Brain Fertilizer

Be prepared for the long haul.

When I entered Active Duty, it took six months to finish Basic Training, the Security Police Academy, and Air Base Ground Defense (the USAF version of advanced infantry training). After all of that, when I arrived at my first duty station, I was qualified to do nothing. Instead, I immediately had to begin another 6 month on-the job training course in order to perferm the duties appropriate to my rank.

Nothing magical happens during 2 or three months of Basic Training that turns you into a competent soldier. All that does is turn you into a competent recruit. It takes months of training in basic military skills, weapons handling, fire and movement, and more just to prepare you for the basic demands of soldiering.

Then, of course, there are the two or three years of experience and schooling that you must have before you can be promoted to the most junior NCO position.

For senior leadership positions at the regimental level and above, it takes a generation.

That's all mostly true. I disagree with a few things...it doesn't take quite as long to develop a quality officer as it does a quality NCO, in my opinion. Good officers are only good if they depend on their NCOs, anyway, but even more than that, officers are largely managers rather than tacticians, these days. You could pull a few successful businessmen into the military and at least not have a disaster.

But without a professional and trainied NCO corps, you are headed for a disaster. I don't think even most US NCOs truly realize how special and unique they are.

For the most part, officers set direction and set the standard. But it is NCOs who ensure that junior enlisted are trained to that standard and continue to meet it.

And it will take 3-5 years to get a fully trained NCO corps. The interesting thing is that after we are done in Iraq, they should have the best military in the entire region, by far.

Good luck, Iraq!