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Was going to services mandated by the particular branch you were in basic training? Was it required or has this become less stringent?
Basic Training
Religion
Mandatory
Posted 12 y ago
Responses: 62
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It was never required, they "suggested" we go the first week, but after that there was no MTI's in the area to give us anything to do, usually if you didn't go, you had to stand entry control, usually for hours on end, and you had to insist someone take over so you could go eat. People coming back often refused to relieve you until someone(usually form chief or EC Monitor) told them they had to.
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Wasn't required but "suggested" as a way to decompress. They also offered a religious class for any hour after the service that you were "suggested" to go to. Even if you didn't believe in religion, I feel it was certainly a way to stop and think about what i was grateful for. At the end of the day, I didn't go for any other reason than to find my center for the new challenges of the week.
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It wasn't mandatory SSgt (Join to see) , but if you didn't go you were forced to be on work details. Sunday services were your only garaunteed time to not be engaged in a military activity. So again, not mandatory but better for you if you went.
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MSG Sommer Brown
Not mandatory but authorized for those who wish to attend is my thoughts. Because I am Christian of course I believe that everyone could benefit from it but those are my views and would never enforce them upon anyone, that is not the Christian way. If they choose to go then they should be allowed and encouraged and they choose they don't want to go then that is fine as well and should not be looked down upon for choosing not to go. Your choice but you should have that choice. It does somewhat come across as a "punishment" for not going that you go ahead and start your work day, maybe it could be that you still have to be in uniform during those hours but you have that time to do what you need to do for yourself and the "work day" starts after services.
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1SG Michael Blount
We "encouraged" Privates to attend worship service, with the alternative being work details. That provided as much a break for the Drill Sergeants as the Privates. Everyone in this deal has a choice.
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It wasn't mandatory but we all went...it was an hour and 10 minutes where the Drill Sergeants could not touch us. I remember being half awake during a service and everyone in my pew was either a sleep or fading fast and the Chaplin waving off someone who was thinking about trying to wake us up. The Chaplin may have said “No, let them sleep”, but I am not sure because as soon as I saw that no one was going to smoke us for sleeping, I gave up the fight.
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Never mandatory, but it should never be discouraged either. I have never been an atheist, but I have not always been a Christ follower either. In basic training, this was the case. Religious service was a way to get away from the drill instructors for a brief period. It was also a couple hours of relaxation.
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Joker does not believe in the Virgin Mary (no offense to anyone- its a Full Metal Jacket movie ref).
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They weren't mandatory but the DIs made it clear if we didn't go, it would be worse staying. Not everyone is religious and non religious people shouldn't be forced to go to religious services.
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It wasn't mandatory for us but if we didn't go we would have something to do. Whether it be floors, toilets, or dusting. So most people went to get out of that.
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