Adapting the Fitness Report: Evolving an Intangible Quality into a Tangible Evaluation...To Further Emphasize the Importance of Adaptive Leadership We Must Bring it to a Measurable Format to Aid Combat Leaders for Future Operations

摘要

Despite the ever-changing face of war, the environment in which it is fought, and the people who fight it, the Marines Corps' ultimate goals of leadership have not changed: mission accomplishment and troop welfare. However, accomplishing these goals is becoming more and more difficult because of the uncertainty involved in battling enemies such as guerrillas, terrorists, and insurgents. The ability to adapt to one's environment is more important than ever. The current approach to Marine training includes initial training, follow- on schools, and Professional Military Education (PME). Each of these trainings has a segment that focuses on a person's ability to adapt and grading criteria to evaluate the ability to adapt. However, these evaluation criteria have not made their way to the most important leader evaluation tool -- the fitness report (fitrep). The United States Marine Corps must add a category to the fitness report to assess a Marine's ability to adapt to an uncertain environment for the following reasons: throughout history successful military organizations have evaluated and rewarded adaptive traits and leadership, the Army and Marine Corps have recently recognized the importance of adaptive leadership training, and adaptive leadership must be emphasized and measured because current and future operations are calling for it. In summary, the ability to adapt must be identified, harnessed, improved, and evaluated to prepare the leaders of today and tomorrow. Where to start. Put the evaluation of adaptation in black and white, let someone see what it means to be adaptable, add a new block to the Fitness Report.