I replied to Jim in General Korea Discussions today about one of the reasons the Army lowered standards for enlistment. I attribute it basically to a need to meet recruitment levels.
As Real Estate Agents and Car Salesmen do "Creative Financing" to sell new houses and new vehicles to kids with small jobs and large credit card limits, so does the Army perform "Creative Recruitment" to make their percentages look better.
I see soldiers every morning, after 7 AM, fat and limping stragglers running in the street, in small groups, some intentionally and belligerently causing traffic to slow behind them when they could easily move their blubber on the sidewalk. Many appear to be forced (encouraged?) to complete the run, some being injured by running on blisters and shin splints. As soon as they are finished, many light up their cigarettes and head for the shower. I wish them luck, and sincerely hope they can succeed in shaping up. I hear a percentage are eliminated from the service soon after arrival, due to a record of being unable to adapt to military service. I think the idea of allowing petty criminals and miscreants to enlist ends up being a mistake and an added expense. Some folks say that allowing lower scoring individuals in gives opportunity to more minorities. That part I believe is true, and a few truly work hard and fill a necessary void in today's Army. I just personally believe it is very expensive, and that if the truth was printed, it is too costly to continue.

The "running in the road" by the soliders is a problem on Yongsan. Occasionally, they will take up both lanes, I think intentionally, and cause a serious safety hazard. Others will dart across the road to test your brakes and reation time. Finally, when you do pass a group several will yell at you to SLOW DOWN even though you are only going a few MPH faster then they are. One solution, may be not the best, is to close certain roads to vehicles in the early morning hours and keep the runners on these roads and off the main roads on Yongsan.

This has been an on going problem. It will continue to get worse until someone finally steps up and says something. That "SOMETHING" will never happen IMO. There are to many followers that have rank and want the best OER/NCOER and if they don't do exactally what they are told it will reflect. This is the reason the Army is where it is at now.

This is an example of what I'm talking about. The BERET, no one wanted it but guess what he made a statment and everyone run with it. Oh by the way the person who made that beret decision retired a few days later.


Either way, Mr Joe it is harder to kick someone out on the overweight program now than ever before. Once they are in a unit it is now the NCO's fault for him/her being over weight. He/she must also go to medical to make sure there is no medical problems. Not to mention all the counseling he/she must go through.

AR 600-9 needs to be re-done completely. After all it was and still is based off what a life incurance company decided what a person should be like Height/weight standard from the early 50's.

__________________
CH-47 SI

They must find it difficult...

Those who have taken authority as the truth, rather than truth as the authority. --Gerald Massey

This is absolutely freakin' hilarious to read at a time when the AF is doing so much to increase our physical fitness. Seriously, I've been in 16 years and NEVER thought that I would have to actually do PT. Here I am, though, doing 3 miles a day and doing plenty of other workout stuff at least 3 times a week. Oh yeah...I hated running with a passion just a couple of years ago. I still don't love it, but I SO feel the benefits of it now.

BTW...as a former recruiter, Army recruiting needs a complete rehaul. There are at least 6 times more Army recruiters than AF recruiters, and they can NOT keep up because their recruiting service just plain sucks. And trust me...I put plenty of people in the Army because they couldn't qualify for the Air Force. I still out recruited the office right across the hall from me, and they had 5 recruiters to my one man office. I felt sorry for them because of the training and support that they recieved. It just plain sucks to be an Army recruiter, and my hat goes off to them.

__________________
Joeninpo

The tyrant custom, most grave Senators,
Hath made the flinty and steel couch of war
My thrice-driven bed of down

Working out is OK. Working out at mandatory formations is OK. However, when working out (PT) reduces the time an individual is available for work, then its not OK. I think that the benefits of physical exercise when an individual is young shows up later on in life when the individual is older. However, once an individual retires (gets older) the military does not give a flip about that individual.

In other words- other than image (looking poster sharp) I think a 25 year old who works out and a 25 year old who does not will be equally productive on the job. And probably miss an equal time away from work for sick leave/quarters etc.

If one could measure the overall health between airmen in the 90s (ride the bike era) and now (mandatory PT) it will probably be equal. Of course if you focus on one thing, such as running, the individual who runs everyday should do better in that specific area.

The problem with the Army's mandatory PT is it takes the individual away from the work area. Also, it is strange to me that usually the higher ranks and sometimes the headquarters personnel are exempt from mandatory PT and are told to PT on their own. Where's the logic?

Why do you say they don't care about retirees? Why, only yesterday I got a cap, a free teeth cleaning for my self and my wife, and a free dinner at Reggies! And I won a $25 certificate to use at the commissary!
That was at the FIRST Annual Retirees Day at Yongsan.

What? They promised medical care for me and my family for free after retirement? They sure as hell did!
But a hat and lunch once a year is better than nothing, I guess!

Yea, I understand that about 500 retirees showed up and it was a great success. Much bigger and better than the ones at the Challenger club at Osan. All retirees in Korea owe Jack a big THANK YOU! and continuing support.

Don't worry about the DoD coming up short after the expenses for the hat, etc.. They will get it back soon enough if/when TRICARE raises the deductibles.