RADOPSIGOPACISSOP said:
Getting back on topic, when we had to fill out questionaires on incentives, there was an option that different incentive levels be given things like short days.
I just want to say I fully support that since I think it's a more tangable benefit. No doubt the increased PER points thing will be hijacked so every gigantic MWO that's god's gift to the trade won't be left behind by the few senior personnel that do put actual care and effort into their fitness and appearance.
I can see that sentiment even showing up here, on the story of why the RSM should be allowed to fall out on PT. I never thought this was acceptable. If it's fitness related (ie I'm too fat) then you need to use that after 4pm time to get themselves back to a level where they're not subject of giggles and whispers. If it's injury then they should be on a med chit just like every other soldier giving them limitations and a return to full duty timeline. If it's "my knees/back are shot and never getting better" then they should consider that a sign they should retire.
Nobody is irreplaceable. For every MWO with 25 years experience there's a WO with 22 years waiting in the wings. For every WO with 22 years, there's a Sgt with 18 years and so on.
Maybe we should have different standards. As an Above Water Warfare Director, I'm trained to play a video game, and I'm tnt even exaggerating. A frigate's entire suite of weapons and sensors are operated using the Combat Management System (CMS), which is controlled via one of several Multi-Function Workstations (MFWs). Essentially, the MFW is a 3-screen video game console. I see little red symbols on the screens coming toward my ship and I click on them and then I blow them up.
Obviously, it's a lot more complicated than that, but the important thing here is that I do all of this sitting in a comfy chair using a keyboard and mouse. Your ability to do this job has everything to do with you ability to handle multiple inputs at once, process data quickly, make quick tactical decisions, execute them, all the while you are giving orders to your team while simultaneously briefing the ORO/CO. None of this requires me to be able to run 10km, lift or carry heavy weights, etc.
Trust me when I say I would much rather have an out-of shape slob sitting in the SWC chair than some super-fit sports all-star, as long as that slob has consistently shown that he is better and
faster at tactically employing the ship's weapons and sensors. If you've ever had to sit through and watch (or participate in) an above water warfare exercise (especially at CFNOS where the tempo/standard is high), you'll have seen the difference between a SWC who knows how to defend the ship and one who doesn't. You don't need to see the guy doing his job, you can listen to him on the internal net, and watch his actions on the repeat of his console. Is the guy behind that voice fat and slow? Or is he super lean and fit? I can't tell! And I don't care! Just shoot down the missiles, please.
Nonetheless, physical fitness is a force multiplier, and I would rather have a super-fit SWC defending the ship than a fat-slob, assuming that both these individuals are otherwise equally skilled; the more fit person is going to be able to handle the stress of combat (and lack of sleep inherent with ship-borne duties) for a much greater time.
So what the hell does any of this have to do with incentive levels? It goes back to what I said in an earlier post about trying to do two things at once and screwing up both. People should be promoted on the ability to do their job, not on the physical fitness level. By incorporating merit points into the incentive levels, you give an advantage to those who are more physically fit; someone who's performance is lower could be ranked equally with someone with a higher performance, because their fitness merit points bumped them up just that much.
Physical fitness should be a leadership responsibility tailored to individual units; combat arms unit should given greater priority to it over air maintenance wings; Pilots should be pushed harder than Stokers, etc.
TL;DR - Short days, T-Shirts, Pins or even Medals would all be better incentives than Merit Points.
