Posted on 02/15/2006 9:35:13 AM PST by jjm2111
New recruits used to be welcomed to boot camp here with the "shark attack." For decades, drill sergeants in wide-brim hats would swarm around the fresh-off-the-bus privates, shouting orders. Some rattled recruits would make mistakes. A few would cry.
Today, the Army is opting for a quieter approach. "I told my drill sergeants to stop the nonsense," says Col. Edward Daly, whose basic-training brigade graduates about 11,000 soldiers a year. Last fall, Col. Daly began meeting with all new recruits shortly after they arrive at boot camp to thank them. "We sincerely appreciate the fact that you swore an oath and got on a bus and did it in a time of war," he recently told an incoming class. "That's a big, big deal." He usually is accompanied by two male and two female soldiers, who can answer questions the recruits may have.
"The idea is to get rid of the anxiety and worry," Col. Daly says.
The new welcome is a window on the big changes sweeping boot camp, the Army's nine-week basic training. For most of its existence, boot camp was a place where drill sergeants would weed out the weak and turn psychologically soft civilians into hardened soldiers. But the Army, fighting through one of its biggest recruiting droughts, now is shifting tactics. Boot camp -- that iconic American experience -- may never be the same.
Once-feared drill sergeants have been ordered to yell less and mentor more. "Before, our drill sergeants' attitude was 'you better meet my standard or else.' Now it's 'I am going to do all I can to assist you in meeting the Army standard,' " says Command Sgt. Maj. William McDaniel, the senior enlisted soldier here.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
At least under fire, I'll be able to use a gun. (/sarcasm, i think?)
Sure, Air Force Basic Training is/was the laughing stock of the services, but that man made me a man and for that I will be greatful until the day I meet my maker.
All that aside, there is no need for any wimps in the military then and especially now. We enlisted for millions of reasons, and prayed to God Almighty that the one reason was not to have died for our country.
I am, without any doubt, a much better person because of my military service and I know that my military service was honorable because of one reason and one reason only: My TI was a tough son-of-a-b@%^$.
Nice to see you again, CMS!
I just finished basic in October, and I don't recall any of that "motivation" That Col. Daly speaks of. I don't understand this situation. The Drill Sergeants may have toned down when the Colonel or one of the LTCs were around, but they Continued the Mission Shortly after.
I'm new to the whole military process, but I doubt one officer, even a BDE commander, will change the Drill Sergeant's actions completely.
Amen Brother.
Semper Fi!
Heard on the radio about how army recruits are taught to wait for a ladder to be put in place before exiting a vehicle to respond to an ambush. Oh... and climb down it single file, slowly and carefully! Disgusting.
I don't know who you've been talking to, but they are full of it. I went through basic with draftees, served with draftees and even trained some of them as a company commander as the draft was ending in 73. I can't speak to how draftees were trained prior to 61 but from at least then on, no distinction was made between an RA and a US.
Getting rid of the draft was a knee-jerk reaction to Vietnam and a cowardly act by Congress and the administration.
With civilian and REMF America believing the lies we see in articles like the one posted over this thread, men who become infantry soldiers or combat engineers will be further insulted and cheated.
Young men, stay out until you see some honesty and respect. As for the rest of our morally bankrupt nation, go ahead. Send your girls. Maybe our government can scare the enemy away with more Hollywood-like productions about service/maintainance/supply companies.
Volunteer means you only get people who want to be there (in principle). I dunno why a problem unless things get so bad that this will not suffice to man the forces any more. This latter eventuality is why teen males still have to register.
When people believe in their country they will heed the call. It takes leadership.
Please tell me why we still register 18 year old men? When might they be needed?
Oh, and if we, as a country, are going to keep this charade of draft registration, let's include the gals.
Gees H
Now this is Bush's fault! It’s been 6 years now. More than enough time to de-clintonize the Military.
That's why volunteer is good, assuming sufficient forces. These are the people who, at least in principle, believe in going. Note that there was quite a boost in enlistment interest following the terrorist events of 9/11/01 and nobody needed to be drafted.
When I went through Army Basic at Fort Ord, in 1969 it was mostly old fashioned DIs yelling, threatening, etc.
By chance, my platoon DI was a Vietnam vet SFC who took a quiet approach. He was a Native American.
He said he would treat us like men, unless we screwed up. Well of course eventually we screwed up, so we got the punishment--a night of scrubbing and polishing the barracks.
But even then, he was low key and quiet. We did just as well as the other platoons with scores.
Most were headed to Vietnam, and took training pretty seriously. Most were draftees. I don't buy the idea that draftees won't be good soldiers; born out by WWII, Korea and Vietnam.
I apologize for sounding like a smart ass, but have you noticed that the country has become a wee bit divided?
Most would agree that the so called WOT is the most important endeavor since WWII. I'd argue the drafting of 10+ million during that conflict had something to do with unifying the country? I'm not saying we open the flood gates and draft as if there is no tomorrow, but we should be drafting what is needed. True, we probably didn't need folks right after 9-11 but the President could have gotten authority to draft via congress before the end of that September. Now it will take an attack as big or bigger than 9-11 to change people's minds.
The Congress gave the Prez a "whatever force it takes" note. That's why all this hoohah recently about the spying on cross-border telephone calls.
over 100 posts and no one said "only the MARINES have boot camp"
or did the Army sneak that in with the black beret fiasco.
I'm sure the press doesn't know a marine from a marinade.
Whether it was Rumsfeld, the Prez or those advising them, they screwed up in not getting authority to draft at the time.
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