Two, we ran and had PT after breakfast. Three, we ran to almost every training area. We kept running and running just like Forrest Gump. When it came to eating, recruits didn't have it much easier than when they were training. They had to follow a very specific procedure and protocol to even get into the mess hall, and while they were eating, drill instructors would scream at them to eat faster - or eat less, for recruits who needed to lose some weight.
It was even worse for the trainees who prepared the meals and cleaned up afterward - whether in the mess hall or out in the wilderness after bivouac training sessions - as those chores were among the most-hated. Referred to as KP duty - a shortening of the term "kitchen police duty" - it was a job everyone in basic training had to do, and the responsibility rotated among the different recruits. However, it was also used as a form of punishment for trainees who didn't perform as well as they should, misbehaved, or mouthed off to superiors and instructors.
All of the trainees Those assigned to pull KP would be [awakened] at about so they could get dressed and report to the mess hall to assist in the preparation of breakfast. They would continue on this detail until after the dinner meal had been served and the mess hall was "policed," all dishes, trays, pots, pans, tables, floor, and everything else had been cleaned and ready for breakfast the next morning. Of all the KP duties, the one I hated the most was washing the pots and pans because so many were used for each meal, and they were so dirty, greasy, and hard to clean.
It's no coincidence that when people think of Vietnam-era drill sergeants, their first thought is of R. Ermey served as a drill instructor during Vietnam, and brought his experience to the table when it came to playing the iconic character. In reality, drill sergeants really did scream their heads off at new recruits - until they got in line and up to speed. Yes, they did their best to terrorize you; that was their job.
It was their job to take you apart and put you back together the Army way," veteran Larry Lettie recalled of his time in basic training. Drill instructors singled out the drafted guys for the harshest verbal abuse More than a few times they barked: "Leepson, you better learn the spirit of the bayonet After a long day, recruits often weren't even able to get a full night of sleep - or even an uninterrupted night.
This was due to the old, wooden barracks that many of the trainees slept in at numerous different installations, which were apparently like tinder boxes. According to Veteran Jerry Prater , drill instructors at Fort Polk, where he attended basic training, told him that if a fire were to start from a smoldering cigarette butt or some similar incendiary spark, they "would burn down in 17 minutes.
They would then wake up the trainee who was scheduled to walk the next hour, undress, and go back to sleep. While basic training and the eight weeks of advanced training were hectic, challenging, and physically demanding, many trainees still had some downtime at the end of the night.
During these hours, they fended off loneliness and homesickness by bonding over letters, gifts, and stories from home. Whatever they got, they shared," veteran Salvatore Di Blasio said. As for the specifics of what they'd get from their loved ones, Di Blasio said they'd often get "cookies and stuff like that.
Anything anyone could send us, we enjoyed a lot When we got something, it was great. Photo: U. Veteran Jerry Prater recalled : Our drill sergeants then informed us of several aspects of army life we could expect while we were in basic training. Veteran Mike Page recalled his own basic training before being sent to Vietnam: The Army opted to economize on individual training - to save money and to invest as little as possible in soldiers that would be gone within two years.
You Hit The Firing Range. However, according to Dennis Mulgannon, who was in the Special Forces during the Vietnam era, they often trained with models they didn't even end up using : By the time I got to Vietnam, most of the bugs had been worked out of the M Photo: Staff Sgt. Photo: Cpl. Photo: Lance Cpl. Benjamin E. According to Vietnam vet Fred Childs, running became a primary focus in the life of a soldier in training: Several things were quite different from basic training.
Eisenhower called the domino theory. The domino theory speculated if one country in a region came under the influence of communism, then the surrounding countries would follow in a domino effect.
After years of providing logistical and advisory support to French and South Vietnamese forces in the 50 and 60s in this effort, the U. To meet the expected military requirements needed for potential ground combat in Vietnam, the U. Fort Polk was one them. At the time Fort Polk was home to basic training, but in June Fort Polk was given a new mission - Advanced Infantry Training in preparation for war in the jungles of Southeast Asia.
There were two simulated Vietnamese hamlets that featured earthen berms, sharpened bamboo stake defenses, and booby-trap simulations. The Marines operated at bases and in-country. The Coast Guard patrolled the rivers and waterways.
Training for deployment in Vietnam took into account a variety of factors, depending on the specialization of the unit in which one was deployed. It took place in the United States, at advanced bases overseas in the Philippines and other Pacific locales, and both in the field and in the classroom.
Much training changed dramatically over the course of the war, to include the lessons learned by all forces deployed. Here are some aspects of training for the Vietnam War. Enlistees and draftees reported to their first military training station as boots, arriving at camps where they were introduced to their drill instructor often quite rudely who supervised their transition from civilian to soldier, sailor, airman, or marine.
The transition included appearance, with a military haircut being one of the first orders of business.
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