If you fail to meet the standards during basic training, you will typically be given opportunities to improve, which may include being recycled.
Here's a breakdown of what happens:
- Initial Assessment: Throughout basic training, your performance in various areas, including physical fitness, academics, and adherence to regulations, will be assessed.
- Areas of Failure: Failure can occur in several key areas:
- Physical Fitness: Not meeting the required standards for running, push-ups, sit-ups, and other physical tests.
- Academics: Failing written tests or demonstrating insufficient knowledge of required material.
- Marksmanship: Not achieving the required score on weapons qualification.
- Discipline: Violating regulations or demonstrating a lack of discipline.
- Corrective Action and Retraining: If you are struggling in a particular area, instructors will provide additional training and guidance. This may involve one-on-one instruction, extra practice sessions, or enrollment in remedial programs.
- Recycling (Additional Training Time): If you are unable to meet the standards within the initial timeframe, you may be "recycled." This means you'll be held back to repeat a portion of basic training, giving you more time to improve. The length of the recycle depends on the area of deficiency.
- Discharge: If, after receiving additional training and opportunities to improve (including recycling), you still cannot meet the required standards, you may be discharged from the military. This is usually an administrative discharge.
In summary: The military aims to help recruits succeed. Failing basic training isn't automatically a dismissal. Multiple opportunities are provided to improve, including retraining and recycling. However, continued failure to meet the standards will likely result in discharge.
