Army Boot Camps

Boot camp training for the US military is conducted at several locations throughout the country, such as Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina; Fort Knox in Louisville, Kentucky; Fort Leonard Wood in Waynesville, Missouri; Fort McClellan in Anniston, Alabama and Fort Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma. For recruits who enlist in combat arms training, basic and advanced trainings are provided at the same venue. These venues are Fort Benning for infantry, Fort Knox for armor and Fort Leonard Wood for combat engineers.

Army boot camps are considered to be the toughest boot camps among all military branches of the US. Recruits are trained in physical exercise, combat skills and technical knowledge of arms but most of all they are taught the seven moral principles of the army which are loyalty, duty, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage.

Army basic training is a nine-week course and is divided into three phases-the Red Phase, the White Phase and the Blue Phase. Before assigning recruits to the Red Phase, they have to undergo the Reception Battalion. The Reception Battalion is an exercise in patience where recruits are made to practice waiting for commands to be given. They are given haircuts and personal possessions are taken away. Initial instructions for life at the boot camp are given and common courtesies are taught. Preliminary fitness tests are conducted.

The Reception Battalion lasts for a couple of weeks, after which recruits begin their actual military training. The Red Phase continues from Week One to Week Three. It is also called as the Patriot Phase and is the period when the recruit is taught to be totally submissive to the Army Drill Sergeant. Some theory training is given relating to common issues such as sexual harassment and civilian troubles. This week includes the gas chamber training. Recruits are introduced to basic arms such as the M-16 rifle.

The White Phase follows, where recruits get to practice with weapons. The arms used are M-16s and bayonets. Physical exercises continue during the three weeks of this phase. The last phase is the Blue Phase, where recruits are given field training. Passing a field training mission requires a team effort and it judges the recruits\' decision-making capabilities. It lasts for the final four weeks of the boot camp training.