Delayed-entry programs give area recruits an edge in prep for basic training

BY JAMIE SMITH Benton County Daily Record

Posted on Monday, October 6, 2008

When most people think of the military enlistment process, they probably think a person signs a few papers, gets a haircut then heads off to basic training.

For most recruits, however, that’s not the case. Depending on the circumstances, it can be only a week or more than a year before a recruit heads off to basic training, also generally known as boot camp. The recruits do, however, have the opportunity to prepare for the rigors of basic training through the delayedentry programs offered by their various branches.

All three branches that have recruiting offices housed in the Armed Forces Career Center in Rogers — the Army, Marines Corps and Navy — offer the delayed-entry program for recruits, who are encouraged but not forced to participate fully in the programs. The programs are designed to provide the recruits with information, physical training and teambuilding skills they will need for basic training.

“ It’s our job to give them a base knowledge before boot camp, ” said Petty Officer Luke Rayfield, the recruiter in charge of the Rogers Navy office. “ We try to prepare them so they shine a little bit when they get (to basic training ). ”

Ellie