Basic Gone Soft - Page 3

**Razor** · 04-22-2006, 21:29

I agree--its a very meaningful tradition, and if I ever have the opportunity I'll be bursting with pride. However, I'll be sure to remember to affix the clutch-backs (or damnits, to some) after pinning on whatever insignia it is.

Fonzy · 04-23-2006, 14:14

Gentlemen,

I can concur on all accounts. I graduated from C 2-54 at Benning this last November. I was, to say the least, disapointed. To say it was a breeze was an understatement. We were rarely smoked and our platoon ran rampant with discipline problems (which carried over after graduation, I kept up with a few of my buddies. One guy from our platoon was busted with cocaine on base, another recieved a DUI a month after graduation).
I'd say the scariest thing I saw was weapons qual. There were a handful of joes that couldnt shoot (we were all infantry, by the way). I remember this one pvt was shooting all day and still hadn't qualed and it was getting late. One of the drills took a weapon from a pvt to go "shooting for fun". I was in the lane behind the drill and about halfway through that interation I realized the Drill was shooting in the wrong lane - at the target for the pvt who couldnt qual.
So the Drills were pushing a pvt through basic, to an infantry unit, who couldnt shoot. I could ramble on for hours, but I'll go back to lurking now.
PFC Fonz

GhostInTheShell · 04-24-2006, 21:41

It makes me uneasy knowing that in just about a month, I'm going to be entering BCT, where I was hoping to get the best starter training I could get. Granted, I'm going to Benning, so I shouldn't be off too horribly, but thank god I'm 18x. I'm not going to have to deal with being in a squad full of fat bodies that couldn't hit a target at 20 meters. Instead, I'll have the luck of getting trained by QP's to become a QP, so that I can actually say that my training was tough.

What is the Army doing? Soon, we're not going to have a generation of warriors...we're going to have a generation of body bag stuffers. I hate to say it, but if they're going to go soft in the training, how are these men going to fight when they've got people trying to kill them? They're not going to know how to move, how to shoot, how to defend themselves, or even how to handle the pressure of the battlezon. Heck, they're not even going to have the strength to haul their flabby butts over a wall while they're running away screaming, asking how to turn the safety on their M16's off. I'd laugh, but I can't even find this funny. It is seriously disturbing.
In my opinion, military training, no matter what branch, should be the most grueling, unbelievably difficult training that you can go through. From basic to OSUT or AIT, you should be so conditioned that getting thrown into a conflict should seem like a break.

I know I've only got a few posts on here, and I'm sorry if I've offended anyone, but Sirs and Sergeants, I had to say it.

With the utmost respect,
-K.

TFM · 04-25-2006, 08:57

ShotgunEnema,

If they don't feel the pain in basic, they should feel it at their unit. If you pay attention, you should be competent when you graduate, and the NCOs at your unit will make you profficient. IMHO

TFM

Lothar · 04-25-2006, 11:00

Infantry OSUT in '94...We did some serious PT and the stress was constantly factored in....After graduation 32 of us were on holdover waiting for the next class at ABN school; RIP and ABN contracts.

Once at ABN school we couldn't get over how easy it was. Guess our DS(s) did their job.

As for the bloodwings. After my cherry blast the CO, XO, 1SG, and all the JMs pounded in my wings; next came my team. All together....15 times. Then we had a keg party. Tradition!!

QRQ 30 · 04-25-2006, 12:34

Dayem!! I never got no blood wings.

Oh well!! As for the carnival ride, I guess it was fun in 100+ deg weather and 90% humidity. It was so boreing that we did millions of push ups waiting our turn and them if you were a clown and gave out with a rebel yell like I did, you can add two million deep knee bends at every pause up the stairs while wearing harness, reserve and combat pack.

I learned something a long time ago. After finishing any training it was easy and anyone who came after was a pussy.

As for blood wings, I think I may be able to dind better ways to prove one's manhood.

Sorry to be in the minority but aren't I always?

Airborne · 04-28-2006, 14:21

I graduated November 2004 from B Co 2/47 Ft. Benning; I can tell you it wasn’t a picnic at all. I had great DS and a lot of smoke. I think it varies between Companies; my first year in the Army was spent in COSCOM so I know all about the turds. Thankfully I am in a much better place and am surrounded by Quiet Professionals, and COMMO Gods. But I am still thankful I was able to spend some time in COSCOM, I learned a lot about a side of the Army I never want to see again. I did have some great NCOs’ who truly took care of me and shielded me from a lot of the bull that other people had to deal with; I just hope they were able to escape!

Doc · 04-30-2006, 08:15

Audie Murphy thought Basic Training was easy too.

One of his letters home to his sister stated that compared to sharecropping, Basic was easy because you got to sleep in until 0400 hrs and got to eat three meals a day.

Doc

05-01-2006, 13:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by QRQ 30

Dayem!! I never got no blood wings.

Oh well!! As for the carnival ride, I guess it was fun in 100+ deg weather and 90% humidity. It was so boreing that we did millions of push ups waiting our turn and them if you were a clown and gave out with a rebel yell like I did, you can add two million deep knee bends at every pause up the stairs while wearing harness, reserve and combat pack.

I learned something a long time ago. After finishing any training it was easy and anyone who came after was a pussy.

As for blood wings, I think I may be able to find better ways to prove one's manhood.

Sorry to be in the minority but aren't I always?

I never got no blood wings either.

Mine was the last hard class at jump school

It's been almost 40 years!

I'm with you (the minority team) on the practice of blood wings and viewing the infamous Force Recon tapes only reinforced that belief.

GulfVSAR · 05-03-2006, 04:35

Wow. I went to OSUT at benning in early 2002. Without giving much thought to how the training was then, I never particularly felt like my drill sergeants were going "soft" on us. When we did our 25 mile "bayonet" road march, and it started raining "of course", the drill sergeants politely informed us that their prayers to the Rakkasan rain god had been answered, and that we should be thankful. Then they through mortar sims at us.

Last month a close friend (11b) of mine had gone to benning for a drill and told me that the 25 mile road march was no-longer being done, the farthest is now 15, that the drill sergeants were being forced to be nice, that the basic training privates got all brand new acu's with all the RFI gear to go with it, they get all sunday off and light training on saturdays, etc.

I feel bad now, I thought he was pulling my chain and we got a little heated in our argument.

**Jack Moroney (RIP)** · 05-03-2006, 05:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by WCH

Mine was the last hard class at jump school

It's been almost 40 years!

You young pups-been over 40 years for me!

QRQ 30 · 05-03-2006, 05:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack Moroney

You young pups-been over 40 years for me!

43 here!! IIRC ours was the last 4 week cycle at Benning -- not including PC&M week.

Spartan359 · 05-03-2006, 07:06

Can a squid participate in this conversation? Army basic isn't the only one. Navy basic has changed dramatically as well. For one they don't wear boots anymore. Sunday is pretty much a day off to call home, watch tv and other bs. They have however gone from basic marksmanship with compressed air and lasers to REAL rifles. Those sissy ass stress cards are in effect as well. Several standards for battle stations have been lowered if not disappeared. I think the biggest thing that made me grin when I went through it a few years ago was the heat index. A black flag day was in the low 90's. IF THAT! Uniform of the day during black flag days......shorts and t-shirts. I'm not gonna lie to you gentlemen...I didn't go through a last hard basic. Cause there never was one.

**Team Sergeant** · 05-03-2006, 07:25

Considering two thirds of our population are FAT, very FAT or Morbidly FAT, I do not find it difficult to make the “Let’s make everything easier” leap.

TS

Bruce Long · 05-03-2006, 07:53

Training must be hard to survive in combat. Standards should not be lowered.

SGM 18Z5M (Retired)