What do you think of the future impact of the new Basic Training?

Question

In the past, soldiers were subjected to strenuous physical and emotional demands. It was thought this type of indoctrination would create a more self-disciplined, well-rounded soldier.

In today's basic training, there are several ways for the recruit seize the offensive against their own Drill Sergeants. Drill Sergeants are frowned upon for yeling at soldiers or creating physical and emotional demands upon the recruit.

The basic perception of most senior NCOs is that this has contributed to a lack of discipline and lack of teamwork in the Army today. It is less about the team and more about "me."

However, some say that the Army is changing for the better and this allows more lattitude in the education of the recruits.

How do you think this change will affect mission accomplishment in today's Army and the world environment in which it operates?

Answer 1

I don't think it will have much impact. The culture of Army basic training far over-rides the suggestion they be less demanding. I know for the combat arms MOS's, while the "stress-cards" exist, to use them is similiar to putting on a pair of panties. At any rate, I would like to see the Army become a little smarter about how they handle people, like the Air Force is, so that retention rates could be boosted a little.

Answer 2

As a basic infantry soldier strong discipline and unit integrity is vital. I think that the "me" attitude a lot of us Americans are adopting is ultimately going to ruin our country. In soldiers that kind of attitude will cost many lives in a combat situation. Like it or not combat is the main purpose of the "Grunt". There has to be a strong unit cohesion and Basic Training is where that is learned. The reason for the Drill Instructor to be an a** is to give the soldiers a common "enemy". It worked very well for us during my boot camp. We hated the DI and so we had a common ground. We would work together because he would punish us for leaving a man behind. If one guy messed up everyone but that guy was punished, this helped us to become self governing. I loved each and every man in my company like a brother and I would not allow myself to cause even one of them to get punished because of something I did. It just works, period. There is not a draft on right now so every soldier, sailor, marine, and airman are volunteers. You ask to be treated like that. If you don't know what your in for before you get to boot camp then I say shame on you. The bleeding hearts should leave the military alone and come out here to SW Kansas and spend some time in a beef plant. The people are treated worse than any treatment I ever received in the military and they don't get stress chits.

Answer 3

A major impact. If a solider can't handle the yelling, he definitely can't handle combat. What a drill sergeant does can make missions, in the future, successful or not. It can also save a soldier's life.

If a solider is doing something stupid that would put him or his fellow soldiers in harms way, I want the drill sergeant make sure it won't happen again! That is what my tax dollars are paying him for.

What we did during WWII worked. Except for some technology information, don't change it.