Originally Posted by Albief15

I went to UPT in the 80s, and my perception was this:

In the academic phase, in the academic building--you better do things the right way, integrity first, etc etc. Do your own work, learn this stuff, and compete for top academic honors.

Once on the flightline, with weekly EPE tests, it was a "cooperate and graduate" exercise. We were actually ADMONISHED when one or two weak sisters were struggling on these tests while the rest of us made 100s. We were put on formal release, chastised for not taking care of our classmates, etc. Copy--lesson learned and applied ASAP! (The fact the USEM would leave the EPE test in the Flt CC office, in the open, on top of a desk, etc should NOT be construed as encouraging--right?). Class starts to make 100s. IPs happy. Students happy. Lesson learned--take care of the team and work together!

Funny thing is I never had a problem with this set of mixed messages. The academic environment was just that--a place where we were expected to learn, study, and apply the lessons to our training.

The flight line was the start of the "this is what is means to be a warrior" mindset. Warriors work together, take care of each other, and are only as strong as the weakest link. The wink wink/nudge nudge wasn't hard to understand from the IPs, but I never was confused that the cooperate/graduate model was to be applied there, and not in other areas. Like flying, there was judgement involved.

My understanding is later in the late 90s or early 2000s the **** hit the fan for the same type deal in UPT. Zero tolerance equals zero tolerance. Again--I we worked together at survival training, we worked together in combat, and I never saw the issue as the whole EPE gig was just to keep you in the books, not to stratify you from your peer group.

Anyone else from that era have similar memories or am I just AFU?