The beatings will continue until morale improves…
Well, the SFAS sacrifices continue unabated. I’m looking over the recent classes data and we’re looking at less than 10% selection rate for ADE since the summer break. A similar bloodletting for Xs and NG. Officers are fairing better, but still below historical averages. Almost 200 guys failed the PRT in the last two classes alone! That’s almost 5x the norm.
I described the operational environment a few months ago and I stand by my assessment.
STOP LISTENING TO THE BARRACKS LAWYERS!!!
For some reason guys still believe that all you have to do is not quit. Minimum effort. Just don’t say “Sarn’t, I voluntarily withdraw” and you’ll get selected. If you’re standing there on day 21 then you’re in. This is simply not true.
I cringe whenever some fudd (pot this is kettle, over) says “just don’t quit” when asked how to get selected. This is such bad advice, and it has somehow morphed into the current zeitgeist. Yes, nobody who quit ever got selected, but this most definitely not the same thing.
You must perform. The standards have not changed. Performance is everything. But consider yourselves put on notice…if you think you can show up to SFAS and just survive then you’ll get the opportunity to enjoy your assignment with the 82nd. I hear the band is a cool job. Maybe the Airborne Chorus.
The stories are too numerous to fully document, but minimal effort on the PRT…slow jogging the run, kipping, pacing the HRPU. Do you think this doesn’t get noticed?
Light rucks, unfilled canteens, skipping obstacles, sleeping when you’re told not to. Why not just follow instructions?
Ruck flopping and road running at land nav. I mean, we can see you…you know that right? And my god, the GPSs. Just stop.
At this point, the Regiment missed our pipeline production target by almost 70%. If you think you can outlast us then keep trying, I guess. I suspect you’ll run out of return dates before we lower standards. We haven’t lowered them in 30+ years and you’ve only got 3 shots at most.
Get yourselves right and come correct. Get fit as fuck…faster than the strongest lifter and stronger than the fastest runner. And perform like your beret depends on it. Because it does. Learn to land nav and find your points. ALL of them. Team week isn’t about being the Grey Man, it’s about all out effort. Cadre watch everything with an unblinking eye.
We need guys. There’s more work than guys capable of doing it. But we’ll do that work with 6 man ODAs of pipe hitters before we’ll do it with 12 man teams of almost-as-goods.
These abysmal numbers will continue until we get a good run of classes that show up with the right mindset.
But let it be known. If you want to test your mettle, if you want to be a part of something bigger than you, if you want to be elite…if you want to go somewhere where standards still mean something, then drop a packet. It would be pretty badass to say that you played a part in resetting the narrative.
You got selected when almost nobody else could.
