What changes should be made to BCT to better prepare our soldiers in the 21st century?

How about being detained by terrorists?

SSG John Thornton, the unconventional forces we have been fighting of late may not operate organized POW camps, but they still have a history of taking prisoners. Nor do they treat these prisoners with kid gloves. SFC (Join to see)'s point remains valid, and one I whole-heartedly agree with. There is a huge difference between the Basic I went through in '94, and the one I hear about from more recent recruits, and even the one I had was watered down compared to what prospective soldiers went through in the Vietnam era and before.

Even if you are never taken prisoner, combat itself is stressful. It's a good idea to test people under extremely stressful conditions before you send them into that sort of situation, as the consequences of breaking in combat are much more severe than those of breaking in training (both for you, and the other SMs depending on you).

Thank you for this question Sgt Fleming. It is one that should have been asked a long time ago. Captain Eastmond's response to your questions is outstanding. I recommend that you that are still active start a retraining program like we had to do after Vietnam.Start as squad level insuring that everyone in the squad can do his job and the job person above. Then move into platoon, company and battalion level training. When training reinforce the things that were done right and train and retrain on the things that went wrong.

Yee-Haw!!!!! SSG Fleming and hammer down.

post moved

I'm not saying DS's don't do their jobs, all i'm saying is that sometimes these Soldiers come right....RIGHT out of BCT and can't pass a PT test. From memory of course by the time they graduate AIT they are required to pass the Army standard of 60 in each event. In my experience only... i have met soldiers that can't even pass 50 in each event.

I don't know how it works in the soft MOS' but on Sand Hill, if a Soldier cannot pass APFT 5 before graduation, he is either 1. Recycled to a new class or 2. Sent to FTU until he passes the APFT and then allowed to graduate. There is no slack on the standards for APFT on our part. What the Soldier does from the time he graduates to reporting to you, is totally up to him.

CCF was the thing in the 70s and 80s. Unmotivated Joes were sent to get them in shape, and to be a productive soldier. Sometimes the old ways need to be looked at a bit more. I'm tired of new guys screaming about having rights.

1SG Michael Blount What if we had them talk about their feelings more and how "tough" the DS's are? Just Kidding. Only through the "Fire" can you bring real change in someone! We need "Iron" to sharpen "Iron"!

SFC Joseph James - they do that already in the "sensing sessions" with the CO. I have a hurt feelings report and a hurt feelings first aid kit on hand, just in case

Wonderful! Glad to hear we can braid each others hair until we all calm down! lol

SFC Joseph James - why not? The Spartans did. Of course, they fought in loincloths and sometimes naked, so they may have crossed the line a little bit...