How do we as leaders change a failing military?

The simplest answer is you focus on your little bubble, train your troops, shield your troops from as much bullshit as you can and get used to taking ass chewing from higher. When you don't have support from above you make sure you support your troops under you and hopefully look up with other like minded leaders and maybe, just maybe better leadership from above.

My question would be to whoever stated this is, 'What are you doing to improve basic soldering skills?' I remember when I was in ANCOC and my fellow NCOs were commenting about how the soldiers then were lacking in discipline, motivation,....blah, blah, blah, and I remember the same basic statement being made by Socrates? Of course, he was right, and so were the my comrades, and the leaders saying the same thing about me back in the day and those leaders in the room with me, and you leaders today and those leaders tomorrow. IF leaders are failing, find the nearest mirror and give that sorry leader a good scolding, and have him start doing his job. I know he can. He is already seeking advice outside the box but he needs to hold his peers and superiors accountable, even more accountable than he needs to hold his solders. The fix really is easy to identify but much harder to put into practice because it starts with you.

I would argue that if the military is failing, it’s the product of failed leadership. Too many GOs try to micromanage at the platoon level.

My success was achieved by mastering the basics and keeping my folks engaged, if I mastered my sphere of influence there was rarely guidance from “above”. Empower your team leaders, that is where the bulk of the work is accomplished.

"Failing military" = unsupported premise.

Well if you’re discussing the lack of Basic Soldiering Skills that is needed in today’s military I can only give you my professional opinion because today’s military is not the military of the past. Having said that, I recommend that as a Staff-Non Commission Officer in the Army, you do have a lot of clout. You can only work with the Soldiers that are under you. Train them in the Soldiering skills needed for your platoon, unit, company so on. Focus on what’s needed immediately, sometimes us folks in the leadership position may feel overwhelm, but your Soldiers will be the best if you’re the best. So make it happen.

The Commander should be looking at METL. All basic Soldiering skills feed the unit METL somewhere. So if your slice (team, squad, battalion, whatever) is not sufficient in basic Soldier skills, you need to let the Commander know you need training time to support HIS METL.

There is a difference between basic skills and commond tasks. Training challenges differ by the unit type and company, to say the list. I would focus on the perspective of support companies and platoons where poor maintenance schedules, back to back field exercises, and other missions like staff duties......swamp time. We must also consider that certain trainings are not even in the priority list of some companies therefore, ....... The solution to this would be to ensure that before soldiers make it through BCT and AIT, they have spent enough time necessary to grasp these basic skills and tasks such that regardless of the unit in which they end up, they would be able to execute and they sergeang's time training block which is but for few hours, would be adding or refining those skills. Ultimately, units should lay out realistic goals, prioritizes their goals to also reflect the assignments given each company down to the platoon level -planning. I will summit that consistency would go a long way and lastly, Leadership should empower future leaders not only when things go wrong but put them in charge, provide them an end state and safety limits, step back, and let them realize projects. STOP DWELLING ON A RIGID PAST; even if that past is till relevant, it hinders growth and creativity.

I think that since the very beginning of organized military activity the older, more experienced soldiers have consistently pined about young soldiers lack of discipline, laziness, and bad soldiering. I can imagine Spartan soldiers standing there with helmets and shields complaining endlessly about how their young soldiers just aren't what they used to be. they probably blamed their leadership and the government of Sparta as well. The truth is that it is all bullshit. You see them as you want to see them, but that doesn't define who they are. They become you.

I assure you from the SEL of the Army, his Boss, down to the Team leader you are authorized, no, obligated to train your Soldiers in any skill required to perform their duties. You are not, of course, allowed to treat them as recruits and try to break them down and build them into some mold you determine appropriate for your mission.

I have never heard any leader tell a subordinate leader that cannot train their troops. I find it hard to believe that you can take your own comment seriously. You are derelict in your duty if you do not ensure your Soldiers are properly trained.