Article here.

I put this topic under "Big Trials" because I think basic training is a big trial, not just for celebrities, but for everyone. It is also a trial in the respect that the public will be curious if Tiger can hack it physically/mentally in the military.

I think it speaks a lot towards his character. The prospect of a rich kid who's had all the opportunity in the world meddling with the poor kids who had no other options other than the military or the fast food industry. But besides the economic angle, it's obvious that Tiger is doing this for himself. Bravo, Tiger.

Debate:

Do you believe that military training can teach you something about yourself?

What parts of military training specifically enhance character traits, or hinder character traits?

What do you think Tiger is hoping to accomplish by going to basic training?



Personally, I went to military training for 2 weeks in the summer for 3 years straight throughout high school. Voluntarily - even though it was hard, I thought it was fun. I also considered joining the swim team with former-marine Coach M akin to joining the military. My life and my ambition is the way it is today because nothing NOTHING in the world could have given me the confidence I gained by doing the things I did not believe I was able to do. I know others who did not gain anything positive from the techniques that the military uses. What is it about a person that determines his learning style, his pride, his confidence?

Do you believe that military training can teach you something about yourself?
A most emphatic yes. I joined the Army as a 17 yr old high school dropout, just starting to get into serious trouble with the law. I grew up fast, and was exposed to a more diverse group of people and situations than my high school peers, and that may still hold true today.

What parts of military training specifically enhance character traits, or hinder character traits?
Obviously many military schools and courses can bring out positive and negative character traits. The Army's Ranger School comes to mind immediately. Ranger school is at the fore of situations where a soldier will really learn what he is made of. You will learn how hard you can push your body and your mind while being sleep deprived, hungry as all getout, and placed under stressful conditions, both man made and from nature.


What do you think Tiger is hoping to accomplish by going to basic training?
Let's be clear....Tiger is basically spending a week going through a sort of 'This is the Army' introduction. I'm of the opinion that he will be treated with kid gloves, as he is a celebrity, and it's only a week long. I think he really is trying to honor his fathers service, but it also has a distinct PR angle. Other well known types have done this sort of thing in the past. It's free advertising for both the VIP and the military.

I think it can. It can possibly reveal strengths and weaknesses that i never knew i had and it can also teach the disipline i lack



Mental and physical traits are enhanced and the lack of disipline is hindered.


I think he is hoping to improve his physical skills along with his mental skills and possibly to see what our troops go through to be the best in the world.

We ain't exactly got Ted Williams here. It is a nice gesture.

Can’t answer the first one, post college I was denied entrance in the service because of a bad knee suffered playing soccer (I still don't know how they found out???).

It may sound a little biased, but in the past when I was interviewing and if the top two or three candidates were similar in technical skills and one of them had military service almost every time I went with the vet. Just a casual observation but from my experience they were more disciplined, organized, understood the work ethic and had a better grasp on team work (not to mention you could drink with them all night and they were in the office bright and early!).

For whatever reason I can’t follow the link at the moment but I did read an article in this morning’s paper where his father brought up a good point: very few talk down to Tiger because of his celebrity status, this may make him a bit more humble.

Personally I like the kid and think he’s handled his fame very well (and you can’t help but love that toothy grin of his).

I don’t know if he’s really looking for a physical advantage by going through this, he’s already in top shape, can’t remember what he benches but was shocked when they mentioned it during a tournament. And even at his young age one week isn’t really long enough to get in better shape.

Would agree with DTM, he's probably honoring his fathers service.

DTOM, I know this will shock you, but I agree with you and Hugo, here.

If you read through the article, he's not even spending a full week, and it's hardly what I went through (or you, I'm sure) in "basic training". Here's the breakdown, according to the article.

They're going to give him some basic training in how to use a couple of different weapons, and some basic understanding of field tactics. Figure a day each for these. Then they are going to send him out for a day on a "mission" with a bunch of trained Special Forces troops. Really, just a more intense version of paintball, in all honesty. Finally, they are going to give him a few instructions in skydiving and parachuting, and then give him a tandem jump. End of day four.

The last two days will be spent with him giving golf lessons to the kids of families on the base.

As you say, more of an "Introduction to the Army" than any actual tough training. Lots of good PR for Tiger and the Army both, however. Maybe they can get a couple of commercails each out of it, and that would not be a bad thing for either party.

As far as the other two questions go, military training definitely can teach you something about yourself - what you are capable of, your strengths and weaknesses, and how to work to overcome those weaknesses.

Military training will teach you discipline, work ethics, and teamwork, if nothing else, and teach it better than any sports program could ever hope to do. Character traits that will stand anyone in good stead, no matter where they end up working later in life.

I can still remember my basic training from back in 1966. That was quite a while ago,but things like that you don't forget. I believe basic training is something every young person should go thru. It teaches discipline,maturity,selflessness.

Lots of youngsters with me ask themselves what the hell they were doing in basic training when the going got tough. But after we passed that phase and learned that thru hard work there was nothing you could not accomplish, you had that feeling you had passed thru a crucial part of your life.

Now as far as Tiger going only for 1 week,I believe he is only going to recieve a token part of basic training. Maybe he needs to tone up his physical and mental aspects of his life. Alas he is still a great golfer but during the last year or so he hasn't been that far out in front of the pack, if at all.

I believe the young blonde girlfriend is probably the biggest impact on his golfing skills and wins.

I don't know honestly what to think about this. If this is some sort of a PR move on the part of the military to aid in their recruitment, then ok, that works for me and I thank Tiger Woods for helping out. If it's something else though, I'm not really thrilled with it at all. Military training has been proven to work in helping young people to learn to focus on their goals in life, develop discipline and all that goes with that. There are a number of successful programs out there like "Outward Bound" that use the same sort of model, but it seems to me that the primary purpose of military training by the military is to develop warriors, to prepare people for battle, not to help their focus when they make a 6 foot putt. So this whole thing bothers me.

Pat Tillman turned down a multi-million dollar contract offer from the St. Louis Rams (I think it was either them or the Arizona Cardinals) and left NFL football to join the US Army Rangers with his brother. He didn't do that because he wanted to be a better football player, but rather because he wanted to be an Army Ranger and a warrior. To be honest, I don't know what Tiger Woods wants to be.