oldcorpsdad
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2011
- Messages
- 103
HAWK- I won’t dispute your general premise. I didn’t do Air Assault but did Airborne, Ranger and several others over 20+ years. I was a grad from the mid 80’s. The experience is different in some ways and the same in others for my son. He was looking at my copy of the Mortar from Buckner and we had our solid green fatigues on with our steel pots. The facility’s had the same overall appearance today as then. There have been upgrades in some areas, not in others. We could all argue forever about what a “good Beast is” as well as what to expect once they get to the “real Army” a place I believe is all a figment of everyone’s imagination. Every unit is different, populated by leaders who do the best they can with what they have and the guidance and leadership they in turn receive from their higher. Units change over time based on priorities and personalities.
As for AAS, my son’s opinion was that much of the nit noid stuff they had to do was due to the fact that they had 7 days of real work/instruction to stretch into 11. That may have included some fluff time to account for bad weather, lack of birds, etc… They filled the white space with PT or other odds and ends. The cadre ranged from excellent to horrible. He had one Cadre member who liked to make the female cadets cry and told him and another that he did it to every female he taught in every cycle. Disillusioned is a good choice of words. I have told mine and his buddies that West Point is at the higher end of the bell curve for leaders, officers and NCOs. There are still some who slip through but once they get to the “real Army” they will experience a much larger cross section of the force and to be ready to deal with it, good and bad. Those NCOs at AAS, or some like them, will be your Platoon sergeants, squad leaders, etc… Read the recent issue of Army magazine about dealing with your NCOs, many similar stories from LTs and CPTs from the line units.
My son’s roommate had gone to Airborne and said it was a veritable vacation with weekends off and as long as you were slightly coordinated, a breeze. Is that better or worse than when I went and many were sent to the “gig pit” for additional “training”? Probably neither, just different. Both are fully qualified to exit an airplane in fright.
Tradition is important in that it helps to bind units and people together. The Army has worked hard to keep some traditions alive even as others fade away. The Academy is the same and always wrestles with what to emphasize. Too much of one thing over the other gets the mix out of balance for someone. I agree that West Point is one of the premier leadership schools. There are other schools that turn out great leaders as well. Not every General is a Grad. I have another one at Virginia Tech. The program there is different, not necessarily better or worse, just different. Better is always a relative term
BigNick- understandable. Goes to leadership again. My son's TAC made everyone goint to AAS or ABN to complete the PT requirements for the course under his supervision to include a practice 12mile ruckmarch and obstacle course for AAS so that his company would have no failures there. My son didnt undertand why this was necessary until he showed up and watched what happened on zero day
As for AAS, my son’s opinion was that much of the nit noid stuff they had to do was due to the fact that they had 7 days of real work/instruction to stretch into 11. That may have included some fluff time to account for bad weather, lack of birds, etc… They filled the white space with PT or other odds and ends. The cadre ranged from excellent to horrible. He had one Cadre member who liked to make the female cadets cry and told him and another that he did it to every female he taught in every cycle. Disillusioned is a good choice of words. I have told mine and his buddies that West Point is at the higher end of the bell curve for leaders, officers and NCOs. There are still some who slip through but once they get to the “real Army” they will experience a much larger cross section of the force and to be ready to deal with it, good and bad. Those NCOs at AAS, or some like them, will be your Platoon sergeants, squad leaders, etc… Read the recent issue of Army magazine about dealing with your NCOs, many similar stories from LTs and CPTs from the line units.
My son’s roommate had gone to Airborne and said it was a veritable vacation with weekends off and as long as you were slightly coordinated, a breeze. Is that better or worse than when I went and many were sent to the “gig pit” for additional “training”? Probably neither, just different. Both are fully qualified to exit an airplane in fright.
Tradition is important in that it helps to bind units and people together. The Army has worked hard to keep some traditions alive even as others fade away. The Academy is the same and always wrestles with what to emphasize. Too much of one thing over the other gets the mix out of balance for someone. I agree that West Point is one of the premier leadership schools. There are other schools that turn out great leaders as well. Not every General is a Grad. I have another one at Virginia Tech. The program there is different, not necessarily better or worse, just different. Better is always a relative term
BigNick- understandable. Goes to leadership again. My son's TAC made everyone goint to AAS or ABN to complete the PT requirements for the course under his supervision to include a practice 12mile ruckmarch and obstacle course for AAS so that his company would have no failures there. My son didnt undertand why this was necessary until he showed up and watched what happened on zero day
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