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Originally Posted by Goggles Pizano
Question: Is this a real problem with youth today or did we strike a bad batch of folks? Also, if this is identified as a problem what would be the best approach to increasing fitness awareness without invoking the "nanny state" of government intrusion?
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GP:
My view. The physical condition issue isn't a real problem with youth today any more than youth thirty years ago. The attitude of 'what are the minimum standards' is something I can date back to about 1990 in the Army, but for a very small minority.
I believe that fellows of my generation -- growing up in the 50's and 60's -- may have been thinner instead of fatter but it seems like the guys in the Army today who are the right weight are in much better condition than we were. Look at the two mile run scores on an Army PT test today compared to twenty years ago. At my age (50), I would have to run that thing in 16 (?)minutes to max it. When I went into the Army, I had to run it in 14 minutes to max it. I can't say I saw a guy break 13 minutes until I was in IOAC in 1983 where we had one guy run it in 12:30. Today, a whole bunch run it in 12 or less. That is the Army and specifically the Infantry. A guy would get smoked real badly if he talked back to an NCO during a PT test or fell out of a unit run -- no matter how stupid the run is in terms of speed and distance. Guys are given more points for scoring over maximum on PT tests these and IMHO the chain of command has done a good job of giving guys an incentive to do well.
Here is something to think about. I bet the percentage of guys who only want to score minimum is extremely small. Some guys ask this to give themselves an out because they know they are in poor condition. These guys are generally asking for leadership to direct them down a path of success although they will never admit it -- until they meet that success. Chances are you have about 2 percent who are honestly tyring to get over. They probably will as they are also BS artists. I would bet the others know they have a problem and want a leadership example to emulate. I also bet that these two categories represent less than ten percent of the guys and females you are dealing with. They can really piss a guy off and remember that ten percent of your folks will consume 90 percent of your time -- although they still represent ten percent and not ninety percent.
Many of these beer belly 21 year old's are trying to be police officers for a reason and it ain't money or prestige. 98 percent of them want a role model to follow. The problem with the 'system', be it Army or LEA, is that bureaucracies hate leaders. Lead them and they will succeed.
Gene