Do you believe counseling soldiers has better results than making them do PT?

It's hard to mold them when they have no fear of punishment. You do what you can but at the end of the day they ( the Army ) has taken almost all power from the NCO's short of a counciling statement that the soldiers look at as a joke. The only soldiers you are going to mold are the ones that actually want to improve and be better.

These are young guys that don't have a clue about anything... today's generation has a lot of young people that think they are entitled.... that's what you have to change.... remould them starting with their minds and how look at a situation.... the leadership and NCOs set the direction

They both have a purpose. However, making them do PT is and always has been misunderstood. If you are using PT as a coaching technique you should be doing it with the Soldier!

I think your point about the new generation not caring about counseling is valid. Really depends on the soldier. Those who have no care for their career probably won't be impacted by any punishment.

Depends on the situation really. Not everything has to be a written counseling. I do believe that certain policy changes do cripple the NCO Corp from doing their jobs and yes today's Soldier comes with a new challenges. But to me a Good NCO can effectively mold a Soldier who is willing to learn and better themselves. Not all Soldiers in today (new or old) want to be a team member and go above and beyond to set themselves ahead of their peers. I am a firm believer that our Army wants the best of the best and to be the best you have to be ahead of your peers. Smoke sessions to me was never an effective tool. Soldier shows up late for formation you make him do push ups till he's arms fall off doesn't teach him time management. As society changes so do we as Leaders. Sometime you have to think outside the box and come up with new ways to effectively communicate with todays youth. But understand when you have that Soldier who is always doing his own thing you have to effectively make a paper trail to show that you have exhausted every resource to help them so that if in fact they are not rehabilitated then they must go home. No reason to be a burden on the COC when so many great Soldiers want to be trained to some day Lead. Just my thoughts.

Of course, but it must be sincere, and fact based with good and doable recommendations, then all this with follow-up.

My god seriously counseling for better PT scores. Toughen the heck up for gods sake. There will not one counselor available to you in a active war zone in there were say another WW.

My thought on the situation is smoke their ass! Trust me it will get their attention! Yes, for a while they might be mad at you or hold a grudge, but in the end of that smoke session or shortly after they will come to realization oh, that they are not in charge. It is much like a child getting their ass whooped for doing something bad. It is the most effective way to discipline and sculpture a warrior..

What I saw while in was each soldier is different. Being smoked seemed to work 85 percent of the time. Smoking and putting it on paper are only tools. The problem with putting it on paper is sometimes higher ups want a book before they will do anything.

Probably so. I've been retired for more years than I served, but it was already moving in that direction in the early 1990's. The reason leadership wants to weed them out? 2% of the soldiers take up 90% of your time.