How to fix the Army in 66 easy steps (I)

By "Petronius Arbiter"

Best Defense department of Army affairs

A few small things, some annoyances, and some big fixes that
could make a good Army better:

Philosophy

CSA
position needs to be Commandant-like, commanding the Army, not just directing
the Army staff, assigning Generals or formulating the Army budget. Army
structure should empower him to do so.

Don't
be afraid to admit mistakes, acknowledge that the institution made a mistake
and then fix it, even if it means going back to the way something was in the
past or even getting a black eye.

Do
not, I say again, do not, have a regulation/policy/or law that you are
unwilling or reluctant to enforce; examples, enforcement of the height/weight
program, or the prohibition of cell phone use in moving autos. To do less is to
violate the first principle of leadership and makes a mockery of the
institution. Enforce unilaterally, not out of convenience. Perfect example is
the inability to enforce the Army height/weight standards in order to maintain
force structure manning for deployments. Cynics develop over things like that.

Eliminate
NCO business or NCO time as an institutional mantra. It becomes Army business
or all our business, focused on one solution and focus.

Do
nothing in the Army that does not build soldiers' and officers' confidence in
themselves and their units.