Shut Down West Point and the War Colleges

[tankersteve]

I could see changes being made - tweaks in the system.

Most brand new West Point lieutenants were eager to accept the challenges the Army presented to them. Many were pretty jaded to the West Point experience, but were well-prepared to be platoon leaders and junior staff officers. Many ROTC cadets, depending on the quality of the program they came from (did the PMS really give a @#$% or was he in the act of retiring?), are not. But then, living/breathing/acting Army for 4 years should make some kind of difference. The WP LTs I saw were ready to conduct briefings and felt like they new what was expected of them.

Some participated in research programs for the Army while at West Point or had a role in a meaningful program with an aim at bettering the military. It can be a let-down to show up as a butterbar and have 23-year old E5s with 2 combat tours be respected while you are 'tolerated'. The Army in general tends to discount 2LTs, probably based on the poor level of training that used to exist in the basic courses (I hope it is better than what I got ) Hopefully this will change and a new LT can show up to a unit and be seen as an extremely well-trained Soldier, expert in the uses of the systems in his charge, but without a lot of practical experience that the NCOs can help provide.

However, a shortcoming that many may have seen is the 4 years of social retardation that the academies deliver - 4 years of an acetic lifestyle hurts Joe from growing up socially, while Joe College was living it up. We had some DUIs when I was in my basic course - all new WP LTs who were living away from Mom/Dad/WP for the first time in their lives. Perhaps we can start offering these guys/gals a bit more freedom in their lives so they can be more well-rounded upon graduation.

Tankersteve

[Culpeper]

I could see changes being made - tweaks in the system.

Most brand new West Point lieutenants were eager to accept the challenges the Army presented to them. Many were pretty jaded to the West Point experience, but were well-prepared to be platoon leaders and junior staff officers. Many ROTC cadets, depending on the quality of the program they came from (did the PMS really give a @#$% or was he in the act of retiring?), are not. But then, living/breathing/acting Army for 4 years should make some kind of difference. The WP LTs I saw were ready to conduct briefings and felt like they new what was expected of them.

Some participated in research programs for the Army while at West Point or had a role in a meaningful program with an aim at bettering the military. It can be a let-down to show up as a butterbar and have 23-year old E5s with 2 combat tours be respected while you are 'tolerated'. The Army in general tends to discount 2LTs, probably based on the poor level of training that used to exist in the basic courses (I hope it is better than what I got ) Hopefully this will change and a new LT can show up to a unit and be seen as an extremely well-trained Soldier, expert in the uses of the systems in his charge, but without a lot of practical experience that the NCOs can help provide.

However, a shortcoming that many may have seen is the 4 years of social retardation that the academies deliver - 4 years of an acetic lifestyle hurts Joe from growing up socially, while Joe College was living it up. We had some DUIs when I was in my basic course - all new WP LTs who were living away from Mom/Dad/WP for the first time in their lives. Perhaps we can start offering these guys/gals a bit more freedom in their lives so they can be more well-rounded upon graduation.

Tankersteve

I could never tell the difference in the field where the officer came from. Some were good, some were bad. Almost all were mediocre. Joseph Heller wrote the greatest book on the mediocrity of officers in the military.

Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them. With Major Major it had been all three.

From Joseph Heller's Catch-22. Paraphrase of the original 'some men are born great...' from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.