Posted on Dec 30, 2017
Is military readiness decreasing due to poor leadership?
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First the Navy granted waivers for 48,000 Sailor who failed to meet physical standards, now the Air Force is rumored to be considering a similar move. Is this a leadership issue?
https://www.jqpublicblog.com/rumor-air-force-to-follow-navy-example-grant-fitness-amnesty/
https://www.jqpublicblog.com/rumor-air-force-to-follow-navy-example-grant-fitness-amnesty/
Leadership
Readiness
Fitness
Posted 7 y ago
Responses: 19
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Navy leadership is a piece, but there's a much larger picture to look at. It centers on the word "optimize". Optimize what? Optimize given the realities. Poor resourcing. Mission without support. Required training on everything other than warfighting and physical fitness. Working the sailors like dogs and wondering why 120 hours/week is a problem. Semi spineless kids for recruits. Like a business, the Navy makes decisions to optimize. Do we get rid of some slugs and pay $500 Grand each to bring others up to speed that may turn out to be more slugs? One of the problems affecting Navy leaders is by law, Executive Order, and other means, their authority and tools to lead has been diminished greatly. I've seen it throughout my career. Used to be the primary measure of Skipper success is getting the mission done. Now it's split between mission and 100% piss test completion along with all the other unresourced administrivia. So with less authority/requirement to lead, more so-so officers make Flag because there hasn't been much to differentiate the pearls from the shells in the crowd. By all the measures, they want managers, not leaders. We have a well known irony. We need better leadership but work to dilute that very thing. Very predictable example of history repeating itself.
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ALL Armed Forces. 0600 formation, Monday thru Friday for PT! Yes petty officers and tech NCO's, and officers you should lead by example! A minimum standard of physical readiness is not asking too much of your troops. They will be better off in the long run. It is not the airmen or seaman's fault they are not passing their PT tests it is yours! I have had to work with some troops after hours to help them get up to and maintain standards. If you are a supervisor/LEADER, your personnel's well being and development is your responsibility.
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CDR Dan Cunningham
Sounds easy, but not every duty station is the same. Standing 13 hours of watch per day while running six divisions in a 150 person dept on a ship doesn't leave much time for sleeping, let alone mandatory PT. We didn't have 'after hours' for months at a time.
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SSG Will Phillips
With respect Sir, the officers are ultimately in charge. If you truly want to keep your subordinates in minimal shape you can make it happen. If they are working as hard as you described they should not have issues with the PT tests. A field grade commander has the authority to implement mandatory physical training to co-inside with what the DOD considers minimum physical standards. This subject should be a moot point if senior, junior and non-commissioned officers were doing their job in the first place!
Just saying Sir.
Just saying Sir.
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Interesting article, interesting read. From the sounds of it, does the Navy/Air Force have daily PT? Not making it part of the work day makes it sound like they do not. That stems from the Top, thus it is a leadership problem. I was a little surprised to read this.
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SGM Mikel Dawson
SSgt Addison R. - Kind of shocking to me coming from the Army side. I always thought the "Services" were big on physical fitness. If the service members are not fit, how can the job get done when the chips are down and the extended days come in. But then I come from combat arms.
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CH (COL) Geoff Bailey
SSgt Addison R. I agree. There are baseline requirements for anyone in a deployed location where each person needs to be able to respond and contribute to the mission. If we are out of shape or overweight, we quickly become a liability rather than an asset.
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PFC Elijah Rose
I do know that you can't really do pt on a submarine, but carriers have gyms. I knew some flightline mechanics who said that it was hard keeping up with pt in Iraq because they were to busy keeping helicopters in the air. Other than that my AF friends do say that there is just as much push to pass fitness standards there as in the army.
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SGM Mikel Dawson
PFC Elijah Rose - When I was deployed (3 times), I always found a way to do PT. Even on a sub they can do pushups and situp and I am guessing there are other exercises which can be done.
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