The actual Charge of Quarters is the drill sergeant, and the pair of recruits staying awake are the "runners", meaning that they perform tasks for the CQ. CQ shifts rotate throughout the entire company, with just two recruits from the company staying awake per shift. Since open flames are not generally used to heat sleeping areas anymore present-day fire guard during Basic Training is more an exercise in discipline than a practical necessity, although if the weather gets cold enough some groups conducting overnight outdoor training will still use a kerosene "pot bellied" stove which must be watched to prevent accidental fires.Ĭharge of Quarters, commonly called CQ, functions in a somewhat similar manner. The fire guard would watch the stoves to make sure that the barracks would not catch fire. This duty is called fire guard.įire guard stems back to the days of wooden barracks and wood-burning stoves. They wake the next pair of recruits at the end of their two-hour shift. Recruits may also catch up on platoon duties during this time, such as barracks cleaning or wall locker organization.Įvery night, at least two recruits from the platoon must be awake at any given time, patrolling their barracks area, watching for fires, cleaning the barracks, and watching for recruits attempting to leave the barracks area. Time for recruits to engage in personal activities, such as writing letters, doing laundry, showering, or simply relaxing. Mail call is also performed during this time. Time for drill sergeants to talk to the recruits about any subject they may think requires attention. Line up in company area, perform morning physical training (calisthenics and running).īegin the day's scheduled training exercises.Ĭontinue the day's scheduled training exercises. For males, shaving is mandatory every morning. Wake up and perform personal morning tasks. Times can change depending on location, commanding officers, or when drill sergeants see a need for variation. Morning company formation at Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina.Ī typical day in Basic Training generally follows this schedule. Battle buddies are sometimes assigned, or can be chosen by recruits when the need to travel arises. When traveling away from the platoon or a drill sergeant, recruits are expected to travel in pairs, known as battle buddies. However, throughout Basic Training, the term is used to describe a disciplinary principle whereby recruits are generally prohibited from walking anywhere alone.
"Battle buddies" generally refer to partners in a combat scenario. Although many AIT schools don't center around combat the way BCT does, individuals are still continually tested for physical fitness and weapons proficiency, and upon MOS, may be subject to the same duties, strict daily schedule, and disciplinary rules as in BCT. AIT courses can last anywhere from 6 to 52 weeks. If an individual instead had the MOS of Army medic, they would be sent, after BCT, to the Army Medical Department School at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. For example, if an individual has an MOS of Human Intelligence Collector, they would be sent, following completion of BCT, to the Intelligence School at Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista, Arizona. As such, AIT is different for each available Army career path, or Military Occupational Specialty (MOS). One of the most difficult and essential lessons learned in BCT is self-discipline, as it introduces prospective soldiers to a strict daily schedule that entails many duties and high expectations for which most civilians are not immediately ready.Īdvanced Individual Training (AIT) consists of the remainder of the total Basic Training period, and is where recruits train in the specifics of their chosen field. BCT is also where individuals undergo rigorous physical training to prepare their bodies and their minds for the eventual physical and mental strain of combat.
This is where individuals learn about the fundamentals of being a soldier, from combat techniques to the proper way to address a superior. Initial Entry Training or IET is divided into two parts: Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training.īasic Combat Training (BCT) consists of the first ten weeks of the total Basic Training period, and is identical for all Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard recruits. The challenge comes as much from the difficulty of physical training as it does from the required quick psychological adjustment to an unfamiliar way of life. Basic Training is designed to be highly intense and challenging. It is carried out at several different Army posts around the United States. United States Army Basic Training (also known as Basic Combat Training or BCT) is the program of physical and mental training required in order for an individual to become a soldier in the United States Army, United States Army Reserve, or Army National Guard.
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