As someone who grew up in the Army described (and as an editorial note: thank you very LITTLE to CAVGUY for making me feel old by disclosing when he joined the officer ranks)... while I think/believe (and even have anecdotal evidence that I wasn't that guy), I can't help but recognize that in small ways I fell as victim as anyone to the "be careful what you measure" syndrome...

All my vehicles were on-line, chalked, drip panned, topped off and "ready to go to war" each Friday afternoon.... hmmm.... it seems I assumed we'd always go to war on the weekend (probably half right given Murphy's Laws)...

I too kept very close tabs on medical/dental readiness because that was everyone's obsession... but I actually think that one makes sense based on pre-deployment goat screws I participated in sooooo many times...

But I also paid close attention when the leadership classes were taught that said underwrite honest mistakes... take responsibility for the failings of those in your command... pass the credit, but not the #### downhill... give guidance, but let subordinates surprise you with their ingenuity (nearly always rewarded)....

All that said, I probably also roger out on too many things I should have said what about our contemporaries in the next battery... It was all fun for a commander, not necessarily for everyone else...

I don't know... I'm not convinced it was all bad then and all good now... I just know this two very enduring principle holds true.... People do well what you check... and... be careful what you measure it might produce the opposite effect...

e.g. If I tell a Motor SGT... your team doesn't go home until that truck is off the deadline report, and the part to fix the truck is not in... I have no one else to blame when they get caught acquiring the part from some other unit's vehicle...

Need a beer after that soul bearing missive...