Academy.
This is coolbert:
I see where they have had another cheating scandal at the Air Force Academy.
This sort of thing, I am sure, occurs at all the military academies. BUT, for some reason, the Air Force Academy seems to have this bad experience happen on what resembles almost a clockwork basis. Very much more often, and then on a much wider scale.
"Honor scandals
The first Honor scandal broke in 1965, when a resigning cadet reported knowing of more than 100 cadets who had been involved in a cheating ring. 109 cadets were ultimately expelled. Cheating scandals rocked the Academy again in 1967, 1972, 1984, 2004 and 2007."
In this particular case, the accusation is against a bunch of cadets. NOT just an isolated incident with an isolated individual. Again, this also seems to fit a pattern that exists at the Air Force Academy.
I am generalizing here too much??!!
All the various service academies put their recruits through a grueling regimen of military training AND rigorous academics at the same time. JUST TO GAIN ENTRY to a military academy is a splendid achievement in itself. A survival of the fittest academically from the high school level to the military academy environment.
My guess is that the stress is just enormous for all these cadets/students. Workload is unrelenting and the desire to succeed and do well is constantly stressed.
"alleged excessive pressures that the academic system at the time placed on cadets"
Too many cadets just fall prey to weakness and cannot keep up and seek a way out.
Especially in the Air Force Academy?? The Air Force likes to think itself as being on the cusp of technology and science, etc. The academics is MORE science and math based and HARDER!!
[this particular cheating involved general knowledge of the Air Force AND WAS NOT ACADEMICALLY RELATED TO THE FOUR YEAR CURRICULUM!!]
coolbert.
Labels: USAF
4 Comments:
Not having general knowledge of the branch of the military you are in is something I could expect of the Marines, and maybe the Army, but the Air Force? They are supposed to be the sharpest tools in the shed. I was sure that all of us in the army were idiots for having to walk everywhere or ride in a bumpy, uncomfortable, cramped, loud and dirty truck or APC instead of flying above all the mud in a nice plane.
None of these cadets knew that they are the guys who wear the blue suits and fly those planes and things!? All of us dim bulbs in the infantry just keep looking better and better every day!
7:44 AM
This is Bert: This test sounds like the sort of stuff you used to get years ago in Army basic training. The Code of Conduct, the regulations of walking a guard post, the badges of rank, the Chain of Command, the types of chemical agents, etc. General knowledge everyone is supposed to know. NOT science and math stuff.
7:55 AM
This is Bert: What number of tasks does an infantryman need to know to do his job? About 150 total? And if you are crew man in a Bradley or a member of team carried by a Bradley, you must do the cleaning, the preventative maintenance, etc, on that vehicle. Even more knowledge just to do the basic job than beyond the normal infantry tasks. And that does include the physical stuff the soldier has to do.
7:57 AM
Let's be generous and say that you need to know 200 tasks to do your job as an infantryman. It still isn't rocket science. Granted soldiering has gotten more complex over the years, but basic principles remain the same, in my opinion. The services have gotten millions of people and taught them to be effective at what they are assigned to do whether it is maintaining vehicles, sniping, cooking, looking at a radar screen or thousands of other tasks. The more I think about it, I am beginning to believe these cadets took that basic stuff you mentioned not too seriously. I am willing to bet the attitude was one of "I'll be a pilot or officer so who needs it? That's for enlisted types, etc..." Well then, those are people who I would not want in a command position of any kind, especially if they were commanding me. That could get you killed real fast.
I don't want to knock the air force too hard, because many of them have a very dangerous job. I would not want to be a captured bomber pilot or have my aircraft shot down in any way, shape or form. Pilots are not popular with the bombed population and military forces. But I think they have gotten a bit arrogant at times because they are the most powerful air wing in the world, ever. I think they believe that most problems can be solved with enough technology and quickly to boot. Unfortunatly, these cadets let themselves get lazy and now they are paying for it. It is hard to imagine a greater personal shame. Once again, in my opinion.
1:23 PM
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