Do you think the basic skills you were taught in basic training and AIT were good enough for you to be deployed to combat?

We were immersed with weapons growing up, so I joined with marksmanship competence & confidence. The most important skills I learned was discipline & trusting the leadership and peers and that is vital to have preparing for an immediate deployment.

The biggest difference in todays training environment as compared to when I joined is the Soldier is given a task and have to figure out how to get to the answer with very little guidance thus the intent is to create a better critical thinker...and to rely on teamwork.

Was not much jungle training at Ft. Knox.

My experiences in Basic at Ft Jackson 1983/05/12 through 1984/02/18 taught me invaluable ‘combat readiness’ skills.
It was NOT easy! Steel pots & c-rats were interesting and difficult to say the least.
AIT (75C) wasn’t exactly’a wall in the park’. However; all this experience prepared me for the Real AG mission. I entered Basic as E3/PFC because I had a BA Degree. After 4 months, I was an E4/SP4 with less than one year of Active Duty. My first duty assignment to Ft McClellan Student/Trainee MILPO was an E6 slot. I loved McClellan!
Came down on ‘Orders’ to FRG. What a ‘wake-up’ call! I was assigned to 2nd Armored Division (FWD). Joint NATO Exercises. Berlin Wall was still standing. I was in an E6 slot as NCOIC of Enlisted Promotions. Participated in ‘Crossed Swords’, REFORGER, the Army’s first and only ‘COHORT’ BN rotations.
I requested a MED Discharge after 17 months, I was assigned to MED HOLD BN, 2nd Field Hospital. Old WWII Hospital.
Will Never forget how diligent the troops were & I provided Support to those Brave Soldiers!