All articles tagged with #basic training
Weeks before a flu outbreak swept through an Air Force basic training wing in San Antonio, leaders from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for permission to vaccinate recruits after he lifted the flu vaccine requirement in April; approval arrived on June 16, by which time the outbreak was already underway.
Amid a growing flu outbreak at Lackland Air Force Base that sickened about 275 recruits and involved a fatal medical event, the Air Force moved to reinstate the mandatory flu vaccine for basic training after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reversed the policy in April. Exemption requests slowed the process; the mandate was approved on June 11, but the outbreak was already underway, and officials learned June 18 that shots would be required again for incoming trainees.
The U.S. Army's 197th Infantry Brigade briefly banned the practice of 'bay tossing,' where drill sergeants overturn trainees' belongings as a form of corrective action, citing concerns over abuse and discipline. The ban was rescinded after a review determined that the behavior was already covered by existing policies on good order and discipline, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a positive training environment and treating soldiers with dignity.