I just got out of basic training, and it is so pathetic. The brainwashing that goes into every exercise, every "threat briefing".

I'll give you two examples:

It was the first day of red phase (the first three weeks of basic) and our drill sergeants were pounding us into the dirt. This added to the fact that it was 80 degrees in the classroom and they had made us wear thermal underwear (which made one soldier pass out). Well, right in the middle of our hardest pounding yet, the 15 video screens in the room suddenly jump to life, showing scenes of US Soldiers being beheaded, shot, blown up, and other things. Even Pavlov would have been disgusted.

Then, in White Phase (the next phase of basic training), we are given a "threat briefing" wherein a couple of things happen:

1)The Drills heavily allude to (damn near outright say) that since the French didnt help us in Iraq, they are housing Al-Qaeda and planning an attack on us.

2)The Drills tell us all to raise our hands, then walk around and ask about 1/5th of us to lower them. They then announce that those of us with our hands up are going to Iraq, and are going to die there. At this point one of the male soldiers throws up, and several females start crying.

3) Further in the Threat Briefing, we are shown pictures of 'soldiers' lying in pieces after being blown up by different bombs. After about 15 minutes of this, I raise my hand and ask why none of the 'soldiers' pictured is wearing bdu's, or any type of uniform. I was punished by having to stay up all night on 'fire watch' and narrowly avoided being beaten by fellow soldiers for being a 'traitor' by being skeptical of the information given to us in the briefing.

What our country needs is a reformation of our military, into one that gives pride in the uniform, and in our country, not the current one that browbeats and brainwashes you into accepting whatever you hear.

If you haven't served, or can't serve, then find some other way to help.

Otherwise, shut the [censored] up.