PDA

View Full Version : Boot Camp Injury Rates



LeonardLawrence
02-24-08, 04:38 PM
I came across some studies the other day regarding boot camp attrition rates and was somewhat suprised to see they seemed to be pretty high (17% or so) for injuries.

I am curious what changes in training have come about as a result of preventing injuries, thoughts on causes for the high percentage, and what changes in the past 50 years have occurred. Are we doing enough prevention is the problem deeper than that?

Some things that stick out in my mind from reading posts are:

~Obvious rigor of recruit training/

~Changes in activity levels for young adults over the past 50 years.

~Changes, such as adjustment time from sneakers to boots in recruit training.

It seems like the human body is capable of some pretty impressive things, but sometimes it can be bent too far and it breaks.

harrell0311
03-03-08, 08:07 AM
Theres only a few things in boot camp that can get you really hurt. Safety is paramount. Most injuries are stress fractures or shin splints from running, and recruits go to medical and get dropped. Safety measures are taken on every course, on the oak course there are wood chips, on the MCMAP thunderdomes its shredded tires, on the confidence course there are big baloon things. When you do pugil sticks/boxing you are padded up very well.
So most injuries come from running and its just little fractures, nothing really serious.

PatriotGirl422
03-03-08, 08:09 AM
[quote=harrell0311] on the oak course there are wood chips,
quote]

Haha the oak course.

MarineNCO
03-03-08, 01:27 PM
[quote=harrell0311] on the oak course there are wood chips,
quote]

Haha the oak course.

PatriotGirl422: Instead of laughing at them, provide constructive criticism and correction to Privates. They need the love and attention :sick: .

harrell0311: It is called the 'O' Course. Short for Obstacle Course. Also known as the Confidence Course in the Army. Since people say it so fast I can see where you could make the mistake. Don't make it again:evilgrin: .

cosmicdingo
03-03-08, 03:19 PM
How about falls from high obstacles?

Whitey
03-03-08, 06:32 PM
theres netting under the obstacles and if there isnt....then theres nasty gross green water.

PatriotGirl422
03-03-08, 07:11 PM
[quote=PatriotGirl422]

PatriotGirl422: Instead of laughing at them, provide constructive criticism and correction to Privates. They need the love and attention :sick: .

Aye Sgt.:usmc:


harrell0311: It is called the 'O' Course. Short for Obstacle Course. Also known as the Confidence Course in the Army. Since people say it so fast I can see where you could make the mistake. Don't make it again:evilgrin: .

So Sgt, I know that Marines do the O Course and the Confidence Course. So since the Army calls our O Course the Confidence Course, do they not have an equivalent of what we call the Confidence Course?

Marine84
03-03-08, 07:42 PM
How about falls from high obstacles?

It's your job to HOLD ON!

LOL!

Braden
03-03-08, 07:46 PM
I came across some studies the other day regarding boot camp attrition rates and was somewhat suprised to see they seemed to be pretty high (17% or so) for injuries.

I am curious what changes in training have come about as a result of preventing injuries, thoughts on causes for the high percentage, and what changes in the past 50 years have occurred. Are we doing enough prevention is the problem deeper than that?

Some things that stick out in my mind from reading posts are:

~Obvious rigor of recruit training/

~Changes in activity levels for young adults over the past 50 years.

~Changes, such as adjustment time from sneakers to boots in recruit training.

It seems like the human body is capable of some pretty impressive things, but sometimes it can be bent too far and it breaks.
The Crucible has been altered because of injuries. When I went through it in '98, it was the culminating event of recruit training. Later on, the evolution was shifted a couple weeks earlier in recruit training so that recruits would have time to heal and mend, should they get injured during the Crucible.

PatriotGirl422
03-03-08, 07:51 PM
The Crucible has been altered because of injuries. When I went through it in '98, it was the culminating event of recruit training. Later on, the evolution was shifted a couple weeks earlier in recruit training so that recruits would have time to heal and mend, should they get injured during the Crucible.

And now they put it at the end of training again. Seems things are always changing.

HurricaneRJ
03-03-08, 07:54 PM
The crucible sucked. When we did it, rained all the time, most events were cancelled, and we just did weapons maintence all day long. But whenever it did stop raining we would, rush to do the O-Course or warrior stations. Pretty much we had an "easier" crucible than any other. On Day two we spent most of our time in the Huts.

Braden
03-03-08, 07:59 PM
And now they put it at the end of training again. Seems things are always changing.

It makes more sense that way, in my opinion. The Crucible at the end, so the Drill Instructors let their guard down a little and allow recruits to ask them some questions about the fleet, share some knowledge. Then when you finish, it's all about family day and graduation.

From what I've heard about the period when the Crucible came earlier in the training, it seems like it would be anti-climactic, and you'd go back to business of being recruits after the Crucible, so it wouldn't be the same.

Eric Hood
03-04-08, 03:47 PM
Where did you find the stats?
Semper Fi,
Eric:evilgrin:

SlingerDun
03-04-08, 04:34 PM
~Obvious rigor of recruit trainingthis is relevant if the following preceeds....
~Changes in activity levels for young adults over the past 50 yearsi'm thinking not quite 50 but pre cable cartoon networks, Atari and internet. Dem bones although capable of 100% cell replacement in about seven years are founded and strengthened under stress and pressure during pre adolescent years with the help of vitamins and minerals that a kid just cant get from veggitating inside and feeding on McDonald's or Top Ramen or Mac and Cheese.
~Changes, such as adjustment time from sneakers to boots in recruit trainingI remember seeing a couple 1st phase recruits hobbling about base in sneakers but i suppose they got back into boots as soon as their light duty chits expired. I aint buying it, gotta be the happy meal mini-van training program

17% thats a heap of washouts do to injury. about 13 per platoon? i recall two maybe three guys that who were down for awhile but they graduated.

--->Dave

SlingerDun
03-04-08, 04:40 PM
The crucible sucked. When we did it, rained all the time, most events were cancelled....On Day two we spent most of our time in the Huts.Damn RJ they quit issuing you all ponchos or was the inactivity due to fair weathered commanders raised indoors heheheheheh:cool:

Whitey
03-04-08, 05:11 PM
mothers of america RJ

Zulu 36
03-04-08, 05:32 PM
I know my platoon (in 1971) lost quite a few folks, but the serious injury rate was fairly low. Some shin splint cases were dropped to MRP, a few other illness cases went too. Maybe a sprained ankle too. Most drops were for discipline or failure to adjust.

We did a lot of stuff in combat boots early on, but most regular PT sessions were in felony shoes during 1st Phase. Of course, most visits to the pit were in boots and utes.

Slinger's theory about our couch potato kids might have some thing to it. After all, while growing up, I was the TV remote control for my parents, not some thumb-pushy-thingy-with-batteries. ;)