Instructing young American males in the basics means more than getting back to reading, writing and arithmetic. At least it that’s what the U.S. Army is finding as it attempts to prepare recruits to defend American interests. Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling spoke with NPR’s Scott Simon about preparing young men, who spend far too much time sitting around on their ‘assets’ playing Medal of Honor or Call of Duty, for the rigors of combat.
The U.S. Army is overhauling its basic training program for the first time in 30 years. The military says the change is necessary to keep pace with the new realities of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, but that’s not the only reason. Part of the shift is intended to train a new generation of soldiers whose experience with fighting is usually limited to video games.
All that gaming might prepare young men to handle the joystick of an unmanned drone, but even a simple walking stick seems beyond the grasp some recruits. According to Gen. Hertling,
“We are seeing a decline across the board in America. 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. … We’ve got to train soldiers to climb the peaks of Afghanistan.”
Getting in shape to climb mountains with full packs is only the start if today’s recruits are going to make it in the Army.
The new regimen spends even more time on how to fight.
“It’s including things like the use of weapons, knives, bayonets, sticks — even the rifle can be used as a weapon without shooting it,” Hertling says. Hand-to-hand skills like kicking, punching and holds are preparing recruits for close combat, which, he notes, are the kinds of situations the military is expecting to “be in for a very long time.”
Not only do we have to worry about college graduates’ civic literacy, now we have to concern ourselves with the physical ability of those who would take up arms and man the barricades.
I remember reading a news article on Yahoo.com that really shocked me and that was the removal of bayonet training in the military which I hope is not true. The problem with progressive thought is that once they come up with new advances, they are quick to discard the teachings of the old even if many of those teachings have withstood the test of time. In other countries, they have infused the fighting arts of their homeland into their military and police personnel training, making them more capable of meeting the everyday dangers that they face. No matter how many modern remote controlled weapons are devised out there, the use of bayonet, dagger as well unarmed combat techniques are vital in preparing a soldier for battle. It’s only when a soldier hold nothing more than a knife or his bare hands and is still willing to take on the enemy can he truly be called a warrior.
Jim, I have no doubt that some Army jobs benefit from the video gaming “skills” most young men bring to boot camp. As the General notes, however, he wants to be sure he has a force that respond to threats with the appropriate application of physical force.
And yes, the walking stick comment was made with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Lord knows, I’m in no shape to handle the Afghanistan peaks. But I would like to know that our soldiers can handle them.
This story stands in contrast to ones that I’ve seen … well … sitting on my asset in front of the TV that shows that video game playing is actually used in training for our armed forces. And that the Army likes the popularity of games like Medal of Honor because they are great recruiting tools.
That said, it’s pretty troubling to read this — though encouraging to know that America’s armed forces are quick to adapt to the situation, as usual. A recruit that can’t even handle a walking stick? I hope that’s an exaggeration.
Excellent article, Daniel. This is emblematic of an across-the-board decline in standards–and thus achievement of excellence–in the nation in recent decades. The decline in manners is another aspect of this slide into the world of Idiocracy.
And I really like your headline for this story.