Especially if they have a compass.
Me, too. Back in my day, it took two years to swap the butter bar out for a silver bar. It didn't start clicking for me until I flunked my first ARTEP...looking back on my mistakes, it was like a big light came on. I was fine after that. Especially if they have a compass.
That shouldn't be a problem anymore...I thought a GPS device was now standard issue. If it isn't, it should be!
Didn't need a compass or map where I was stationed at in Germany. After about two weeks, I knew where my primary and secondary positions were. It took me about four weeks to know where the best gasthauses und bacherei were in the closest towns.
Damn, I loved being a platoon leader! Whenever the Air Force had their alerts, battalion (and group) had to leave us alone, as we came under the direct command of the Wing Cdr. With the possible exception of a routine visit from the USAFE/NATO evaluators, Tac Evals were pretty close to being a 4 day camping trip. Of course, we caught hell when it was over, as we had to make up the Army requirements.
A few years later, as Battalion S-4, I used that knowledge to lay out a sophisticated scenario for my logistical briefings during our Battalion ARTEP. After my first briefing, the Group S-3 asked me "how the heck did you come up with that BS?". I simply replied, "Colonel, I've lived here for four years, and spent thousands of hours getting to know this area, and its people. I applied that knowledge with my boss' demands to be imaginative and innovative, and I believe I met his challenge."
The "Old Man" had a big grin on his face...later, I worked for him for another two years back at Fort Bliss.