Boot Camp Innovation

The Acme Private Defense Company, a parody, I think, unless someone actually offers me a job to research the possibilities that I am now going to lightheartedly blog about, started me thinking about boot camp. It's frightfully socialist, and even good little Republicans won't blink twice while telling you with all sincerity that the way to make a good soldier is to tear him down, teach him to think as part of the collective, etc...

What if it's not true? What if those who believe so ardently in the state are blinded by their collectivist notions?

Training and teaching are notoriously hidebound. If innovation comes and it is outside of the classroom model, educators are likely to ignore it. Luckily we have the internet, homeschoolers, etc... We can learn what's better. But how do we test innovation in military training? If we can get people physically and mentally fit, even capable of taking orders in a better way than boot camp, how would we find that out? Blackwater and other private companies take soldier coming out of pre-existing militaries; as far as I know, no company has taken on basic training.

I'm just making a guess, but I think the main innovation would come in psychological or neurological training. That said, just from my experience with the Shangri-la diet, I know there are powerful ways to change body composition that people are NOT taking advantage of. Imagine training so good that people would actually pay to go through it- and I am not talking about athletes here either. I'd know the training was really effective if a bunch of fat kids showed up. You know, the ones who do want to get healthier but are sick and tired of the crap they have to put up with whenever they get near any exercise equipment.