Cell Phone Use in Army Basic
Monday November 2, 2009
When I first heard of this, I thought, "Oh, no. Another one of those 'basic training rumors' that keep going around. Remember the one about "stress cards" that recruits in (pick your service) basic training were given, so that they could call a "time out" from basic training if they felt too stressed?
Turns out the "cell phone" rumor is true.
“There have even been cases of military members in Iraq and Afghanistan using personal cell phones to pass on vital military information to their commands, when military communication means failed.”
I have never been in the military and don’t know much about military communications and I suppose there is an inherent security problem with the use of personal cellphones in terms of message interception – BUT I certainly would be curious as a test to see how units in a field who are training might make effective use of texting and personal cellphones to coordinate actions.
During parachute jumps with the 101st Airborne Division, we were told, “If your parachute fails to open, make sure you tell the jumpmaster, after you hit the ground.”
You have got to be kidding me….. A cell phone in “basic” … FOR WHAT!!!!! The whole purpose of being at basic is just that to bring you back to the “BASICS” . How to survive without the luxuries….. WTH is going on ….SMH!!!!!! please don’t say this is the Air Force doing this because i would thoroughly be ashamed…… (smh)
See how it says “Use of Cell Phones in ARMY Basic?”
Cell phone use in basic is totally b.s. I did my basic and ait at Ft. Leonard Wood and did get mine the entire 18 weeks there. Of course i was in the engineers and our whole battalion didn’t get them, or any passes. But the MP’s and 88m and Chemical all got theirs like the second week of basic. Pretty bogus if you ask me. I think cell phones should not be allowed at all for trainees, it’s stupid.
It’s finally happened…something I’ve always suspected, but somehow felt, in my semi-prudent mind, would never happen…at least not in totality. However, I was wrong…it’s happened…ARMY BRASS HATS HAVE LOST THEIR COLLECTIVE MINDS! BCT has one over-riding purpose…to rid civilians of all vestiges of a life previously known before going about the business of teaching the ways of the Green Machine. The “Sunday-only rule”, while well-meaning, has great potential for “unwinding” values learned thus far. This is tantamount to digging through that “contraband bucket” in search of whatever self-ammusement items may reside, AS LONG AS IT’S DONE ON SUNDAY. Almost a half century since a scared kid reported to Basic, I am completely ashamed of what my Army has become.
My oldest reported for Basic late Mon night, so he’s at reception – MP at FLW.
No call yet, or text.
When I went to Basic in ‘80, my DS told me “Don’t wear your civilian glasses in Training.” Of course, I got ready for Sunday breakfast and church by putting on the civ glasses – not training in my mind.
I was rewarded by being allowed to clean out the grease trap beside the Chow Hall. That was a BIG garbage can full – twice. But I got to wear my civ glasses while I did it.
Cell phones are nothing but a distraction. I hope they aren’t allowed to use them……
Its a good thing we aren’t training for war or something huh…
no way should cell phones be allowed in basic, as mentioned by others concerned, they are a distraction to the over all plan of training. i did my basic in 1977 at fort leonard wood, and if you want to relive any stress, to told it to the chaplin. plain and simple.
Going toooooooooo soft in basic. Might as well have them bring video games & a laptop so they can relax. Things need to go back to the old ways…Letters & payphones.
Good for you, Lisa! As long as there are young Soldiers, like you, who recognize the enduring values behind “the old ways”, my Army, in spite of pc-oriented brass hats, just might survive. When you assume leadership responsibilities, you will insist your Soldiers conduct themselves accordingly…the old way is, and always will be, the only way.
I presume you are in, or recently graduated, from Basic. Thank you for becoming a part of the Green Machine. Weather you choose to serve a one-term hitch or go the full 20-odd year course, I know you will find success. Godspeed, Lisa.
Are you all seriously that concerned about cell phones? I attended BCT less than 2 years ago and; we had no DNC, we were given saturday afternoon and sundays “OFF” with boardgames and cards in addition to two mondays off because it was a federal holiday were we watched movies all day, two pizza parties, what I can best describe as a city fair with concession stands live music and raffles, a superbowl party with optional training the monday after, and we were “smoked” once as a platoon for approximatly 45 minutes after which we were given the rest of the day off, I fired a total of 65 live rounds and 20 blanks. Lastly, we had three people who graduated in our company without being qualified as even a marksmen and 6 who failed to achieve the minimum 50% on the APFT. I asked to be recycled in a different company as I felt I had not learned basic soldiering skills but instead I shipped out. Cell Phones are the LEAST of the problems with basic training.
I forgot on the list, we also had a saturday off were we were taken into town to attend an air show which also had full concession stands, video games, and a flight simulator.
Jason, if the boat hull is full of holes, which particular hole are you most and least concerned about? All of the issues on which you have elaborated…too much time off, low-to-non-existent graduation standards…and cell phones…all contribute to the “holes” which leadership has permitted to develop in the Army’s “training fabric”. To be perfectly honest (and my experiences go back a lot further than I care to remember), no military course, short of advanced rocket science, has ever gone to the point of requiring complete concentration. However, that’s not the situation here. As you, and Lisa, and, I hope, many other “Joes” new to the military way of life have recognized, something, actually many things, are missing…you’ve all been handed a “boat full of holes”. Realizing these issues, It’s up to you and your brothers/sisters-in-arms to “fix the holes”, to learn to adapt, adjust and continue your job. The very nature of military life entails hardships which the civilian community can neither understand nor function within. However, you will be obliged to press on through these hardships. When you reach a point in your career where you will have leadership responsibilities, you will be able to pass on some of those values, which you were denied in the early phase of your career, which you learned “the hard way”, to others.
Charlie Mike, Jason!