The Army's Basic Training Physical Fitness Test is a three-event performance test used to assess endurance. It measures physical strengths, abilities, and cardio-respiratory fitness.
The following chart shows examples of the minimum requirements for the Army Basic Training PFT:
Push-Ups
17-21 male -- 35
17-21 female -- 13
22-26 male -- 31
22-26 female --11
Sit-Ups
17-21 male -- 47
17-21 female -- 47
22-26 male --43
22-26 female --43
2 mile run maximum
17-21 male -- 16:36
17-21 female -- 19:42
22-26 male -- 17:30
22-26 female -- 20:36
Push-ups
Your score is determined by how may push-ups you can complete in two minutes. Resting is permitted, but only in the up position.
Curl-ups [sit ups]
Your score is based on how many curl-ups you can do correctly in two minutes. Resting is permitted.
2-Mile Run
Event consists of running 2 miles as quickly as possible. Any combination of running or walking is allowed to complete event.
For Navy SEALS: To qualify, a prospective
candidate must meet the minimum requirements. It is recommended that you
strive for the optimum fitness standards to better your chances.
Navy SEAL PST Standards
500 yard swim
maximum -- 12:30
desired -- 8:00
Push-Ups
minimum -- 50
desired -- 80-100
Sit-Ups
minimum -- 50
desired -- 80-100
Pull-Ups
minimum -- 10
desired -- 15-20
1.5 mile timed run
maximum -- 10:30
desired -- 9-10 min
For Army Rangers: The most important pre-training exercise to do prior to Ranger school is walking fast in your boots with 50 pounds of weight on your back. You will do this everyday you are at Ranger School. Running at least 5 miles, 3-4 times a week and swimming in uniform 2-3 times a week is recommended as well. Pack on 5-10 pounds of body weight prior to going so you have a little to lose when you are consuming fewer calories a day.
Army Ranger PFT Standards
Push-Ups
minimum -- 49
desired -- 80
Sit-Ups
minimum -- 59
desired -- 80
Pull-Ups
minimum -- 6
desired -- 12
2 mile run
maximum -- 15:12
desired -- below 13:00
5 mile run
maximum -- 40:00
desired -- 35:00
16 mile hike w/65lb pack
maximum -- 5 hours 20 minutes
desired -- 4-5 hours
15 meter swim with gear
pass/fail [this probably means you either finish or you drown]
For more information
http://www.military.com/military-fitness/army-fitness-requirements/army-basic-training-pft
http://www.military.com/military-fitness/navy-fitness-requirements/navy-basic-training-pft
http://www.military.com/military-fitness/navy-special-operations/navy-seal-fitness-test
What's next for G?
G is for the GI Bill. Who is eligible? What does it cover? How much does it cover? Come back tomorrow and find out!
Enlisted servicemembers do the hands-on work of the military. They need at least a high school diploma (a GED may or may not be sufficient).
Officers are the managers of the military. Most officer programs require a college degree at minimum, and are very competitive. Many officers have master's or higher degrees.
http://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/join-the-military-basic-eligibility.html
Before you visit your local recruiter, be sure you meet the minimum qualifications for serving in the US Armed Forces. Some qualifications are required by all five services:
-You must be a U.S. citizen or resident alien.
-You must be at least 17 years old (17-year old applicants require parental consent).
-You must (with very few exceptions) have a high school diploma.
-You must pass a physical medical exam.
For each branch, there are slightly different enlistment requirements:
https://www.thebalance.com/us-military-enlistment-standards-3354017
Age: 17 – 27/39 [depending on branch]
Height: 58 - 80 inches for Army, wider range for Navy
Weight minimum: 91-173 pounds for Army male, depending on height
Weight maximum: 250 at 80 inches, Army male, depending on height
Maximum body fat: 20-25%, depending on age
If you don't meet the height/weight standards but your body fat is acceptable, you can still enlist.
ASVAB test scores
background screening
physical and mental health screening
Individuals going onto active duty Navy enlist first into the DEP [Delayed Entry Program]. In the Army it's called the Future Soldiers Program. This is an actual enlistment into the inactive reserves, with an agreement to report for active duty (to ship out to boot camp) at a specific time in the future. Under current regulations, one can remain in the DEP for up to 365 days.
For the Navy [my son was in the Navy], there are two phases to the delayed entry program. First is the training phase. During this phase, you attend meetings with others who are set to join the Navy. You are also provided study materials and learn the basic knowledge needed about the Navy, including rank systems and ceremonies and drills. You gain essential insight to life in the Navy and have a chance to build relationships with others who are joining. The second phase involves being tested on the information you have learned. As a recruit, you are tested on individual subjects and not on everything at once.
DEP pamphlet [yes my son had to memorize all of this while he was in DEP]
http://www.cnrc.navy.mil/images/guides/011-0144%20(Rev%2012-15)%20Start%20Guide.pdf
What's next for F?
F is for Fitness. What's with all that PT [physical training]? How many push-ups are required? Would YOU qualify? Come
back tomorrow and find out!
Deployment refers to activities required to move military personnel, equipment, and materials from their home base [my son was stationed in Gulfport Mississippi] to a specified destination, either in the theater of operations (overseas) or within the United States.
The first time my Navy son told me he was deployed “to Virginia” I thought - Virginia? Deployed? But yes, even within the US, it's called a deployment.
The US military has more than 1.3 million men and women on
active duty. Somewhere between 150,000 and 450,000 are stationed
overseas in more than 150 countries.
The average Army deployment
can range from 12 months deployed, followed by 12 months at home
station assignment, to 12 months deployed and 24 months at home.
The below links include maps of deployments in 2017. Obviously, not all deployments are listed.
http://www.visualcapitalist.com/u-s-military-personnel-deployments-country/
http://www.businessinsider.com/us-military-deployments-may-2017-5/#heres-a-look-at-some-of-the-most-significant-deployments-for-american-soldiers-2
Deployment pay
https://www.thebalance.com/united-states-military-pay-charts-3346234
A
servicemember deployed to a combat zone receives "combat
pay" (officially called "imminent danger pay") at $225
per month. Working in a combat zone also triggers a tax advantage in
locations designated "Tax Exempt" areas. Earnings received while in
these specific combat zones are excluded from federal taxable income. If the
servicemember spends a single day in the combat zone, pay for
the entire month is excluded from taxable income, plus he/she receives
the additional $225 in combat pay for that month.
Military members
with dependents also receive "Family Separation Allowance" (FSA) of
$250 per month anytime they are away from their families due to military
orders for 30 days or longer.
https://www.military.com/benefits/military-pay/special-pay/hazardous-duty-incentive-pay.html
Servicemembers
who perform hazardous duties such as parachute jumping, demolition of explosives, handling toxic fuels,
flight deck duty or experimental stress duty, etc, earn an additional
$150 per month.
For more information
https://www.military.com/deployment
https://www.military.com/deployment/deployment-overview.html
What's next for E?
E is for Enlistment and DEP. Who can enlist? Would YOU qualify? What happens when a person enlists? Where do they go? What is DEP? Come back tomorrow and find out!
Chaplains are commissioned officers – non-combatant. Military chaplains normally represent a religion or faith group but work with military personnel of all faiths and even no faith. The Army, Navy, and Air Force each has a Chaplain Corps, with Navy chaplains also assigned to serve with Marine Corps units, Coast Guard units, and the Merchant Marine Academy.
Chaplains offer everything from faith leadership to personal advice to much-needed solace. All while living up to the guiding principles of the Chaplain Mission:
-Providing religious ministry and support to those of your own faith
-Facilitating the religious requirements of those from all faiths
-Caring for all servicemembers and their families, including those subscribing to no specific faith
-Advising the command in ensuring the free exercise of religion
Chaplain Assistants support the Unit Ministry Team programs, worship services, and crisis intervention. They also provide support to chaplains during missions and everyday activities.
The chaplain assistant is an enlisted position and is required to complete basic training and be combat ready. One of the chaplain assistant's roles is to protect the chaplains, who are non-combatants and not authorized to bear arms. Also, because chaplains are commissioned officers, enlisted personnel sometimes feel more comfortable approaching the chaplain assistant with a personal issue. Most chaplains do not have combat experience like enlisted personnel usually do.
https://www.thebalance.com/career-profile-chaplain-assistants-2356466
Day in the Life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iulymQ-7-nk
https://www.army.mil/article/28975/chaplain_assistants_are_more_than_just_bodyguards
What's next for D?
D is for Deployment. What happens on a deployment? In which branch of the military would you find one? Where do they go? What do they do? Come back tomorrow and find out!
NAVY - Boatswain's Mates [deck seaman] keep exterior surfaces of ships in good condition, maintain machinery and equipment on ships' decks, handle cargo, and operate small boats.
COAST GUARD - Boatswain's Mates perform almost any task in connection with deck maintenance, small boat operations, navigation, and supervising all personnel assigned to a ship's deck force.
[did you get it right?]
https://www.navycs.com/navy-jobs/boatswain-mate.html
The United States Navy Boatswain's Mate rating (job) was officially established in 1794. Boatswain's Mate and Gunner's Mate are the oldest ratings in the United States Navy, and each has a rich history and traditions.
The Boatswain's Mate rating requires a 60 month (5 year) service obligation. Boatswain's Mate class "A" school is six weeks long and is located in Great Lakes, Illinois.
Day in the Life videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gBgYtLGl38
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPPCytLys3c
The Boatswain's Mate rating is often selected by some enlisted personnel who haven't decided which career to pursue (like a college freshman whose major is "undecided"), and by others who want a certain rating that is not available at the time they enlist.
Sea/Shore Rotation for This Rating
First Sea Tour: 56 months
First Shore Tour: 36 months
Second Sea Tour: 60 months
Second Shore Tour: 36 months
Third Sea Tour: 48 months
Third Shore Tour: 36 months
Fourth Sea Tour: 48 months
Fourth Shore Tour: 36 months
After completing four sea tours, the rotation is 36 months at sea followed by 36 months ashore until retirement.
What's next for C?
C is for Chaplain and Chaplain's Aid. What's a Chaplain and Chaplain's Aid? In which branch of the military would you find one? What do they do? Come back tomorrow and find out!
14 Vermont
Date admitted to the US – March 4, 1791
Postal abbreviation – VT
Capital – Montpelier
Area – 9,614.26 [45th largest in the US, meaning the smallest state]
Population as of census 2010 – 625,741 [49th largest in the US]
Population density per square mile – 67.9 [31st largest in the US]
Area codes – 802
Zip codes – 05001 - 05907
Number of counties –14
State nickname – Green Mountain State
State motto – "Freedom and Unity "
 |
| State Flag of Vermont |
Fun facts –
-Vermont was the first state admitted to the Union after the ratification of the Constitution
-At fewer than nine thousand people, Montpelier is the smallest state capital in the US, and is the only state capital without a McDonalds
-Until 1996, Vermont was the only state without a Wal-Mart
-Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream company gives their ice cream waste to local Vermont farmers who use it to feed their hogs. The hogs seem to like all of the flavors except Mint Oreo.
Law Schools
Vermont Law School
Military facts
Military Schools
Military Bases
Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery
[did you get it right?]
The ASVAB is a timed test given at more than 14,000 schools and Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS) nationwide. It is developed and maintained by the Department of Defense.
“Your scores in four critical areas -- Arithmetic Reasoning, Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension and Mathematics Knowledge (see below) -- count towards your Armed Forces Qualifying Test (AFQT) score. The AFQT score determines whether you're qualified to enlist in the US military.”
Your scores in the other areas of the ASVAB determine how qualified you are for certain jobs and enlistment bonuses.
Tests:
**critical areas
Arithmetic reasoning **
Word knowledge **
Paragraph comprehension **
Mathematics knowledge **
General science
Electronics information
Automotive and shop information
Mechanical comprehension
Assembling objects
Verbal expression
AFQT scores are given as percentiles between 1-99. The reference group is a sample of 18 to 23 year old youth who took the ASVAB as part of a national norming study conducted in 1997. Thus, an AFQT score of 90 indicates the examinee scored as well as or better than 90% of the reference group.
My son took the ASVAB when he was 18 years old. His score was 99. [I'm his mother. I'm allowed to brag =)]
Minimum Required ASVAB Scores:
Air Force36 [with high school diploma]
65 [with GED]
Army
31 [with high school diploma]
50 [with GED]
Coast Guard
40 [with high school diploma]
50 [with GED]
Marine Corps
32 [with high school diploma]
50 [with GED]
National Guard
31 [with high school diploma]
50 [with GED]
Navy
35 [with high school diploma]
50 [with GED]
For more information:
http://official-asvab.com/
If you want to take some sample tests and see how you'd do:
https://www.4tests.com/asvab
http://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/asvab
What's next for B?
B is for Boatswain's Mate. What's a Boatswain's Mate? In which branch of the military would you find one? What do they do? Come back tomorrow and find out!
