NCOs are responsible for the physical fitness of their Soldiers. That is such a basic and widely understood fact of military life that it was asked at no fewer than half a dozen E-5 promotion boards when I was at the company level. Officers leading PT, imo, makes about as much sense as Officers teaching basic rifle marksmanship or how to do the "extend to the left" drill. Spot-checking, occasional testing, and other "boss's footsteps" measures are fine. But let the NCOs do their jobs. The old rule about treating people like children applies to NCOs as well as lower enlisted. Treat them like kids and many will get frustrated and start playing the role.
We trusted our team leaders to lead 72-hour, 3- to 4-man missions in an AO where enemy contact was a daily occurrence and to do so with little more than the weapons that are organic to an infantry fire team, an MBITR radio, and a basic load of class I and up to double-basic of class V. An NCO who cannot be trusted to ensure that their Soldiers are meeting their physical readiness potential in garrison cannot be trusted to lead them during far more important and dangerous missions when deployed. This was but one of many litmus tests applied for who would be a team leader and who would be one of the Headquarters minions pulling duty as the CO/XO/1SG driver or gunner, TOC rat, etc.
The issue here seems to be not so much how to get Soldiers in shape - that's easy: put a good NCO in charge of them. The issue is how to get the good NCOs in charge of the Soldiers. That's an easy fix. Moving an NCO from one duty position to another is not nearly as difficult as reducing him or discharging him. Crappy team leader? Welcome to headquarters. Still crappy? Have fun on BN staff, where you will get far more personal attention from disgruntled senior NCOs who are angry that they are on staff. Good performer? Here's your fire team.
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