Posted on 02/10/2018 6:26:58 AM PST by Strac6
The U.S. Army will soon launch a redesign of Basic Combat Training intended to build more discipline after many commanders complained that new soldiers often show up to their first units with a sloppy appearance and undisciplined attitudes.
The program will also feature three new field training exercises that place a greater emphasis on forcing recruits to demonstrate Warrior Tasks and Battle Drills, the list of key skills all soldiers are taught to survive in combat.
The new program of instruction is the result of surveys taken from thousands of leaders who have observed a trend of new soldiers fresh out of training displaying a lack of obedience and poor work ethic as well as being careless with equipment, uniform and appearance,
"What leaders have observed in general is they believe that there is too much of a sense of entitlement, questioning of lawful orders, not listening to instruction, too much of a buddy mentality with NCOs and officers and a lot of tardiness being late to formation and duties,"
"The other big piece we are doing in Basic Combat Training that helps with the esprit de corps and the discipline aspect and also lends a measure of grit and resilience to [BCT] is we have three major field training exercises that we are going to do now. We are calling them the Hammer, the Anvil and the Forge," Frost said, describing how the final Forge FTX is an homage to the Army's historic ties to Valley Forge.
"That is going to be a culminating FTX which is a graduation requirement. It will be an 81-hour field training exercise with about 40 miles of tactical road marching that is conducted through a series of tactical events and mini field training exercises."
(Excerpt) Read more at military.com ...
It seems that they had to call paramedics to the scene. Several students "collapsed from exhaustion and exertion" before they reached the high school.
Five blocks. In Florida, in February.
Oh yeah, the leaders of tomorrow!
We are so screwed.
I did BCT in 1979. I believe my platoon was one of the first with ‘integrated’ male/female soldiers.
About midway through the cycle the Drill Sergeants told us to NOT call them Drill Sergeant anymore but just Sergeant. You could just see the contempt dripping from their lips as they told us this.
Of course none of us could just call them ‘Sergeant’ after saying ‘Drill Sergeant’ for so long. As opposed to any other transgressions, we would not be dropped for our faux pax, just a quick smile and correction were sufficient.
I don’t have any first-hand or second-hand experience, but would that training plan and set of standards have been too high, and had to have been done in a time frame which would have led to that platoon being burned out?
In 1992 in San Vito AS Italy, during a Unit Effectiveness Inspection, we simulated a Code Red whereas all non-essential personnel had to evacuate the compound and go to the base theater in MOPP gear.
Some of these morons got in their cars and attempted to drive the few blocks to the theater!!!
Of course the exercise team had a car bomb simulation in the parking lot, so all the dummies “died” and had to spend the rest of the day in their MOPP gear in the hot, Italian sun.
The Commander was furious, and that’s the only time I EVER saw a First Sergeant (who in battle staff was in charge of the non-essentials), get a royal chewing out.
We did a similar exercise again the next day, and the First Sergeant had them form up in formation and MARCH to the theater. Pretty funny for the Air Force, most who hadn’t marched since basic!
Yup. Said that the day he pulled his stunt. Much of the rest of the flag and Mattie did about the same thing though.
Trump shocked me letting them get away with it.
We had a unit, the 6911ESS, at facility called Metro-Tango on Hahn. We closed it around—I don’t remember 1990, maybe a year or two earlier or later?
Around that time or shortly afterward, I went to our HQs, the 26 Intelligence Wing at Ramstein in 1992, from the 6917 ESG in San Vito, Italy. Several of the airmen under me where from MT. Good folks.
Unreal.
It is good to see another Recon soldier who survived the Ashua alive and well here on FreeRepublic!
He was a good mix of tough and fair.
I was already tough when I got there. Was raised by a Mustang Naval Officer who brooked no nonsense. Started working on commercial boats when I was 15. Boot camp at 19 was a picnic.
Did Basic and AIT at Fort Knox (1964-1965) We were housed in the WWII temporary barracks.
I got you beat on getting my MOS changed - was an Armor Scout (17th Cav) but upon arriving in Viet Nam reassigned to the Infantry - now that was some ON THE JOB TRAINING.
You definitely got me beat for OJT. We were in the ‘same’ WWII temp barracks in 73. I believe they were finally torn down in the 1980s.
Did they ask anyone if they wanted to be “firemen”?
Some volunteered only to discover a fireman is the guy that shoveled coal in the furnace. We also had “firewatch”. Because the buildings were so old there was a risk of fire so someone had to be awake during the night. Two hours on four off.
When ever I smell coal burning I immediately think of Fort Knox.
“Army Basic in Ft Knox in 1981. US Coast Guard Basic in Cape May in 1986. (Any body else do it twice?)”
A buddy of mine joined the army out of high school. Basic at Fort Knox.
I got to go with his mom to his graduation.
One of the men in his unit was a three’fer.
Eight years in the navy, got out, decided civilian life wasn’t for him.
Joined the Marines. Served two terms and decided to try civilian life again. He still hated it.
He joined the army determined to never leave.
So this guy went through basic with three different services.
IIRC he came out of Fort Knox a SGT.
I asked him why he didn’t return to the navy or Marines.
He said the navy wasn’t What he was looking for and by the time he was ready for the army he wanted to be the only person he knew to go through basic in the army, marines and navy.
Surely you remember having to stand naked in line with you chin pointed over your left shoulder as the doc made his way down the line from the right. I heard a little scuffling sound, then the doc said, “I hope you’re enjoying this, son, because I’m not.” [USN 1961-65]
4 years of being a Tanker was great but was enough. I dropped back down to E-3 from E-5 in the Army but had it all back shortly. Coast Guard basic was a walk in the park comparatively.
Yes, we had “Fire Watch” every night in those old WWII barracks. It was summer when I went through basic, so there was no need for ‘firemen’ for the furnaces. My first memory of a call for ‘firemen’ was my first trip to Hohenfels as the FO for B/1/32 AR. It was the summer of 1976 and the ‘firemen’ stoked the furnace to heat the water for the mess hall and showers. We lived in GP mediums on concrete tent pads.
For any other artillerymen. I was with C/2/27 FA at Friedberg, Germany, but attached to B/1/32 as its FO.
Thanks for your service, as outlined at post #92.
Never saw a burned out basic training platoon ever. When I went thru in 70 during Vietnam, I thought it was easier than high school football or cross country camp. When I was chaplain for a bct at Ft Knox in early 90s never had a single complaint about burnout. It was mostly homesickness missing wife or girlfriend.
My buddy drove a tank!
He spent four years in Germany, loved it so much he married a German girl.
I think it was the beer and willing German girls that kept him there.
He told me about being on maneuvers in Germany.
A German farmer would rush out towards the tank and start pointing at a barn.
His CO would give the ok and by the time he was finished the barn would be rubble.
He figured over time half the barns in the German countryside were rebuilt by US taxpayers.
As to CG basic, after four years in the army how hard could it be?
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