I'm confused on what folks think Basic training is. Maybe things have changed in the gazillion years since I was in boot camp but I can promise what they go through in BCT at USAFA pales in comparison to what the enlisted go through especially if you are looking at the Army and even more so for the Marines. BCT is 5 weeks long... 5 WEEKS! The Air Force enlisted go through 8 1/2 weeks. During that 5 weeks they have Ice cream on the 4th of July, a day at the rodeo and doolie day out to kick back and relax. I know it is tough but lets be honest it is the easiest of any boot camp that I know of. Ask someone who just finished 13 weeks Basic training at Parris Island how many days off they had. Ask them if it was mentally hard. Ask them just how physical it was.
I have a son at the USAFA and another who is enlisted Air Force so I am very familiar with what both went through in boot camp. Boot camp is supposed to be physically and mentally demanding. Their lives may one day depend on that training. This is a MILITARY training program, not STATE U! I welcome it to be tougher and I'd think anyone who has a son or daughter there would also. I prefer my son have a fighting chance if he were to become a pilot and get shot down in hostile territory. If you cannot last 5 weeks at BCT no matter how tough, how will you survive in a real hostile environment?
When I was at A-day last year I was shocked at how many cadets I saw falling out of formation during the ceremony. It was a comfortable day and they were dropping like flies. I was wondering what kind of training did they go through that they can't even stand at parade rest for 1/2 hour without passing out.
Maybe I'm old school but I'd rather it be tough and lose some people than to make it to easy and do them all a disservice. It is their job to prepare them for the worst and that is what they need to do.
I have a son at the USAFA and another who is enlisted Air Force so I am very familiar with what both went through in boot camp. Boot camp is supposed to be physically and mentally demanding. Their lives may one day depend on that training. This is a MILITARY training program, not STATE U! I welcome it to be tougher and I'd think anyone who has a son or daughter there would also. I prefer my son have a fighting chance if he were to become a pilot and get shot down in hostile territory. If you cannot last 5 weeks at BCT no matter how tough, how will you survive in a real hostile environment?
When I was at A-day last year I was shocked at how many cadets I saw falling out of formation during the ceremony. It was a comfortable day and they were dropping like flies. I was wondering what kind of training did they go through that they can't even stand at parade rest for 1/2 hour without passing out.
Maybe I'm old school but I'd rather it be tough and lose some people than to make it to easy and do them all a disservice. It is their job to prepare them for the worst and that is what they need to do.