

US army overhauls basic training because new recruits weakened by computer games - __bjoernd
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124923602

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run4yourlives
>This isn't a decline in our recruits; this is a decline in our American
society in terms of their physical capacity. It's just a softer generation.

In some unmarked grave, the minerals of the rotting bones of a Roman General
are moving.

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hga
Hmmm, what's cause and effect?

I.e. how much have the kids entering the armed forces today been wrapped in
cotton batting and therefore not had much of an active outdoor life?

I mean, I read about them being escorted to and from school bus stops, how
it's actionable if they aren't under supervision until they're quite old (>
10), etc.

I'm an old fart who was born in 1960 when Eisenhower was still president, and
their lives, in terms of activities, style of competition, etc. sound
radically different.

(In general, of course, there will be exceptions.)

As far as that poor Roman General mentioned by run4yourlives, this sort of
thing has been going on for a _long_ time. E.g. the NRA was established after
the Civil War to try to address the lack of marksmanship skills that Northern
recruits brought with them compared to previous generations.

~~~
run4yourlives
Well, Rome didn't just wake up one day and find Vandals at the gates either.

My point is the observance of a trend that is pretty much the same now as it
was then; I'm not saying that America is going to be gone tomorrow.

~~~
hga
True, true. If you read the book who's title is something to the effect of How
Rome Fell, "The Military Explanation", there were signs of a different type,
like the slow withdrawal of resources from the frontier.

A failure of will? A lack of resources for whatever reason, perhaps including
capable and loyal troops? I can't remember if that was addressed in what I
read of the book, but in our case, we seem to be doing OK in terms of the
output of our recruiting and training. E.g. this article is apparently not
about lowering standards but about adjusting training to achieve acceptable
standards at the end of it.

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julius_geezer
Ah, yes. In 1943 my father was in basic training at Camp Lee. His sergeant
described it as "Camp Cupcake, the country club of the U.S. Army."

