Quote:
Originally Posted by PSM
In another thread, JJ mentioned that it's important not to confuse Butter Bars with map information. Now that's been funny all my adult life, but why is that true? I did a Google search on something today and, as usual, wandered off whatever I was actually searching for (no I wasn't an officer) and ended up reading Lt. Calley's military history. His troops complained that he was deficient in compass/map skills. Why is that? Did OCS, in his case, ROTC, or West Point not teach them LANDNAV?
One thing about the poles shifting: They have to renumber airport runways when the move half a degree.
|
I also have theorized this anomaly, And I think it's a miss-think.
Land Nav is a skill and not all "have it" nor can they be trained. This is true for butter bars and PFC's. There is a universal ratio of "have it" to "have nots", across the whole of mankind (and womankind). It's not rank sensitive, or any other filter one applies to a general population..
The butter-bar get the brunt of the jokes because they are tasked with leadership (land nav), while the PFC is not.
I was one of the "have it". I was taught by my older family members to hunt the upper NY Adirondacks as a child and land nav was a must have or get lost asset.
I also have/had an inherent affinity for spatial geometry. EG: I can land nav in the dark because I can "feel the earth"(whatever) and have good night vision. Which earned me the nickname "Scout Hog" in OCS.
Maybe Land Nav should be a pass/fail for officers basic infantry, armour and artillery course?
Or in today parlance, issue butter bars a WII GPS, a lifetime supply of batteries, and a PFC to operate said WII :]
