NEWSWIRE: 1/9/2020
- U.S. Army basic training is no longer initiated by the “shark attack”: the traditional longtime rite of passage in which teams of drill sergeants yell in new recruits’ faces. The training process has been overhauled to focus instead on getting recruits to work in teams and complete an operation together. (Christian Science Monitor)
- NH: The military has always tailored its approach to the current generation of young recruits. In the 1980s and 1990s, the Army embraced the Xer “warrior mentality.” Young Xers weren’t turned off by screaming officers who told them they were worthless. They relished tough love. But as soon as young Millennials started showing up around 2000, the approach clearly started to misfire. Young recruits started dropping out--and Boomer parents started threatening to sue. (See “Military Doing an About-Face.”)
- For the last twenty years, I have consulted with both the Army and USMC "TRADOC" (training and doctrine command) on how the services should refashion their approach. I suggested their brands needed to focus more on service and community--and less on adventure and careerism. Breaking kids down and remaking them into gladiators worked well enough for young Xers with low self-esteem. But Millennials think they're pretty good already and just need to be improved--which is why they respond better to coaching than to intimidation.
- Indeed, despite initial resistance, the military has been steadily transforming its brand and doctrine in just this direction. Soon after 9/11, incredibly, the drill sergeants began thanking new recruits for volunteering at a time of war as soon as they got off the buses. Many other changes soon followed: ensuring physical safety, citizenship training, massive outreach and collaboration with parents... and even "pre-boot camp" training for recruits to improve themselves before they ever get to boot camp!
- These generational trends will likely slow down a bit as first-wave Homelanders come of age. The only difference, by the late 2020s, will be that parents and the public will take all of these changes for granted.
Did You Know?
- Higher Education Sees Lower Fees. It only took a global pandemic—but at some U.S. colleges, the cost of tuition is finally going down. According to Bloomberg, the trend is mostly concentrated among small schools, which with enrollment numbers plunging are cutting tuition and fees anywhere from 15% to 25% to attract students. Southern New Hampshire University offered this fall’s new freshmen a free first year and is discounting tuition by 50% next fall. Oberlin College is offering merit scholarships to every new student, effectively cutting tuition by $10,000. In recent months, some big-name schools—including Princeton, Johns Hopkins, and Georgetown—slashed tuition by 10% in response to pressure from students and parents after classes were moved online. Others, including the College of William & Mary and Davidson College, decided to freeze tuition. Undergraduate enrollment fell by 3.6% this fall, according to the National Student Clearinghouse, with most of the decline occurring at community colleges (where enrollment fell by more than 10%).
