Quote Originally Posted by Schmedlap View Post
That is not professional education. That is mass production.
Our professional education has its most immediate roots in the mass production of leaders for the previous two world wars. A great deal of thought and effort was put into how our nation will mass produce "good enough" leaders to accomplish their job in the next similar war. The threshold of pain required for a massive change simply hasn't been reached. And if Korea and Vietnam didn't do it, I wouldn't expect our current conflicts to come close.

I wholly agree that we need to improve our officer producing schools. Across the board. I am not as adverse to creating stress through meaningless chores, attention to detail (particularly insignificant ones), or properly executed hazing. Hallmarks of any good military academy. If it is all well done, it can be quite a good professional education.

I think you are advocating a modernization of the tactics taught. I agree to that to an extent. I think you are also saying that the focus should be on adaptive leadership instead of conformational leadership. That I have an issue with since the trend in our society is counter-conformational and I believe that will create a monster. What is needed is more discipline, not less. It is a hierarchical Army after all.

And that LT might not have looked so foolish had an observer adjusted rounds on top of that position. Situation dependent of course. He didn't do nothing, and I'd say that is a sign of good training. Also of training that puts a great deal off on the institutional side of the house (wrong in my book). Lucky he had good NCO's, but he would not have been wrong to move his men 200m either. Just very cautious.

Personally, I would like to see a year's "internship" for PL's between their Jr and Sr year regardless of source.