a look at the Army’s new way of training soldiers


When a drill Sergeant Tyler Bergman joined the army in 2013 at the base, training was to help you get ready to go into war. Just Nothing else. ‘ Now, ‘the army is watching a big picture.’

Fort Jackson, South Carolina – On Wednesday last month, soldiers turned into anxious lecture halls to end their 10 -week military life introduction.

Morning training will not be dedicated to firing exercises, shootings or hand -to -hand fighting. Instead, the military will be learning the symptoms of healthy strategies, texts, and toxic relationships.

At the Army Base in Colombia, South Carolina, where almost half of new US troops receive combat training, basic training will be unidentified for a different period. Drill sergeants now reduce their use of humiliating, humiliating and humiliating remarks and strives to be a supportive personality for trained people. Military learns breathing exercises and overall nutrition. They take yoga classes and are encouraged to sleep for eight hours.

The military is teaching social skills and emotional health to the soldiers coming to tackle problems in the largest branch of the military, such as sexually harassing and poor communication skills among the general Z soldiers of electronics.

When a drill Sergeant Tylerburgman joined the army in 2013 at the base, training was to help you be “ready” to go into war.

He said, “That’s the matter. Nothing else.” But “Nowadays the army is watching a big picture.”

The army increased the definition of ‘preparation of war’

After several years of attacks on the so -called “Week” policies and programs, President Donald Trump has already systematically eliminated federal diversity, equality and joining programs within the first week within the week. Do

He has indicated similar intentions for the Pentagon with his new Defense Minister Pete Hegast. Higesha, an Army National Guard’s experienced and former Fox News host, has been accused of years of focus on the war to satisfy cultural sensitivity to the army.

In recent years, some critics – including Hegest – have criticized the Pentagon for concerns about “awareness” in the military. He says efforts to focus on diversity, equality and joining measures and encourage the recruitment and development of women and minorities have weakened the military’s rapid standards for strength and physical fitness.

The standards left behind?

But officials behind the new training measures say the standards are not behind, the military has increased the understanding of what the preparation of the war means. He says that a capable soldier is an effective co -ordinator as well as a deadly fighter.

“I do not see this training apart from the warfare,” said Colonel David Athalat, commander of 165, “Third Infantry brigade, which is training in Fort Jackson.

“We can’t just focus on technical and strategy,” he said. “We have to focus on harmony, confidence, communication.”

Jokes from a former drill sergeant

When Manhattan, 19 -year -old Kansas’s Joshua Fredericks told his father about the new training, he took some jokes from the former drill sergeant. Fredericks, an Army Trainee in Fort Jackson, said his experience was dramatically different from his father and his family’s generations.

Fredericks speculated that if his father had a “open mind”, mental health training could have benefited numerous benefits for his military career.

He said that if he started his youth and received training, he could surely perform well.

In June, military officials included communication and emotional awareness training at the first three bases. According to Lieutenant General David Francis, Deputy Commanding General of Army Training, he plans to spread it as part of his initial training, and later use it for more developed soldiers in his career. Can

Infantry commander Athalat said that in Fort Jackson alone, tens of thousands of soldiers have completed training.

Recruits are not ready for military life stress.

Francis said the internal impression of the military shows that the recruiters were not flexible as needed, or were not ready for a military life or in general. Athalat pointed to “bad attitudes” between the soldiers.

Drill sergeants and soldiers at the base said they face normal conflicts. When an instructor asked how many soldiers had suffered a fight or dispute during the recent training session, almost every hand in the room rose up.

Tuna Mac, 21, from Philadelphia, said her platoon has “conflicts all the time”. But his drill sergeant helped him deal with his feelings.

He said that once she was very angry, she told her drill sergeant, “I do not honestly know how to act on what I feel.”

“That was just like, ‘I just need to breathe,” he said.

New soldiers are struggling with phone addiction, communication.

About half Of the soldiers involved in the military’s active duty, 25 are younger and they face the 21st century problem. The military is struggling to reach the soldiers who come with the addiction of phones and electronics, which prevents their ability to communicate face to face. New trained people in Fort Jackson are usually allowed to access the phone only once a week.

“This is a major change for me,” said Frederick, 25 -year -old Cameron O’Brien, 25 -year -old Cameron O’Brien. “Before I got here, I was probably too much on my phone.”

Uthlaut said many soldiers come up with “somewhat addiction of their phone” and “don’t know how to communicate with each other because they are very accustomed to living in digital types,” they Said

The problem extends far beyond the army. Half of the ages of 12 to 17 spend four or more hours a day on screen. Centers for control and prevention of diseases. Of these, a quarter experienced anxiety or depression. Last July, former US surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for a warning label for social media platforms. They Referred to the research This shows that social media has accelerated the “emergency” of mental health in young people.

In response, the army is using its tech gadgets. A pilot group of trained Fort Jackson is testing virtual reality springs that imitate difficult social conditions.

In a highly realistic 3D scene, soldiers choose to respond to the situation in your own adventure interface.

In a module, a barracks begins because a soldier is playing music loudly. The soldier should choose one of the steps that work towards the agreement or provoke the dispute parties. In the other, a soldier goes home with someone with whom he was molested. Once they arrive, the other person does not want to have sex. The soldier can choose to talk to him or anger.

When a soldier’s classroom took off the springs from his eyes to talk, he occasionally missed laughter. One soldier asked to describe his experience, he deliberately chose the wrong answers to see what would happen. The instructor does not punish them for their choice, they are just asked to consider their views as a group.

The Pentagon is in captivity with the recent increase of military sexual assaults.

Before coming to Fort Jackson, people returning home warned 18 -year -old Glenie Montenegro Herira, an 18 -year -old from Malwaki, to take precautions against sexual abuse. Friends and family told him, “Just stay away from everything else.” “But I can’t,” he added.

In 2020, the killing of a 20 -year -old army soldier Vanessa Gallon in Fort Hood, who said he was sexually harassed, 25 % increase The sexual assaults from 2018 to 2021 have forced the army to take account of a long -standing problem in its ranks. Although reports decreased for the first time in 2023, A study It was found that the spread of sexual assaults could be four times higher than the Pentagon’s data.

Army leaders also hope that emotionally prepared training, which teaches consent, listening and physical boundaries, can deal with another part of the problem.

Sexual harassment incidents, such as occupying one’s private areas, continue to occur. Athelavat said that in basic combat training and beyond, the “dim beat of drum” made the need for the course.

In Fort Jackson, instructor does not reduce words when talking about sexual consent. “You will be expelled quickly” for a mess with consent, Bergman told a class of trained people. When a soldier raised his hand to ask that if the two were drunk, instead of just one person during the sexual competition, did the laws change, the Bergman raised his arms in his head. “No!” They said.

“Many people are accustomed to talking in a boys locker room,” said 19 -year -old Trainy Fredericks. In his sleep, some soldiers have made comments that have been reported by the China of Command.

‘I wanted to cry every day’

Military trained says basic combat training is as emotional as a physical challenge. For many young recruits, the basic training also represents the introduction of adult life as well as the responsibilities that come with them.

Frederick, 25 -year -old Cameron O’Brien, said, “I thought I was ready, and then I got here, and I wanted to cry every day because I just remembered my family.”

Montenegro Herira joined the army, partially, to gain a residential status for his parents, who is in Mexico after being deported years ago. He said that it was “tough” when they deal with their absence when they deal with their absence.

“You really need to stick to your emotions and your goals and everything you are here,” he said. “You need an emotional support system to continue so that you do not withdraw.”

“All this is new to me,” said Montenegro Herira, when they began to breathe, apologize. “But I’m trying, and I think I’m doing great.”

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