Alright, so here goes my .02:
FOW Updates
Introduction of Standard Corps Day into FOW schedule Dont see how this is possible with the amount of information to and training to get done
Academic Day and EST into the daily schedule
No training during EST No clue what est is
Personal Time nightly 30 mins isnt going to kill anyone, Hell you get that at basic training
No inventory fish PFT (total of 3 to 4 PT sessions) Didn't do an APFT during FOW except contract APFT. Also didn't do a single PT session FOW. Too much to do that week. They made up for it the rest of the school year though.
No Shopping Trips (no req for standardized room items) This one makes no sense, while a pain in the ass, standardization and attention to detail were major lessons fish year,
More Team Building and Leadership Dev exercises No problems with that
No Water Fight (MU Field Meet instead) Didnt have one in fall 2000 - 2004 while i was there. Sports Comp is good, builds unity and still gives them time to cut loose
Corps Run on Friday after Thursday night Airout Corps Runs are a boof but still good experience for first major run
Remaining Corps members return Friday prior to classes Only cadre trains FOW, didnt meet all upperclassman until later that week anyways
No Freshman Convocation on Sunday prior to classes No idea what the hell this is, so New Army?
Changes to Uniform Bag
Drop Black Sweater / Poncho
Return to Winter Uniform (Pink Trousers & Gabardine Shirt)
Reduction in number of Midnight shirts / Boot pants
Bring back AG 44 jacket!! Loved it as a fish, absoultely no brass, and as a head when i carried the awards flag from time to time, no Bs top underneath when I felt I could get away with it. (flag harness, over AG44, and Duncan meant no taking off Jacket) Also we only had one set of midnights so....its ok?
2017-2018 Updates
Weekly Schedule Changes
M/W/F Morning
Corps/ROTC/Special Unit PT Sessions
ROTC PT on Thursday if Corps Run Friday
T/TH Morning
Unit Instruction / Drill / Counseling / CR events
Afternoon Training
Alternative PT Session (total of 4 PT sessions / week)
LRC / O-Course / Stamina Course / other
Intramurals
Corps Values Training
OK so, on active duty you only PT 5 days a week (unless on your own) Sems like if your contract and Rudders you get 5 days a week. O-course is good, intramurals broke up the monotony of everything. We had drill everymorning fall semester, so some PT involved in that. Hated drills on the turf field. Only really remeber "Training" time to be on Mon, Tues, and Thurs Afternoons. Even Thurs was usually outfit Sports due to lead labs. Wednesday was marathon CQ. Friday might have had some training, but usually let go early to prep for Yell and eat and stuff. Spring semester, I think I remember everyone wanting their weekends so more or less the same schedule. Mornings in the Spring were more for Outfit PT sessions instead of lets smoke the fish.
Standardized Training at the Major Unit level.
Objective
Pass PFT and meet Weight Standards duh
Proudly wear uniform & Look sharp while marching ditto
Achieve Fish-level tasks
Earn Corps Brass
Cadets trained at Major Unit level to conduct standardized training across the MU
CTOs will lead / supervise PT sessions in Aug / Sep
Max group runs < 2 miles at 8.5 to 9 min pace
MU trainers will lead / supervise PT sessions in Oct
Max group runs < 3 miles at 8.5 min pace
Unit led PT sessions in Nov (< 4 miles at 8 min pace)
No PT training sessions after Thanksgiving
Corps Brass will be conducted solely on West Campus
Wed 22 Nov (Reading Day)
Corps movement to West Campus
Designated areas for PT sessions
Brass awarded at Corps formation
Return to Quad as a Corps
Nice progression of PT. Technically 9 min miles for 4 miles is Army Standard. All that is, is easing them into it. I didnt do anything in HS so running 7 min miles off the bat would have killed me and like 90% of the fish. As far as Corps Brass, there was no Corps Brass weekend prior to 2002. The GVA had a Corps Brass Weekend in 2002 and everyone including Qs had to earn and wear it, until they got rid of that trash and wore the respeced band lyre. We survived, everyone else survived. Its going to happen around the same time anyways, so what. The reading day before T-Giving is cool. thats what it basically was anyway. Also, to back track having supervision during training is good. If not youll have people going completely ape -**** and doig dumb stuff. Guaranteed.
2017-2018 Updates in the Works
MU trainers conduct FOW Basic Skills training for all fish in the Major Unit
Cadre and Returning Cadets must pass an open book exam of the Standard and PPG
Hallway & Greeting Procedures being revamped
Duncan Dining Procedures being revamped
Learning Objectives for each class being developed; must demonstrate proficiency to earn / maintain cadet rank/pos
Freshmen promoted to PFC / Sophomores to Sergeant for Spring semester if meet promotion criteria (in development)
White Belt privileges and excusals from EST being examined for cadets under a certain GPA (similar to Sophomore year)
Requiring some sort of training for your trainers is standard data. MU commanders having to interact with their fish isnt bad either. This whole promotion thing is wierd, but also technically as fish we were all CDT PVTs, at least my door card said that. If you earn a rank wear it. It wont change anything, and Im pretty sure youll still be fish Jones in March like you were in September. Even as Whitebelts we had privelages based on Grades. If you were on Sco - Pro, you didnt get a TV (not like you couldnt watch your buddies). I doubt Zips will be sprinting in the hallways or other stuff.
In conclusion, I didnt see how outfit identity will be stripped and the Corps will fall apart. To me, I see a commanders intent. Now how you fill in the blanks will make the experience. You can be lazy and ***** and moan and just take this as the gospel, or you can be creative and still give your fish and Outfit one hell of a year. That choice is on you. The days of beating the **** out of people are over. Hell, even on Active Duty smoking your joes is dying, but you know what. Joe can push, and do sprints, and mountain climbers all day. UCMJ his ass, and take pay, time, and rank and he'll toe the fu**ing line (for the most part and will at least work hard enough to not get busted down again). Seems like alot of emphasis is being placed on MU commanders and Senior Leaders. Good! Run a battalion the Corps as the most eperienced person there, then in a few years take a Platoon, where the roles are reversed and you are the cherry and your Joes and NCOs all have more time in combat than you do in the Army. I still dont know what EST is. Anyone help? For the most part, I like the changes. Lots of good things and training can still happen, if your creative enough to try. If your lazy and say **** it, well enjoy the ride down to the bottom. FWIW, fish year was way harder than BCT, did way more PT at A&M, but in hindsight, getting smoked just because we had two hours free was pretty ****ing stupid. Wed get smoked as Heads just before training the fish just to piss us off, What good is that? AsSenior Leaders in the Corps, this is still your program. Talk with the Commandant. He gets on here and says he is approachable, and I dont think he is the kind of man to be a liar. Everything isnt always black and white. I see lots of grey area to work with to make a quality program. I still want my children to be in the Corps of Cadets, things may change for the worse one day, but its not today.