Yes, of course, you are not mistaken, we will talk about our "overseas partners", about the US army. In connection with the next round of "growing friendliness" in the world, we consider it possible and relevant to present an analysis of the situation in the troops of one of the main geostrategic opponents of Russia.
We warn you right away that the presented material is based on American data, it will reflect the realities of the modern American army, presented directly by an American source, and therefore some points may not please part of the audience of our portal. However, if we removed all the unpleasant "roughness", then the objectivity of the information offered would have been lost, which means that the purpose of the presentation would have been lost (believe me, we have smoothed out a lot, especially in the second part).
Let's start with the main thing, with the acquisition system. People of different ages go to serve in the US Army, in different positions, respectively, receiving different shoulder straps, but we will tell you about the usual path of an ordinary soldier.
One of the main recruitment categories for the US Army is ordinary young guys after 18 years old from poor families, mainly from provincial cities (both white and African American, as well as from Latin America, and the share of the latter is constantly increasing).
If his parents cannot pay for his college tuition, then an ordinary young American is looking for a job, and if there is none, or it does not suit him, or he has some other motives (for example, “a sense of patriotic duty”), then he goes to serve in the army.
Basically, there are people who go there as soldiers, who studied rather mediocre in school, who have certain problems with behavior and with the police already in their youth, and mostly not inclined to intellectual activity.
True, frank "morons, damn it" (@ S. Lavrov) still do not get there, as well as drug addicts, as well as persons who have managed to become professional criminals. But nevertheless, a person with a criminal record may well become a soldier of the US Army (of course not an officer, at least at the beginning of his service), especially if he was convicted on light charges (theft without major damage and without the use of physical violence, car theft, petty fraud, fights without killing, etc.).
Sometimes, oddly enough, but even right at the trial, the convict is immediately offered to go to military service instead of "imprisonment" (if before that the results of psychological testing showed the professional suitability of the person for the army service).
A special, very large, category of manning in the US Army in recent years has been foreigners who, after careful selection, sign a long-term contract in order to obtain American citizenship for themselves and for their families.
To get into the US army, an ordinary American needs to contact a recruiting office, often a mobile one (as you know, similar ones have recently appeared in the Russian army). We can say that in some ways its functions are similar to those of the Russian military enlistment offices.
True, in American recruitment points, officers, sergeants and soldiers on active duty do not serve, but almost exclusively - commissioned veterans and disabled people. This is how the state shows its concern for them, realizing that it is difficult for them to survive “in civilian life,” and so they remain useful to society and receive a normal salary (while its size increases in proportion to the number of recruits recruited).
The candidate undergoes a medical and psychological examination right at the recruiting station, passes all tests free of charge, and his dossier undergoes a preliminary online check in the special services. After all this, there is a "profile testing", ie. the general erudition of the conscript is analyzed, the level of his proficiency in English and other languages, basic knowledge in a number of sciences, from history to mathematics, is checked. Also, physical standards (running, pulling up, etc.) are handed over right at the recruiting point.
Based on the results of all checks, a choice of available specialties is offered (it can be very large, from a simple infantryman to a satellite operator). As a result, the candidate signs a contract (the duration of which can be chosen, it also depends on the army specialization, usually from 2 to 6 years). After that, the young recruit goes home, where he expects a call; Having received a notification of the time and date, the freshly baked American soldier again appears with his things at the recruiting station, from where he is delivered to the "training center" by public transport.
Yes, that's right, the American army also has "training", and there really happens what is shown in Hollywood films. There are very few officers there, the communication of the newly arrived recruits with them is minimized, and professional sergeants with experience become the "kings and gods" of the young "candidates for rank and file".
Upon arrival at the "training camp", all the recruits are inspected for their personal belongings, and the sergeants meticulously and competently search the "conscripts" so that they do not carry anything unnecessary (usually alcohol and drugs) to the location.
This is followed by a new medical board and conscripts receive army uniforms. After that, the sergeants call in the lists of future US Army soldiers assigned to them, calling the name, surname and state / city (this is necessary due to the fact that in the United States, as in other things in Russia, there are many namesakes, or even full namesakes, hence appearance of John Masters Ohio and John Masters Oklahoma).
After that, all "candidates for the rank and file" go to the barracks to live. Usually this is a fairly comfortable room for about 30 people (American platoon), where there are bunk beds, lockers for personal belongings and all the minimum amenities necessary for life.
From this moment, the recruits begin the "Young Fighter Course" (depending on the military specialization, it can last from 2 to 8 or more months). During the training, future yankee soldiers are trained in running, passing obstacle courses, they will be subjected to psycho-emotional humiliation by sergeants, etc. In general, the purpose of all this is not only to accustom the recruit to physical activity, but also to identify physically and morally weak soldiers so that they do not spend the money of the American military budget in the future.
In addition, recruits will again pass various tests, and sergeants will write various reviews about "candidates for the rank and file", how much this or that recruit is suitable for the chosen specialization, or he should study for another.
By the way, it is in the course of this that ordinary soldiers are trained in the basic types of bayonet fighting, and a rather characteristic moment is connected with this, showing the geostrategic opponents of the United States. The bulk of the scarecrows representing the enemy soldiers are called "Abdul" and, accordingly, are equipped in the "mujahid" style. However, some of the scarecrows are sometimes “Ivanovs” (mostly equipped in Soviet uniforms in the somewhat fancy style of the Red Army), and some are “ranks” or “Japs”, so called so according to the tradition of the Second World War period, i.e. Chinese and Japanese (who are dressed in the uniforms of Asian countries 10-20 years ago).
After completing the basic "course of a young soldier" for 2 months and passing the next tests, recruits are transported to another part of their base, or in general they change their base for further, more in-depth training in the chosen military specialty.
This course usually takes a much longer period of time: training as a simple infantryman takes 2-4 months; as a sniper, sapper-demolition man, radio operator-communication operator - from 3 to 5 months; as a tanker, artilleryman, artillery spotter, ground aircraft controller - 5-8 months or more. And only after this is the ceremonial release and appointment of young soldiers to combat units carried out.
Continuation of the material will be in the second part.
P. S. (in small print at the bottom of the contract) Yes, I almost forgot, a small bonus - since in the United States there is universal equality of the sexes and freedom of morals, gays and lesbians can easily serve in the American army on a general basis, while some difficulties are only for transgender people (Donald Trump tried to ban this category of persons from serving, but a number of federal courts overturned his decision and from January 1, 2018 transgender people can serve in the US Army).
