My son is at BCT At Fort Benning and called home tonight after week 1. He indicated that he'd not passed the running portion of the PT and that if he did not pass it this next week, that he might be coming home. This doesn't sound like ARMY to me. Is this possible?

They're just trying to scare him but don't tell him that it won't do your son any good to know it's just a game. Let him be motivated enough on his own if that makes sense, just know he won't be coming home because he failed his run in week 2.

More info from my son yesterday....He was put into a high speed comapny because of initial PT scores. There requirements for 2 mile run are 13 min and he didn't make that on the initial try. He has been told again and with great detail that if he doesn't pass the next time he will be sent home. They are also telling him to prepare us to come to major airport to pick him up. We can't figure why they would send him home rather than recycle him back to original regular group. If this is psychological move on their part, it is playing havoc with his family & friends. As a side note, he has gotten some sort of special phone priv this weekend also and has been able to call many of us. To us, this also seems unusual basic on previous BCT stories we've heard.

Did you read a word of what I wrote?

Highly unlikely. Re-read what 35M replied to you the first time. Your son is probably in a fast run group not some HIGH SPEED company. Basic training is basic training, last i knew they do not separate because of run time. Heck you can even graduate basic now barely passing your run. I came in hardly able to do push ups..

As for your son calling home all the time. He might just be in reception there at the post. That is a place where they hold soldiers that are held until they can pass a shorter PT test. Also your son could be sneaking to the phone, which seems hard to do but lets get really he probably left home with his cell phone and the chances of soldiers these days trying to hide their cell phones so they can call home is so great. Look at the number from which he is calling you next time, if it's from his own cell phone think about it. It should and better be from a pay phone or collect, and still he could be in a holding status. Basic is full of psychological crap!! He needs to learn how to let it go in one ear and out the other, if it is important then he can soak it up. They will attempt to wash the bad seeds out of that "class" they have and make someone else deal with the problem children.

Your son will not be sent home, not to a major airport that is out of the way.. Lets get real here, what is the story with all of this. There is more not being told about this, it is not just for a simple run time. I was told to grow an A&& in basic simply because they gave me uniforms that were too big. If I did not grow that A&& I would be sent home!! That DID NOT HAPPEN!! I am still in to this day and doing very well.

You can take the word of your son over people that have been in the Army for more then a week and let the havoc of his phone calls, or you can relax and realize that his chances of coming home without completing basic are slim unless he has medical issues. Remind him to soak up the important stuff and in one ear and out the other with the crap.

I just don't understand the point of joining a forum to ask a specific question and then when it gets answered completely ignore it and keep ranting about the same issue.

13 minutes is the MAX PT score for the run for the 17-21 and 22-26 age groups. No way in HELL anyone is getting sent home for not making 13 minutes. You only need FIFTY PERCENT passing to graduate basic training. Yes, that's right, you read it correctly: a private can graduate BCT but fail the APFT by Army standards. Only before graduating AIT does the soldier need to score the 60%.

Either you are blowing this out of proportion, your son is freaking out and believing every word they say, or your son is not telling you the whole story (like he got caught doing something he wasn't supposed to or something). Two things I can tell you for CERTAIN though:

1) You son is getting at least two too many phone calls during BCT, and

2) You didn't pay attention to one iota of my post. I wouldn't and have no reason to lie to you or steer you in the wrong direction. BCT is a game where the privates are pawns and the drill sergeants and cadre are every other piece. The purpose is to make the privates think they can be sacrificed like pawns and scare the crap out of them. It doesn't do any good to get worked up over what your son is telling you, and if you TRULY want to help him, tell him he better do what the hell the drill sergeants are saying because if he doesn't you don't know if you're going to pick his ass up at the airport.

The problem, it seems, is that your son was coddled at home. He's not used to NOT being coddled so he's calling the people who coddled him throughout his life for support and you guys are playing right into it. It's like a less-dangerous version of helping out someone with a drug problem.

Trust me when I tell you that BCT is a learning experience. Not just for him, but you as well. This is where you learn that all those years you spent raising your son weren't for naught and hopefully he graduates and shows you he can survive on his own with his own common sense and his own "survival instincts."

No one is getting sent home for not maxing their APFT when you don't even need to score the passing score to graduate. Unless he does something wrong, as in punches a drill sergeant or something, he's not coming home. My point in the first post was, however, that you do NOT tell him that. Let him believe everything they tell him and sort out the BS on his own.

When I was in BCT there was that spy plane or whatever shot down over China. We had no contact with the outside world and the drill sergeants told us they were accelerating the BCT process to get enough soldiers ready to attack China. My bunkmate started bawling. I started laughing. It's just a game.

Got your message loud and clear, 35M! Sorry you thought I was "ranting". I only wanted some opinions from those who had experienced it and I sure got plenty.

Thanks to K9 for your reply also

Your welcome. Now I do highly agree with 35M!! Your son is getting way to many phone calls. Honestly, get caller ID and see where he is calling from, if it's his cell phone, I would love to be there when they find it.

I'm trying to remember if I was told anything about basic getting cut short. I don't think I was. There are so many mind games that it is not funny in basic, oh well, what does not kill you makes you stronger. As for your family and friends that are worried. Don't, honestly I see that as a attention cry from a basic trainee, something sadly I could careless to see. Then again I deal with privates everyday that feel they out rank me and know my job better then I do.. Just once I want to hand them my leash and let them go at it. EMS will be there of course cause it will not be pretty.

All in all tell your son to stop worrying so much about calling home and do what he is told. He will basically pass basic if he simply does everything, heck like 35M stated he probably will graduate even if he can't run, wouldn't be the first time. What is he coming in for? What MOS?