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

2015-05-14T14:47:54-04:00

With the direction warfare is going, should we be putting more emphasis on OPSEC, cyber, CMO (Civil Military Operations), operating as small teams, etc, etc? What things need to be thrown out? I'm especially curious what the junior enlisted on here think.

Response by SPC Charles Brown made May 14 at 2015 2:51 PM

2015-05-14T14:51:52-04:00

political correctness would be where I start getting rid of things. Bring back wall to wall counseling.

Response by SFC Joseph James made May 14 at 2015 2:54 PM

2015-05-14T14:54:25-04:00

Hmm, actually have Drill Sergeants train the Soldiers again! Instill pride and discipline and enforce the standards. Stop pushing along a IET Soldier who can't even pass a PT test to their first duty station and have them deal with it. I've had soldiers that never passed a PT test in their lives and I had to get them up to standards asap, but i loved it sooo... NCO Business!

Response by CW4 Private RallyPoint Member made May 14 at 2015 2:56 PM

2015-05-14T14:56:25-04:00

Misinterpreted the question!

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 14 at 2015 3:00 PM

2015-05-14T15:00:34-04:00

Get rid of the soft mentality of training because the enemy are not gonna be soft when you are locked up in a POW camp. Stop babysitting these spoiled, entitled recruits.

Response by PFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 14 at 2015 3:03 PM

2015-05-14T15:03:36-04:00

Make it easier to quit so we only have people who wanna be there and be soldiers

Response by SrA Private RallyPoint Member made May 14 at 2015 3:06 PM

2015-05-14T15:06:50-04:00

In My opinion we should be training these recruits how we fight, not with outdated tactics that we are not using in combat zones. When I went thru BCT in 2005 much of the topics that were covered were things that the Drill's would even say that we wouldnt even see after that point. Add CLS certifications to BCT to have the soldiers have a baseline in which to start as it is a certification that is needed. Add a Driving portion to either BCT or AIT in which the soldier is operating the vehicals that they are going to see either in country or at their duty station. I have seen so many people that when we hit our pre mob had never driven anything bigger then a HMMWV. For combat arms and Combat support personnel add Crew served weapons to the mix,

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made May 14 at 2015 3:19 PM

2015-05-14T15:19:50-04:00

Actually train, an stop babying soldiers so much, basic/boot camp was not meant to be easy.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made May 14 at 2015 3:21 PM

2015-05-14T15:21:01-04:00

It's an Army not a Job Corps. The Marines have the right attitude = every Marine is first a Rifleman.

Response by SSG Richard Reilly made May 14 at 2015 3:34 PM

2015-05-14T15:34:43-04:00

Day 1: Beat the snot out of them. Then they would appreciate crap and stop feeling entitled.

Response by SSG Derek Scheller made May 14 at 2015 3:47 PM

2015-05-14T15:47:15-04:00

OK, I may take some heat for this but I have been through 2 different BCT's. One with the AF in 2004 and then again with the Army in 2011. Transferred services didn't get discharged just as an FYI. What I saw going through the Air Force was that we had to earn everything. We didn't get to wear are BDUs right away we earned them by making it through 0 week. We were getting smoked every day, and I mean that. Our DS would have us pushing Texas constantly. If you made it through 0 week you got to finally put on BDUs in week1 (no rank, no us air force, no name tape). In week 2 we finally got to wear boots as in weeks 0-1 you were still in running shoes. In week through you finally felt like you earned something and started to belong as you finally had US Air Force and your name sewed on to your BDUs. It just progressed from there. To me this instilled pride in the uniform, you had to clip strings, shine boots, and try like hell to crease the damn things with a scalding hot cantine.

Going through the Army basic, they just gave out the uniforms and said here these are yours, here is the US Army Tape, and then they had there name tapes made and put on. They weren't taught pride in the uniform or what it means.

Finally get rid of damn personal time. I didn't have such a thing in '04 but in '11 going through with the Army from day 1 it was Personal Time from 2100-2200 to write letters, or read letters, or sit around the room. In the AF we were writing letters under red light because there was no such thing as personal time except the 30 minutes you had for mail call to just read your letters.

In all I think they need to quit babying the soldiers, and hell they aren't even soldiers yet they haven't earned a damn thing. They need to teach Army History, instill pride in the Army, and teach you to work as a team. I saw too many soldiers graduate BCT with the Gang mentality where they were defiant to their superiors and would always say you don't know where I come from. My response was always I don't give a Damn where you came from I care where you are. You volunteered to be here so quit bitching suck it up and drive on.

Response by SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. made May 14 at 2015 3:49 PM

2015-05-14T15:49:53-04:00

A "pre-basic" camp to get baby-troopers in physical shape so the DS don't have to spend any time getting people into reasonable shape so they can start to get them into fighting shape.

Response by SFC Bhrett Sikkema made May 14 at 2015 4:00 PM

2015-05-14T16:00:48-04:00

Having been a DS from 01-04 there were changes that came down that better incorporated actual doctrine from Afghanistan and Iraq. Some of it was good some of it was bad, but anything was better than teaching out of date tactics. The biggest problem of them all though was having your hands tied and not being able to discipline soldiers in an effective manner. In 03 we had a new CG come in and within the first 90 days he had 9 Hats on his desk, all for swearing. Yes I said swearing. We were not allowed to cuss at anytime no matter what the trainees did. In my mind your were cussing the behavior not the individual. Not to mention that limits were placed on when and how we could conduct retraining ( that would be smoke sessions ) to better instill discipline with in our charges. The PC stuff got so bad that a lot of the satisfaction that you got out of training individuals to the best of your ability was lost. Standards were not enforced as rigidly as they should, and getting rid of individuals that should not of been there in the first place was almost impossible. It still turns my stomach to admit that I sent several individuals on to AIT that should of been sent home. Getting rid of the PC mentality and the baby sitting not training mentality that has permeated TRADOC is a must.

Response by SGT Bryon Sergent made May 14 at 2015 5:25 PM

2015-05-14T17:25:28-04:00

get the facing movements, marching, and BRM, BMI out of the way. Introduce them to a GIG pit at least twice a day!

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 14 at 2015 5:34 PM

2015-05-14T17:34:28-04:00

For one those pitiful stress cards or whatever they are using. Because seriously new recruits arent as disciplined as they should be.. There is no reapect or anything that says i am terified to go ti my permanent duty station. I get it with have to evolve but do we have to take the discipline out of the training.

Response by SGT James Elphick made May 14 at 2015 6:20 PM

2015-05-14T18:20:32-04:00

Edit: I misread the initial post. So, what should we do to BCT? Increase training in actual combat skills and tactics that are actually in play in the austere environments in which we have been operating. Teach all soldiers the basics of combat and convoy's.

That should do it

Response by SSG Nick Tramontano made May 14 at 2015 7:40 PM

2015-05-14T19:40:43-04:00

I did basic training during the post Vietnam era. I was a skinny 17 y.o. that was in high school weeks prior. I adapted to the training but looking back wish it was harder. The senior Drill Sgts. were combat vets (Infantry) from Vietnam. Although we were told about real combat they had to train us according to doctrine. The kids today don't seem to have the discipline like yesterday's. The Army also needs to change the marksmanship training. Shooting from the prone and foxhole is BS. Troops need to be trained to shoot from behind obstacles as well. The Marines have an advantage because of the way they train. Boot Camp is tough and everyone gets to go through some form of Infantry training.

Response by COL Charles Williams made May 14 at 2015 8:44 PM

2015-05-14T20:44:15-04:00

After the Jessica Lynch fiasco, the Army changed BCT dramatically, and the focus became the warrior tasks and battle drills. Lots more BRM was added, which was more in line with the way the Marines do Boot Camp. But, we stopped short, I think. Much better, but not there yet.

I, personally, would also take their phones, and all their connectivity. I was fine in Basic, OSUT, OCS, and Ranger School, with just a weekly (or less) pay phone call.... Their focus needs to be training, not connectivity.

I also think the centralized drill sergeant school at Fort Jackson was a huge, huge, huge mistake. The branches, centers, schools, need to be able to train their own drill sergeants locally for their programs. I am not really sure why Fort Jackson (AG, Finance, Chaplains, etc) was the place to make the Drill Sergeant School; yes, I know all the branches contribute Drill Sergeant Leaders. Why not do this Fort Benning, if we need only one Drill Sergeant School, if our objective is everyone is Soldier (or Infantryman) first?

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made May 14 at 2015 9:21 PM

2015-05-14T21:21:50-04:00

Soft mentality, but on the side as well bullying. I am not gonna lie, but when I went through my BT in Fort Knox, I went through some of the shittiest times because I was bullied as 18 year old kid, with barely any knowledge of taken advantage off. I never stood up for myself since I was already singled out by DS (at one time even mocking me, by opening the door of the barracks while I was on CQ and asking me to leave saying that I will never pass basic training and he wont stop me if I'll just walk outside and never return). All of it was not for being shitbag, but because no one understood that I barely spoke any English. being just turned 18 years old kid, who waived his ESL classes to join US Army.

There are plenty of cases like that and mine was close to becoming Full Metal Jacket. Drill Sergeants should be firm and tough on the recruits but also observe the inappropriate behavior more, than mostly sitting in their office. Random incognito checks tend to do wonders.

Response by SGT Mark Sullivan made May 14 at 2015 10:36 PM

2015-05-14T22:36:58-04:00

Need to get rid of the Politically Correct nonsense. Small teams, squad tactical training, hand to hand or even martial arts, I hear Wing Chun is pretty formidable. Maybe extend BCT to 13 weeks to accommodate this training.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 15 at 2015 10:32 PM

2015-05-15T22:32:08-04:00

All i have ever needed from a Soldier is discipline. Stop trying to make civilians into Soldiers without breaking them down first. teach them the bedrock (not TTP's) and let us NCO's take it from there.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made May 16 at 2015 4:09 PM

2015-05-16T16:09:02-04:00

I'm actually afraid of further changes. But to be honest, we need a hardening of the mental training/conditioning these new soldiers go through. My unit is chaptering a handful of them under chapter 5-17 for this. Basic should be the place where these weaklings get weeded out.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 16 at 2015 4:33 PM

2015-05-16T16:33:02-04:00

How about just passing the fucking PT TEST? Not this 50% and you have 3 months to get the other ten at your duty station

Response by MSG Anthony Foster made May 16 at 2015 5:57 PM

2015-05-16T17:57:37-04:00

Teach Army History go back to when I joined you had to pass A 5 event P.T. test ,fire drills at various hours of the night to insure the barracks were not on fire we would do P.T. in boxer shorts . instill pride of being a Soldier and how to wear a uniform correctly. they shown us how to walk,talk. The problem with the today's military is politics. all Military installions should be close and the general public should not be allowed to purchase any thing on the base.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made May 16 at 2015 6:15 PM

2015-05-16T18:15:14-04:00

Get rid of 90-days profiles .... Start mandating FFD; fix the medical care system in the Army. Too many Soldiers riding profiles. Getting paid to show their profile... Limit profiles to 14 to 30-days unless you are pregnant

Response by PFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 16 at 2015 9:00 PM

2015-05-16T21:00:13-04:00

I honestly have no remembrance of opsec! I think it's imperative that we teach young soldiers how the information that is put on Facebook can effect both them and the nation. In the age of social media youth need to realize how their profile effects people. I am always seeing negative things on WTF army moments. Or ASMDSS etc etc. and it's almost always young soldiers not using their brains.

Response by PFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 17 at 2015 10:19 PM

2015-05-17T22:19:12-04:00

Maybe it's because I went went to Ft. Benning for Infantry OSUT and had Infantry DS's, but I didn't see any stress cards, we got smoked just about every single day once for several hours straight, and I'm just now coming up on being enlisted for 2 years. We got a phone call for about ten minutes every phase change if we didn't screw up. I think if we could do anything to basic it should be to add a week to the beginning where the focus is solely on PT.

Response by SFC Jason Hodge made May 25 at 2015 7:34 PM

2015-05-25T19:34:08-04:00

The importance of discipline, take the APFT more serious. I should have never had new troops come to my unit unable to pass the APFT and with the attitude of questioning every decision made by the leadership. Basic soldier skills such as weapons marksmanship, movement techniques and some of the other very basic functions every soldier should know upon completion of BCT. Oh, and teach them how to balance a checkbook. :)

Response by PVT Andrew Jordan made May 26 at 2015 10:57 PM

2015-05-26T22:57:56-04:00

i believe we need more hand to hand combat techniques im in the process of re-enlisting into the army reserve and ive been keeping up to date on tactics, along with whats going on around the world and if your outnumbered a weapon that fires bullets is ok but what happens when you run out of bullets? my grandfather was a marine he was in guada canal and he served in the pacific during ww2 as a marine raider with the 1st marine division and i did some research and a lot of those men worked in small groups and they mostly fought in close combat and the only weapon used a lot was their combat knife for stealth.

Response by SFC Eric Williams made Nov 10 at 2015 12:55 AM

2015-11-10T00:55:18-05:00

The primary change could be a four man buddy team system (small group) with emphasis on light fighting techniques.
Secondly, basic Arabic language training.....mirroring the German head start program.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 16 at 2015 4:41 PM

2015-12-16T16:41:20-05:00

More PT, More Soldierization, More D & C, and Mentorship/Training (And I don't just mean smokings) by Drill Sergeants. Most troops today aren't sure what NCOs do, aside from crushing them when they foul up.

Response by CPL Robert Dickson made Jan 30 at 2017 11:02 AM

2017-01-30T11:02:38-05:00

I think basic training needs to increase by two weeks. Cyber awareness and civil affairs both need to be addressed during basic training so our soldiers are not totally naive during deployments to non civilized countries and computer awareness for places where its not so remote.