Story #4343

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For all my life I looked up to the military and I was stunned this past year when I finally got my chance to join the ranks. My recruiter asked me if I wanted a challenge, I said yes, and he signed me up for a summers worth of body enrichment in Ft. Benning, Georgia.

I heard all of the horror stories from basic training. Privates getting thrown off buses, sock parties, you name it. I was insanely hopeful for the one chance in my life to become a highly disciplined and motivated soldier.

When training started it was typical stuff from what I’ve read, a lot of hurry up and wait. The thing that really got me was the lack of discipline that came along in Red Phase. My drills couldn’t do anything productive to curb the disrespect and lack of discipline that my platoon and company had. Our smoking one night was standing at attention for an hour and a half because not even half of the platoon could do it. The main reason there was such a lack of discipline was because my company was 90% STO 1 which is high schoolers.

I was 23 at the time and was ready for the was beating that I always heard about but was sadly disappointed when I heard about these hands off rules for the drill sergeants. I feel like I was cheated in my short 10 weeks in BCT. I feel as if the Army isn’t worth my time anymore if we’re going to be producing such piss poor soldiers.

However, I feel like the Army can change back and that’s something my Drills inspired and motivated me to achieve. From what I understand the only people that can change things in the Army are Officers. My drills have motivated me to bring back excellence into this Army, and I plan on doing so by working to become an officer and dedicating my career to changing the standards back to how they were in the “old army”.

I may not have been there to experience it but I do realize that if this is how the most challenging and rigorous BCT post trains that we are hopeless. In the words of my drill sergeant “Privates, I take 8 SCOOPS OF MOTIVATION EVERY MORNING AND COME HERE TO DEAL WITH YOU LITTLE ASSHOLES THAT DONT WANT TO CONFORM. If I can get up at 0300 you can be motivated enough to sound off when doing PT, it’s this lack of motivation that is unacceptable and a cancer to this Army. Get your shit together.”