talking about the gas chamber ?

I dunno I think it's some of the DS. I saw some who were really soft and it showed in their soliders I had former SF And infantry for mine so you know how that worked. Ever prepared cement for farming with your bare hands ?

Yes

O yeah we still got it. But they toned it down from what I understand from new guys

When I was in boot camp in 1976, we donned or gas masks and entered a chamber thick with what I think was CS gas. We went in six at a time, lined up and were ordered to remove our masks. Everybody held their breath as long as they could before exhaling and sucking up a lungful of the gas. As the coughing fit started we were shoved out the door into the waiting arms of two soldiers who grabbed us and ran/walked us away from the door and into some fresh air.

The idea was to show us the effectiveness of the mask.

We trained to be able to put it on in under nine seconds I think it was.

We had a DI that was fond of lobbing gas canisters into the platoon as we were taking lunch breaks during forced marches.

Do they still do the gas chamber like that Wolfie?

Used to be, you had to walk, not run through the chamber with your eyes open and not holding your breath.......or you did it again. Some tried their luck and went again.......but not twice.
Keith has it right about the difference between male and female and it applies to those of the same gender. we are all different and can and will react or respond accordingly. We had 1 female that was told she would pass if she could do 1 pushup and sit up.........because all through basic she struggled to do just that. She did pass Basic Training but she was not the only one with special accomodations.

When I went thru the chamber you went in 2 squads at a time. First squad were told to remove their masks and say your name, rank and serial number. It forced you to breathe in the gas. Then the first squad got escorted out and the second squad would have to do it. You could always tell the guys who didn't get a good seal..

I ran out the door and proceeded to run right into a pole just outside the door.

I think the worst part of it was we did it in the morning and had to schlep around in those clothes all day.

A lot of the guys don’t have the strength to throw them the 35 meters either

35 meters........call air support !

That's where a grenade launcher comes in.

I learned land navigation, of course that was 17 years ago, I still amaze people with a compass.....of course I learned it because my Drill Instructor told me too......or else...lol

I carried the M79 40 Mike Mike....of course mine was synthetic stock asks not wood....lol...just kidding

Learned that too.....DANGER CLOSE!!!

The land nav portion I have mixed feelings on. It is an essential skill no doubt. However if you spend the time teaching them land nav in basic, then they NEVER see it again due to only being given electronics to do land nav by, What's the point?

This whole conversation reminds me of a setaside that I read in the Marine Corps Times sometime between 2000-2002. The quote:

"Today's Marine Recruits, are lazy, ill discipline, weak, and will be nothing but fodder in combat"

The person who said it, A Marine Drill Instructor in 1963.

The point? Every generation thinks the ones that follow are weak and worthless. You boys are over looking the fact that the Army and Marines have been engaged since 2001. Hundreds of thousands have deployed to combat, and earned their place in history. The training still works. Set your ego's aside and look at it realistically. The social experiment of Co-Ed training has clearly failed. But the basics are there, and still working well. My son is a Marine Mortar Man, Corporal type, 1 each. The lingo has changed, the acronyms are different, but the job and method are the same. Drop steel on target.

they made us do push ups and stuff but basically the same

Dix in 86.

They started wussifying in the late 80's. If someone felt the DI or other recruits made them feel bad the solider would be pampered. They could ask for a time out. If somebody decided they won't shower after five weeks nobody was allowed to "encourage" them to take a shower. Just had to live with it.

Boots and buffing.
We had a dude set himself on fire breaking down his boots with rubbing alcohol. Johnson's car wax made them floors look goooood.