Navy Remaking Boot Camp For Recruits

**Ironduke** · 12 Nov 03,, 18:13

Navy Remaking Boot Camp For Recruits

Associated Press
November 12, 2003

CHICAGO - Generations of recruits at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center have marched from barracks to classroom, classroom to barracks, barracks to mess hall - more than a mile and a half a day for their nine weeks of basic training.

"Two years ago, we did more marching than even the Marine Corps or the Army," said Rear Adm. Ann Rondeau, commander of the center in North Chicago.

But the nation's only boot camp for Navy enlistees is undergoing a major change - and less marching for the roughly 45,000 recruits who pass through every year is only a part of it.

Instead of wasting training time by making recruits adapt to the aging base, the base is adapting to them. The result, Rondeau and others say, should be better-trained, healthier sailors who are prepared to serve from the day they graduate.

Two years ago, recruits were allotted six and a half hours of sleep. Today, they get eight hours, a reflection that most people need that much shuteye to be healthy and to learn effectively.

Recruits no longer spend a week of their training on kitchen duty. Meals are handled by a private company, leaving more time for training in fighting, survival and counterterrorism techniques.

The two giant dining halls are disappearing, to be replaced by galleys in the barracks.

Fifteen new barracks are being built containing classroom and training areas; each will be named after a famous ship from Navy history in an attempt to imbue Navy lore in sailors from the start.

They will replace barracks with antiquated ventilation systems in which, Rondeau said, when one recruit gets sick, 70 or 80 more quickly follow.

Also slated for the wrecking ball are the base's drill halls, which were put up more than 60 years ago as temporary structures. They will be replaced by three new training halls with air conditioning, offices and classrooms and modern amenities.

The cost of all the new construction is projected to be $798 million over nine years, said Cmdr. Tony Edmonds.

Navy officials are quick to say the new approach is intended to be more focused, not any less rigorous than the old way of doing things.

"I think the recruits are going to get a training that's more tailored to the needs of the Navy," Lt. Dan Cook said.

"Always being tired all the time and always being sick and coughing really affects your ability to effectively learn," Rondeau said. "We want people to be able to focus on making critical decisions."

http://www.military.com/NewsContent?file=FL_navy_111203

**Stinger** · 12 Nov 03,, 19:10

CHICAGO - Generations of recruits at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center have marched from barracks to classroom, classroom to barracks, barracks to mess hall - more than a mile and a half a day for their nine weeks of basic training.

"Two years ago, we did more marching than even the Marine Corps or the Army," said Rear Adm. Ann Rondeau, commander of the center in North Chicago.

BULLSHIT! At Fort Jackson we marched 2-4 miles out to the ranges and 2-4 miles back every day of basic....

**Ironduke** · 13 Nov 03,, 00:34

Heh, my stepbrother dropped out of Navy boot camp. He couldn't take it, lol.

**ChrisF202** · 13 Nov 03,, 23:06

Originally posted by ironman420
Heh, my stepbrother dropped out of Navy boot camp. He couldn't take it, lol.

wow, i never knew it was that intense

**Stinger** · 14 Nov 03,, 12:37

Originally posted by ChrisF202
wow, i never knew it was that intense

Its not, all of the service Bootcamps are a pale shadow of what they once were.

**Ironduke** · 16 Nov 03,, 17:32

I really don't think it was that tough, lol.

**~~s_qwert63~~** · 16 Nov 03,, 18:02

Stress levels on a ship are much higher than they are on the ground or in barracks. So they train you to take in more stress.

**PiggyWiggy** · 17 Nov 03,, 01:28

Yeah.

Ships are usually more clostrophobic.

Navy has bootcamp? I always thought they thaugh how to load the weapons and punch in numbers for the missiles.

Navy Bootcamp shouldnt be too intense, its probably like Physical Education in school, mile a day, push ups, pull ups.

Right?

**Hawg166** · 20 Nov 03,, 00:06

I did boot campin Orlando in July of 85. It was frikkin hot........let me say it again it was frikkin hot especially gettin marched around in those damn dungarees with raincoats on all the time just to make it hotter.
I guess tough would depend on who you are, and especially where you come from. We spent lots of time in the pool and for the guys from the inner cities that had never seen water it was tough. These guys didnt know what tread water meant much less how to do it. We also spent oodles of time learning fire fighting. Looking back on it I seem to remember spending more time fighting fires and swimming than anythin else.
The article said the bootcamp was 9 weeks ? It was 11 weeks when I went through it.
But to be honest i look back and Ican say that Navy bootcamp was kinda cool.

**Stinger** · 20 Nov 03,, 12:17

I was under the impression that it was six weeks like AFBT. But trust me Ft Jackson was hot to, middle of July and August, BDU sleves down always. By about 11 am we all looked like we had stepped into a shower with our BDU's on (smell was a slightly different matter). I got a letter while I was in BT from a buddy that was in AFBT at the same time, and he desccribed the "horrible" conditions and PT they were going through, made for a good laugh in the Barracks

I never thought of the psycho. aspect for people who've never swam going into navy BT nor the Firefighting aspect, but I can see where both would be quite stressful.