Speaking of the entitled generation....

[Amber Lamps]

Originally Posted by fatbuckRTO

The "ghetto kids" I've seen in the military are some of the whiniest bitches this side of the East Side. They may be good for recruiting numbers, but they count fuck-all for mission accomplishment. Most of the time they're a detriment.

That said, this new crop of suburbanite plush toys aren't much better, they just don't have mouths as big.

Maybe, but I did training at Ft Bliss back in the 80s and comparatively, I don't see how the new guys are "softer"... I live by 3 different bases and do work for lots of military personnel and I wouldn't characterize them as "soft". Especially compared to the two decades of troops who never even saw a shot fired in anger.

[Amber Lamps]

Originally Posted by Homeslice

It's only misleading if you don't put 2 and 2 together. The more time someone spends indoors, surfing the web, IM'ing, and playing video games, then it's likely they're not spending as much time outdoors or at a gym, exercising.

Is it proof? No, but the fact that the people in this article have noticed a drop in recruit fitness seems to back that up.

But how does that make them "entitled"? A high percentage of people join the military for the GI bill or because that's their only option.

[Homeslice]

Originally Posted by Amber Lamps

But how does that make them "entitled"? A high percentage of people join the military for the GI bill or because that's their only option.

I threw that word in there because it was used in the generations thread last month.

[Amber Lamps]

Originally Posted by Homeslice

I threw that word in there because it was used in the generations thread last month.

Ah okay, fair enough! Most of the people that I ever served with or met were from middle class or below families.

[derf]

Yeh, I do think that many new soldiers think they are entitled to something. I'm not sure what it is. As for basic training changing, yeh that happens, in fact it happens constantly, a few years back they added a whole week. Its just that somewhere in the bowels of the pentagon some dude named bob woke up one day and said:

"hey! basic training is adding more hand to hand combat stuff and getting rid of bayonetts! this is a change! the first change in 20 years! yay for positive news story that will be discussed on the internet in a motorcycle forum and possibly recruit some dude who doesn't want to be known as weak anymore and want hand to hand training!"

Seriously thats the way it works

[Dave]

Originally Posted by derf

Yeh, I do think that many new soldiers think they are entitled to something. I'm not sure what it is. As for basic training changing, yeh that happens, in fact it happens constantly, a few years back they added a whole week. Its just that somewhere in the bowels of the pentagon some dude named bob woke up one day and said:

"hey! basic training is adding more hand to hand combat stuff and getting rid of bayonetts! this is a change! the first change in 20 years! yay for positive news story that will be discussed on the internet in a motorcycle forum and possibly recruit some dude who doesn't want to be known as weak anymore and want hand to hand training!"

Seriously thats the way it works

pert much. Dont learn jack in basic anyway

[Amber Lamps]

Originally Posted by Dave

pert much. Dont learn jack in basic anyway

I will guard everything within the limits of my post and quit my post only when properly relieved...learned that in basic training 1983.

[smileyman]

Its not like they are all duds, plenty of high school athletes and farm boys enlist. then there is that obesity statistic to overcome...

[SteveP]

Originally Posted by Cutty72

I agree.
And bring back wall to wall counseling, and get rid of "stress cards"

We had those in boot camp in '97. No one dared to use them though.

[Cutty72]

Originally Posted by SteveP

We had those in boot camp in '97. No one dared to use them though.

Really? where did you go? No stress cards at Leonard Wood in 00, and they defiantly still used wall to wall counseling.