Kids don't know how to think
Quote:
Originally Posted by
JMA
Never in the history of warfare have there been more intel analysts and other assorted odd bodies yet the ability to join the dots in a place such as Afghanistan appears to be unimproved from the distant past.
Ken, you seem to believe that if you set these guys free they will do the job that's expected of them? So where exactly is the blocking point in the system? Can you point your finger on it?
I tend to agree with Ken; give them proper training and guidance and they will do the job, and many will do it well. They majority just need a sense of purpose.
In my experience, one blocking point is in how we train intelligence analysts. At Huachuca, we teach them tools and process, but I think we fail to teach them how to extract anything useful from the whole process. Some of the kids seem to get it, but they're usually from that part of the population I call "the naturals," inherently inclined and gifted for this kind of work. The majority need to be taught critical thinking skills and how to synthesize intelligence from information. During FTX briefings, I would constantly hammer students on the "so what" factor. I would ask them "Why is this important?" and I would get the deer-in-the-headlights look. This goes back to their civilian education (or lack thereof), but I'll refrain from that rant.
So why do we not train on this? My theory is that it is too difficult to teach and too difficult to evaluate. TRADOC likes clear cut answers and well-defined metrics for success and failure; analytical work is essentially nebulous and difficult to define as right or wrong becuase it's not necessarily the final answer, but the thought process (as opposed to the mechanical process we teach) that matters.
The second blocking point is how we (fail to) lead young analysts. MI NCOs are often deficient in leadership skills, especially when it comes to mentoring and developing young troops. Many are too preoccupied with their own ambitions and fail to see that Soldier development can fast track them to their personal goals. So they marginalize the youngsters and offer them nothing; no training, no encouragement, no motivation. And then we wonder why they misbehave and won't work.