PMedMoe said:
I know a few people that went through (insert applicable course here), and most of them are still stupid as anything...
Works both ways, people. As I said, you can get a person fit but you can't make stupid smart.
The post from lpfan55 is not a good example of how beneficial RFT is. I could care less how much he improved his fitness level because in the end, he was still released. MediPea is a much better example. Of course, with the new "minimum" standard that one must meet at the start of BMQ, lpfan55 would not have even made it to RFT. On that note, why can't they get the "minimum" testing done at the CFRC?
To tell you the truth, I'm shocked that at 5'11" and 330 lbs, lpfan55 even made it past the medical at CFRC. (Please accept an apology in advance as I am not picking on you personally, more so on the staff at the CFRC).
Moe,
RFT saved me from getting booted after my first year because I was irresponsible and lazy during university, and I sure learned my lesson. I haven't failed a PT test since.
I agree with some of what you're saying. I definitely think we should implement the minimum testing at CFRC to avoid the expense of sending these people out to St-Jean only to get sent home. Economy is everything, and at least taking that measure can cut some losses.
[RANT]
However;
One could argue that perhaps it was uneconomical to send lpfan55 to St-Jean for his tenure at RFT only to get released. Yes, it was one more adding to the pass:fail ratio, but that's not necessarily a bad thing all the time. As many have told me, CF is all about attitude. Definitely lpfan55 wants to be in the CF bad enough that he's going to do whatever it takes to get there. No, he might not have been so lucky the first time around, but now he's got the tools to make things right the second time around.
What happens when someone like lpfan55 stays the course, gets back in, passes their courses, and becomes an effective soldier? I would say that the first tenure was then quite economical. He's now got the tools to keep an effective fitness level throughout his career, and I'm sure he'll have learned his lesson.
As far as I'm concerned, even if someone does a tenure in RFT and doesn't come back for whatever reason, at least there is a chance they will take fitness seriously in their civilian life, and given the obesity epidemic in Canada, that might very well at least be a good thing for Canadian society. Perhaps not as economical for the military, but at least it keeps them out of the healthcare system... hopefully.
I think putting a dollar value on personnel is just not a good idea at all. How many MNVG's/Leo 2's/CF-18's is anyone on this board worth? Big deal, equipment is great, but pretty darned useless if there's no one to make use of it. We need people, and if that means giving a certain bracket of society at least a chance, so be it.
[/RANT]
