Things that don't make sense...
1) The PFT. Wars are not fought in a t-shirt, shorts, and sneakers. How is evaluating someone's performance in that scenario a good of evaluation of if they are prepared for the rigors of combat?
2) The CFT. A huge improvement over the PFT, but why is it done with no gear on?
3) Rifle Qualification. Is it relevant at all to modern combat? You will never exchange fire without gear on and with your arm in a sling like you do on the range.
4) Emphasis on Drill in Boot Camp. Drill is important for ceremonies and marching is the only acceptable way to move squads and larger units around without looking like a big cluster****. But why is there such a huge emphasis on Drill in Boot Camp instead of combat training or PT? I've read several things concerning Drill and most claim that learning Drill improves the morale of the unit and conditions Marines to instantly obey commands. The latter part I agree with, but in my experience, most of my platoon was only concerned about Drill because our SDI was really into it.
I'd greatly appreciate the insight of senior Marines, especially those who have done DI tours and/or have combat experience.