Posted on 01/24/2015 10:14:53 AM PST by Steelfish
Abolish West Point — And The Other Service Academies, Too
By Scott Beauchamp January 23
Most Americans are familiar with the prestige that surrounds the United States military service academies. Various names and phrases, spoken like solemn incantations, attest to their sacrosanct status: the Point, the Long Gray Line, Annapolis, cadets. Their graduates constitute a who’s who of American greatness, including Ulysses Grant, Jimmy Carter, novelist James Salter and sci-fi writer Robert Heinlein, to name a few. Gen. Douglas MacArthur, in a 1962 address at West Point, typified the veneration when he told the cadets that they were “the leaven which binds together the entire fabric of our national system of defense.”
The service academies — the U.S. Military Academy for the Army (West Point), the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy — promise to educate and mold future officers charged with leading the enlisted members of the military.
But they are not the hallowed arbiters of quality promised by their myths. Their traditions mask bloated government money-sucks that consistently underperform. They are centers of nepotism that turn below-average students into average officers. They are indulgences that taxpayers, who fund them, can no longer afford. They’ve outlived their use, and it’s time to shut them down.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I wonder what year Scott Beauchamp was rejected by a Service Academy?
Okay how about John McCain? Jim Webb?
Maybe because homeschoolers work harder at their studies so it seems that way to him? Then again, training has probably gotten softer since 2009.
Uh, right, little Scotty, I'd like you to show us one below average student who ever got into West Point, much less one who got in and graduted. This isn't journalism school, y'know.
This Beauchamp character neglected to mention, or more likely didn’t know of the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York. They also produce Ensigns USNR. Yet their training, though military, is more commercial shipping oriented. A lot of officers in the USNS fleet are USMMA trained.
And the Corps of Cadets at West Point virtually silenced ø when he was last there. I’d bet he never goes again. That doesn’t mean though that he wouldn’t try to wreck these institutions as he’s wrecking everything else. Likely he’s already doubled down to that effect.
Or maybe better? Rot starts at the top. That was a slice of USNA life a dozen years ago that I got from a student. His remarks were also informed by several visits to the merchant academy to visit my daughter. It was his opinion that the merchant school was more all- business, and a greater physical and intellectual challenge than he faced at USNA. Things change....I hope: maybe the next prez will get the PC out of the place....and make it great again...if it ever was. The potential the service academies have is awsome and most necessary.
“You’re basically making his point.....”
Nah, if ‘he lost me’ would not that indicate that I disagree with him? ;-)
“This Beauchamp character neglected to mention, or more likely didn’t know of the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Poinin the USN, New York. They also produce Ensigns USNR. Yet their training, though military, is more commercial shipping oriented. A lot of officers in the USNS fleet are USMMA trained.”
The merchant academy school from which my daughter graduated (not USMMA) was fond of boasting they had more flag-rank officers in the USN than any other school.....including USNA. Don’t know if that included reserves??
Indeed, it seems that the Merchant Marine acedemies are generally recognized as developing better product for the oceanic armed forces.
What would I have learned at basic/AIT that would have been of more value than 10+ hours a week of ROTC commitments during my four years of college? Add to that one week of Spring Camp at Fort Lewis while my classmates are partying during spring break, and six weeks of Advanced Camp at Fort Lewis?
A third of my class earned Ranger Tabs, and over half of us got our jump wings. I was about in the middle of a class of 20 that produced a two-star general, several full bird colonels, and a couple of LTC's. I was one of many that left the service after fulfilling our commitments.
My NCOs speeded my development, and I got along with them better than most officers. My most enjoyable time was as a platoon leader with three E-4 squad leaders, and an E-5. I had been a platoon leader with two other platoons in the year prior to that, so I was ready to mold a platoon with younger, more eager soldiers. It was one of the highlights of my short military career when we outperformed the other platoons in a tac eval, to the surprise of everyone but me.
Months of basic and AIT would never have provided me with my most important lesson, when my platoon failed a tac eval, and the main message from the Platoon Leaders handbook was delivered: everything my unit did or failed to do is my responsibility. I took a lot of crap over the next few months, and that would be the last time I failed.
I took the message to heart, but became a real PITA to my chain of command. My attitude was, "ok, you're going to put it all on me? Fine. Stay the hell out of my way and let me do my job." I've pretty much been a PITA for over 40 years, thanks to that experience.
Wow, thanks for posting. That dude’s got some serious butt hurt. lol
I am no fan of President carter. But the guy did nuclear power stuff. He was no idiot. Perhaps he let his brain fry a bit, but he was a smart guy.
Was it a east coast MMA? I used to do some work with the one on Cape Cod. They produced some pretty successful grads.
Maybe NAPSCoordinator can account for this rot?
Parallel to the saying, “Garbage in, garbage out.” Just can’t get one term to be synonymous to the situation. I do love the Lieutenant humor that pervades the ranks.
Have to post this one: THE IMAGE OF RANK
General:
Leaps over tall buildings in a single bound, is more powerful than a locomotive, is faster than a speeding bullet, walks on water, and gives policy to God.
Colonel:
Leaps over short buildings in a single bound, is more powerful than a switch engine, is just as fast as a speeding bullet, walks on water if sea is calm, and talks to God.
Lieutenant Colonel:
Leaps over short buildings with a running start and a favorable wind, is almost as powerful as a switch engine, is as fast as a speeding b-b, walks on water in an indoor pool, and talks to God if special request is approved.
Major:
Barely clears quonset huts, loses tug-of-war with locomotives, can fire a speeding bullet, swims well, and is occassionally addressed by God.
Captain:
Makes high marks when trying to leap buildings, is run over by locomotives, can someimes handle a weapon without inflicting self-injury, can doggie-paddle, and talks to animals.
First Lieutenant:
Runs into buildings, recognizes locomotives two out of three times, is not issued ammunition, can stay afloat if properly instructed, and talks to water.
Second Lieutenant:
Falls over doorsills when trying to enter buildings, says “look at the choo-choo, ” wets himself with a water pistol, and mumbles to himself.
An NCO: Lifts building and then walks under them, kicks locomotives off the track, catches speeding bullets in his teeth, and chews them, and freezes water in a speeding glance. He is God.
Yes. MMA. And, roger that!
A chance to "right" the U.S. Supreme Court?
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