“Let’s get down to some specifics here and see how this works. The three-meter wall is a problem.”
He pointed at the offending obstacle, and the Legionnaires nodded, a few grimacing wryly.
“It’s obvious just from looking at it that if you’ve got the height and the strength, you can go over it. But if you don’t, you’re stuck. That may be true for a pack of individuals, but we’re not. We’re a team, and we don’t leave teammates behind or let them get stuck just because they aren’t tall. Forget getting you over it and start thinking about getting us over it. If someone was to get on top and stay there to give a hand up to those coming after him, everyone could get over a lot easier. Better still, if some of you heavyweights were to make a staircase with your shoulders, we could go over this thing without breaking stride. Again, the idea is to maximize what you can do, not to let yourself get defeated by what you can’t do.”
There were smiles in the ranks now. The irrepressible energy of the captain was having its effect, and the Legionnaires were starting to believe they could beat the system.
“Another example,” Phule continued. “Some of you are slower than others. The Sinthians in particular are not built for speed. Well, being slow is nothing to be ashamed of, especially when it’s a factor of your physical build. They should no more have to suffer from not being fast than the rest of us have to be embarrassed by not being able to fly. It’s a problem to be dealt with. We help them deal with it because they’re our teammates. If there’s a situation like this course, where time is important and we don’t want them to fall behind, help them along. Carry them if you have to, even if it means doubling up on some of the field packs. Remember, our goal is to be efficient, and we’ll do whatever is necessary to get the job done. Now, let’s take a look at some of these other obstacles …”