I asked my son, a Marine, to comment on the new Army physical training program. His comment, typically succinct, follows:
“I don’t care how good your abs are, I’m pretty sure that they’re not gonna stop a bayonet thrust.”
As far as I know, the USMC continues to require that all USMC personnel, enlisted and officers alike, do 5-mile runs (fully equipped), do bayonet training, and continues to issue bayonets for the automatic rifles carried by all Marine ground forces.
Oorah to that. Bayonet training should always be an integral part of basic. Ammo may not always be available, and recruits should know how to handle that situation. The Marines have taken an extra step, in addition to 5 mi marches, they have a program where Marines are forced to sprint carrying ammo cans, etc, and fireman’s carries, thus simulating dragging a wounded buddy. We do all this IN ADDITION to the marches. I’ve been out awhile, so I don’t know the exact name of the training evolution. Nevertheless, I think it’s foolish that the Army would abandon such a time tested endurance booster. I did see though, that SF training has an additional week added to their assesment training, for a total of 3 weeks. Good for them.