Posted on Jan 14, 2014
Is the military focusing too much on PT and not enough on individual intelligence?
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I recently read an article by a MAJ who is an instructor at West Point (http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2014/01/08/the_decay_of_the_profession_of_arms) And it struck a chord with me because I remember people begin promoted or considered to be superior soldiers because of the number of push-ups they could do. Rarely, if ever, were soldiers given any mental training or rewarded based on their knowledge (with the exception of a SOM board). Obviously an effective fighting force must be physically fit but are we overdoing it now and making that the main focus because it's easier?
Intelligence
Physical Training
Soldiers
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 14
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"Obviously an effective fighting force must be physically fit but are we overdoing it now and making that the main focus because it's easier?"
Short answer, Yes
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I like this article. I think military institutions by their nature must be aware of the risk of suppressing critical thought. However, I doubt the problem is too much PT. Certainly a 300 APFT isn't the only characteristic that makes a good leader. But at the small unit level it is an expression of leadership by example. We've also had a few smart Army generals who also happen to be PT studs. In recent memory I'd say Clarke, Grange, McChrystal, and Petraeus were all generals who personally exemplified cultures of both physical fitness and intellectual rigor, whether you care for them as leaders or not. In the end, it's always a balancing act.
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SGT James Elphick
Gen. Mattis is another that comes to mind as he published reading lists for his Marines.
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1SG(P) (Join to see)
I do believe that history is one area of study many of our officers and senior NCOs fail to reference. I don't mean the history of our military. I mean the history of conflict in general. For instance I don't think enough senior officers have studied counter insurgency as experienced by other countries. It seems many officers who were commissioned in the 80s never let go of the dream of leading a squadron across the Fulda Gap against the Soviets. So they don't want to read up on things like the Malayan Emergency. I think a lot of our senior leaders pray for another D-Day, but that's not what they're going to get. Fortunately there's a few out there that get it. The bottom line is we're going to have a smaller force; we can't predict where we'll go next; and wherever it is, the guys who're going have to be smarter because now the rifleman has a more complex job than being canon fodder.
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Judgment. That is what is lacking. It's not about intelligence.
Judgment takes time to develop. It comes from things that aren't happening very much right now. You have to listen. Not just to the words, but to the thought process. Hear not just what is said, but what isn't said, and why. You have to think. Thinking is not memorization. The majority of people I encounter memorize the regs for two reasons: to enforce them (read: exert power over others) and to recite them (read: appear smart). In truth, the regs show you how the Army thinks. You have to learn. Be a sponge. Want to learn. Don't make the same mistake twice. Try to learn from everything that happens. This is the "training" to develop judgment.
We don't develop leaders with judgment because while junior leaders are developing judgment, they make mistakes, they ask "why," they challenge the status quo, they develop their own paths...and as a consequence get told you're wrong, sit down, shut up, do what I said, etc. And they lose confidence and focus on the things that consistently get rewarded: high APFT scores, briefs that look just like everyone else's, grooming, and other easy to measure, but totally hollow OER/NCOER bullets. They stop listening, thinking, and learning so the judgment never develops.
I have been repeatedly criticized for down playing PT, but I'll ask you this: why didn't we achieve a lasting peace in Iraq? Why are we at a crossroads for the umpteenth time in Afghanistan? Why did it take a decade to find Osama Bin Laden? Is anyone saying "because our Soldiers are only marginally passing the APFT" or "because we are not trained on our weapon systems" or "because we let Soldiers grow their hair too long." I haven't heard that.
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CPT (Join to see)
Not even a little bit... Jugment does not require intelligence. It is more of a "sense." And having intelligence will not protect you from lacking good judgment. We have seen that over and over again.
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