Army softens training for recruits

[namvet]

Last November, Curt Gilroy, the Pentagon's director of accessions, told Army Times that most American teens were obese, out of shape and plagued by illness because of "couch potato syndrome."

"Kids are just not able to do push-ups, and they can't do pull-ups, and they can't run," he said.

Fortunately, the new Army workout plan doesn't ask them to

WTF ???

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2010/03/army_softens_training_for_recr.html

when i was in HS we had something called PE - physical training. is that gone now???? couch potato syndrome. my couch training was uh a little different

[glockmail]

Yeah its gone. In my kids school they have to do PE one (maybe two, I'm not sure) semester out of eight. We are officially a fat and lazy country.

[namvet]

Yeah its gone. In my kids school they have to do PE one (maybe two, I'm not sure) semester out of eight. We are officially a fat and lazy country.


what's PE 1 and 2 involve????

[glockmail]

what's PE 1 and 2 involve???? My kids are both athletes so its like a walk in the park for them and I haven't gotten much feedback. They play various psuedo-sports like floor hockey and "ten minute run" where they have to go around the track for ten minutes or one mile, whichever comes first, most do two laps.

My daughter crushed all the boys in hockey, losers.

[CSM]

Well, I dont know about the exercise part, but I can tell you the "combatives" (what they called "rolling") is very intense and should have been incorporated a long time ago. Hand to hand, melee combat with the intent of disabling or killing your opponent as quickly as possible. One of my sons is a first sergeant for a unit about to deploy and they have been doing combatives for some time now. I have seen them "rolling" and it gets pretty viscious. No fake moves or combat dummies, they actually fight each other. Some of the wrestling holds alone would scare the crap out of you!

[namvet]

My kids are both athletes so its like a walk in the park for them and I haven't gotten much feedback. They play various psuedo-sports like floor hockey and "ten minute run" where they have to go around the track for ten minutes or one mile, whichever comes first, most do two laps.

My daughter crushed all the boys in hockey, losers.

in my day PE was required for both boys and girls. and it was physical !!!

we played sports outside which included running. in bad weather we used the gym. which had and elevated running track around it.
we loved playing something back then called "Marine Basketball". there was only 1 rule. its unfair to play fair. here was a chance for you to go after rivals and let em have it !!!! PE was supervised by the schools football or basketball coaches/teachers. and the babes loved seeing us put the muscles on. its the one big reasons we were able to stand up to boot camp. the teachers knew that's where most of us were headed so they upped the level of PE training.
a couch back then was used for screwing. well it was physical !!!!!

[HogTrash]

what's PE 1 and 2 involve????Curling candy bars...

[namvet]

Well, I dont know about the exercise part, but I can tell you the "combatives" (what they called "rolling") is very intense and should have been incorporated a long time ago. Hand to hand, melee combat with the intent of disabling or killing your opponent as quickly as possible. One of my sons is a first sergeant for a unit about to deploy and they have been doing combatives for some time now. I have seen them "rolling" and it gets pretty viscious. No fake moves or combat dummies, they actually fight each other. Some of the wrestling holds alone would scare the crap out of you!

I saw green Berets training on the tube the other night. it included rolling and log lifting. many of them puked out.

[Monkeybone]

did you read the article? or just the title? So they aren't doing long distance runs or push ups. that doesn't mean they won't be in shape. they are doing core muscle strengthing. they are doing stuff that preps their bodies for combat... not running.

[Gaffer]

Like namvet I had PE. It was daily. Included swimming and sports. Also included lots of excersize. Sit ups. 50 in five minutes, pull ups, minimum of 10 for a C, 50 for an A. Track and mile runs. push ups, 50 for an A. Rope climb. I could do that in 3 seconds. 30 foot rope. I always got A's in PE.

The army just pushed my endurance. Besides the physical training they added sleep deprivation. Hope they are not softening up too much on the noncombatants, because every soldier is a potential combat soldier. If they are letting some do less then they are putting them in a deadly position.

[namvet]

did you read the article? or just the title? So they aren't doing long distance runs or push ups. that doesn't mean they won't be in shape. they are doing core muscle strengthing. they are doing stuff that preps their bodies for combat... not running.

you missed the point. they won't be in shape. if you can't run your fuckin' dead !!!!!

[namvet]

Like namvet I had PE. It was daily. Included swimming and sports. Also included lots of excersize. Sit ups. 50 in five minutes, pull ups, minimum of 10 for a C, 50 for an A. Track and mile runs. push ups, 50 for an A. Rope climb. I could do that in 3 seconds. 30 foot rope. I always got A's in PE.

The army just pushed my endurance. Besides the physical training they added sleep deprivation. Hope they are not softening up too much on the noncombatants, because every soldier is a potential combat soldier. If they are letting some do less then they are putting them in a deadly position.

as well as puttin others in a deadly position

[Monkeybone]

you missed the point. they won't be in shape. if you can't run your fuckin' dead !!!!!

I think you missed the point. How are they not going to be in shape? Core muscles affect everything. they never said that they were completely taking running out. but instead of long distance being a focus, they now are focusing on sprints. They are making it how they are going to be fighting over there and in cities.

[LiberalNation]

my cousin just got out of basic, said they did a ton of pushups and he came home in great shape before going to AIT.

[Monkeybone]

my cousin just got out of basic, said they did a ton of pushups and he came home in great shape before going to AIT. know you were just making a point but jsut bouncing off of this, like i was saying. they just aren't going to be a focus now. nothing says that they are completely getting rid of them.

[LiberalNation]

Of course they don't beat the shit outa ya anymore like my dad went thru but I don't think it's gotten too soft or my cousin wouldn't have such a great bod now after just over 2 months.

[LiberalNation]

glad they aren't focusing so much on pushups personally. I have no upper body strength.

[Gaffer]

I think you missed the point. How are they not going to be in shape? Core muscles affect everything. they never said that they were completely taking running out. but instead of long distance being a focus, they now are focusing on sprints. They are making it how they are going to be fighting over there and in cities.

Being able to go long distances makes sprints even easier. And in a combat situation you might be required to run for a very long distance. As an example see Blackhawk down.

When I was in the army we had to run a mile and a half in under 8 minutes. In fatigues and combat boots. we trained in full combat gear with M14 rifles and double timed everywhere we went. Whether it was 100 yards away or 5 miles. By the time I got out of basic I could jog for miles without getting winded.

[Monkeybone]

Being able to go long distances makes sprints even easier. And in a combat situation you might be required to run for a very long distance. As an example see Blackhawk down.

When I was in the army we had to run a mile and a half in under 8 minutes. In fatigues and combat boots. we trained in full combat gear with M14 rifles and double timed everywhere we went. Whether it was 100 yards away or 5 miles. By the time I got out of basic I could jog for miles without getting winded.
i understand that. Like i said, it isn't just a focus as much anymore, not softening. unless I completely missed that part where it said that they aren't doing it anymore....


and i think there is where you have an upper hand over what they do now. they don't do that much in full gear anymore from what i am led to believe. they have PT outfits and everything.

[LiberalNation]

those doing ranger challenge still ran in boots and full gear plus a dummy rifle.

[Gaffer]

i understand that. Like i said, it isn't just a focus as much anymore, not softening. unless I completely missed that part where it said that they aren't doing it anymore....


and i think there is where you have an upper hand over what they do now. they don't do that much in full gear anymore from what i am led to believe. they have PT outfits and everything.

yeah that's what I have heard and seen too. I think a lot of that started changing in the 70s. The fashion conscious army.

when I have talked with iraq vets about what they did and what I did they are in awe of what I did compared to them. And these are guys that were in the thick of it. So I think the army has gone relatively soft by comparison. At least when it comes to dealing with discomfort.

[HogTrash]

glad they aren't focusing so much on pushups personally. I have no upper body strength.So all your strength is in your ass huh?

[LiberalNation]

fuck yeah, ass of steal.

[Monkeybone]

yeah that's what I have heard and seen too. I think a lot of that started changing in the 70s. The fashion conscious army.

when I have talked with iraq vets about what they did and what I did they are in awe of what I did compared to them. And these are guys that were in the thick of it. So I think the army has gone relatively soft by comparison. At least when it comes to dealing with discomfort.

were you in when they could still hit you Gaf?

[Gaffer]

were you in when they could still hit you Gaf?

No, they had stopped that a few years before. But that didn't mean they always followed procedure. If you really got out of line you might have a private meeting with one of the DI's. The Marines were still doing it at that time tho. Our senior DI had been a Marine before switching to the army. He said he couldn't give us full Marine training, but he would take us as close as he could. I think the only thing we didn't get was regular ass whoopings.

[namvet]

No, they had stopped that a few years before. But that didn't mean they always followed procedure. If you really got out of line you might have a private meeting with one of the DI's. The Marines were still doing it at that time tho. Our senior DI had been a Marine before switching to the army. He said he couldn't give us full Marine training, but he would take us as close as he could. I think the only thing we didn't get was regular ass whoopings.

they did it when i was in boot. we had a kid that was hit hard by an adjutant. the kid took it in the eye. went blind and was discharged

[Gaffer]

they did it when i was in boot. we had a kid that was hit hard by an adjutant. the kid took it in the eye. went blind and was discharged

Don't know about the Navy, I knew what went on in the army and heard from Marines about their boot camp. That would have been an example of why they stopped the beatings.

[Mr. P]

I never saw a Drill Sergeant touch anyone that I can remember.

We policed ourselves really. Anyone ever hear of a "blanket party"?
Not to be confused with the Navy gay "blanket party". :poke:

If an individual was screwing up or slacking to the point the unit was being punished, he may well have had a blanket tossed over him in the middle of the night and the chit beat outta him.

Yes, I saw it happen and it always got the point across.

[Gaffer]

I never saw a Drill Sergeant touch anyone that I can remember.

We policed ourselves really. Anyone ever hear of a "blanket party"?
Not to be confused with the Navy gay "blanket party". :poke:

If an individual was screwing up or slacking to the point the unit was being punished, he may well have had a blanket tossed over him in the middle of the night and the chit beat outta him.

Yes, I saw it happen and it always got the point across.

Yes those happened too. Usually when one guy continually screwed up and go the whole platoon punished. If a DI wanted to get someone they would call them out and punish the platoon repeatedly until he was dealt with. The DI's knew just how to use that to great effect. They just weren't involved personally in the beatings any more.