Quote Originally Posted by infntryldr View Post
Unfortunality some 18-19 year olds are not responsible.
forty and fifty year olds who lack the self confidence to trust or use their subordinates...
Are you serious, so all those formations I ran in boot camp where failures by my Drill Instructors.
I should have clearly stated in units, I didn't realize you'd just left Boot Camp. That's a learning and conditioning experience, service in a unit is operating experience -- or is supposed to be, anyway. Different realities -- though I admit a lot of loud folks try to keep the Boot Camp or Basic/AIT mentality going. Quite wrongly in my view.
Actuall formation runs build camraderie and unit cohesion. I cannot disagree with you more.
we can disagree. My experience is that only combat or really intensive field training build unit cohesion. All garrison stuff is superficial. To see the difference, watch who your troops in garrison hang with versus who they hang with in the field.
They are corrected by making them PT with you after working hours. The way you fix that is making sure they PT, and you do that by getting them in formation and running the dog **** out of them.
We can also disagree strongly on that. If they're failing to do what they should, that's the first line leaders fault -- if you don't hold him or her responsible, you end up doing the fixing yourself. That, to me is micromangament, not leading. YMMV. On that line, I've yet to see a pushup or a long hard run clean a weapon, clean a head/latrine or instill a desire to excel in a Snuffy.
Getting tossed? If you mean seperated from the service or the unit, good luck.
Why do I need good luck. Old age and treachery will trump youth and skill. I can recall people getting tossed out of the Corps -- that was during Korea, not peacetime -- and the Army -- VN, not peace.

Not hard, just takes a little effort and having your act together. It does get difficult if the chain of command screws up...