Tango01 | 22 Feb 2023 8:58 p.m. PST |
"About seven months after the Army reintroduced land navigation to its Basic Leader Course, or BLC, half of the soldiers in that pilot program have failed the training. BLC is a 22-day school for the Army's junior leaders to rise to the rank of sergeant. Land navigation was brought back after a roughly four-year hiatus. The school is supposed to teach young noncommissioned officers about the service's policies, including legal authorities, processing paperwork for awards, and sexual assault and prevention efforts…" Main page link
Armand |
Raynman | 23 Feb 2023 7:43 a.m. PST |
They have GPS now! I watched a Major wander around in a field to get an exact location for our Brigade TOC. It was in the middle of a small bowl caused by hills. He got the TOC set up and when the General arrived, had him dismantle it and move it into the trees that surrounded the small valley. It was hilarious! Dependence on GPS was the bane of my existence in the military. Still train with map and compass. |
Choctaw | 23 Feb 2023 7:52 a.m. PST |
I loved land navigation in college and still use it today. |
35thOVI | 23 Feb 2023 8:51 a.m. PST |
God forbid someone set off an EMP. |
Striker | 23 Feb 2023 8:56 a.m. PST |
Years ago I read an article about the Army testing whether tech could make an average soldier equal to someone who went through training like a ranger or Spec Forces, pretty much knowledge level. The results as I recall were that tech (granted this was not today) helped but not having the background skills caused failure when the tech didn't work or worked poorly. |
Bunkermeister | 23 Feb 2023 2:38 p.m. PST |
I was really good at map reading but terrible using the compass. Math is hard. Mike Bunkermeister Creek |
Tango01 | 23 Feb 2023 2:55 p.m. PST |
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Wolfhag | 23 Feb 2023 3:01 p.m. PST |
About 10 years ago about a dozen new Marine LTs going through the Basic School cheated on their map and compass test. They were caught and discharged. Two were Naval Academy graduates and two were women. It's not that hard. Wolfhag |
Legionarius | 23 Feb 2023 4:59 p.m. PST |
I'm afraid that the young bucks don't know north from south or east from west on a map, let alone use a compass. God help us if technology fails. The same applies to calculations for artillery, rates of march, etc. |
Wolfshanza | 23 Feb 2023 11:21 p.m. PST |
A lot of the army units we worked with in RVN were seriously deficient in landnav skills :/ Right up through senior staff nco. Got some of them shot up and killed. |
Wolfhag | 24 Feb 2023 10:41 a.m. PST |
Then there is using a map for calling in arty and calling it in on your own position. Wolfhag |
Tango01 | 24 Feb 2023 3:27 p.m. PST |
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Wolfshanza | 24 Feb 2023 11:17 p.m. PST |
Yep…VT on me. Never had to do that, thank god ! |
Wolfhag | 25 Feb 2023 7:21 a.m. PST |
Wolfshanza, Remember when Gunny Howard made two requests for that when his unit was getting overrun on Hill 488? They were both denied. Wolfhag |
Wolfshanza | 27 Feb 2023 11:10 p.m. PST |
Think they had loosened up that policy by the time ah got there in late '67 ? never had to use it so can't be sure. |