Army's Future Soldier Preparatory Course

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Desert Professor
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5:38p, 5/10/24
AG
My youngest son joined the army and is a little over weight. They have him attending a preparatory course at Ft Jackson SC. Anybody here know what he can expect during his time at Fr Jackson?

Thanks
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CanyonAg77
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In reply to Desert Professor • 6:03p, 5/10/24
AG
Diet and exercise?

Sorry, no personal knowledge, just being a smart ass. I will tell you the Columbia airport has American, and the nearest Southwest destination is Charolette, NC, about 90 minutes away.

Unless you want to make a vacation out of going to his graduation, and you can fly into Charleston, SC, which is a great spot. About two hours from there to Columbia
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OldArmyCT
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4:25a, 5/11/24
AG
I went thru BCT about a hundred years ago (1967 actually) and a good 20% of the kids were overweight. Every dang one of them was in shape upon graduation and while I've never heard of a US Army preparation course it makes sense, sort of like the USAMA prep school or the Blinn route. Rejecting kids for being fat never made sense to me.
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JABQ04
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8:48a, 5/11/24
AG
I was overweight at MEPS. Had to do some kind of test with a metronome and stepping on a box in rhythm for 5 minutes? 10 minutes? Then crank out like 13 push ups. Super easy. They'll get him right at BCT. When I graduated BCT and AIT my wife thought I looked sick. I told her I was eating whatever the hell I could, short order, mainline, whatever meal was fastest in the DFAC. Had no restrictions on diet and no extra PT. Hell I was one of only a half dozen to pass all three APFTs. Even when I was chunky I could still run pretty well.

One of my favorite memories of BCT was being picked to ride back with the DS to return the mermites from the field. We were in the back of the truck and crack a couple open and saw tons of mashed potatoes and dozens of uneaten chick friend steaks. We asked what they were going to do and he said toss them. The we asked if we could eat some and he said he didn't give a f***. My buddy and I gorged ourselves.
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CenterHillAg
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1:39p, 5/11/24
AG
I went to basic at Ft Benning and they had "fat camp" they sent overweight guys to, I'm not sure if it was something they decided at MEPS or if it was decided while you were at reception. Best I recall, they kept them separate from us in the chow line so they could get smaller meals, and they had what looked like a hotel fitness center they were in for most of the day. It never looked like they were being worked too hard, just enough to get them ready for the rest of basic.
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F4GIB71
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1:50p, 5/11/24
First semester, my fish year (1967), I was assigned to a table with 7 p***heads. I was Hot Corner and did not eat. Every time I went to take a bite, one would ask me something, so put down my fork and went back to attention. My weight was about right when I started, but lost 25 pounds. My Mom thought I looked like an Auschwitz survivor when I went home.

Something about not eating, and weight loss makes sense, but I do not recommend this particular technique.
F4GIB71
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Desert Professor
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8:50a, 5/12/24
AG
Thank you all so very much.

From your input I conclude he will:

1. Experience caloric deficiencies.
2. Lots of exercise.
3. Not have a great deal of problem meeting goals.
4. Get chicken fried steak and mash potatoes after.
5. Encounter smart asses. LOL.
6. Be in awesome shape once it is all said and done.

I have personally prepared him well for number 4. I am an expert.

Thanks again for an old Battlin B-1 turd.

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ArmyEngineerAg03
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9:00a, 5/12/24
AG
Currently here at Fort Jackson for Pre-Command and they discussed the Future Soldier program with us a little bit. Also they showed it to the SecDef on Friday as a success model. The army is making a big push for holistic health and fitness (H2F) and the FSP and basic combat training serve as that foundation for new Soldiers.
For your son, it will be educational and physical to help reduce his weight while also setting conditions for success through his next phases of training.
Hopefully it all goes well and you can stand with pride as he walks the parade field for BCT graduation.
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ABATTBQ87
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In reply to F4GIB71 • 9:14a, 5/12/24
AG
F4GIB71 said:
First semester, my fish year (1967), I was assigned to a table with 7 p***heads. I was Hot Corner and did not eat. Every time I went to take a bite, one would ask me something, so put down my fork and went back to attention. My weight was about right when I started, but lost 25 pounds. My Mom thought I looked like an Auschwitz survivor when I went home.

Something about not eating, and weight loss makes sense, but I do not recommend this particular technique.


The hot corner died in the fall of 1986 with the closing and renovation of Duncan.
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Tanker123
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11:29a, 5/12/24
Fort Jackson's Future Soldier Preparatory Course :: U.S. Army Fort Jackson
When is he going to Ft Jackson?
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Desert Professor
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11:44a, 5/12/24
AG
He ships out May 28
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Tanker123
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In reply to Desert Professor • 12:42p, 5/12/24
Desert Professor said:
He ships out May 28


Will he be attending BASIC Training at Ft Jackson?
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Desert Professor
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1:05p, 5/12/24
AG
He thinks he will do basic at Benning. Going infantry.

Thanks for info.
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Tanker123
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In reply to Desert Professor • 2:01p, 5/12/24
Desert Professor said:
He thinks he will do basic at Benning. Going infantry.

Thanks for info.
Yes, Benning is the home of Infantry and Armor. It will be hot as hell when he is there. Is he overweight? Infantry will make him a lean, mean, fighting machine!
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Desert Professor
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2:20p, 5/12/24
AG
He is right now. But I think he can drop it pretty fast. Has before.
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Tanker123
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In reply to Desert Professor • 8:40p, 5/12/24
Desert Professor said:
He is right now. But I think he can drop it pretty fast. Has before.
He probably won't have a choice in losing weight. Workouts > Calories.
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WolfCall
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In reply to Desert Professor • 2:29p, 5/14/24
AG
Desert Professor said:
My youngest son joined the army and is a little over weight. They have him attending a preparatory course at Ft Jackson SC. Anybody here know what he can expect during his time at Fr Jackson?

Thanks
My son went through BCT at Fort Jackson in 2014 and had the usual stories of privation and suffering. He said there were no preparatory courses in the Army at that time, except for Recruiters informally meeting with future recruits and jogging with them. He says the formal preparatory courses started in the 2022. He looked it up and they have a 95% pass rate. He said they should have had the courses a long time ago as so many recruits show up unfit.

The Marine Corps, in 1967) sent anyone that wasn't fit enough from Boot Camp Platoons to the Pork Farm. The Pork Farm participants (overweight or weak skinny recruits) spent all day running from one place to another and doing exercises at each stop. They also were only allowed minimal calories when going through the chow line. They got in shape. My favorite story was about a Marine Pork Farm product who had to show his mother his military ID to prove he was her son at Boot Camp graduation.
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Ulysses90
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10:15p, 5/14/24
AG
The Future Soldier Course seems to be money well spent to maximize the potential success of recruits while minimizing potential losses.

The Qualified Military Available (QMA) population has been steadily shrinking because of birth rates and societal trends such as obesity and normalization of Marijuana and other drug use among the 17-24 year old population. FSP is a buffer between the soft lifestyle of civilian society and basic training. A few weeks of regimented living that includes lots of exercise, a controlled diet, regular sleep, and (just guessing) weening off from internet probably increases the chances of successfully completing basic training. The cost to the government is barracks housing and meals.

I believe that FSP recruits are not sworn into active duty so they aren't drawing pay and other entitlements until they swear I to active duty. That means that in administrative terms if they fa to complete FSP, they were never on active duty so they aren't counted as basic training attention and they get no VA benefits. I would also suppose that a few weeks of supervision while at FSP dramatically reduces the rate of urinalysis failures at basic training.
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CanyonAg77
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In reply to Ulysses90 • 10:33p, 5/14/24
AG
Sounds like a good program. Makes you wish there was a similar program for every high school grad, followed by an opportunity for National Service. I know we dont need that many soldiers, but I think a revival of the CCC could be a good thing

For officers, we will support them througj prep school and two years of an Academy, and let them off with no obligation if they quit before start of junior year

Seems like a good idea to do something similar for enlisted
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Velvet Jones
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In reply to ABATTBQ87 • 9:40a, 5/15/24
AG
ABATTBQ87 said:
F4GIB71 said:
First semester, my fish year (1967), I was assigned to a table with 7 p***heads. I was Hot Corner and did not eat. Every time I went to take a bite, one would ask me something, so put down my fork and went back to attention. My weight was about right when I started, but lost 25 pounds. My Mom thought I looked like an Auschwitz survivor when I went home.

Something about not eating, and weight loss makes sense, but I do not recommend this particular technique.


The hot corner died in the fall of 1986 with the closing and renovation of Duncan.
Yep. The class of '90 was literally the last of old army. No hazing law and family-style Duncan where eating wasn't an option aside from 2 minutes of chow-down.

I was in fantastic shape when I got to FOW and when my Mom saw me walk off the plane at the Christmas break she cried. I had lost 25 or so pounds and did not look healthy.

I also do not suggest this as a weight loss program.
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OldArmyCT
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9:41a, 5/16/24
AG
I didn't lose much weight as a fish (1966-67), I ate fish bites but chewed fast as hell, I also latched onto a SB who let me have seconds if I stole serving plates from empty tables for him.
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