More than a Stress Test for the Army: The Stark Realities Laid Bare by Events at Fort Hood
Jaron Wharton | 01.13.21
The recent amalgam of failures at Fort Hood could have occurred at almost any installation if we are honest with ourselves. Those failures spotlight the inherent tension between recruiting and retaining soldiers for the size of force we say we need while maintaining the high position of trust we say we want. Indeed, we have not progressed nearly as far as we should, and the need for reform is palpable at the small-unit level. We must pair well-intended, downstream initiatives with systemic, upstream changes.
The stresses across the new soldier pipeline remain ubiquitous. Finding and attracting enough recruits who meet physical, educational, and other standards is a well-known challenge. Recruiters have pressure to meet their goals, as do drill sergeants to get recruits through basic training. The result is that units occasionally receive young men or women with pre-existing physical or mental conditions pushed through an industrial-strength system. The sergeants who receive these new soldiers at their first assignment then need the time and the requisite tools to make them viable, all within a healthy command.
https://mwi.usma.edu/more-than-a-stress-test-for-the-army-the-stark-realities-laid-bare-by-events-at-fort-hood/
