Vietnam Era Question

NousDefionsDoc · 01-07-2007, 08:05

Did draftees going to Vietnam get AIT, etc. or were they given "8 weeks of training and shipped off"?

Thanks

lksteve · 01-07-2007, 10:00

in 1969, my father was the 1SG at "Tigerland", Infantry AIT at Fort McClellan...it was typical infantry AIT, with an emphasis on preparing folks for duty in Vietnam, with the VC trail and mock-up village...

while i didn't go to Vietnam, everybody i knew from that era had some form of AIT...

**Ambush Master** · 01-07-2007, 10:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by NousDefionsDoc

Did draftees going to Vietnam get AIT, etc. or were they given "8 weeks of training and shipped off"?

Thanks

It was Basic AND AIT.

NousDefionsDoc · 01-07-2007, 11:16

Thank you.

incommin · 01-07-2007, 18:32

Basic and AIT..... the only thing that got accelerated was a shake and bake NCO and officer program.....

Jim

longrange1947 · 01-08-2007, 20:49

That included Training Group in the late 60s, about 68 it started I think, and lasted for a couple of years. In as a E2 and out as a E5 or E6 if you were in the top 10 per cent.

Mike · 01-13-2007, 14:21

I did training group in '67, there were no promotions while in training group at that time.
Did somebody believe there was no ait in those days?
For us who enlisted airborne infantry there was "airborne infantry" AIT that was run like jumpschool.
Running, pushups, spitshines and screaming airborne a lot.
Made jumpschool a cakewalk.

**Ambush Master** · 01-13-2007, 15:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ambush Master

It was Basic AND AIT.

'69-'70, I went through Basic@Bliss, 12B AIT@Lostinthewoods, Jump School@Benning, SFTG@Bragg then to 5th Group RVN!!

Hipshot · 01-13-2007, 16:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ambush Master

'69-'70, I went through Basic@Bliss, 12B AIT@Lostinthewoods, Jump School@Benning, SFTG@Bragg then to 5th Group RVN!!

70-71: Basic/AIT@Ft Ord, Jump School@Benning, SFTG@Bragg,5th Group@Bragg, TSH@Nha Trang, FANK@Long Hai(B-36 site). All non-infantry types going thru basic at Ft Ord in '70 stayed there for Infantry AIT, regardless of enlistment contract.

longrange1947 · 01-13-2007, 18:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike

I did training group in '67, there were no promotions while in training group at that time.
Did somebody believe there was no ait in those days?
For us who enlisted airborne infantry there was "airborne infantry" AIT that was run like jumpschool.
Running, pushups, spitshines and screaming airborne a lot.
Made jumpschool a cakewalk.

I was there when it changed. I came in as an E2 in 67 and in 68 they changed to the shake and bake. My 91B class was all E-2s and when we got back to Bragg we were being ordered about by E5s with less time in the army then we had in Tng Group as we were still E2s. The powers to be stated that we came in under the "old program" and would stay E2s until we graduated. They gave us E3 at the start of final phase and E4 with our orders to Groups.

Hipshot, I too did the Fort Ord thing in 67. Did they have the white "Maggot" patch on your uniform as well during basic? Had something to do with menningitis and basic trainees being seperate form the rest fo post. Never did understand that one.

I suffered 10th and 1st Group instead of 5th.

Hipshot · 01-13-2007, 19:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by longrange1947

I was there when it changed. I came in as an E2 in 67 and in 68 they changed to the shake and bake. My 91B class was all E-2s and when we got back to Bragg we were being ordered about by E5s with less time in the army then we had in Tng Group as we were still E2s. The powers to be stated that we came in under the "old program" and would stay E2s until we graduated. They gave us E3 at the start of final phase and E4 with our orders to Groups.

Hipshot, I too did the Fort Ord thing in 67. Did they have the white "Maggot" patch on your uniform as well during basic? Had something to do with menningitis and basic trainees being seperate form the rest fo post. Never did understand that one.

I suffered 10th and 1st Group instead of 5th.

Man - I had totally forgotten about the 'maggot tags' we had to wear in basic. If I remember correctly, it was a white tag, same size as the name tag on our fatigues (pre-BDU; even before ripstop!), worn above the name tag. That let everyone know that you were a trainee.

I made E3 out of basic (had 2 years of college), E4 once I hit Bragg and started training group, E5 when I completed training and went to Co. D, 5th Group in May '71. Made E6 in Sept 73 after BNCOES and Flintlock; ANCOES in '74 and would have made E7 in Sept '78, except I left the service. Broke my back in 2 places in '77 during a demo jump and lost my 'S' qualifier.

Remember ice plant and the beach ranges at Ord. The land nav course was out by Laguna Seca race track - we used to watch the drivers practice when we were running the course.

longrange1947 · 01-13-2007, 20:29

Hipshot, PM sent.

longrange1947 · 01-13-2007, 20:31

Hey NDD, want to see my 1967 Fort Ord Infrantry AIT photo?

NousDefionsDoc · 01-14-2007, 00:05

Of course!

Phantasm · 01-14-2007, 00:13

My basic was at Fort Ord 13Jan72. I also remember the land nav course and watching the drivers practice. The white “maggot” patches were not used when I was there. I was sent to Ft. Devens after that assigned to ASA (Army Security Agency) where I picked up the 98C20 MOS which later changed to a 98C2S while I was assigned to play with you tough guys...