The New Navy

[lcpd24]

Boy--How things have changed in 37 years since I went in!!!


Subject: Changes to Navy Boot Camp
> > Navy Remaking Boot Camp for Recruits
> >
> > By ERIC FIDLER, Associated Press Writer
> >
> > 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."

[Jerry D]

Dennis I agree with you on that ! and they (recruits) get 8 hours shut eye now Wow!

[reeb]

Dennis,

Are they also getting rid of the "Tunnel". that you had to march to and hit that right foot down hard????

enough......

[Seascamp]

At UNTC San Diego it was and remains a minor miracle when a recruit can get through the training without being sick, having a constant cough, rheumy eyes and a fever all the time. So if Great Lakes can show some progress in dealing with ramped illness that would be a step in the right direction. In retrospect all that illness was due to dysfunctional facilities, pitiful sanitizations conditions in the mess decks, galley, head and showers. Ya can only scrub porous stone and plaster so much before ya figure out that the bugs come right back to the surface once the swab passes by. Then we had this deal where going to sickbay was worse than being sick. Not unusual to see 200 or so recruits standing out in the rain, getting soaking wet and cold and sicker than one can get before mandatory hospitalization is necessary. So maybe they will modernize some attitudes as well. I would suggest training the trainer and proactive conservation of resources would be a great start. But we must be careful about scuffing up tradition for the sake of progress I suppose. Bottom line is that sick recruits learn infinitely less than healthy recruits. Novel and radical idea, I know.

Scamp