Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket effectively scared an entire generation away from boot camp. However, a new tactic being considered by the US Navy may completely change our perception of boot camp: video games. In the latest issue of Navy Times, Navy Surgeon General Vice Admiral Adam Robinson (he does sound important) suggested that games like Wii Fit and Dance Dance Revolution could help "newcomers to the military service build up the endurance they need to get in shape safely."
According to the report, today's recruit requires much more work to get into "fighting shape" than in the past. With America's youth becoming increasingly sedentary, the US Navy has observed an increasing number of injuries suffered during boot camp. Recruits are "not used to the amount of standing and running that comes in recruit training," the report indicates. Games would theoretically provide a more approachable, familiar solution for physical activity.
However, don't expect games to completely replace current recruit training techniques. The US Navy is simply looking into the possibility of augmenting its current regimen with fitness games. Additionally, there's no timetable in place for when games would be introduced into the military. Still, we're eager to see if the boot camps of the future will look less like the one in Kubrick's war movie and more like ... this.
[Thanks Joseph!]
Reader Comments (12)
Posted: May 26th 2010 7:07AM Zepinephrine said
The US Military recruits using video games, might as well train them using games.
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Posted: May 26th 2010 7:07AM floating coffins said
Most the injuries I saw while I was going through navy boot camp was due to shin splints. Most of the guys that were in my division were in pretty decent shape and after the initial "oh no, we have to exercise" factor, everyone was able to hold their own...except for that one guy that could never complete one single push-up. But hey, throw in some video games, why not?!
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Posted: May 26th 2010 11:18AM Triscuit said
Disclaimer: I love every branch of the armed forces. I'm joining the Marines, and we will often poke fun at the other branches, just like every other branch does. But this fits the exact mental image that those jokes invoke. This.... this is just not a good thing to do. The point of EVERY boot camp is to cut the recruits off from the familiar, break them down, and build them up better. This just doesn't fit that at all.
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Posted: May 26th 2010 1:35PM (Unverified) said
Speaking as a former Marine, don't take what comes out of Navy Times too seriously. The **** Times are nearly the military equivalent of supermarket tabloids. There's a version published for multiple branches, Marine Times, Army Times, don't know about the Air Force or Coast Guard though. They'll put whatever on the cover to move issues. There's occasionally useful info in them, though, such as pay charts and etc you could get online anyways.
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Posted: May 28th 2010 10:47PM (Unverified) said
As someone who has been recently been through Navy Boot Camp, I can safely say this will NEVER happen. Some high up officer may think it is a great idea, but the people at Recruit Training Command would never accept it. Navy boot camp may not be as tough as Marines boot camp, but it is still boot camp.
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