When did army BCT change from 6 weeks to 9 weeks??

[MartyNeilan]

As long as I can remember, its always been 6 weeks. Website says 9 weeks now. When / why the change? Did they add another 3 weeks of "material" or just restructure it??

Thanks

[Leland]

It's about time they bumped it up -- 6 weeks is awfully short as it is, and the body needs the extra time to rebuild before graduation.

Guess the Marines will have to bump up to 16 weeks now.

[Chuck Jackson]

It seems to me that when I went through Basic in 1985 that it was 8 weeks. Started on October 2 and Graduated on December 2 then went to Little Creek for School. It seemed like a year. In retrospect, it wasn't too bad.

Chuck"who, however, is not champing at the bit to do it again "Jackson

[ThomasDodd]

I though the Army and Navy were 8 weeks.
Not a clue about the A.F. anymore.

I did 13 wks at P.I. so not really up on the other branches. But even 9wks sounds too short to me.

[Leland]

Now that I think about it, 8 weeks sounds like the right figure for the previous version of the Army's basic training. The Air Force had 6 weeks -- just enough to run around, shoot M16's from a hundred yards (might as well throw bullets from that close ), and learn how to dress n' press.

On the other hand, I'm hearing that Marine MCT (Marine Combat Training, post-boot camp training for those of us who aren't infantry-bound) has been lengthened by maybe a week or so, totaling nearly a month. That's good news, I'd say, because even with just over 2-1/2 weeks, we had to move pretty fast on some concepts.

[ThomasDodd]

On the other hand, I'm hearing that Marine MCT (Marine Combat Training, post-boot camp training for those of us who aren't infantry-bound) has been lengthened by maybe a week or so, totaling nearly a month. That's good news, I'd say, because even with just over 2-1/2 weeks, we had to move pretty fast on some concepts.

I pretty sure I spent a month (4 weeks) at MCT. That was 1990. I'm sure it was more that 2 wks, but I'd have to get a copy of my records to be certain.

And I'd forgotten about MCT , which is really part of boot camp. Sure you're no longer a recruit, get some priviledges, but still more like boot than at A school. And Fayetnam was not a great place to be. I forget now, but for somereason we didn't get off base liberty whne I wa there, just the weekend off, once

[Leland]

MCT was something like 17 training days, but that didn't include Sundays (yeah we had it "easy", although one kid was UA at libo -- I guess we had to learn how to take time off!), and I think the receiving & graduating days didn't count either. It worked out that I was done with MCT about a month after I finished boot camp (with a gap of ten days' "boot leave" right after boot camp), so it was about four months total of training.

[Brassdad]

I was the LogO for Infantry Training School {ITS} (1985-1986) when we converted to School Of Infantry {SOI} and reinitiated MCT, as well as the NCO and SNCO 03XX course.
We recommended to do away with Boot Leave in order to keep the Marines moving through the pipeline.
Some how we lost that battle. (Those PI/Beaufot politicians have some real pull)

[ai698]

Air Force BMT is 6 1/2 weeks, no School of Music.
Navy Basic is 8 weeks and the School of Music.

The Army Reserve Component (National Guard and Army Reserves) School of Music is 4 weeks long with no final audition where the Active side can be up to 6 months long. Our band just had five go through the RC school and loved every moment. A couple are thinking about going active just so they can go to the school for the full time.

[chhite]

Marty, Initial Entry Training has been eight weeks for some time now, and a ninth week was added to include sensitivity and ethical training that was deemed necessary after a series of events in the late 90s. On a side note, actual time spent at basic training may be longer than nine weeks because it may take a few extra days to weeks to class up enough trainees for the class.

[ThomasDodd]

On a side note, actual time spent at basic training may be longer than nine weeks because it may take a few extra days to weeks to class up enough trainees for the class.

Do they have something like PCP for those struggling/failing the physical/weight requirements?

If you get injured, do they send you home, or do you stay there and get paid during recovery and rehab?

[Dean]

On a side note, actual time spent at basic training may be longer than nine weeks because it may take a few extra days to weeks to class up enough trainees for the class.

Do they have something like PCP for those struggling/failing the physical/weight requirements?

If you get injured, do they send you home, or do you stay there and get paid during recovery and rehab?

The extra time chhite is speaking is called Reception in the Army. This is where you go until they can gather up about 800-1000 of you to start an actual Basic Training course (these are the people you will graduate basic with). When recruiting is slow, this can take a while. For me, it was 10 days. I think that is about the average. This is also where we get issued our clothing, medical records are begun, etc etc etc...

The PCP you speak of... Army has something like that yes, though I forget what it is called. Sometime during reception, there is a diagnostic PT test given. Its a light test--something like 15 or so pushups, 17 or so situps, and a 1 mile run (pass time was like 10 minutes for me--at 23). Fail any of those events, and you get sent to a remedial PT course, which is about a month I think. You must pass--then you go back into a BCT rotation. Fail, and you are out.

The medical cases, I think, were on an individual basis. I know one recruit who broke her arm during basic. She got it set and cast, and was allowed to go home until it healed. She would then be recycled back into basic. Nice thing is, she didnt have to start over--since the break happenned in week 5, she got to start basic again at week 5. I am pretty sure there are medical cases that would be taken care of in basic (no sending the recruit home) and probably some cases that result in separation. I dont know any of the official policies of course.

[ThomasDodd]

The extra time chhite is speaking is called Reception in the Army. This is where you go until they can gather up about 800-1000 of you to start an actual Basic Training course (these are the people you will graduate basic with). When recruiting is slow, this can take a while. For me, it was 10 days. I think that is about the average. This is also where we get issued our clothing, medical records are begun, etc etc etc...

We spent that time at home. You arrived at P.I. and started then with paperwork, basic issue and such. of course with only 2 training facilities in the entire U.S. it's easier to keep the pipeline full.

The medical cases, I think, were on an individual basis. I know one recruit who broke her arm during basic. She got it set and cast, and was allowed to go home until it healed. She would then be recycled back into basic. Nice thing is, she didnt have to start over--since the break happenned in week 5, she got to start basic again at week 5.

Wow. Not the Corps. You staryed there while it heeled. Depending on how dfar along you were, you come back at the major milestones, but not an arbitrary point. I sow many guys there with casts and on crutches. If you should heal, you stayed. Else medical discharge. Had a guy join my platoon just at BWT (name has changed now I think) that had been there for 8 months. He had broken his leg (on the O course I think).

[chhite]

[/quote]If you get injured, do they send you home, or do you stay there and get paid during recovery and rehab?[/quote]

Dean explained it well. The "medical hold" and "recycled" status are used at basic and at AIT, should the Soldier become injured during training. The Soldier can rejoin a different class at the point he left off, provided he hasn't been out long enough to lose what conditioning that had begun. There may be an instance that the Soldier's injuries prevent him from completing basic training in a reasonable amount of time and he may be medically removed and discharged. If the injury occurs during AIT, and the injury prevents the Soldier from performing his normal duties, he may be given the opportunity to re-class to another specialty or be discharged. The discharge may present a hardship if the Soldier was given college loan repayment or a substantial bonus for enlisting. Although the bonuses would not be paid until he made it through basic, AIT, and was at his first duty station, many will do what is necessary to get that amount of money and "play through" injuries.

[Dean]

many will do what is necessary to get that amount of money and "play through" injuries.

Many recruits choose their own judgment and suffer through serious injuries for many many weeks, rather than risk being separated for a medical reason. Sometimes it works out... sometimes it doesnt.

I know of one soldier who got several stress fractures while in basic. She kept her mouth shut, and was still able to pass. She finally went to the doctor when she signed in with her duty station. Its now been well over a year, and she is still not reovered fully. She tried once again to run/do PT--for a few months, then she re-injured herself....

Stress fractures are more common among women--I forget why... But ya, military medical policies do make it difficult at times to want to go to the doctor when you SHOULD....

[Leland]

If you should heal, you stayed. Else medical discharge. Had a guy join my platoon just at BWT (name has changed now I think) that had been there for 8 months. He had broken his leg (on the O course I think).

One of my junior Marines told me today about a fellow recruit who had been in boot camp for maybe a year and a half, often in MRP (Medical Rehab Platoon).

First it was a fracture along the bottom of his foot. He eventually healed, but a few days into training he sprained (or maybe broke) his ankle on the other side. Late into recovery from that, he tripped down the steps and broke his arm.

But, once he fully healed up, he was allowed back into the training cycle and eventually graduated. He had been made Lance Corporal before graduation because of sheer time in service.

[chhite]

That's one guy who really wanted to be a Marine. Great for him and his perseverance(sp?).