FORT BENNING, Ga. - Aca,!A"I donAca,!a,,ct want a desk job. I want to be outside, getting dirty,Aca,!A? said PVT Jeff Norwood, who is in one station unit training with B Company, 1st Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 198th Infantry Brigade.
Norwood was one of hundreds of new recruits doing the first hands-on Army training of their careers Tuesday at the confidence course on Sand Hill.
Aca,!A"These are five-day-old Soldiers,Aca,!A? said SFC Timothy Simmons, senior drill sergeant with 4th Platoon. Aca,!A"All of them come from different backgrounds, different upbringings. So when we get them here, we try to instill an initial level of teamwork.Aca,!A?
Aca,!A"Right now they are in the stunned phase, everything theyAca,!a,,cve known for the past 18 or so years has crumbled to their feet,Aca,!A? said SSG Michael Preece, a drill sergeant with 1st Platoon. Aca,!A"They arenAca,!a,,ct sure about themselves or whatAca,!a,,cs happening at this point. Events like this will bring them together and give them the confidence theyAca,!a,,cre going to need from here on out.Aca,!A?
Preece, a veteran of seven previous OSUT cycles, said heAca,!a,,cs seen many Soldiers make the transition from civilian to Infantryman in the 14-week course, and his eighth cycle, his last, will be no different.
Aca,!A"By the end of the eighth week, they will be pretty confident in themselves,Aca,!A? he said. Aca,!A"WeAca,!a,,cre their first taste of the Army so we will be telling them what they really need to know.Aca,!A?
The confidence course consists of approximately 25 obstacles, including climbing towers, swinging on ropes, walking across rolling logs, scaling cargo nets and navigating the Aca,!A"WeaverAca,!A? Aca,!" a series of wood planks placed at an incline and then a decline to resemble an upside down Aca,!A"V.Aca,!A?
The Soldiers didnAca,!a,,ct have much trouble negotiating the towers, which required a team effort to boost each Soldier to the platforms on the tower, or the log obstacles, which focused on balance. However, the weaver, Aca,!A"TarzanAca,!A? Aca,!" a series of log and monkey bar challenges Aca,!" and the wall hanger proved to be the more difficult challenges.
Aca,!A"I fell down on the monkey bars,Aca,!A? said Norwood, of Garden City, Mich. Aca,!A"I havenAca,!a,,ct done those since elementary school.Aca,!A?
PVT Charles Bert, a former New York City firefighter, said his greatest challenge of the day was the Aca,!A"Weaver,Aca,!A? though he managed to muscle through without falling.
Aca,!A"I thought it was going to be harder going up the planks than down, but it was the opposite,Aca,!A? Bert said. Aca,!A"As youAca,!a,,cre swinging your weight going down, if you miss the next plank, youAca,!a,,cll fall off.Aca,!A?
Aca,!A"ThatAca,!a,,cs one of the toughest obstacles out here,Aca,!A? said SSG Bradley Freeman, a drill sergeant with 1st Platoon. Aca,!A"I came through OSUT back in 1991 and I had the same problems they have Aca,!A| itAca,!a,,cs breaking through the mental barrier.Aca,!A?
Bert said he looks forward to basic rifle marksmanship training in the coming weeks.
Aca,!A"I canAca,!a,,ct wait to get to the range and start firing a gun,Aca,!A? said the New York native. Aca,!A"ThatAca,!a,,cs your life right there, that weapon, so you want to learn to shoot to the best of your ability.Aca,!A?
The company graduates Feb. 19.
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