Air Force Basic Training?

[EW3]

I've heard the stress card rumor for a few years now..heartbreaking if true. Let us know if anyone finds out.

It's not true:

snopes.com: Stress Card

I was in the ANG until last year and got some info from some some of the newer members that they are trying to make it more "Army like" and tougher; things like more emphasis on weapons handling and less on folding your t-shirts into perfect squares. I understand they are making it 8 weeks long as well, up from the traditional 6 weeks.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Herknav]

EW3 is correct. Although your son should expect to be mocked by gun guys around the globe for the abomination in the photo of the upper-right corner of this article: Attrition is down despite more challenging BMT - Air Force News, news from Iraq - Air Force Times

Here's a recent write-up in the AF Times. They tend to be sensationalist, but this seems to be a pretty straight-forward piece: Revamped boot camp reflects wars’ needs - Air Force News, news from Iraq - Air Force Times

You didn't mention how old your son is. One of my best friends went at age 25. He said the hardest part was watching all of his 18-19 year-old classmates resist everything they were told and getting everybody subjected to "special attention." He said that as long as you were smart enough to play the game and do as you were told, it was easy.

Disclaimer: I am not a grad (let alone recent) of AF basic training.

Hope this helps,
Herk

[randytulsa2]

Is this thread for real? Is what you guys are saying about this really true? Stress cards?

I was the Marine Corps, a long, long, time ago. Don't get me wrong...it wasn't long enough ago to have been beaten unconscious by the DI's in order to get me to quit, but let's get real here.

It doesn't bother me that the food, etc., are or may be better in the Air Force than the other branches (if true...I really don't know)

But if that's what "basic training" is, I am a little worried. Sounds like high school football "Two-A-Days" are harder and that, and Boy Scout camp is about comparable.

Is there some reason for such a lack of rigor or stress?

I mean, even if it is an all-tech kind of place, it's STILL the freakin' MILITARY as in "martial"...it's still an "armed force" as in "use of armed force"'"force of amrs", etc.

Enlighten me, please, Brethren (and Sisteren)....

[Miggy]

Fragment of a memo found in the trash of a certain air force base:

USAF Basic Training (Updated)

Reception:
Upon arrival, Trainees will be escorted to the base's Starbucks for cappuccino and Initial

Counseling on Military Life. Low-Fat Pastries will be provided.
After Initial Counseling is finished, Trainees will proceed to the barracks where they will

be shown their sleeping areas. Sergeants will teach the how to operate their air adjustable

mattresses, point out the location of the latrine and the hours when the Jacuzzi will be

available for use. Nature Sound machines will be available on demand. Instruction on how

properly fill the Breakfast Menu cards should be addressed at this time. Bed Turn-Down

service upon request.

(07:45ish) Reveille: Immediately upon waking to the sounds of New Age Music, Trainees will

engage in their morning toiletreies. Do remind Trainees to go easy on the hair mouse and after shave creams........

[retsupt99]

Fragment of a memo found in the trash of a certain air force base:

USAF Basic Training (Updated)

Reception:
Upon arrival, Trainees will be escorted to the base's Starbucks for cappuccino and Initial

Counseling on Military Life. Low-Fat Pastries will be provided.
After Initial Counseling is finished, Trainees will proceed to the barracks where they will

be shown their sleeping areas. Sergeants will teach the how to operate their air adjustable

mattresses, point out the location of the latrine and the hours when the Jacuzzi will be

available for use. Nature Sound machines will be available on demand. Instruction on how

properly fill the Breakfast Menu cards should be addressed at this time. Bed Turn-Down

service upon request.

(07:45ish) Reveille: Immediately upon waking to the sounds of New Age Music, Trainees will

engage in their morning toiletreies. Do remind Trainees to go easy on the hair mouse and after shave creams........

Kind of sounds like what the USCGR Officers program was like.
(Except no New Age music back then...)

[mi2az]

My daughter is in SC Fort Jackson, doing her boot camp now. Reception started july 12, boot camp july 19.

No stress cards for her or platoon. They even lost telephone privs last week for being last.

So at least army, its no picnic, but its good for her. She needs it. She will finish Aug 28 then Fort Sam Houston for 18 weeks for MOS. She will be a para-medic if she makes it through that. Shes a smart kid, graduated with a 3.6 in HS taking all math and sciences.

She only needs to work on doing a consistent quality job and hope the army ingrains that into her.

[aimhigh]

I guess in Combat if your getting shot at you can wave your stress card at the enemy so they will stop firing in your direction

you are serious!!!!??
I went in 1990 and that was not in place...

[PNUT]

One of my nieces went into the Air Force last year.
Rumor has it that, Librarian Basic Training is harder.....

[aus71383]

Based on the referenced Snopes article there is no such thing as a stress card - but all the quotes and such were from the 90s and early 2000s - the Air Force guys I knew for 8 months went to "BMT" in 2007 and 2008 and that's the story I got from them. I know my boot camp experience was quite different from theirs. They were given uniforms and told to put them on, for instance. Also they were allowed to eat....

Austin

[sgtD]

From what I've heard, Americorps seems to be tougher than the Air Force.

[mutumbo]

"Stress Card"?!?! God God, what has the military become?

LOL!! I need to ask my new Airmen about that. I've never heard about that.

i had heard about it but thought it was a joke! holy crap i cant believe that its real

[mi2az]

Snopes

snopes.com: Stress Card

[sgtD]

What's up with the blue rifles? Is that so they match their UN helmets or what?

[Herknav]

What's up with the blue rifles? Is that so they match their UN helmets or what?

As one of my co-workers said, "Just when you think the AF is trying to do something about becoming more military, they have to find a way to make us the laughingstock of the other services."

In all honesty, the AF likes guns about as much as the Brady Bunch. Supposedly, the receiver is fully functional, but the blue "furniture" and barrel lets them know the trainee doesn't have a real weapon. This allows them to do basic disassembly, reassembly, mag changes, etc.

I still think the "stress card" stuff is a bunch of baloney. I'll check with some guys at work and get back to you on that.

[A1C Lickey]

Okay, guess I have to chime in. No there are no "stress cards" that is just a myth.

I went through BMT waaaay back in '03, and it was still the six week course then. We went through Warrior Week and that was the best part of BMT if you ask me. From what I've heard from some of the newer troops we've gotten in it's now eight and a half weeks, they go through two weeks at "The BEAST" (a new name for Warrior Week/deployment/actual military training) and they spend much less time in the classroom and much more time doing the fun hands on stuff.

I only had one TI who really yelled and did the stereotypical TI stuff (eating onions and getting in your face, spitting while he talked, etc.). The other two were both E-6's and could make you feel like scum without raising their voices or using profane and stupid insults.

What's up with the blue rifles? Is that so they match their UN helmets or what?

...In all honesty, the AF likes guns about as much as the Brady Bunch. Supposedly, the receiver is fully functional, but the blue "furniture" and barrel lets them know the trainee doesn't have a real weapon. This allows them to do basic disassembly, reassembly, mag changes, etc.

Unfortunately, Herknav is right, we really for a military branch don't seem to like weapons training and actual military training but that is changing. But if you think about it, the training weapon is a great idea. In every branch Basic Training is traumatic to someone, be it the guy who's never been away from Mom and Dad before, or the guy who can't speak to his High School sweetheart for the first time ever. And some of them can't handle it. This allows us to get the training we need while limiting the risk of some kid palming a round at the range and pulling a Pvt. Doughnut.

Personally I'm all for my troops getting as much weapons training and deployment skills as possible. If this was the compromise we had to reach it doesn't really bother me much.