Basic training attrition rates.

[Khram]

I'm surprised USN has 2nd highest drop rate. I'm thinking partly because people not being able to swim.

[Desert_Rat]

Ours was Recruit Howard.

You know how some DIs do funny things with drill commands? Our third hat started his 'Foward..." command with an H sound. He also used the 'ow' sound for the first syllable.

We'd be on the grinder ready to march, the DI would bark out "HOW-erd" and before he could get the "HARCH" out of his mouth, pvt. Howard would shout "YES SIR!"

That was just one of Howard's many screw-ups. Everyone wanted to kill poor Howard, but he made it.

Beasley was always late getting out of the rack in the morning for the count.And even slower getting dressed.So one morning He put his socks on early,gets up for the count and the DI says"OMG Beasley,tell Me Your feet were cold"Beasly says "Yes Sir!"DI replies "Do You think it was cold at the Chosin Reservior?" Beasley says "Yes Sir" Di says "No ****,nobody puts socks on today in honor of the Frozen Chosin" All day in leather boots w/no socks really sucks.

[cgseanp1]

I'm surprised USN has 2nd highest drop rate. I'm thinking partly because people not being able to swim.

I could be completely wrong, but I've been told by more than one Navy person that swimming wasn't a requirement in bootcamp.

[Desert_Rat]

Swimming is a requirement in the Corps. Due to the amphibious nature of the mission.
The mainstream Navy's Mission,I'd say is to stay ON the ship.

[jdberger]

The drop out rates are because people join the Army thinking it will be easy and they can breeze through it, get the money and get on with it, then fail out when they realize its semi difficult. Fewer people join the Marine Corps thinking this, for the most part they want to be there and want to pass for pride/patriotic reasons. The AF is a joke, people expect it to be easy and it is, hence the low drop rate.

Right - I'd see it as more of a "self-selection" process. Marines, and the people who decide to be Marines are a different sort of person.

(If it matters, I was Army Armor)

[nick]

The mainstream Navy's Mission,I'd say is to stay ON the ship.

Yep, they'll fight harder that way. All these tales about sailors not abandoning their burning ships, they just couldn't swim! But then, I knew a fighter pilot who was afraid of heights...

[steelrain82]

well swimming is not really a requirement in the corps. because there are many class 4 swimmers. all you really need to do is make sure your gear is water proofed and bycycle kick. or drown. but i think many people are also forgetting that the armies attrition rate maybe higher only because of the fact that they are humongous so they will have more people to drop. so if the army lost 10% of say 100.000 recruits yeah its alot but they still made 90,000 soldiers wheras say the marines get 10000 recruits and lose 20% they make 8,000 marines. the marines may have a higher percentage but the numbers are worse for the army.

[SuperSet]

Is there an issue with what's being mentioned in the report? I thought the "acceptable" rate for post-2000 IET attrition hovered somewhere around 12-14%.

[professionalcoyotehunter]

I've never been in the military but I have seen many overweight Army guy's and never an out of shape Marine. If Army basic is so tough why would you have to do Marine basic If you wanted to join? Once Marines decide to join other branches they don't have to go to bootcamp because they have the toughest basic out of all branches?

It is not tougher just longer. It is not the army's fault it takes them 12 weeks to learn what it takes 9 weeks for the army soldiers to learn. There were just as many out of shape marines in while I was in the army. The worst shape people I had ever seen were the Air Force but they had the hottest women.

[piedrarc]

It is not tougher just longer. It is not the army's fault it takes them 12 weeks to learn what it takes 9 weeks for the army soldiers to learn. There were just as many out of shape marines in while I was in the army. The worst shape people I had ever seen were the Air Force but they had the hottest women.

That's a crock of total BS. You obviously don't know what your talking about. The only truth to that statement is about the air force women.
Marines is capitalized!

[professionalcoyotehunter]

I knew someone would step in! I just wanted to keep the rivalry between the army and the marines. The army sure has a lot more over weight people than I have ever seen but the marines weren't far behind only because there were less of them. What took you so long?

[piedrarc]

You got me! Internet punch and I tried to counter.

[Desert_Rat]

well swimming is not really a requirement in the corps. because there are many class 4 swimmers. all you really need to do is make sure your gear is water proofed and bycycle kick. or drown. but i think many people are also forgetting that the armies attrition rate maybe higher only because of the fact that they are humongous so they will have more people to drop. so if the army lost 10% of say 100.000 recruits yeah its alot but they still made 90,000 soldiers wheras say the marines get 10000 recruits and lose 20% they make 8,000 marines. the marines may have a higher percentage but the numbers are worse for the army.

This is true,I'll stand corrected.I'll say staying afloat is the minimum requirement.

[PatriotnMore]

Swimming was a requirement when I went through, in fact, you had to tread water for five minutes if my memory serves me correctly, and you had to pass an water survival swim course.

I could be completely wrong, but I've been told by more than one Navy person that swimming wasn't a requirement in bootcamp.

[Irv]

I think maybe in the late sixties we were a little more fit in the Navy than now.
I remember being at GQ scramble and they set different conditions including Zebra.
We had a few small round hatch (Zebra) within a large hatch that a 1st class could not pass thru and the Chief behind him reported the incident. The captain had all personnel up to Chief to lose weight and pass thru Zebra or be up be up before mast. About 90 percent passed and a few were given option of retirement.