The fallacy of the left’s strawman argument is that every MOS, like, for instance, drone pilot, doesn’t “need” to be physically fit.
The right answer is, every armed serviceman SHOULD be fit enough to serve, anywhere needed, at any time needed, and fight if necessary. History is replete with examples of so-called rear echelon troops being called upon to fight in emergent circumstances.
For every marshmallow soyboy soldier, we could and hopefully will have a FIT soldier eager to do the same job and fill the position well. Build a credible force, lead it well, make service tough and honorable again and we won’t have any problem attracting the right kinds of recruits. If we build it, they will come. Thus it has ever been.
The exercise, the runs, being fit and being tested for it twice a year, those are all part of the military culture, the military identity, part of the team and group identity.
How unmilitary and civilianized are these people getting, is the military becoming just another federal job?
Well, that won’t hold them together when they are in the mud and filth, cold and hungry as supply lines are harassed and broken and the supply ships being sank and everyone in the region or on the island is facing a Wake island situation and suddenly there are no front lines and no one is safe, no one is sleeping, no one is eating enough and life is hard, and intestinal fortitude and military purpose is the most important trait that everyone should have.
“anywhere needed, at any time needed, and fight if necessary.”
I suppose a person’s personal experience colors the perspective. When I was finally accepted into the army in ‘66 I could run 10 miles faster, every day than after 6 weeks of boot camp where were did “calestenics” for 10 minutes, cleaned a rifle for 45 minutes and sat around waiting to do nothing the rest of the day in my artillery unit.
We never learned how to shoot the rifle. We never saw amunition and thus had no idea how to put it in a rifle.
Then, in ‘nam I did personnel clerk work for 1 hour and sat around bored for 23 hours a day.
Not at all like Hollywood movies.