Doing PT

 SecWar Pete is taking flak from the usual suspects over insisting that every service member (including fat admirals) do hard Physical training every duty day.  Let me say this about that.

In 1973 I took basic training at Fort Knox. It was not uncommon to the the Commanding General pounding the pavement with us.  We had a horizontal ladder outside the mess hall that we had to go through, after PT, while in the breakfast line. Twice during my basic training cycle, the CG came over, talked with the trainees and had breakfast with us.

In 1990, in the runup to Desert Storm, we were training with the 5th Infantry Division at Fort Polk.  Every morning for PT, we could see the Commanding General out there sweating with the rest of us. Not uncommon at all.

Let's be fair.  Every day I was in the Army, I detested PT.  I hated running.  But, I knew the standard and met it. I was not astonished when people who would not meet the standards fell by the wayside.

Officers lead from the front.  The idea that the SecWar had to remind the flag officers of that fact is anathema to the culture of the military.  That should go unsaid. If an officer is not leading from the front, then he should trot down to the personnel office and fill out the retirement papers.

SecWar Pete should stay the course.  As my uncle, a WWII pilot told me, when you're taking flak, you are over the target.  It seems to me that Pete is directly over the target.