Bringing in “whiz kid” MBAs to the Pentagon to design strategy during the Vietnam War was a masterstroke – like combining “crony capitalism” with Private Equity.
intercst
5 Likes
Such hog wash!!
Military remains one way out of poverty for the poor. They do provide job training. You are part of a large organization. If you follow the rules you can get ahead and live a middle class lifestyle.
Getting accepted can be a challenge. Usually requires a clean record and a high school diploma. Giving people a chance is ok with me. If it doesn’t work for you, it is usually not difficult to get a discharge.
4 Likes
Such hog wash!!
What part was “wash, hog type”? I can personally say “Hey, it worked for me!” to your second paragraph but the Mcnamara’s morons thing was taking it too far. If you want to give people boot straps fine. The service was my only way out, but you have to have enough raw material to work with on the front end
Military remains one way out of poverty for the poor. They do provide job training. You are part of a large organization. If you follow the rules you can get ahead and live a middle class lifestyle.
4 Likes
In my service days during the Viet Nam era, those who were slow on the GTT test often became truck drivers. Having them behind you with an M-16 was frowned on.
Letting them serve is ok.
1 Like
I came up after Vietnam. Many of us had a negative opinion on all of it.
I am not huge on serving. But my attitudes have done more than a 180 by the time I hit 30 years old.
I think those who serve take massive risks and do hard jobs. I think all of it is necessary. That is the big change from 20 to 30. The 20 year old did not know the other sides of it. The politicos in the late 60s and early 70s were abusive of the military.
2 Likes
Well then maybe you’ll remember that they were already doing that. And they still do it. And they’ve never not done it. That Macnamara thing is not the best application of the “aptitude.” If you can pull that off without the side effects noted in the video maybe I’d me more for it. No. You can’t accept just anybody
War is hell. Those with certain assets are more likely to survive. Physical strength, agility, common sense, etc are all pluses in addition to smarts. In my day, I was impressed with the testing they used to try to match people to jobs that fit their personal assets.
Some do get injured or killed. Are they properly trained? Are they qualified for the job assigned? I suspect this is a never ending debate. I think the military does make an effort to get it right.
Every soldier knows much is about luck. Wrong place at the wrong time and it can be all over for you.
1 Like
iirc, that question came up during the occupation of Iraq. Everything not directly involved in combat was outsourced: base construction, food service, logistics, all went to the best connected for-profit contractors. There were a number of comments about the ground pounders riding shotgun on trucks, where the contractor driver was being paid many thousands of dollars more than the soldier.
Steve
Seems to confirm the video.
Likely it is doubtful low IQ folks enter the US military methinks.
1980 law:
The number of persons originally enlisted or inducted to serve on active duty (other than active duty for training) in any armed force during any fiscal year whose score on the Armed Forces Qualification Test is at or above the tenth percentile and below the thirty-first percentile may not exceed 20 percent of the total number of persons originally enlisted or inducted to serve on active duty (other than active duty for training) in such armed force during such fiscal year.
(b)
A person who is not a high school graduate may not be accepted for enlistment in the armed forces unless the score of that person on the Armed Forces Qualification Test is at or above the thirty-first percentile; however, a person may not be denied enlistment in the armed forces solely because of his not having a high school diploma if his enlistment is needed to meet established strength requirements.
Jordan Peterson talks about low IQ & military in the below video. He claims 83 is the cut off for acceptance in US military. But no proof is supplied. Peterson claims low IQ personnel are a hindrance to the military which the video & news article show.
1 Like