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By Jim Garamone
All military trainees know the event, though by different names. "Obstacle course" is one. "Any survey we've done always indicated that the course was one of the high points of basic training," said Tech. Sgt. Valerie J. Solomon, assistant NCO in charge of the course. Recruits used to run the course only once, but as part of the Air Force's effort to toughen basic, trainees get the pleasure of doing it twice. "Giving them two shots has increased the overall physical challenge," she said. "They also do better the second time, so they seem to build more confidence in their abilities." The course also encourages team-building, as the recruits waiting to tackle an obstacle cheer for their flightmates. Recruits climb over, under and around obstacles. Some of the course is over water, so recruits get very wet if they lose their grip. The number of butterfingers always seems to rise in the summer, Solomon observed. Another change the Air Force made was to double recruits' physical training. During their six-week stay, they sweat six PT sessions a week instead of only three. Before the sun comes up, the trainees awaken, get into PT uniforms, form up, warm up and then perform calisthenics. Then, they run. "We were always very tough and demanding from a mental standpoint," said Lt. Col. Mark "Buck" Jones, deputy commander of the 737th Training Group here. The group does all the Air Force basic training. "The idea was to make it as demanding from a physical standpoint.
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