The concept of progressive training is solid. It is actually critical. The enemy is the manpower assignment process which is often divorced from reality. Ease for the personnel system trumps the requirements of the operational combat units. Over my 27 years in the Marine Corps we deployed with a mix of those who had been in the unit through the training progression, those who joined at various points and those who joined at the last minute. We repeatedly requested to be manned at 110% of the unit strength at the beginning so that we could deploy at 95% to 100%. In truth we got to 90% at the last minute and 20% of those in the last 60 days. Still better that individual replacement once deployed but far from ideal. No athletic team or business could prosper this way. It the operational units the price is blood and lives. Yet, it cannot be solved.
Tantalising. "The controlled action of eight independent companies in the stress of battle is a hopeless undertaking for any individual," thus the four-company structure is advocated, yet the half-company (in the 8Coy Bn) is fatally undermined by not being a defined command. I await the justification!
Also, did British recruits in 1912 serve seven years with the 'colors'? Very interesting if the o/ou divide came in later.
Without power this is wishful thinking.
The concept of progressive training is solid. It is actually critical. The enemy is the manpower assignment process which is often divorced from reality. Ease for the personnel system trumps the requirements of the operational combat units. Over my 27 years in the Marine Corps we deployed with a mix of those who had been in the unit through the training progression, those who joined at various points and those who joined at the last minute. We repeatedly requested to be manned at 110% of the unit strength at the beginning so that we could deploy at 95% to 100%. In truth we got to 90% at the last minute and 20% of those in the last 60 days. Still better that individual replacement once deployed but far from ideal. No athletic team or business could prosper this way. It the operational units the price is blood and lives. Yet, it cannot be solved.
Tantalising. "The controlled action of eight independent companies in the stress of battle is a hopeless undertaking for any individual," thus the four-company structure is advocated, yet the half-company (in the 8Coy Bn) is fatally undermined by not being a defined command. I await the justification!
Also, did British recruits in 1912 serve seven years with the 'colors'? Very interesting if the o/ou divide came in later.