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BCT can be at a number of locations. The Army does try to have soldiers complete their BCT at the same site as their AIT, but that doesn't always happen. Some MOS's are OSUT (One Station Unit Training).

Basic Combat Training (BCT) is currently conducted at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO.; Ft. Benning, GA.; Ft. Jackson, SC.; Ft. Sill, OK; and Ft. Campbell, KY. If your AIT is at a BCT post, you will most likely do OSUT (One Staion Unit Training). If not, your BCT will usually be at a post that is geographically closest to your AIT destination (a DoD effort to reduce transportation costs).

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If not, your BCT will usually be at a post that is geographically closest to your AIT destination (a DoD effort to reduce transportation costs).

When I went to Medic AIT, Ft Sam Houston, we had recruits that had been to BCT all over place; Ft Benning, Ft Lost-in-the-woods, Relaxin'-Jackson, and even Ft Knox. I would have figured Knox would have been closest, or maybe Sill. Any idea why? Maybe because we had such a growth in our MOS?

Basic Combat Training (BCT) is currently conducted at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO.; Ft. Benning, GA.; Ft. Jackson, SC.; Ft. Sill, OK; and Ft. Campbell, KY.

OOPS, let me correct myself. Not Ft. Campbell, but rather Ft. Knox!

Sorry

I went to ft. leonard wood. Usmc training might be harder....but I beleive that I under went "special" treatment. I ended up losing 30 lbs. I run a 12:00 min 2 mile and thats cause im still slo. You might get lucky like many privates do. I hope you don't...now move along and good luck.

While deployed to a Joint Environment, I was working primarily and pretty much fell under the devil dog command, same scenario about battle of the services. Small talk would turn into heated debates...but me being one of three soldiers in a all Marine shop would keep me from getting too rowdy. I was told by a Staffdog who had been to both "Army first" that he thought Army Basic was harder! This be because he had already integrated into the war fighter mindset from civie or MOS choice. He went on to say that the only major difference between the two is that Marines undergo an extensive MCT period or long field training with a different breed of Marine Corps Instructors. Speaking from personoal experience taken from the Marine Corps Corporals Course and passing a Marine PT test, Close order drill, sword manual, etc...summarily it was said best that there are more similarities than there are differences.

For the Army, it seriously depends on what basic training station you go to. I went to Fort Benning in mid-2004 and after I graduated, I thought that was what basic training was supposed to be. I have always heard about "Relaxin' Jackson" and Leonard Wood being easier and also a few vague stories and such, but until a conversation the other night I had no idea.

I am deployed right now, and had an interesting talk with another soldier during a 14 hour tower guard duty. Any there is nothing to do on this detail but to basically talk and talk and talk. We talked about our times in the Army and it eventually got to basic training. He went to Fort Jackson. It sort of blew my mind away how lax it was. When I told him about certain things like asking for permission to speak, the procedures for eating chow properly, etc., he was quite surprised. There were so many specific, almost ceremonious, seemingly foolish procedures for doing simple & everyday tasks. This is important as it teaches discipline, attention to detail, and uniformity. There was quite a few things that occured in my basic training that wouldn't even work if you were to add females into the equation. By the end of the night I was a bit angry. Not because I had it harder, but because it seems to be really lax in certain places and it should be more disciplined than that. At one point he said he had something like 3 pizza parties. IN BASIC TRAINING??? Just the fact that he was able to eat cookies or drink soda got to me for some reason. When I got to AIT I nearly choked as most of the Jackson soldiers couldn't even do a proper 'about face.'

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Originally posted by TheFrosty1:
...As it was, Fort Jackson was pretty easy. if it gets any easier, we're just going to have an Army full of poory trained nancy boys (and girls).

You don't know how many times I have heard something like this. My basic training was far from easy.

What the hell caused the Army (or perhaps entire military, I'm unsure of the other branches) to start to become so wimpy over the years? Is this something that typically occurs when the military grows larger during times or war? I have heard so many people talk about about the displince isn't what it used to be. I even saw an AFN commercial the other day with some COL talking about how people are saying basic training is undisciplined, and how it's not about discipline it's about "combat discipline," I feel they go hand in hand if you ask me.

I am Signal in an all-signal company (I am actually a bit unsure why I went to Benning as most of the people I have talked to in my unit went to Jackson), and I have had people tell me about my good discipline and respect for NCOs. I thank Ft. Benning for that. I feel I am better equipped to handle more stressful situations as well.

All in all, in many aspects, I do not like this newer, nicer Army.

Hooah!

Wait a minute. The Leonard Wood I went to wasn't easy... I take back my hooah!

army BCT was extremely difficult at Ft. Leonard Wood when i went there in 2000. My drill sergeant introduced himself as "Satan" and he welcomed us to hell while we were inside the cattle cars. then after we got to our barracks they were throwing people around by their arms and because it was summer time we were all sweaty and sandy after about an hour or two of smoke sessions they decided to get out a hose and spray us down with water and make us roll in the dirt some more after we got wet. Chow was like what you'd expect a war zone to be like. if you looked around the drill sergeants would walk up ONTO the table and stomp over to in front of you and then kick the food you were eating (tray and all) into your lap and then make EVERYONE go outside and get smoked instead of eating. My friend who was a former Marine told me that on the rifle ranges the DIs started to ease up on the recruits well my drill sergeants didn't and they got down in your ear while you were trying to aquire targets and hit them because they figured if you couldn't handle the stress on a range how would you handle it in battle? Ft. Jackson (it shouldn't even train new soldiers as far as i'm concerned it gives the army a bad name when it comes to training). more later i hope. any questions my Instant Messenger name is silverknight_QMC on AOL.

Silverknight26_QMC, what Company was you in? Your story sounds awfully familiar. Same expierence here, june 2000 to be exact. I was one of the ones who left the chowhall with my meal as part of my uniform, then you get smoked afterwards for your uniform being jacked up. The best part of that is the DS's would actually stand on top of the tables and then if you looked up you would see highly spit-shined jungle boots kicking your tray in your face, those were the days...

Ah, the memories. Fort Sill, late 2003. Yelled at us the entire time on the cattle truck, 30 second cold showers during the first phase (no hot water until we made it to white phase), last man to sit down for chow got 3 minutes to eat with drill sergeant standing over him with a watch, drill sgt using a whistle as an alarm clock, rolled out of bed literally to the floor to get smoked, no days off, no internet, one phone call when I got there, one 3 minute phone call on Thanksgiving, 20k foot march turned into 26k cause our Drill Sgts got "lost", I could go on and on. They really get days off and internet?

Last year when I attended BNCOC at Fort Jackson it was very interesting. IET Warriors could smoke, use cell phones, had a couple who thought it would be a great idea to come back in the gate staggering drunk one morning when we were getting ready to go to our FTX and ask me what the he&* was I looking at...at the list can go longer. An SGL was telling me that you could literally walk into a club on the weekend and yell "At Ease!" and over half the club would stand at Parade Rest, needless to say I was in shock that this type of behavior was allowed. Totally different than how I was brought into our beloved Army, but times are changing.

Lets get something straight! Fort Jackson may not be anything like fort Benning but Leonard wood is full of some jacked up people! I went to Jackson then to Ft. Belvoir for ait, and then had to go to BFT (battle focus training) at leonard wood, and let me tell you, these fools were chewed up, couldnt stand in formation, couldnt shut the heck up, so on and so on! when it comes down to it, its not the location of the training its what you put into it! and what you take out of it! ive met some infantry guys while i was in ait they were actually on the Honor guard for the tomb of the unknowns, and let me tell you, they were only squared away on duty, in public TOTAL IDIOTS!!! and now im stationed in germany and it just so happens all these high speed MPs who went to leonard wood for basic and ait just so happen to have gotten the entire GARRISON blacklisted from a certain club just because they wanted to start a fight, so anyone who wants to belittle fort jacksons training ill argue with you, tastefully of course!!!

The bottom line is its basic training. Its no big accomplishment. Millions of people have graduated Army and USMC boot camp. They both produce good and bad soldiers and Marines. Some worthless individuals might be able to float through 9 weeks of Army basic but when they get to their first unit there true colors will show. if they are trash they will have a rude awakening when they go to their first unit.

I was in D 1-48 I started basic September 22nd 2000.

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Originally posted by SSG Blalock:
Silverknight26_QMC, what Company was you in? Your story sounds awfully familiar. Same expierence here, june 2000 to be exact. I was one of the ones who left the chowhall with my meal as part of my uniform, then you get smoked afterwards for your uniform being jacked up. The best part of that is the DS's would actually stand on top of the tables and then if you looked up you would see highly spit-shined jungle boots kicking your tray in your face, those were the days...