What is the longest you have heard of someone lingering around in Basic training?

Although I am a faithful fan of Beetle Bailey, it is incredibly outdated. Ever since the military went volunteer, many things have changed. The most important is the quality of our service members (for the better). For the most part, there is little motivation to retain someone who can't get past Basic.

When my son was active USAF at Pope (then AFB), he had a comrade who was sweating because he was coming to a crisis point. If he couldn't make E-4 by 10 years, he was gone. I als worked with a guy at Amazon who was tossed out of the Air Force at 10 years. He never said why, but he probably failed Fat Farm.

In 1985 we had a guy show up (NY ARNG) who had some got somehow got through his MEP station with a bad ass heart condition hidden. He was trying to get out on some kind of a lifelong pension from Army injuries.
He was there from June to Dec (or longer) on quarters. As BCT trainees, we were not allowed to talk to him and he spent his whole time in the arms room.

I remember that type of thing happening in Navy Boot Camp in Great Lakes in 1968. There was one guy who had been in a holding barracks for around one year for various violations and he was added on to our company. He made it all the way though training with us until the day before graduation when he screwed up and got sent back to the holding barracks again. Never knew if he got out of Boot Camp.

The one I saw wasn't on the order of some that people have already posted, but in MP basic training at Ft. McClellan Alabama in 1985, there was a female private who had gotten pregnant in basic training a few cycles before us, who was held over until she could give birth and recover, and presumably resume training. Instead of being assigned to a medical hold company she was helping out doing administrative things for the basic training company, driving trainees to and from sick call, etc. Maybe she was assigned to a med hold co. but then tasked back to the training company so she'd at least have something somewhat productive to do - - who knows. She did not seem like a particularly happy individual.

Ghost

My brother went into USAF around Easter. I went in August 18th and he was still trying to get through his second week. Unfortunately he had horrible reading skills and some other social skill problems. I finished basic and was off to Security Police school and they finally discharged him for lack of completing basic. Don't remember the exact wording.
I went on and finished my first enlistment with the USAF. Got out and then got back in AGR Army National Guard and did 18+yrs there to retire.

I spent an extra 3 weeks in basic. Every time each company was over filled and was to an overflow stand by company. I heard of one that spent most of his career at Great Lakes from initial entry to almost retirement when the Navy found out he never had Sea Duty. Was sent to Sea Duty and retired. Then where I worked as a civilian for the Army a SGT was assigned to a school right after AIT and spent his whole career at the school till his retirement. Some people seem to slip between the cracks for the good.

Do they still have Recycle Companies in BCT? My BCT at Ft Ord only recycled one trainee. I used to see the recycled company in passing as we doubled time in formation around the post. I’d see the high percentage of overweight guys and the others were probably the ones that needed attitude adjustments. I pitied the Drill Sergeants because they had to work pretty hard motivating these guys. This was during Vietnam, so my guess is that everybody eventually passed and nobody got to linger.

1998 San Diego MCRD there was a guy that that spent 9 months in the medical platoon. He finally got whatever was wrong with him fixed and he eventually completed training and graduated.

When I went through basic training in 1973 we had a guy who was in his final recycle. He finally completed it after being in basic for 9 months.