By realism,I mean investing in common-sense regulation,rather
than going over the top.Give more flexibility to company-level
commanders and platoon commanders when running their training
excercises.Have a broad set of guidelines and a few core rules that
must be followed rather than overly thick TSR.Take a no-nonsense
professional approach to it.All it takes is a few minor changes at
the ground level and the top,a change in perspective.
And in BMT,why not investing in Simunitions
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simunition) or Airsoft tehnologies
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airsoft), as well getting Mindef to
tell the parents that while their sons are valuable,this is the
military and accidents can happen,given the vocation and sort of
roles you are training for.You can reduce this by investing in
professional NCO's with the proper
motivation.
Given that we can afford to give our overpaid ministers a 60% pay
rise over the next few years,I don't see why we can't afford to
invest in some proper training facilities and technologies for our
military.Perhaps an Airsoft or Simunitions training ground can be
made in some of the larger camps,like Seletar,Jurong and the
like.
We can also perhaps reference the Japanese military's experience
when it comes to recruiting.
Quote: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSDF)
***
In the face of some continued post-World War II public
apathy or antipathy toward the armed services, the SDF has
difficulties in recruiting personnel. The SDF has
to compete for qualified personnel with well-paying industries, and
most enlistees are "persuaded" volunteers who sign up after
solicitation from recruiters.
Predominantly rural prefectures supply military enlistees far
beyond the proportions of their populations. In areas such as
southern Kyūshū and Hokkaidō, where employment opportunities are
limited, recruiters are welcomed and supported by the citizens. In
contrast, little success or cooperation is encountered in urban
centers such as Tokyo and Osaka.
Because the forces are all volunteer and legally civilian, members
can resign at any time, and retention is a problem. Many
enlistees are lured away by the prospects of highly paying civilian
jobs, and Defense Agency officials complain of private
industries looting their personnel. The agency attempts to stop
these practices by threats of sanctions for offending firms that
hold defense contracts and by private agreements with major
industrial firms. Given the nation's labor shortage, however, the
problem is likely to continue.
Some older officers consider the members of the modern
forces unequal to personnel of the former Imperial Army
and Imperial Navy, but the SDF are generally regarded as
professional and able. Compared with their
counterparts in other nations, members of the SDF are remarkably
well educated and in good physical condition. Literacy is
universal, and school training is extensive.
Personnel are trained in the martial arts, such as judo and kendo,
and physical standards are strict. The SDF probably does not
attract the same high level of personnel as other institutions in
Japan. Graduates of the top universities rarely enter the
armed forces, and applicants to the National Defense
Academy are generally considered to be on the level of
those who apply to second-rank local universities.
***
While they are in a different context,there are similarties,and
strategies can be devised from studying their structure with
regards to recruitment,as well as increasing the prestige of the
military profession.
The 1st and 2nd bolded points are valid and should be
considered.Many of the older crop of officers consider the current
batches unequal in motivation,discipline and combat fitness to
former batches and this is true enough from all the anecdotal
evidence.
Also,they have similar problems in attracting motivated individuals
joining them,with many of the applicants they accept being seen as
subpar.[/b]
