The Army is pondering the idea of making basic training longer and more difficult as it continues to deal with recruits that enter the service out of shape.
At this week's United States Army's Global Force Symposium in Alabama, Army Secretary Mark Esper said the Army is looking at several options to improve the fitness level of troops to prepare them for combat.
"A decade from now, the soldiers we recruit today will be our company commanders and platoon sergeants," Esper said. "That's why we are considering several initiatives, [from] a new physical fitness regime to reforming and extending basic training in order to ensure our young men and women are prepared for the rigors of high-intensity combat."
Military.com reported on Esper's remarks earlier this week.
The Army's Basic Combat Training (BCT) is currently 10 weeks, broken into four sections: Reception Week, followed by the Red, White, and Blue phases. Each phase introduces new tactics, techniques, and skills to recruits. The Blue phase includes the Army Physical Fitness Test, along with marches of 10 and 15 kilometers.
Recruits must pass all tests in oder to graduate.
The Army has already said it will revamp basic training to focus more on discipline and physical fitness. The changes will be implemented before the end of the current fiscal year, which falls in October.
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