Posted on Oct 21, 2016
As a leader do you feel that Land Navigation should be taken out from the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development System (NCOPDS)?
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Basic Leaders Course (BLC formerly WLC PLDC)
Advanced Leaders Course (ALC formerly BNCOC)
Maneuver Senior Leaders Course (MSLC)
Edited 9 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 170
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This one should be a no brainer but just in case it isn't. Basic land navigation is an absolute necessity for any soldier. And old school cumpus and protractor Can't be substituted. Gagits fail but good old linstatic cumpas and basic knoledge of earth rotation and sun rise, along with terain analises can't be beat. How can you expect to lead anyone if you don't know what direction to go. Being able tp fall back on basics greatly helps us to navigate around and through a mulitude of mission roadblocks
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Absolutely not. I know that in the days of satellite and GPS navigation the skill may be somewhat dated but I also believe that if all technology fails the art of map reading and land navigation may be the savior of the NCO and his subordinates. If you can't find the fight you can't get in it!
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As a soldier that struggled big time with land nav and i mean embarrassingly struggled. No. Its the ABC of be a soldier in the Army.
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I'm 56 years old, and am a computer tech. GPS and iphones with google maps are great. but I have had them send me to some strange places, and they don't work when the batteries go down. it is always best to know how to navigate without them.
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PO2 Steven Youngblood
No. If all else fails, somebody has to know how to read a compass and topo map.
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We're already making kids dependant on calculators for simple math. We don't want to do the same with map reading. It was bad enough when I retired 24 years ago
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GySgt John Hudson
Simple cure is do what I do with my students now days....Take the cellphone away and turn off the power systems... OK kids, where are we and how do we get back home... Ummm, don't forget to put in your way points and target points... Doing that, see how well they fare and how accurate they are... I also take them out to the known distance site and have them give me estimates on distance to major points... I have found that most of the kids (ages 12 - 18) (85%) are spot on... The rest need more work, but they get there... JP
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No it is a staple element.
As an E-4 I was the gunner on an M1Abrams and my map reading skills exceeded my TC.
I had to monitor our location, routes and call in all fire missions for the platoon.
It was great but none of my platoon superiors could do it.
It has always been a staple of all training.
Remember you have to be able to Shoot, Move and Communicate equally.
As an E-4 I was the gunner on an M1Abrams and my map reading skills exceeded my TC.
I had to monitor our location, routes and call in all fire missions for the platoon.
It was great but none of my platoon superiors could do it.
It has always been a staple of all training.
Remember you have to be able to Shoot, Move and Communicate equally.
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Absolutely not. The navigation systems in use today , while being very reliable, are vulnerable to multiple issues that would totally incapacitate those that rely on electronic systems. If you need more proof, see that the U.S. Naval Academy has re instituted celestial navigation as a required course. Nothing beats a paper map, a good. Impasse , and some sense of geography to get an individual to their objective.
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GySgt John Hudson
Comes in great for Hunting, fishing, Hiking, and regular Boating. Otherwise you are Lost... JP
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No, anyone these days can jam a GPS heck you buy the kits from make or Radio Shack. So no you should not even think about it or your going to be dead some where without knowing where you are !
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No way. We cannot just hand over the map and compass to the LT. Why would you want to remove something that takes skill away from NCOES? In my class (Ft. Lewis), we lost 3 soldiers from Land Nav. Unless you are trying to get a larger pass percentage so your NCOER looks better? Keep it for goodness sake, quit trying to throw out fundamentals of being a soldier.
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