.  Alas, it seems he might just be a wannabe Generalissimo after all.

I saw this story this morning and it was still showing up in my news feed this evening so let’s take a look at an article outlining the less than smooth establishment of this Army of Ron that will strike fear into the heart of Non-Ron folks in FL and those of us in other states as well.  It’s not just recruits that have been quitting, so have some of the recruiters and initial organizers!  It seems that many believed DeSantis when he ridiculed the idea that he was trying to create some grand military of FL that wasn’t part of the National Command Authority (like the Reserves and National Guard) and answered directly and only to him and him alone.  Even when the initial thirty million dollar venture got (at DeSantis’ demand) a huge money upgrade from the legislature.

It seems a whole lot of people thought they were signing up to be an organized reaction force to help with the logistics of aiding communities hit by disasters.  Units that FEMA could count on right away.  They thought they’d be learning about disaster relief operations and how to coordinate with others to identify and prioritize needs, and get needed services to people quickly.   Well, the first group of recruits did wind up getting some of that – tacked on at the end of their “boot camp.”  Most of it was teaching military type skills, and as the article notes many a person who’d actually served in our armed forces including some who’d retired after full careers didn’t take kindly to being treated like fresh “boots” by a bunch of young punks with Drill Instructor fantasies.

Many, but thankfully not all have been afraid to speak up.  At least on the record but word is out that just as we all knew DeSantis was lying his a$$ off about his new State Militia not being a military force.  He’s got to be beside himself with the word having gotten out that people are quitting because they didn’t appreciate being lied to.  Instead of, as some put it being issued khakis and polo shirts and being taught disaster relief services (I can personally attest that FEMA has excellent training both via computer and classroom instruction for relief workers) they were issued cammies and taught hand-to-hand combat and other military stuff.

The “chain of command” of this fiasco has screwed the pooch with the startup.  Like Trump, it seems DeSantis’ “all the best” people aren’t so “the best” after all.  This is yet another embarrassment he doesn’t need.  Let’s hope it blows up into a story that gets play for multiple news cycles.  Let’s also hope that when DeSantis’ campaign finally implodes the voters of FL, even the Republican ones will start taking a good hard look at the mess he’s made of things.  And start having rather earnest chats with their other elected officials about restoring some old-school “only” RWNJ KKKrazy to their state’s politics.

In the meantime, it’s hard to say for sure how this will play out.  Lot’s of Floridians who had thought about joining Ron’s Army are deciding it’s not such a good idea.  The flip side which is rather disturbing if not terrifying is that there are some dark and twisted goobers down there who will see all this in the news and decide this is their way to get training, weapons and find others like them with whom they can carry out “missions” they believe Trump or DeSantis (or both) want them to do.  People who will hear some inflammatory statement and take it as an “order.”

So don’t rejoice in this becoming an embarrassment all of a sudden.  (wannabe) Generalissimo DeSantis is probably going to double down and demand still more from the FL legislature, who for now at least will be too afraid to say “maybe we need to slow down on this whole thing.”