Quote:
Originally Posted by jsragman
Wherever you go, your grades will be one of the most important factors, so make sure you start off on the right foot.
-Derek
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I have issues with this metric. I've trained over 700 lieutenants in the past 15 months as a senior trainer and the final evaluator in their BOLC III journey and booksmarts have very seldom translated to tactical success. I've found (not as a rule, but a generalization) that those with a 4.0 have a hell of a time making a decision under stress. Why?
Because colleges have transitioned to teaching people what to think, not how to think.
We get a good deal of them back on the path to success, but some are beyond hope. We eliminate them from service.
Remember this: You're Soldiers are going to give two s#!ts whether you passed Calculus 2 with an A+. They want to know that you can make the decision in contact to keep them alive or not.
8 or 9 years ago HRC decided that gradepoint was the most important factor behind (for ROTC students) MSIII Advanced training and your evaluation from your Professor of Military Science. I had a 2.6 (I was a Criminal Justice major and had too much fun partying), was not well liked by my PMS (because I was on academic probation twice), but did very well at camp. I got my second choice: Corps of Engineers. My first choice : Infantry.
After three years as a very successful combat engineer, I branched transfered to Armor and became a very successful cavalryman. I may not have been a Rhodes Scholar, but I am good at what I do.
I'll leave you with this, and it's something I tell my armor lieutenant students right before they graduate. Somewhere on this earth there are 15-30 souls who have no idea who you are, nor do you know who they are. Long ago your paths set out on azimuths that intersect in the future. Soon your paths will cross and everything you do or do not do will contribute to their success or demise. They will be your Soldiers and you will be their platoon leader. Before you rack out for the night think of them. Always keep them in the front of your mind because they are the ONLY reason you have a job. Take care of them and they will take care of you. The deserve the best. Offer them nothing short of the best.