Quote Originally Posted by Ranger94 View Post
...If they did not receive recognition for mastering a manual outside (way outside) their MOS then why would the new senior leaders reward new, lower enlisted?
The problem is it's not outside their MOS. Not one bit. You're focusing on the wrong level, as I said earlier: "and the responsibility for that lies at the then COL and above level." The fact they were not given training that was 100% applicable to their MOS is borderline criminal but it is not the fault of those then CPTs and below. It was the then COLs and Generals -- it was the Army...
The tactics have been refined but the reward system has not.
I'm not sure the tactics have been refined, I see a lot of stuff that'll get people killed, not least guys moving tactically 5 to 20 feet apart when they should be more than that many meters apart.

In any event, the training doctrine and material existed in the 1975-2002 period, it was just not used. That's a lick on the Army as an institution. There's an adequate reward system in place today -- if it's not being used properly, that, too, is a lick on the Army.
...I vote 'Yes'

And what is the cost?

"It's frustrating," Quiceno said. "I don't know if anybody really understands the amount of stress that the guys are already starting to feel because of that. You know? Simply just having their hands tied behind your back, if you will."
So do I. It is harder, no question. Been there and done that -- so I know it can be done and I know that if you put it to the Troops properly, most (less the always with us 10%... ) will understand and do well. However, if the Troops, Army or Marine, feel as if their hands are tied today, then someone, somewhere in the chain of command is not doing their job. I hate to fall back on the annoying and old "It's a leadership problem" bit -- but it is. That, too is not a problem attributable to those now CPTs and below...

Though they're the ones, as always, that have to fix it. Shouldn't be that way but it generally is.

All that's why I said in the other comment above that our training does not really seem to have improved...