Yes, your tax dollars pay for Army recruiters to play Dolvett Quince or Jillian Michaels to whip could-be recruits into shape with the hope they can diet and exercise their way to become real recruits. If they lose enough weight, they’re sent to boot camp. Some make it; many don’t. But, General Batschelet told me the Army must try.
“We are the premier leader on personal development in the world,” he told me. “We want to see you grow and become a leader. That is a great strength in our Army.”
Except the Army never considered the type of growth it’s now contending with. Nowadays “personal development” means working on both character and … girth. The general, along with so many others in this country, is struggling with why so many Americans, despite all the warnings, continue to eat too much and exercise too little.
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