Drill Instructor Research Articles

The Role ofDrill Instructors andGender Integration at Recruit Training: Examining Intersections ofGender andIntegration inthe Recruit Training Environment.

Drill instructors (DIs) are responsible for executing their Services' recruit training programs and for training recruits. DIs assume a variety of roles, including teaching and developing practical skills and knowledge, mentoring, modeling appropriate behavior and attitudes, motivating recruits for success during and after recruit training, applying and instilling discipline, and ensuring the safety and welfare of recruits. This article examines two major research questions at the intersection of gender, gender-integrated training, and the DI role: (1) What differences exist in how DIs experience their role by gender? and (2) how does gender-integrated recruit training affect DIs' approach to training? This article draws from 87 semistructured interviews conducted with Service leaders, training cadre, and DIs in service of a broader Marine Corps interdisciplinary study on gender integration at recruit training. Interviews were conducted virtually and in-person with Marine Corps, Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard personnel from June to November 2021. Each interview was coded with initial and secondary codes developed through a flexible coding approach. Data were analyzed across and within relevant categories such as gender and Service to identify themes and patterns. Although the DI role was universally described as demanding and difficult, unique challenges for women consistently emerged from the data. The top reported challenges faced by female DIs were personnel shortages, work and family conflict, culture-driven sexism in the training environment from male peers and recruits, and pressure to excel above and beyond their male peers. In recruit training, DIs are responsible for executing gender-integrated practices. Service leaders, training cadre, and DIs described how gender integration practices affect their approach to the role and implementation of training, including addressing and dismantling sexism, shutting down recruit romantic relationships, training all recruits in an equal manner, knowing gender-specific grooming standards, increasing communication among DIs, and working with mixed-gender DI teams. Female DIs face additional challenges in and outside the role compared with their male peers, and some of these challenges are preventable. Staffing and personnel issues plague the female DI population and are a persistent and pervasive challenge to gender integration efforts. Women are a necessary and highly desirable population to fill the DI role, particularly as Services aim to expose recruits to leaders of both genders during their critical first training experience. DIs play an important role in ensuring the successful completion of recruit training, ultimately helping to build the future leaders of the military. The success of gender integration efforts depends on DIs' intentional approach to the process. Future research can build on this work by expanding the scope to other military training environments (beyond recruit training) and examining how DIs' own sociodemographic positions (e.g., gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation) inform their perspective on and approach to equity in the training environment.

Increasing Gender Integration inU.S. Marine Corps Recruit Training: Policy Recommendations andRationales From an Interdisciplinary Study.

This article describes alternate models and policy recommendations created by an interdisciplinary team of researchers to increase gender integration at U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) recruit training. The USMC requested a study to analyze current approaches to gender integration at recruit training and provide alternate models that maximize integration, while continuing to train marines to established standards. USMC remains the only service that segregates recruits by gender at the lowest unit level (e.g., platoon) in recruit training and maintains gender-segregated drill instructor teams (i.e., same-gender teams train platoons of same-gender recruits). A mixed-method, interdisciplinary approach was used to capture multiple perspectives and informed recommendations and alternate models for gender integration. The team studied select USMC, army, navy, air force, and coast guard recruit training locations, between June and November 2021. At each site, the team collected qualitative, quantitative, and administrative data as well as physical performance metrics and human performance outcomes. Study participants included recruits, drill instructors, training cadre, service leaders, and subject matter experts on gender integration in military services. Each alternate model was designed to maximize the feasibility of implementation within current USMC training conditions. The research team developed three alternate models and several policy recommendations. Alternate model 1 proposed a methodology for mixed-gender drill instructor teams within the Integrated Company model, USMC's current integrated training model. Alternate model 2 proposed an Integrated Company Plus model which increases the number and types of gender-integrated training events at or below the platoon level within the Integrated Company model. Alternate model 3 outlined an integrated platoon model where recruits fall out into integrated training platoons after their morning routine, with two options of varying integration based on USMC priorities for integration. The team also proposed a set of policy recommendations independent of the three alternate models to support current and future gender integration efforts at the Marine Corps Recruit Depots. Gender-integrated military training has been shown to positively alter perceptions and evaluations of women in military settings over detrimental aspects developed by gender-segregated training. The study team recommended USMC train recruits in the Integrated Company model with mixed-gender drill instructor teams (alternate model 1) and integrate more training events following the priority tiers outlined in the Integrated Company plus model (alternate model 2). The combined execution of these two alternate models would provide USMC recruits increased exposure to direct, sustained training from opposite-gender drill instructors and deliver intentional training opportunities for male and female recruits to work together and interact in meaningful ways. The integrated platoon model (alternate model 3) would offer USMC recruits the most direct exposure to training and working with members of the opposite gender, but it requires substantial changes to current logistics, accountability, and training procedures.

Recruit Perspectives onGender Integration at Recruit Training: A Comparison by Service andGender.

Recruit training is the initial entry for enlisted personnel in the military. The Services execute gender-integrated recruit training differently. The U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) maintains same-gender platoons led by same-gender drill instructors in integrated companies; further integration occurs at select training events. The other Services train recruits in gender-integrated units with mixed-gender drill instructor teams. We examine recruits' experiences and perceptions of gender integration at recruit training, their desired level of integration, and preferences for increasing gender integration, comparing by Service and gender. Recruit perspectives and experiences were captured in a 19-question survey (n = 632) and 90-min focus groups (n = 260) near graduation from recruit training. Data were collected from June to November 2021. Because of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic restrictions, the Navy and Air Force were not conducting gender-integrated recruit training during data collection. Outcome variables were compared cross-Service by gender and within Service by gender using chi-squared tests or Fisher's exact tests, as appropriate; focus group data were analyzed using initial and secondary coding schemes. Three USMC training models, varied by level of integration, were also analyzed (Male-Only, Series Track, and Integrated Company). Significant gender differences across and within Service emerged in recruits' experience being trained by an opposite-gender instructor. Male recruits had significant differences by Service (P < .001), and USMC female recruits reported being trained by male instructors more than their male peers by female instructors (Series Track P = .002; Integrated Company P < .001). In the focus groups, recruits described common differences with how men and women embodied being a drill instructor. Significant gender differences across (both male and female P < .001) and within Service were reported for closeness of training with opposite-gender peers (Air Force P = .028; U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Integrated Company P = .010; Army P = .048), an expected finding given varied integration during data collection. Male and female recruits had significant differences by Service in their preference for integration at the lowest unit level (both male and female P < .001), with those who experienced integrated training showing higher levels of endorsement. In the focus groups, recruits articulated benefits and challenges of gender-integrated recruit training. Significant gender differences across Service emerged in preferences for more integration in specific training activities. Within Service, female USMC Integrated Company recruits wanted more integration in tactical/field, physical fitness, and classroom training than their male peers (P < .001 for all). In the focus groups, USMC recruits of both genders desired more integrated training events, particularly those involving combat and tactical skill development. This study provided an opportunity to examine recruit perspectives on gender-integrated training. Services valuing opposite-gender instructor exposure in recruit training must ensure that male recruits are being taught and led by female instructors given disproportionate demographics. Recruits who experienced integrated training were more supportive of integration, indicating that this experience may increase their support for gender-integrated training units and environments. Today's recruits understand that they are entering gender-integrated working environments, and our results indicate that they expect recruit training to mirror that reality.

Design Considerations for a Multidisciplinary Approach to Provide Policy Recommendations on Gender-Integrated Recruit Training in the Marine Corps.

Recruit training is designed to transform civilians into physically fit military service members, who embody their service's core values and possess military discipline and skills. At the time this research began, the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) remained the only service that segregated recruits by gender at the lowest unit level (e.g., platoon) and employed gender-segregated drill instructor teams. USMC's Marine Corps Recruit Depots (MCRD) must comply with a 2020 Congressional Mandate to not segregate training by gender in Parris Island by 2025 and San Diego by 2028. In turn, USMC requested an independent scientific study to analyze current approaches to gender integration at recruit training to propose alternate models and other policy recommendations that increase gender integration while maintaining current USMC standards. The Marine Corps is currently evaluating alternate models and recommendations to optimize entry-level training. This article outlines considerations for choosing the optimal research study design, research methods, and types of data collected in a study intended to provide policy recommendations on gender-integrated recruit training for the USMC. Research data were collected during visits to the MCRDs and selected recruit training locations for the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard. Data collection on USMC recruits from three cohorts involved social science assessments (focus groups and surveys) and human performance testing (countermovement jumps and isometric mid-thigh pulls, sleep and activity wearables, and cortisol data) at multiple points in the training cycle. Data on recruits from the sister services were limited to social science assessments. Approximately 600 recruits between the two MCRDs and 160 recruits from the sister services participated in the study during a 7-month timeframe in 2021. The research team conducted extensive ethnographic observations of recruit training at all selected research sites and interviewed training cadre, drill instructors, and service leadership responsible for recruit training (∼90 interviews). Additionally, the research team interviewed 20 experts on gender integration or recruit training who possessed alternate viewpoints from the current USMC practice. The mixed methods study was designed to assess the current gender integration practices at recruit training across the services to generate alternative models of gender integration for USMC. The research team developed a set of multidisciplinary objectives and research questions serving as the foundation of the research study design and data collection process. The study was designed to collect qualitative, quantitative, and administrative data informed by social science and human performance disciplines. To ensure that all aspects and implications relevant to gender integration were considered, select data were collected across services and with stakeholders at all levels. This multidisciplinary research approach provided a comprehensive picture of the current USMC recruit training models. The research team captured multiple perspectives and data points for analysis through an expansive view on gender integration across all services, by interacting with participants at all levels of the institutions in varied ways. The information and data gathered enabled the research team to establish objective, data-driven alternate models, and recommendations for enhancing gender integration at recruit training for the USMC.

Strategic Communication through Narration: HOW U.S. MARINE CORPS COMMANDANTS STILL USE STORY TO INSPIRE SUPPORT

During the past four decades Walter R. Fisher’s narrative theory has been developed and applied to many different areas of communication study. Yet, to date, extraordinarily little research has applied Fisher’s theory to the study of military communication, despite Fisher’s own formative experiences as a Marine, combat veteran in Korea, and drill instructor. This study illustrates how Fisher’s theoretical framework provides a useful model for studying how Marine Corps Commandants strategically use storytelling to communicate important messages to those within their community. By examining three artifacts as communicative narratives, we explore how Commandants have used Fisher’s tools to persuade their fighting forces to grasp their perspective about the situated circumstances, posture, and future direction of their command. Implications of storytelling as a powerful communication tool in the military and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Altered Dynamic Postural Stability and Joint Position Sense Following British Army Foot-Drill.

Impaired proprioceptive acuity negatively affects both joint position sense and postural control and is a risk factor for lower-extremity musculoskeletal injury in athletes and military personnel. British Army foot-drill is an occupational military activity involving cyclical high impact loading forces greater than those observed in athletes during high level plyometrics. Foot-drill may contribute to the high rates of lower-extremity overuse injuries observed in recruits during basic training. There is limited research investigating foot-drill specific injury risk factors in women, despite greater incidences of musculoskeletal injury reported in women (522 vs. 417 per 1,000 personnel, OR: 1.53) when compared to men during basic training. This study aimed to quantify changes in ankle joint proprioception and dynamic postural stability following a period of British Army foot-drill. Fourteen women of similar age to British Army female recruits underwent pre-post foot-drill measures of frontal plane ankle joint position sense (JPS) and dynamic postural stability using the dynamic postural stability index (DPSI). Passive ankle JPS was assessed from relative test angles of inversion 30% (IN30%) and eversion 30% (EV30%) and IN60% of participants range of motion using an isokinetic dynamometer. The DPSI and the individual stability indices (medio-lateral [MLSI], anterior-posterior [APSI], and vertical [VSI]) were calculated from lateral and forward jump-landing conditions using force plates. Foot-drill was conducted by a serving British Army drill instructor. Significantly greater absolute mean JPS error for IN30% and EV30% was observed post foot-drill (p ≤ 0.016, d ≥ 0.70). For both the lateral and forward jump-landing conditions, significantly greater stability index scores were observed for MLSI, APSI, and DPSI (p ≤ 0.017, d ≥ 0.52). Significantly greater JPS error and stability index scores are associated with the demands of British Army foot-drill. These results provide evidence that foot-drill negatively affects lower-extremity proprioceptive acuity in recruit age-matched women, which has implications for increased injury risk during subsequent military physical activity, occurring in a normal training cycle.

Prevalence, Characteristics and Impact of Dysphonia in US Marine Corps Drill Instructors

Prior studies have evaluated various populations at increased risk of voice impairment. However, minimal data is available for military Drill Instructors, a population known to have significant vocal demands. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of subjective, perceptual, and objective dysphonia in this population and to evaluate contributing factors and impact on job performance. Cross-sectional analysis. United States Marine Corps base (Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California). Active US Marine Corps Drill Instructors. A survey was administered investigating subjective measures of dysphonia and its impact on occupational function. Standardized voice samples were recorded for objective and perceptual voice analysis. Prevalence of subjective (Voice Handicap Index-10 and Glottal Function Index scores), perceptual (CAPE-V score), and acoustic (Cepstral-spectral index of dysphonia) measures of dysphonia. Subjective dysphonia was present in 47.7% by the Voice Handicap Index-10 and 70.2% by the Glottal Function Index. 51% of subjects reported periods of aphonia, while 47% reported voice problems limiting job function in the month prior to being surveyed. The Cepstral-Spectral Index of Dysphonia Mean was abnormal in 95.3% and CAPE-V overall severity score was abnormal in 94%. There was significant improvement in subjective, perceptual, and acoustic voice outcomes as the amount of time since last training cycle (ie, relative voice rest) and as experience as a Drill Instructor increased, however the VHI-10 was the only measure that normalized. There is a very high prevalence of self-reported dysphonia in Drill Instructors, with near-universal prevalence of some degree of objectively and perceptually-rated dysphonia. Nearly half of those surveyed reported that dysphonia limited their job performance. Relative voice rest and experience seem to mitigate severity, but normal ratings were rare. While objective and perceptually-rated dysphonia are persistent and highly prevalent, it does not necessarily translate into a perceived impairment in this population. For these reasons and considering the importance of extraordinary vocal function in this occupation, Drill Instructors appear to be in dire need of proper voice care to both maximize job performance and mitigate long-term voice-related problems.

Does U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Training Constitute a Type of Civic Education?

ABSTRACTIn what respects can military basic training affect veterans’ civic identities? According to a 2015 report published by the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC), military service positively affects civic health. While social scientists have also noted this possible connection, little attention has been paid to how and why this link might exist. To test the purported relationship between military training and increased civic capacities, I explored the United States Marine Corps’ (USMC) Recruit Training program. I conducted 20 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 17 enlisted Marine veterans and Marine drill instructors (DI) to ascertain their perceptions of the pedagogical aspirations of their service’s recruit training. The study’s participants reported that Marine Corps Recruit Training does seek to inculcate skills, values, and habits that are consistent with a civic identity as discussed in the civic-engagement and civic-education literature.

Vocal Fold Paralysis Secondary to Phonotrauma

A unique case of acute onset vocal fold paralysis secondary to phonotrauma is presented. The cause wasforceful vocalization by a drill instructor on a firearm range. Imaging studies revealed extensive intralaryngeal and retropharyngeal hemorrhage. Laryngoscopy showed a complete left vocal fold paralysis. Relative voice rest was recommended, and the patient regained normal vocal fold mobility and function after approximately 12 weeks.

Observe All: On the Staging of Fundamental Fantasy, Jouissance , and Gaze in Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange

Observe All:On the Staging of Fundamental Fantasy, Jouissance, and Gaze in Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange Wim Matthys (bio) In his 2007 book The Real Gaze: Film Theory after Lacan, Todd McGowan devotes a chapter to the cinematography of the American director Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999). As the title of his book suggests, the author focuses on French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan's concept of the gaze or the blind spot in the visual field that marks the subjective implication of the spectator in the act of seeing (Lacan, 1963-64/1994). For McGowan the central quality of Kubrick's films is that they respond to the way spectators, in their everyday perception of social reality, tend unconsciously to blind themselves to the obscene underside that marks the functioning of symbolic authority. According to the author: "We obey symbolic authorities because we don't see this underside, because they seem to be acting in the interest of the public good rather than for their own private enjoyment" (2007, p. 45). This recalls the neurotic split in the perception of authority—originally described by Freud in Totem and Taboo (1913 [1912-13])—between the instance of the idealized (dead) father as "guarantor of the 'neutral' stature of the Symbolic Law" and his complement, the obscene father who is the "master of enjoyment" (Žižek, 1992/2008, pp. 178-179). As McGowan points out, Kubrick's oeuvre explicitly marks the obscene dimension of authority by staging its legal representatives as excessively enjoying their position: "Whenever a character takes up a position of authority in one of Kubrick's films, he . . . inevitably finds an obscene enjoyment in this role" (2007, p. 47). McGowan distinguishes two cinematic techniques used by Kubrick to highlight this surplus of enjoyment: his deployment of scenery and the performances he elicits from his actors. The first concerns the 'settings' in which the cinematographic action [End Page 225] takes place, for example the excessive luxury of the chateau that serves Paths of Glory's (1957) General Mireau as a personal base of operations far behind the trenches of the First World War. Kubrick's deployment of that setting highlights specifically how the General "[d]erives a surplus enjoyment from his symbolic position of power" (p. 48). As examples of the second technique, McGowan refers to the over-the-top performances that Kubrick derived from actors in their impersonations of authority figures, including: George C. Scott's power-hungry General Turgidson in Dr. Strangelove (1964); Jack Nicholson's Jack Torrance, the derailed father figure in The Shining (1980); Lee Ermey's Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, the drill instructor in Full Metal Jacket (1987), who incessantly employs humiliation to mold his recruits; and. finally, Michael Bates' chief prison guard in A Clockwork Orange (1971). Bates' guard exaggeratedly screams at and humiliates the juvenile delinquent Alex upon the latter's entrance into jail. A Clockwork Orange, Kubrick's adaptation of Anthony Burgess' 1962 novel of the same name and his ninth feature film, provides the focus of this essay. As a nuance to McGowan's thesis, this essay argues that not only figures of authority resort to methods of transgression in A Clockwork Orange. In fact, the film stages their acts of suppression as responses to the equally violent acts of transgression committed by the story's hoodlum. Aggression thus appears within every layer of society represented in the film, making A Clockwork Orange not only the apex of the "Golden Age of American film violence" in the 1960s and 1970s, but also a mirror of America's contemporary sociopolitical concerns (Slocum, 2001; Strange, 2010). As Prince (1998) points out, Kubrick's homeland at the time faced "steep increases in homicide, rape, aggravated assault, and robbery," which "fed a sharp public fear of street crime and nourished the law-and-order platform of Richard Nixon during the 1968 and 1972 presidential campaigns" (p. 28). Stanley Kubrick commented upon the spreading atmosphere of insecurity in the United States, specifically with regard to New York, his city of birth. In a 1972 interview with Gene Siskel, the director expressed his concern that in response to violence public opinion might lean towards "more authority of a...

Ooh-rah! An Unusual Cause of Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) with associated subcutaneous emphysema is an uncommon and generally benign condition. We describe an occurrence of SPM that occurred from yelling in a U.S. Marine Corps Drill Instructor. The patient describes yelling at Marine recruits the day prior when he felt a pop "behind his nose." Upon arrival to the Emergency Department, the patient was normotensive, afebrile, and maintaining an oxygen saturation of 100% on room air. Chest films demonstrated pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema. A computed tomography scan of the head, neck, and chest showed pneumomediastinum and air tracking along the trachea, great vessels, and esophagus with subcutaneous emphysema and without pneumothorax or esophageal injury. The patient was admitted to internal medicine and discharged after 24 hours of observation with improved pain and decreased subcutaneous air. Pneumomediastinum is commonly associated with blunt and penetrating trauma, infection, and esophageal rupture. Life-threatening complications include tension pneumomediastinum/pneumothorax and rupture of intrathoracic viscus. Treatment includes rest, oxygen therapy, and analgesia. SPM has never been described as a result of a yelling, and persistent yelling is common for a drill instructor. SPM can present in primary care and operational settings, and recognition and prompt treatment is crucial for these patients.

EXTRA-TERRITORIAL AFRICAN POLICE AND SOLDIERS IN SOUTHERN RHODESIA (ZIMBABWE) 1897–1965

During the early and mid-twentieth century, the security forces of colonialSouthern Rhodesia were dominated by African men from neighbouring territoriessuch as Nyasaland, Northern Rhodesia and Portuguese East Africa who had enteredthe regional migrant labour system. This included many with previous militaryexperience. As the British South Africa Police (BSAP) evolved from a paramilitaryoccupation force into a professional law enforcement organisation, extra-territorialrecruits were phased out in favour of local men fluent in local languages withwestern-style education. Despite this, African police from other territoriescontinued to have a disproportionate impact on the force as many became longservingand accomplished members, who dominated the paramilitary African PolicePlatoon and served as drill instructors for all recruits. During the First World War,most African soldiers in the Rhodesia Native Regiment (RNR) were migrantworkers recruited directly from Southern Rhodesia’s mines. During the SecondWorld War, just under half of the Rhodesian African Rifles (RAR) originated fromother territories. The recruiting of extra-territorial African soldiers declined furtherin the 1950s and early 1960s as military conditions of service in their respectivehomes improved, the Masvingo-Gutu area became a dependable source of localrecruits and eventually newly independent black-ruled states came into conflict withwhite-ruled Rhodesia.

The Role of Recruit Division Commanders in Graduation From U.S. Navy Recruit Training

We investigated the importance of the role of drill instructors (RDCs) on training and retention of new sailors (N = 34,000). Based on social support and group cohesion literatures, we hypothesized that social support from RDCs would influence completion rates of entry-level Navy training and retention intention of new sailors. We found that perceptions of social support from RDCs had a significant positive relationship with eventual graduation from basic training; encouragement to remain in the Navy was particularly strongly related to graduation when the source of the encouragement was RDCs. Further, those who attrited from training were especially likely to perceive RDCs as encouraging them to leave the Navy. We discuss the implications of our findings in terms of theory, research and practice.

Ventilation and Speech Characteristics During Submaximal Aerobic Exercise

This study examined alterations in ventilation and speech characteristics as well as perceived dyspnea during submaximal aerobic exercise tasks. Twelve healthy participants completed aerobic exercise-only and simultaneous speaking and aerobic exercise tasks at 50% and 75% of their maximum oxygen consumption (VO(2) max). Measures of ventilation, oxygen consumption, heart rate, perceived dyspnea, syllables per phrase, articulation rate, and inappropriate linguistic pause placements were obtained at baseline and throughout the experimental tasks. Ventilation was significantly lower during the speaking tasks compared with the nonspeaking tasks. Oxygen consumption, however, did not significantly differ between speaking and nonspeaking tasks. The perception of dyspnea was significantly higher during the speaking tasks compared with the nonspeaking tasks. All speech parameters were significantly altered over time at both task intensities. It is speculated that decreased ventilation without a reduction in oxygen consumption implies that utilization of oxygen by the working muscles was increased during the speaking tasks to meet the metabolic needs. A greater ability to utilize oxygen from inspired air is found in individuals who are at higher fitness levels, and therefore these findings may have implications for individuals who must complete simultaneous speech and exercise for occupational purposes (e.g., fitness/military drill instructors, singers performing choreography).

The Young Lions: Confederate Cadets at War (review)

Reviewed by: The Young Lions: Confederate Cadets at War Keith E. Gibson The Young Lions: Confederate Cadets at War. By James Lee Conrad. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 2004. ISBN 1-57003-575-X. Maps. Photographs. Illustrations. Notes. Bibliography. Index. Pp. ix, 198. $16.95. Assessing the military and educational role played by the four major military colleges of the Confederacy which remained active throughout the Civil War is a challenge, historically speaking. The destruction of their campuses often means records are fragmented or destroyed, leaving plenty of opportunity for legends of youthful exploits to take the place of fact. The purpose of Jim Conrad's The Young Lions is to, as he puts it, "scrape away some of the romantic varnish" and give the reader a reasoned, contextual view of the role played by the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), Georgia Military Institute (GMI), The Citadel, and the University of Alabama during the Civil War. Conrad's well researched and tightly written narrative provides a clear picture of the Southern cadet's dual and torn existence of academic pursuit punctuated with periods of active field service. Conrad provides a brief antebellum history of the four colleges as well as a description of the wartime routine. All four of the military colleges examined by Conrad stayed under state control for the duration of the war. All of them would see their daily routine interrupted as Northern forces moved into their communities. All four would engage the enemy. Collectively, the military schools would lose thirty cadets during field service—VMI losing ten cadets in one engagement. Three of the campuses would be burned or severely damaged before the end of the war. [End Page 844] The desirability of turning to the Southern military schools to secure officers for the Confederate army was apparent to President Davis and the Confederate Congress, yet the ability of the schools to meet their charge was hampered in a number of ways by the national government. Conrad effectively argues that the four schools he examined provided vital leadership to the Southern armies in spite of an environment curiously complicated by Confederate regulations. For example: fearing the military schools would become a haven for draft dodgers, the corps of the military schools were not exempt from conscription. Although the Confederate government did not insist upon inducting the student bodies of the state-owned schools—which would have effectively closed their doors—it did not create a special category of service for the state cadets, thus leaving them in a legal limbo. The Confederacy would never realize its early war intention of creating a national military academy—a "West Point of the South." Perhaps seeking to avoid alienating sensitive state leadership, Jefferson Davis refused to officially designate any of the schools as the Confederate Military Academy. Instead, the Confederate Congress established an unsatisfactory system of "Confederate States Cadets" who were appointed to company positions in the field—a sort of on the job training where mistakes quickly became fatal disasters. Beyond the service of their alumni, Conrad points out that the greatest assistance rendered to the Confederate effort by the four military colleges is found in the use of their cadets as drill instructors in the early months of conflict. VMI cadets alone trained an estimated 15,000 raw recruits over a three-month period in 1861. With the exception of the VMI cadets' participation in the Battle of New Market, cadets never altered the outcome of any battle in which they served. James Conrad's The Young Lions is a balanced and informative examination of a neglected aspect of Confederate military preparedness and Southern higher education. It is a sound addition to the Southern studies bookshelf. Keith E. Gibson Virginia Military Institute Lexington, Virginia Copyright © 2005 Society for Military History

Army Goes Into Battle Against Soldier Suicides

Army Goes Into Battle Against Soldier Suicides

Effects of Acute Vocal Abuse on Vocal Cord Anatomy and Voice Quality in U.S. Army Drill Instructors

Effects of Acute Vocal Abuse on Vocal Cord Anatomy and Voice Quality in U.S. Army Drill Instructors

Effects of acute vocal abuse on vocal coro anatomy and voice quality in U.S. army drill instructors

Effects of acute vocal abuse on vocal coro anatomy and voice quality in U.S. army drill instructors

Factor and Cluster Analyses of the Special Assignment Battery

The Special Assignment Battery (SAB) is an interest and biographical data instrument developed to meet personnel screening needs of the United States Marine Corps and Navy. Previous research on the SAB has focussed on the empirical keying of the instrument for the prediction of performance as a recruiter or drill instructor. Although both useful and well-conducted, past research on the SAB has done little to explicate the construct structure of the instrument. The present study fills this research gap. The construct structure of the SAB can be summarized with 8 factors and 16 subordinate clusters. This research also serves as a methodological case study in the value of exploring construct structure through multiple analysis methods.

To Make the University Safe for Morality: Higher Education, Football and Military Training from the 1890s through the 1920s

In 1913, United States Army Chief of Staff Leonard Wood inaugurated his famous citizen-soldier military training camp at Plattsburg Barracks, New York. At the time, his government would give him neither money for equipment nor conscription for enrollment. College students, for whom the camp was founded, would therefore have to volunteer to pay for the privilege of spending their summer vacations obeying drill instructors. The General, obviously needing all the help he could get if he was to gather a respectable number of recruits, appealed to the presidents of Americas most eminent universities, telling them that military training would improve their students' citizenship, discipline and character.1 Except for Columbia's Nicholas Murray Butler, a self-proclaimed pacifist, all those whom Wood contacted, from Yale in the East to the University of California in the West, "enthusiastically applied their support." Because the General might not have mustered a hundred recruits without their help, these men probably saved his experiment in military training from a swift termination.2