Mario Villafuerte for The New York Times
The Iraq war is changing basic training. National Guard members at Fort Polk, La., learned last February to interact with Iraqi civilians.
Fort Benning does One Site Unit Training(OSUT) for the Infantry. Fort Sill and Fort Knox do the same for the Artillery and Armor branches of combat arms. Fort Jackson does the mixed sex basic training. Does anyone know what other fort conducts OSUT or basic training?
Fort Sill and Fort Knox do the same for the Artillery and Armor branches of combat arms, respectively.
'Everybody is going to be a warrior first,'
I think the Jarheads already have this.
I believe Fort Leonard Wood does Combat Engineers and MP'S.
No, really!
"Fort Benning does One Site Unit Training(OSUT) for the Infantry. Fort Sill and Fort Knox do the same for the Artillery and Armor branches of combat arms. Fort Jackson does the mixed sex basic training. Does anyone know what other fort conducts OSUT or basic training?"
Nope. You got 'em all.
Its about 15 feet over your head now (I heard a story about a recruit committing suicide by standing up, don't know if its true).
more opportunities to fire weapons
After zeroing and grouping, there is 3 days of going to the range before qualifying. Typically you go to the firing line twice in a day, firing two mags of 20 bullets each time.
including heavy machine guns
50 rounds on the SAW and 50 rounds on the 240B.
and increasing the time spent practicing urban combat
2 Days of MOUT, 1 day is all lecture. The other day was more lecture, broke into 4 man firing teams, and each team cleared one room.
And this was OSUT INFANTRY at BENNING!
ping
LW handles MP, Comb. Eng., And (I think) Chem.
But the problems don't seem to be with LW. Because of the MOS taught there....they have been on top of things. For quite a few that do Basic at LW....they are dang close to the status of OSUT.
There has been some problems at Jackson. And DIs have started talking. Word is the problems do not just relate to the training doctrine. The thing is...it is hard to tell if the words are accurate or incredible rumor. But again, DIs have started to talk. And not just to people like Hackworth. TRADOC has taken notice.
Change is fine. But we must go slow.
Sit-ups, push-ups, all that is cool.
But, let us not just totally drop sushi and quiche night.
The story does not get the timing totally correct.
The TRADOC Types were kicking around the idea of increased training as far back as 2001. There had even been talks about going to 12 weeks. Right about the same time they started pushing through the Basic Officer Leader Course
http://www.benning.army.mil/BOLC/
They were dealing with topics of training that went beyond initial training as well. Turf wars arose plenty on the issue. And it is still unclear to many how they are going to handle BOLC long term. At one point they were going to have every newly commissioned Lt. go to Benning for the BOLC. Then some got listed to Arizona for MI. Armor folks wanted theirs near their Officer Branch training posts as well. It looks like they looked at Marine officer training and how they handle the Basic School, and saw some supposed need. Which is not bad...because the Basic School has good set up.
For Basic,
10 weeks may be needed at least. IF they want to cover the Task Manual and still get more field and weapons time on top of the Task Man. training.
Good idea but late in coming.
I can immediate think of two reasons why basic training should not be divided based on MOS. 1.) By mixing those who fight and those who support there might be a more urgent understanding of the needs of those who fight by those who support. 2.) You never know when you might have to fight, even when you support. Afterall, the Pentagon was attacked on 9/11. While there wasn't an opportunity to fight back on 9/11, I would certainly hope that if the opportunity presented itself to kill Muslim bastards on the streets of America that our soliders would be prepared to do so.
Looks like they are trying to hold down the head to tail ratio by making the tail a bit more like the head.
HUA !.........I like the idea. Everyones a fighter first, cook , bottle washer, driver and clerk second.
Stay safe !
Fort Leonard Wood for Combat Engineers.
Saw her book in the "bargains" section the other day when I was at the Barnes & Noble.
Stay safe and continued prayers for our heroic and brave warriors out there getting their hands dirty doing the job for us while in harm's way.
"Historically, combat support specialists had been in the rear of the battlefield, far from direct contact with the enemy,"
Thanks for the post.
How awful some think that Isreal makes all youths between 18 and 25 to serve 2 years in defense of their country. Now we see that the Army is changing their basic training. Soon, if most pacifists in this country have their way, all our youth between 18 and 25 will also be made by our government to serve this nation.
What is the common cause for this? Islam! period