Not to defend them, many are guilty of a terrifying lack of imagination among other things but they are not alone in that. I recall reading in the International Edition of Newsweek in the mid-70s when the "Pro-Life" 2d Inf Div would have been unable to fight its way out of a paper bag but was an unusual sociological experiment the comment that if "...the North Koreans are smart, they'll attack the South at 0600 when the entire US 2d Division is out in shorts and T-Shirts running four miles on the road every morning."

Not to mention that said running did NOT equip the troops to climb those Korean hills with 90 pounds on their backs...

That said, there was a time before the Army developed its misplaced and not terribly productive PT and running fetish when units did PT before lunch, in the afternoons and even in the cool of the evening. It was a unit choice and there were frequent variations, even some days when there was no PT! -- that was back in the day when a Company could write its own training schedule and not be dictated to by an overranked Bn S3. The S3s are overranked to support OPM, not for any valid military reason and PT is vastly overrated as a conditioner and for development of the strengths, muscles and endurance required for combat.

I've heard all the objections Schmedlap raised and more -- all are specious. Particularly the closing of roads, totally unnecessary unless you put everyone on the roads at the same time on some (not all) posts. Why not run cross country in boots and toughen the ankles. Or a fifteen mile cross country ruck and vest march. Better yet, why not an Obstacle or Confidence Course..

If the Army really wants to develop flexibility, they'll return to that model. They might also consider going to a nine day on four / five day off (varying between the two in no set pattern) work period and occasionally combining two nine day 'on' periods for a more lengthy and realistic field exercise. That breaks up troops flooding town on weekends off, gets rid of the five day week syndrome and has several other benefits, not least scheduling ranges and training areas. It also mentally conditions the troops -- and their leaders -- for a war where there are no slack days or cycling to a FOB or the rear. Yeah, I know. But it also spreads out use of the Post Golf course...

Soldiering is an outdoor sport and it is not an eight to five plus structured early morning PT five day week sort of job. Too easy to forget that if one is not careful. Habits and mental conditioning can be dangerous...