Kirkhill said:
Not necessarily by doing one big thing but by looking at all the things that have to be done and then trying to find time savings of 1%, 5% maybe even 15% in each. Can you add 5% more people to each course that goes through for example (2 in a course of 40)? Reopening Regimental Battle Schools? More OJT?
I think we're already looking at those solutions, but therein lies their own problems - by compressing courses, you tend to remove the very things it's meant to inculcate (maybe not the best word, but you'll see where I'm going). For instance, we replaced the effective Machinegunner, Mortars, Small Arms Coaching courses with the PSWQ. 3 courses that lasted 4 - 6 weeks into one. Now, the troops don't develop that instinctive muscle memory. Compression doesn't work that well. We've compressed Battle School to the point that the first time troops see certain weapons is IN THEATRE. Not cool.
We're already maxed-out on student to instructor ratios. After a point, the instructor can't teach everyone, and can't assist those with difficulties, and you get inadequately trained troops.
One thing that I think is working well is that the Army is looking at what it truly NEEDS for warfighting, and dispensing with irrelevant training.
Lowering the entrance standards and then spending more effort ( and I know that means money and time) on bringing people up to acceptable standards before passing them on.
with the steady weakening of our culture, I don't see any other alternative. We need to establish a different mindset from the start of their enlistment - they have to realize that they will be CHALLENGED. And that they have to look at it in that way. Not as insurmountable difficulties to be feared, but CHALLENGES to be cheerfully faced and overcome. That mentality is disappearing. We can't even find Jr NCOs to go on the difficult courses anymore.
Which brings us 180 - we're sending privates on the tough courses, which means they're developing the mindsets, AND the skillsets. They're developing into Leaders. Meanwhile, kids will continue to learn the job the hard way - by deploying. And they will come back with the mindsets, AND the skillsets.
But, it's going to take time. Lots of it. And money. Lots of it.