US army overhauls basic training because new recruits weakened by computer games
npr.org
npr.org
In some unmarked grave, the minerals of the rotting bones of a Roman General are moving.
I.e. how much have the kids entering the armed forces today been wrapped in cotton batting and therefore not had much of an active outdoor life?
I mean, I read about them being escorted to and from school bus stops, how it's actionable if they aren't under supervision until they're quite old (> 10), etc.
I'm an old fart who was born in 1960 when Eisenhower was still president, and their lives, in terms of activities, style of competition, etc. sound radically different.
(In general, of course, there will be exceptions.)
As far as that poor Roman General mentioned by run4yourlives, this sort of thing has been going on for a long time. E.g. the NRA was established after the Civil War to try to address the lack of marksmanship skills that Northern recruits brought with them compared to previous generations.
My point is the observance of a trend that is pretty much the same now as it was then; I'm not saying that America is going to be gone tomorrow.
A failure of will? A lack of resources for whatever reason, perhaps including capable and loyal troops? I can't remember if that was addressed in what I read of the book, but in our case, we seem to be doing OK in terms of the output of our recruiting and training. E.g. this article is apparently not about lowering standards but about adjusting training to achieve acceptable standards at the end of it.