Bowser, being of the same generation and experience as myself, speaks pure truth.

When we got fresh fish we didn’t get to close for a while, to often they went to a MASH, or were bagged in a few days, if they made it a month or so, they usually made it through.

High-tech warfare does allow for better survival rates for newbies, while the high tech phase is going on.

But when you start putting boots on the ground in the hot zone, you’re back to the same attrition rate.

There’s no amount of training, education, or indoctrination that can teach anyone how to survive the fog of war when it gets down and dirty. The training can improve the odds, equipment can help. But no one knows how they will react to true imminent danger while under fire until they are there. Only experience.