Physical Fitness Programs During Basic And Advanced Individual Training (Ait), At The Unit Level, And In Special Courses For Paratroopers, Rangers, And Special Forces.
I went through US Army BCT at Ft Ord starting in Jan 1967. I had enlisted for Airborne Infantry and went on to volunteer a third time for Special Forces. Went through SF Training at Ft Bragg and thence to Vietnam with SOA CCC 5th SFGA. This film brings back many memories. Proud to have served. AIRBORNE, ALL THE WAY!!!
Watching this now it seems archaic, but it worked and in some ways still does, I did my basic in 1979 in winter, so it was great when even the PTI ‘S admitted it was to bad weather to go outside, so indoor training it was, usually along the team sports lines, dodge ball, British bulldog, and medicine ball rugby, all great fun and great workouts. In the United Kingdom we had different standards to meet than in the USA, obviously, but probably just as taxing and informative for the instructors, as I was quite a sports fanatic, even at 16 years old, I found the physical training quite easy, to start with, but as time went on and after basic training I certainly appreciated my much improved personal fitness, fitness that I carried throughout my 24 years service, unfortunately after leaving the military I ended up in a very sedentary job and piled on the Lbs and now can’t get rid of them, so to anyone watching this and laughing, don’t, physical fitness in the military, especially during basic, is taken very seriously, as it should be, one day the extra effort you put in might just save your life, even if it seems stupid to push yourself when you are making the standard easily, every extra ounce of strength and endurance you attain and keep can only be of benefit, to you, your comrades and whatever service you join. Good luck anyone either going to basic training or thinking of joining a service, you might regret it whilst you are being “beasted” from before dawn until long after dusk, but after you have graduated, you might still regret it, Lol. Seriously I never met a man or woman who, once finished basic, didn’t appreciate the hard work that the PTI’s and DI’s put in pushing you to make and exceed the basic standards. Thanks for sharing this excellent and informative training film, was almost a step back in time. 👍.
Went into the Army in 1969 Ft. Leonard Wood and were the last cycle to use the M-14 also one of the last to have an "RA" number stamped into the dog tags.
Hey - were you on tank hill ? Do you remember the damn damn area ? I was Alpha company - DI was Seabrooke Basic Combat Training Fort Jackson 1975 on Tank Hill When we first lined up with our duffel bags - the first thing the drill sargeant did was tell us ' when I say up - you pick your duffel bag up over your head - when I say down - you put your duffel bag on the ground ' then he command loudly for about 5 minutes straight : UP ! DOWN ! UP ! DOWN ! UP ! DOWN ! ... And we also quickly learned the front leaning rest position ... During the PT drills - the DI would always announce the Army exercise number and the drill name then belt out ' exercise position move ! ' . Back then when we did the figure 8 training ( run dodge & jump ), where you run through the two gates and jump over the water pit in the middle, we had the person who was next in line - run behind us hitting us with their belt ... Does anybody who went to Fort Jackson remember the damn damn area ? The sand pit that you had to belly crawl down one hill through the sand pit then up the hill on the other side ? If you raised up even the slightest then you had to start all over ...
The military made physical training easier because far too many were developing stress fractures. When kids grow up as couch potatoes, they have aged bodies when reaching adulthood.
Went through Basic at Ft. Polk in winter of '67. Rather less clean than shown here! We were wet and muddy pretty much the whole time. We didn't exercise in t-shirts, either, but that may have been because it was colder. Plus, our undershirts were OD in color. We never did those round-robin exercises, either, or play soccer. And the Confidence Course was in Basic not AIT. There were not nearly that many black soldiers in any company, either. Other than that, they nailed it.
I went to basic at Ft Knox, 1/46th Inf. 4th platoon. Nov-Dec of '95. Then i went to the 369th sig bat, Ft Gordon Ga. I think 3rd platoon. Jan-Jun '96. I dont remember or have paperwork on what companies I was in then, everything is from memory. This is Mark "Mezzy Mez" Messner-Always makin a mess. I'm always on the look out for, Ft Knox: Robert Rogers, Josh Mellor, Gravell, Knox, Marshall, Jones, "jim carrey". DSs Batista, Egie, Morales and Ruiz Ft Gordon: Turner, Sauls, Keller, Niutupuivaha, Vidrine, Miller. DS Lemuelle Brock.
Basic Combat Training Fort Jackson 1975 When we first lined up with our duffel bags - the first thing the drill sargeant did was tell us ' when I say up - you pick your duffel bag up over your head - when I say down - you put your duffel bag on the ground ' then he command loudly for about 5 minutes straight : UP ! DOWN ! UP ! DOWN ! UP ! DOWN ! ... And we also quickly learned the front leaning rest position ... During the PT drills - the DI would always announce the Army exercise number and the drill name then belt out ' exercise position move ! ' . Back then when we did the figure 8 training ( run dodge & jump ), where you run through the two gates and jump over the water pit in the middle, we had the person who was next in line - run behind us hitting us with their belt ... Does anybody who went to Fort Jackson remember the dam dam area ? The sand pit that you had to belly crawl down one hill through the sand pit then up the hill on the other side ? If you raised up even the slightest then you had to start all over ...
Brings back memories (none of them pleasant) of my basic training at Fort Polk, Louisiana in. 1968. I was in Delta Company 3/2. My platoon sergeant was Willie Simms and he did his best to prepare us for the rigors of combat in Vietnam. Fortunately, I wasn't an 11 Bravo and didn't have to go to Tigerland for my AIT. It saddens me to know that Fort Polk was re-named by politically correct zealots and Tigerland is no more Be that as it may.... For those of us who trained there during the Vietnam Era, it will always be Fort Polk. A note in closing... Fort Polk trained more soldiers for Vietnam than any other training center. It was a tough time for the country, and it was especially tough for the young men sent to fight an unpopular war - without the support of the American people. The 'grunts' who did the actual fighting in those brutal jungles deserve your appreciation and your respect. There are 55,000 names on a wall in Washington D.C. that will give you the reason why. 🇺🇸
Show this to your wife and daughter at age 64 "This is what Daddy did in the Army!"... Annnd they don't believe you. because you can, at best, toddle along with "Sweatin' to the oldies". They don't buy back and knee damage any more than the VA does.
Today at Ft. Benning, our soldiers spend their first week in the Army deciding what gender they are, and whether they are comfortable with that. Next, they are introduced to their drill instructors, who skip the traditional "shark attack" and instead instruct the gender-aware privates where their safe space is located. Once the privates have had time to feel safe and take a decompression nap, only then can they begin their whiteness training.
I went through US Army BCT at Ft Ord starting in Jan 1967. I had enlisted for Airborne Infantry and went on to volunteer a third time for Special Forces. Went through SF Training at Ft Bragg and thence to Vietnam with SOA CCC 5th SFGA. This film brings back many memories. Proud to have served. AIRBORNE, ALL THE WAY!!!
"As long as there's an army, you can bet there'll be marching" True to this day
To think that many of this young soldiers never came back alive from Vietnam...Bless everyone of them we’re ever they are..
Watching this now it seems archaic, but it worked and in some ways still does, I did my basic in 1979 in winter, so it was great when even the PTI ‘S admitted it was to bad weather to go outside, so indoor training it was, usually along the team sports lines, dodge ball, British bulldog, and medicine ball rugby, all great fun and great workouts. In the United Kingdom we had different standards to meet than in the USA, obviously, but probably just as taxing and informative for the instructors, as I was quite a sports fanatic, even at 16 years old, I found the physical training quite easy, to start with, but as time went on and after basic training I certainly appreciated my much improved personal fitness, fitness that I carried throughout my 24 years service, unfortunately after leaving the military I ended up in a very sedentary job and piled on the Lbs and now can’t get rid of them, so to anyone watching this and laughing, don’t, physical fitness in the military, especially during basic, is taken very seriously, as it should be, one day the extra effort you put in might just save your life, even if it seems stupid to push yourself when you are making the standard easily, every extra ounce of strength and endurance you attain and keep can only be of benefit, to you, your comrades and whatever service you join. Good luck anyone either going to basic training or thinking of joining a service, you might regret it whilst you are being “beasted” from before dawn until long after dusk, but after you have graduated, you might still regret it, Lol. Seriously I never met a man or woman who, once finished basic, didn’t appreciate the hard work that the PTI’s and DI’s put in pushing you to make and exceed the basic standards.
Thanks for sharing this excellent and informative training film, was almost a step back in time. 👍.
Actually if it was a "problem" back then it is a "crisis" now.
Great advices: 1.) avoid creating unwanted attention. 2.) observe everything around. 3.) be a team player. 4.) Don't quit / Never give up.
Army boot has changed since I went in (1999). It's more tech than hardness. God bless the Infantry
Went into the Army in 1969 Ft. Leonard Wood and were the last cycle to use the M-14 also one of the last to have an "RA" number stamped into the dog tags.
I went through Leonard Wood in 1967. Memories
1967 17 Years Old, Ft. Polk, La, Basic Training & AIT Tiger Land.... went in at 120 lbs, came out of AIT 140 LBS Pure Muscle
I did my Basic at Fort Jackson, SC 1976...I was Superman 🤣🤣🤣 now I’m 67 years good old boy.
Hey - were you on tank hill ? Do you remember the damn damn area ?
I was Alpha company - DI was Seabrooke
Basic Combat Training Fort Jackson 1975 on Tank Hill
When we first lined up with our duffel bags - the first thing the drill sargeant did was tell us ' when I say up - you pick your duffel bag up over your head - when I say down - you put your duffel bag on the ground ' then he command loudly for about 5 minutes straight : UP ! DOWN ! UP ! DOWN ! UP ! DOWN ! ...
And we also quickly learned the front leaning rest position ...
During the PT drills - the DI would always announce the Army exercise number and the drill name then belt out ' exercise position move ! ' .
Back then when we did the figure 8 training ( run dodge & jump ), where you run through the two gates and jump over the water pit in the middle, we had the person who was next in line - run behind us hitting us with their belt ...
Does anybody who went to Fort Jackson remember the damn damn area ? The sand pit that you had to belly crawl down one hill through the sand pit then up the hill on the other side ? If you raised up even the slightest then you had to start all over ...
This was a better pt test then the one we did in the 80’s
Filmed at Ft Benning (I believe).
1965 to 67 US Army Fort Polk, Louisiana. Best physical condition I've ever been in. Daily Dozen!
Today soldiers should have this kind of Training..
The military made physical training easier because far too many were developing stress fractures. When kids grow up as couch potatoes, they have aged bodies when reaching adulthood.
What is alarming is how many of the would be volunteers for the military cannot meet the physical ,mental, or background requirements for acceptance.
Went through Basic at Ft. Polk in winter of '67. Rather less clean than shown here! We were wet and muddy pretty much the whole time. We didn't exercise in t-shirts, either, but that may have been because it was colder. Plus, our undershirts were OD in color. We never did those round-robin exercises, either, or play soccer. And the Confidence Course was in Basic not AIT. There were not nearly that many black soldiers in any company, either. Other than that, they nailed it.
Saw the 197th Infantry brigade patch, has to be ranges on Benning.
The narrator was the real Troy McClure for documentaries, govt films, etc. of the 60s and 70s.
We hooked logs on a line machine in the mountains of western Montana to get in shape..
I went to basic at Ft Knox, 1/46th Inf. 4th platoon. Nov-Dec of '95.
Then i went to the 369th sig bat, Ft Gordon Ga. I think 3rd platoon. Jan-Jun '96.
I dont remember or have paperwork on what companies I was in then, everything is from memory.
This is Mark "Mezzy Mez" Messner-Always makin a mess. I'm always on the look out for,
Ft Knox: Robert Rogers, Josh Mellor, Gravell, Knox, Marshall, Jones, "jim carrey". DSs Batista, Egie, Morales and Ruiz
Ft Gordon: Turner, Sauls, Keller, Niutupuivaha, Vidrine, Miller. DS Lemuelle Brock.
Basic Combat Training Fort Jackson 1975
When we first lined up with our duffel bags - the first thing the drill sargeant did was tell us ' when I say up - you pick your duffel bag up over your head - when I say down - you put your duffel bag on the ground ' then he command loudly for about 5 minutes straight : UP ! DOWN ! UP ! DOWN ! UP ! DOWN ! ...
And we also quickly learned the front leaning rest position ...
During the PT drills - the DI would always announce the Army exercise number and the drill name then belt out ' exercise position move ! ' .
Back then when we did the figure 8 training ( run dodge & jump ), where you run through the two gates and jump over the water pit in the middle, we had the person who was next in line - run behind us hitting us with their belt ...
Does anybody who went to Fort Jackson remember the dam dam area ? The sand pit that you had to belly crawl down one hill through the sand pit then up the hill on the other side ? If you raised up even the slightest then you had to start all over ...
sadly not in today's army
Today's army is training harder.
Summer of 1974 ......
............I was doing the Fort Polk Boogie. :P
Nothing like Ft. Polk, aka Ft. Puke in 1969
swamp gators, sand & snakes
Reminds me back in 1968 at Fort Campbell.
2 June 1967 I was promoted Army Captain.
Brings back memories (none of them pleasant) of my basic training at Fort Polk, Louisiana in. 1968.
I was in Delta Company 3/2.
My platoon sergeant was Willie Simms and he did his best to prepare us for the rigors of combat in Vietnam.
Fortunately, I wasn't an 11 Bravo and didn't have to go to Tigerland for my AIT.
It saddens me to know that Fort Polk was re-named by politically correct zealots and Tigerland is no more
Be that as it may....
For those of us who trained there during the Vietnam Era, it will always be Fort Polk.
A note in closing...
Fort Polk trained more soldiers for Vietnam than any other training center.
It was a tough time for the country, and it was especially tough for the young men sent to fight an unpopular war - without the support of the American people.
The 'grunts' who did the actual fighting in those brutal jungles deserve your appreciation and your respect.
There are 55,000 names on a wall in Washington D.C. that will give you the reason why. 🇺🇸
They’re all losers and suckers, according to Donald “5 Draft Deferments” Trump.
Show this to your wife and daughter at age 64 "This is what Daddy did in the Army!"... Annnd they don't believe you. because you can, at best, toddle along with "Sweatin' to the oldies". They don't buy back and knee damage any more than the VA does.
25:05 Chairborne 🤣🤣
I knew the European Confederated Army still existed
I.was in best shape in my life
NO room for DEI POLITICS. !
They still can't win against Taiwanist Ninja
And you are smiling because...?? :\
😄😄 😄 😄 😄(14:40)
Today at Ft. Benning, our soldiers spend their first week in the Army deciding what gender they are, and whether they are comfortable with that. Next, they are introduced to their drill instructors, who skip the traditional "shark attack" and instead instruct the gender-aware privates where their safe space is located. Once the privates have had time to feel safe and take a decompression nap, only then can they begin their whiteness training.
Was just at benning. Shit ain't like that
Cool story, boomer. Shouldn’t you be sending your threadbare savings to an exiled Nigerian prince somewhere?