[sod98]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5392363/Army-wont-require-recruits-throw-grenade-far-enough.html
 
What next, qualifying with weapons as they are too heavy and can break your nails..................lol.

[mooxe]

In Canada we train anyone who joins the army to fire a light and medium machine gun, participate in a section attack, participate in a recce, fire a 66mm rocket launcher and a few other combat orientated tasks....

These skills are useful to infantry and other front line trades. They are not particularly useful for xray technicians, vehicle mechanics, medics, plumbers, network technicians and a whole host of other trades in the army. In fact, this training they recieve only months after joining may never be used again in thier careers. However, if they were selected to deployed on operation they could recieve the training as a prerequisite to deploy.

Further, I am sure that retention, recruitment and budgets all come in to play with any training system change.

As a side story... From my own experience training recruits to throw grenades, it can be fucking scary depending on who you have in the bay with you. Grenades on the basic course are the most stressfull weapon to learn. Its mostly because the grenade pin is crimped and takes a lot of force to pull out. Combine that with low dexterity and the whole hot potatoe deal and you come out with a very nervous student who can kill him or herself and the instructor in a few seconds. You are not permitted to "prep" the pin for an easy pull. We would always throw a minimum of two and up to four "blueberry" practice grenades to train the students. The fuse was live and would give the bang after thrown.

[dj]

Yes after witnessing some people throw (including men)  or lack thereof, I would also be terrified to practice grenade throwing with some of those people.

And after USA has been in constant stay of war for close to 20 years now with multiple deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq yet again...we are running out of qualified recruits.  I heard in the South they have difficulty even finding recruits than are physically fit, yet alone strong enough to throw grenade safe distance.  Not enough young people too.  We might start letting the illegals enlist in exchange for citizenship soon like the Romans.

[sod98]

DJ  - Is that a society issue where Joe Public today isn't the same physically fit able person of previous years. Or are we more tolerant of less abled person's and willing to change the rules to suit them. Thus degrading what was formerly a high standard to a average required to pass. I think the issues of 20 plus years of conflicts without satisfying results stops those with choices from enlisting while leaving the bottom of the barrel to fill the gaps certainly.

[mick_xe5]

[JFFulcrum]

Many peoples have troubles with throwing  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJav-a3WLhI

[sod98]