Mandatory Fun

Time and again, grumbles can be heard and felt whenever required group development is scheduled that is outside of normal operations. Whether the requirement is meant to build unit cohesion, improve physical fitness, or just inspire a competitive spirit, the initial reaction of most military members is, “Ugh.” People arrive at the specified location in the designated uniform. Some people are ready to go, and others are clearly just there because they have to be. But in my twenty years of military experience, I can’t recall a time when at the conclusion of said required development training, there weren’t smiles seen and laughter heard from the masses.

Despite the collective sigh that echoes across the ranks whenever “mandatory fun” hits the schedule, there’s something quietly powerful about it. Somewhere between the awkward icebreakers, the inevitable competition, and the inside jokes that form along the way, people connect. Barriers drop. You see personalities come out that you’d never catch in a formal meeting or during a normal duty day. And those small moments — the laughter, the teamwork, the shared memories — are what build trust when it really counts.

Recently, I scheduled my squadron’s first real, group PT session since I’d been in command. After I relayed my expectations for this event and that I was also a track coach in my spare time, I could hear a member ask her supervisor, in an almost quivering whisper, “What about my profile?” I couldn’t resist and interjected, “Don’t worry about it. Just get there.” I could clearly see that this member, along with others, were worried about what their commander/coach had in store for them. I admit, I somewhat enjoyed watching them get all angsty. People should get uncomfortable now and then. It builds resilience. Hours later, the squadron arrived on time. They lined up into six groups and commenced the cardio and calisthenic program I had planned. It only took five minutes for their anxiety to dwindle as many of them started hooting and cheering each other on at each iteration. At the conclusion, members came up to me and thanked me for a good workout. And although I did want them to burn some calories and get their heartrate up, the event was really about teamwork and fun.

“Mandatory fun” often gets a bad reputation because it’s, well, mandatory. Nobody likes being told to relax on command. But the truth is, military life doesn’t naturally lend itself to balance. Between deployments, long hours, and constant transitions, it’s easy for people to forget how to genuinely enjoy being part of a team. These events, awkward as they might start, remind us that behind every rank and role is a human being who thrives on connection.

At its core, required group development isn’t about forcing fun — it’s about creating the conditions for it. It’s leadership’s way of ensuring that morale and cohesion don’t take a back seat to the mission. Because when the mission gets tough (and it always does), those shared moments of laughter and connection become the glue that holds a team together.