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Is Fort Jackson really "Relaxin Jackson?" - MilitaryTimes.com Forums
Hi all! Was just browsing through the internet for info re: Fort Jackson as my son starts basic training Aug.
7th @ Fort Jackson....needless to say, I am horrified by some of what I have read here and other sites about Fort Jackson.
It seems everything reads as if this were some sort of playground with characters from a soap opera ....what terrifies me is the idea that realistically speaking, he will be deployed to Iraq/Afghanistan at some point as a vehical mechanic....will he be prepared emotionally, physically and mentally?
I am downhearted that he could possibly be sent to an area not fully equipped to deal with whatever comes his way.
I know that no training is ever perfect, but it seems like the place he is going to is run like a school camp for the wayward....no insult to anyone, I am just trying to figure out how in the heck he will be prepared when/if that day arrives with a deployment to Afghanistan or Iraq
Pls.
If you have any input about Fort Jackson as of late, pls.
Advise this worried mom.
Thank you!
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I'm just going to make it a simple answer for now.
This opinion coming from someone who's fiance is there right now and who's best friend went there and is now an army ranger.
i talked to my girlfriend today on the phone, she graduates Aug.
10th, and she said they dont' do anything and that it lives up to its name.
She has said that everytime i've talked to her.
My buddy said it was the same for him.
They get trained well, but it isn't hard unless you are completely unprepared.
my girlfriend hasn't had to PT for i believe two weeks...
I'd say yes, it is "relaxin jackson"
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Thanks for your response : ) One thing I find confusing is that you stated they "get trained well." It seems training is not the high priority & that makes me a tad nervous.
When he is deployed, I would have hoped that his training/graduation would have meant he met a certain criteria of readiness....now I am not so sure.
I would rather he go through hard/demanding, bust his butt work now & not end up in an area with little experience to fall on.
Everyone, and I mean everyone (family, friends) in NYC has ridiculed his decision....but I have been patiently encouraging/supporting him as he is a man now & can make his own decisions & I am darn proud of him.
But now I wonder if I did the right thing...I wish he was going some place that had a better rep for standards...if you get a chance would you clarify what you mean about being trained well....
Thanks,
Bandy
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Basic training is BCT, basic combat training.
like the title says, its Basic training.
By trained well, i was saying that what training they do the do well.
Its just that ft.
Jackson is known to be more laid back.
They give you more phone calls then most places, a "stress" card, and is just more laid back.
When they are getting down and training, they are serious, but when back at the barracks they are laid back.
My girlfriend has said she has soo much free time she is bored and finds herself doing pushups and situps on her own cause they don't PT enough.
I get letters all the time cause she always has free time, but when they go and do field training, night training, live fire, and all that good stuff...
Its good training.
EDIT: heh, its monday and i just got 2 letters from my girlfriend.
This letter stated "this place really is relaxin jackson.
It's easy as hell!"
so, i think you really have nothing to worry about, but it is a lot easier to some extent
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Quote: : i'm just going to make it a simple answer for now.
This opinion coming from someone who's fiance is there right now and who's best friend went there and is now an army ranger.
i talked to my girlfriend today on the phone, she graduates Aug.
10th, and she said they dont' do anything and that it lives up to its name.
She has said that everytime i've talked to her.
My buddy said it was the same for him.
They get trained well, but it isn't hard unless you are completely unprepared.
my girlfriend hasn't had to PT for i believe two weeks...
I'd say yes, it is "relaxin jackson" I find it hard to believe she'd go two full weeks with no PT.
What did she mean exactly by "PT?" Is she talking the daily PT or the tests?
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Sir',
Training is training is training, Soldier's have long talked about certain "boot camps" not being as hard as others etc etc.
I say that this is a bunch of crap, Soldier's tend to "fluff" up their "combat" stories from boot with other Joe's for fun.
Your son will be fine, he will receive quality training at boot to begin the "building blocks" of his future Army career.
He WILL receive more advanced training at AIT and then everything learned will be retrained on the day to day and standards will be enforced at his first duty assignment.
His Squad leader/Platoon SGT/1SG will ensure maximum training and readiness for any combat situation, when/if deployed he will be ready by repetition and he will execute tasks without thought the right way because of this.
So, long story short Support your Son in his decision's, he will be fine and return well trained/ready.
V/R
SSG B
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I have to say this yes everyone thinks its relaxing Jackson and I say this cause I was in the same boat until I got there as Cadre.
We get the Soldiers up between 0430 and 0500 to start their day with a full day of training and yes there are day where Soldiers have to do PT on their own when you are out running lanes and the Soldiers have been on their feet for 12 to 15 hours of the day what do you expect yes we tried to get PT in and if we missed it which was rare soldiers policed up each other so who ever says FT.
Jackson is a joke go there as a Drill or cadre and live in our world then write me back and tell me what you think.
Plus on top of everything we miss everything when it comes to our own family.
We are training soldiers to go off to WAR and we do this because we are NCOs and will honor our CREEED to complete the mission and the welfare of our Soldiers.
I have moved on from FT Jackson in May of this year 2007 and am now in Iraq since being here I have ran into so many Soldiers I have trained and they all say thanks for Showing me the proper way of doing things.
So I will leave saying this people say things due to the lack of knowledge of the situation and the rumor mill will keep on going but to all my Brothers and Sisters training Soldiers keep up the good work this is coming from one of your own straight out of the SAND BOX
SGT COLLINS
U.S ARMY
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The other thing is this did you ask your girlfriend how many times she has been to sickcall and got on profile or has she missed PT because she was to lazy and made a excuse not to do it its more than 1 side of the story you see all the civilians get is my Soldier can't call home , my Soldier this these young adults are grown they made a commitment to join the Military so let it be we all make sacrifices for this country so hearing some one crying about PT is stupid to me how about you come over here and get shot at everyday or get incoming mortars, lose sleep because of HELOs flying over and buzzing on tents trade with me and you will see PT aint sh t when it come to doing what we do on a daily basis while deployed and to add to the point Im making we really dont even have time do PT over we work 12 - 18 hrs days wearing full gear sometimes so what I'm a bad person now man miss me with that bull and focus on the real thing soldiers graduating from Basic getting deployed and coming home a live let my Brothers & Sisters do their freaking job and train soldiers remember they went back to Basic Training to be Drill Sergeants oh you didn't know that huh well we do so since you are not there have a big cup of shut the F k up and have a good day!!!
SGT COLLINS
U.S ARMY
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Ma'am,
I commanded a basic training company at Fort Jackon around the 2001-2002 time frame so I have a working knowledge of what goes on.
For starters, whether or not any training is adequate to prepare someone for combat is relative.
Some people grasp more, faster, and have a natural aptitude to adapt once they arrive on the battlefield.
Others have a much more difficult time adjusting.
There are intangibles that people have in their development and mindset that no trianing can replace or account for.
Keep in mind that as a 63 series MOS, your son's job shouldn't involve kicking in doors and combat patrols.
There is a risk of road side bombs and I won't deny that, but training has little to do with preventing that from occurring.
Other than that, he will get as much training crammed in as possible while he is at Fort Jackson.
He'll probalby tell you how hard it is in the beginning and then be bragging about how easy it was after he's finished.
It's all part of it.
I'll grant you that the combat training could be tougher, but there are a lot of aspects to what goes into making a civilian into a soldier.
They have to learn a new way of life, a new way of thinking, how to work with essentially perfect strangers with different back grounds...all these "skills" are essential to how he will bond with his new unit and become part of that team.
So it's not just how well he can shoot, maneuver, etc that's critically important.
It's the whole package.
If he can adapt to "Army life" he'll have a much better time adapting to his new unit which increases his performance and motivation.
In your particular case, the best thing you can do is be strong, be supportive, and keep in mind that out of the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who are forged in the fire of these combat deployments...it's only an unfortunate but small percentage whom pay the ultimate price.
Statistically speaking, if your son isn't assigned direct combat duties, he has an excellent chance of completing his tour with nary a scratch.
I wish you and yours much luck in the difficult and stressful times ahead, but don't let the news reels scare you.
It's dangerous, it's hard, but most support personnel rarely get involved in direct combat.
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I went to Fort Jackson in the summer of 2004.
They called it Relaxin Jackson then, and trust me, it really wasn't.
I do believe though, it was pretty easy for the men.
I did not like doing BCT with the guys, because all the girls were always "distracted".
I think that is a pretty dumb thing to do.
But anyways, every single day we got up at 0500 and we had to be down in formation for PT by 0515.
We didn't come back to our barracks at the end of the day until about 2000-2100 hours, and that gave us enough time to shower and maybe write one letter to our families.
On Sunday's you could either get away from the Drill Sgts and go to church or clean up the barracks (I opted for church, eventhough I wasn't that religious.) And also Sunday was the only day we could use the phone, and it wasn't every Sunday.
I never remember a day without PT, unless we had to get up at 0400 to go to the shooting range, and also at the FTX field training.
But even on FTX, we did weapons PT, which I think is much worse than regular PT.
These are just my opinions.
My husband went to Ft Knox, and he always teases me about Ft Jackson.
I think if the guys weren't there, BCT would have been a much better experience for me.
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