Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Army’s basic training prep course to become permanent part of recruiting strategy
Stars & Stripes ^ | 1/8/2023 | DOUG G. WARE

Posted on 09/04/2023 11:59:37 AM PDT by CodeToad

WASHINGTON – A remedial course designed to prepare potential Army recruits for basic training will become a permanent part of the service’s strategy in overcoming its sagging enlistment numbers, officials said.

The Army’s Future Soldier Preparatory Course was launched at Fort Jackson, S.C., in August 2022 as an experiment to help young Americans qualify physically and academically for military service. With higher obesity rates in America and fewer young people qualified to meet the Army’s entry standards, the service hoped the course would give those who don’t qualify much-needed time and training to get in shape. Service leaders said the yearlong test has worked.

The Army said it has had a 95% graduation rate from the prep course since the program started, a figure that service leaders called “an overwhelming level of success.” The results led the service to open the course at a second base — Fort Moore, Ga. — earlier this year. Officials said further expansion is possible.

...

The success of the course comes at a time when the Army has faced substantial obstacles in recruiting. The service is aiming to sign 65,000 new recruits in fiscal 2023, which ends Sept. 30, but officials have already said they will come up a few thousand soldiers short. All branches of the military have encountered recruiting challenges, largely because fewer than 25% of Americans between the ages of 17 and 24 can meet the requirements to join the military, according to Pentagon data.

Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said recently that the service will bring in more soldiers in 2023 than it did in 2022, when it enlisted about 45,000 new recruits against a goal of 60,000. Wormuth said the total for 2023 will be between 50,000 and 55,000 recruits.

(Excerpt) Read more at stripes.com ...


TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: basictraining; military; recruitment; usarmy
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-69 next last
To: Bonemaker

...I could not agree with you more....!! Saaayyyy..wasn’t Fort Jackson one of the Army installations that underwent a recent name change.....now Fort Obama or something like that...??

(BTW....a proud United States Air Force retiree here.....)


21 posted on 09/04/2023 12:51:52 PM PDT by TokarevM57
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: CodeToad
The Army has been handing out ASVAB waivers for quite some time. Recently, they lowered the minimum score. I guess the idea is to reduce the number of waivers by accepting absolute bottom of the barrel recruits. It’s not going to help recruiting numbers. Young men from military families are not looking to be surrounded by fat stupid chits. It’s a very real danger.

In any endeavor, military or not, the raising of standards will attract more applicants/recruits.

22 posted on 09/04/2023 12:53:08 PM PDT by ConservativeInPA (The Delay Trump’s trial, delay. Elect Trump President. Trump pardons himself. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Bonemaker
Basic2 training
23 posted on 09/04/2023 12:55:18 PM PDT by Reynoldo (BurnLootMurder)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: CodeToad

ROTFL! An Army first. We’re scrapin’ the bottom of the barrel now. Didn’t even have to do this when we had the draft. The U.S. Army looks like the cafeteria at the U.N. at lunch time. Or maybe the Star Wars Cantina scene. Now we know why the Ukies are kick the Russkis asses. They’re going to kick our asses next if the Red Chinese or North Koreans don’t get to us first.


24 posted on 09/04/2023 12:57:25 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Jock itch and toe jam are racist!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: silverleaf

aka Dead-Start. Take a piece of meat with two eyes and turn them into an Army recruit. LOL.


25 posted on 09/04/2023 1:00:08 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Jock itch and toe jam are racist!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator

John Candy was a genuinely funny guy. Chris Farley, not so much.

Farley falls into the lazy late-SNL tactic of screaming so the audience laughs nervously. The only guy who could pull that off was Sam Kinison.


26 posted on 09/04/2023 1:07:55 PM PDT by Fido969 (45 is Superman! )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: FlingWingFlyer

....remember that Army recruiting slogan from some decades back.....

“Be all you can be!” ..........yeah....sure.....


27 posted on 09/04/2023 1:07:59 PM PDT by TokarevM57
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: Skywise

Public schools are working exactly as planned.


28 posted on 09/04/2023 1:10:46 PM PDT by yuleeyahoo (The nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master and deserves one. Hamilton)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: CodeToad

Sad.

5.56mm


29 posted on 09/04/2023 1:13:56 PM PDT by M Kehoe (Quid Pro Joe and the Ho have got to go)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TokarevM57

You can bet the first thing they cover in this recruit Dead-Start Program is helping them determine their correct “unassigned” gender so the proper adjustments can be made to their “mess kit”.


30 posted on 09/04/2023 1:14:22 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Jock itch and toe jam are racist!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: M Kehoe

Ain’t no use in looking down, ain’t no discharge on the ground.

Ain’t no use in looking back, Jody’s got your Cadillac.

Sound off 1 2, sound off 3 4...

5.56mm


31 posted on 09/04/2023 1:17:27 PM PDT by M Kehoe (Quid Pro Joe and the Ho have got to go)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: ProtectOurFreedom
Not to be sarcastic but imo you
get what you vote for. Elections
have consequences. The invaders
of 1492 have made their nest and
this is what it has come to. Not
sure it can be reversed. Adapt,
Move or Suicide, one of three.
32 posted on 09/04/2023 1:28:16 PM PDT by deport
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: CodeToad
The Marines have been doing this for years. The recruiters take a bunch of poolies and run them around local parks with PT equipment here.

Not a bad idea to reduce stress injuries.

33 posted on 09/04/2023 1:31:29 PM PDT by pfflier
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CodeToad
This story doesn't bother me like it once would have.

This is not "our" military, except in the sense that we have to pay for it.

It will never be used to protect us. It will very likely be used against us.

34 posted on 09/04/2023 1:57:31 PM PDT by Salman (It's not a slippery slope if it was part of the program all along. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Delta 21

“Kindergarten for Basic Training. Is there a ribbon for that?”

Ya had to mention it. Juuuust great! There willllll beeeee noooow.


35 posted on 09/04/2023 1:57:38 PM PDT by CodeToad (No Arm up! They have!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Newbomb Turk
"I look at the time I spent in the Middle East and wonder, for what."

I retired with 30 years starting with than wonderful "Police Action" called Vietnam. When someone thanks me for my service I ask the same question you have Brother.

36 posted on 09/04/2023 1:58:14 PM PDT by mosaicwolf
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: delta7

“Drug use, criminal history, financial problems ( presumably debt), and other factors barred them. That said, the security clearance background check by the FBI is only a “ recommendation “, if the skill set was really needed, the person could be employed by the agency or contracting agency….( standards dropped).”

I know of no one who has had a clearance denied. Not a single person, and a few that definiately should have.


37 posted on 09/04/2023 1:59:06 PM PDT by CodeToad (No Arm up! They have!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: deport

“Adapt, Move or Suicide, one of three.”

No “fight back”?


38 posted on 09/04/2023 2:00:00 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (“Occupy your mind with good thoughts or your enemy will fill them with bad ones.” ~ Thomas More)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: glorgau

“Prep? I came out of basic in worse shape than when I went in.”

No kidding! Same here! I went into basic hitting the base gym 5 days a week for 2-4 hours a day. I left basic hungry for a gym.


39 posted on 09/04/2023 2:00:05 PM PDT by CodeToad (No Arm up! They have!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: ProtectOurFreedom

“OK, so maybe not Chinese invasion.”

If I were the Chinese I would just sit back and watch the rot happen. We’re doing it faster to ourselves than they could ever do it.


40 posted on 09/04/2023 2:01:19 PM PDT by CodeToad (No Arm up! They have!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-69 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson