Posted on Nov 7, 2013
How important is MRT (Master Resilience Training) in the Armed Forces today?
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Many argue that the skills that are taught in MRT are normal, everyday life skills that should be taught and learned at home. If that's the case, why are we spending millions on the CSF2 (Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness) program to teach Soldiers AFTER they come to us? Is it really worth the money and manpower? Is there a better way? How will this effort help or hurt us moving forward?
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Development
Resiliency
Development Resiliency
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 32
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MRT skills are absolutely essential in today's Armed Forces. As a recent MRT graduate, I speak from experience, and with over 33 years in the military I have never been to a better individual Soldier training course. The results are rapid, positive and I believe sustainable. I agree with SCPO Young regarding many the lack of skills among many of todays young adults, including one or two of my own! These skills, along with emotional intelligence and Covey's 7 Habits, are the true skills that will empower these young military professionals to reach new heights.
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Suspended Profile
While I have not seen the MRT curriculum, I have known too many young service members who need guidance in the ways of the world whether from formal trainings, role models, or good mentors.
I will rephrase an old saying "no soldier is an island." SO, the modern efforts to provide psychological support for service members and their loved ones in transition to and from military activities in general and to and from deployment abroad in particular does no harm and may well be a key factor improving morale and retention of our best, brightest, and most capable leadership and soldiers.
SMSgt Ottis Stacey
You nailed it the reason why master resiliency training is so vital in today's military is the exact fact that you stated that many of these young men and women are coming to us without those basic skill sets. Add to that the numerous stressors we are placing on them with our ops temple and the do more with less reality. It is essential that we give them every opportunity for success because the one thing we can't control is the demands on our military and so we have to do everything in our power to ensure that they are mentally and physically fit in order to meet these challenges both in the deployed environment and when returning home to their families.
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SFC, you nailed it when you said "normal, everyday life skills that should be taught and learned at home." The sad fact about modern society is that far too many kids leave home devoid of this skills victim of parents who either don't have the skills themselves, or don't meet their obligation to pass them along to their children. It's a sad commentary on our society, but I believe for the foreseeable future the military will need to continue such programs to pick up the slack. I have had several junior members who were genuinely good people, but lacked some of the basic life's skills many of us take for granted. Investing the effort in developing them was the only way to avoid wasting all the money and time we already committed to making service members out of them. It's an expensive reality given what it cost to send a civilian to recruit indoctrination and A School (AIT). It's money down the drain if they wash out half way through their first enlistment.
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SFC (Join to see)
If they lack those basic life skills and they are still being promoted, there is a failure of leadership for the lack of non-promotion counselings.
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SSG Woolard
Almost immediately after redeploying from Afghanistan, we were rounded up for MRT. The instructor was wonderful. He seemed caring and engaged the audience as much as possible. He also used light humor and many of his own personal stories as examples.
While the intention was good, the bad part for some was it served as a reminder of how much time we spent away from home, the hell we put our families through, significant events we missed, etc etc. It was truly heartbreaking and we just wanted out of there.
I'd say when teaching classes ensure you know your audience and adjust your class so you're reaching your listeners rather than turning them away.
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