Posted on 03/16/2010 11:10:13 AM PDT by greatdefender
FORT JACKSON, S.C. – New soldiers are grunting through the kind of stretches and twists found in "ab blaster" classes at suburban gyms as the Army revamps its basic training regimen for the first time in three decades.
Heeding the advice of Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans, commanders are dropping five-mile runs and bayonet drills in favor of zigzag sprints and exercises that hone core muscles. Battlefield sergeants say that's the kind of fitness needed to dodge across alleys, walk patrol with heavy packs and body armor or haul a buddy out of a burning vehicle.
Trainers also want to toughen recruits who are often more familiar with Facebook than fistfights.
"Soldiers need to be able to move quickly under load, to be mobile under load, with your body armor, your weapons and your helmet, in a stressful situation," said Frank Palkoska, head of the Army's Fitness School at Fort Jackson, which has worked several years on overhauling the regime.
"We geared all of our calisthenics, all of our running movements, all of our warrior skills, so soldiers can become stronger, more powerful and more speed driven," Palkoska said. The exercises are part of the first major overhaul in Army basic fitness training since men and women began training together in 1980, he said.
The new plan is being expanded this month at the Army's four other basic training installations — Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., Fort Sill, Okla., Fort Benning, Ga., and Fort Knox, Ky.
Drill sergeants with experience in the current wars are credited with urging the Army to change training, in particular to build up core muscle strength. One of them is 1st Sgt. Michael Todd, a veteran of seven deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Finally... some good news today
All those wimpifications of the military to allow females to pass the physical training may have atually costs some lives LIKE WE SAID IT WOULD 30 years ago.....
If they get into extremely close quarters fighting perhaps they'll be able to run the enemy through with the edge of their hand.
So they are doing away with separate PT standards for men and women?
I still say, if you want “equality”, have the sexes seperated into all female/male units, both subject to the combat AND the draft. Anything less is jibba-jabba.
I can see a bayonet training range from where I am right now.
So, they are being trained more like Marines?
I can see dropping the drills, but keeping the bayonet. Everybody knows a big stealthy knife, be it a bayonet or otherwise, is indispensable.
Dumbing down physical training for coed PC training. The Marines do not train this way. Eliminating 5 mile runs in favor of sprints. Predicated that endurance would never be needed, extraction or support by mechanized units that might not be there in combat. Stupid. Train for worst case.
No more bayonets? Of what should an enemy be afraid in the final close combat. Answer: we now fight by Predator? Marines fortunately do not basic train this way. Assume you have no support- you are a warrior. An Army of One, indeed.
>I can see a bayonet training range from where I am right now.
Are you watching C-SPAN?
The reality is that bayonets haven't been of much use since the Civil War. I would be surprised if anyone has been killed by a rifle-mounted bayonet anywhere in Iraq or Afghanistan.
We did the Run, dodge, and Jump, the inverted crawl, and the horizontal ladder , in addition to the push-ups, sit-ups and 2 mile run back in the 70’s. The Army just got lazy, and fat.
Never had bayonet drills in over 20 years though.
No, still coed training. Many, many differences, and the Marines are better trained, and of course, more feared.
Recruits are desk weenies. Our schools no longer have physical ed, unless you play on a team. Everyone else thinks they join the Army of One, to run a tank from a keyboard. But in the real world, they are not prepared for combat. Biggest reason for turn down of recruits is out of shape and overweight. At least it is for the Marines. Ask Michelle Obama LOL.
This training change is being recommended by “current” vets, so we are training for the last war, as always, and also, wrong. Also, we are adjusting training for PC reasons of females in units.
Should do both, endurance, and sprints. How can you zig zag sprint if you have no endurance, short or long term. Sure to cause a lot of physiology comments, but it remains a fact. Run one 100 yd. sprint, and then drop from exhaustion, get killed by a muzzie who can outrun any of us, uphill in high altitude. Great decision.
Bingo. Marines, Semper Fi!
Just sayin'.
Is the Army adopting a Crossfit-style PT program?
Several instances in Viet Nam when bayonets featured prominently in defense of perimeter. Needs to be taught, close order weaponry use. Not quite like training with sabers for horseback.
And when there isn’t?
Agree with him, but they also left the bayonet fixed, cause it has a hole for the bullet to go through. Also, works real good when used together, thrust, boom.
Did you even read the article or did you just get too excited and reach for your pom poms.
Here is another more thoughtful thread on the same article.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2471973/posts
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