Fort Moore, GA
Fort Moore, GA
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5
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Getting rid of Shark Attack at BCT?
Hello RallyPoint, hope you are all doing well. Recently, I heard of a bit of news that Army BCT (especially Infantry OSUT) will be getting rid of the infamous "Shark Attack". Granted, I am no vet or service member myself (not yet at least), but everyone knows of the the "Shark Attack", to me it seems to be a "rite of passage" as it also inoculates you to the fog of war and the confusion that follows it. The "Shark Attack" was (from what I gathered by my vet friends) a way to introduce you the stress and rigors of combat, to get you used to life in the military. Now in it's place, they will be doing (from what I could gather) some sorts of trials instead called "The First 100 Yards" which tests the trainees/recruits knowledge and teaches them the infantry "culture". I cannot help but question the value of replacing the "Shark Attack" with these trials.
As a prospective trainee/recruit that is going to sign up in the next year or two, I can't help but feel that the older vets are right, that this seems to be the "softening" of the military (especially the Army in this case). Perhaps I am not getting the full story here, but that is why I came onto here, to ask those that are in this profession to enlighten or apprise me more of the situation. So with that, I have to ask: What are your thoughts on the Army now getting rid of the "Shark Attack" and replacing it with "The First 100 Yards"? Hope you guys are all doing well.
Hello RallyPoint, hope you are all doing well. Recently, I heard of a bit of news that Army BCT (especially Infantry OSUT) will be getting rid of the infamous "Shark Attack". Granted, I am no vet or service member myself (not yet at least), but everyone knows of the the "Shark Attack", to me it seems to be a "rite of passage" as it also inoculates you to the fog of war and the confusion that follows it. The "Shark Attack" was (from what I gathered by my vet friends) a way to introduce you the stress and rigors of combat, to get you used to life in the military. Now in it's place, they will be doing (from what I could gather) some sorts of trials instead called "The First 100 Yards" which tests the trainees/recruits knowledge and teaches them the infantry "culture". I cannot help but question the value of replacing the "Shark Attack" with these trials.
As a prospective trainee/recruit that is going to sign up in the next year or two, I can't help but feel that the older vets are right, that this seems to be the "softening" of the military (especially the Army in this case). Perhaps I am not getting the full story here, but that is why I came onto here, to ask those that are in this profession to enlighten or apprise me more of the situation. So with that, I have to ask: What are your thoughts on the Army now getting rid of the "Shark Attack" and replacing it with "The First 100 Yards"? Hope you guys are all doing well.
Posted in these groups: 
Basic Combat Training (BCT)
Fort Moore
School of Infantry (SOI)
11B: Infantryman
Basic Combat Training (BCT) Fort Moore School of Infantry (SOI) 11B: Infantryman
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 15
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Until the story broke, I would have assumed it was already long gone based on the emphasis that has been placed on treating Soldiers with respect over the last several years . In my opinion, using valuable training time to instill team building is money well spent compared to a glorified rite of passage that no more prepares you for the rigors of war than being a keyboard warrior who has never served does.
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Jake Lang
My apologies if my comments somehow offended, but I merely asked a question and bought forth what some friends (who actually did do time in service) were stating. Perhaps they are right, perhaps you or those that agree with you are right. What I do know is that many older vets (my friends included) have lost faith in the way higher ups have done things and they scoff at how soldiers demand “respect” when they can’t even soldier on as previous generations have done as they are too tied up with how soldiers “feel” about things. Service to one’s country is one of the most respectable things to commit to, however you don’t need to be in service to agree with some of the things said by those who got out, especially when what you see around you happening kind of falls in line with what they say. Either way, have yourself a good day sergeant.
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The military culture shifts with societal norms, it lags but it does evolve. In your case what was should not matter, you will be acculturated differently than the Soldiers who came before you. Team or so years down the road it will change again to some extent, then you will agree or disagree, but have to deal with it. As stated by others you will still get drilled and disciplined. I assure you that the Shark Attack was not about combat preparation, it was about breaking down a group of individuals and rebuilding them as a Team.
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You’ll have several opportunities to do push ups don’t stress it too much.
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