A major change in U.S. Army Basic Combat Training, or #BCT, better prepares trainees for today's operational theater. The "Forge" is a grueling, 96-hour, cumulative training exercise that puts week-seven trainees in a patrol base as they encounter a multitude of scenarios. U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command Fort Jackson U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence U.S. Army Fort Leonard Wood US Army Fort Sill | U.S. Army Center for Initial Military Training

The Forge is the culminating event in Basic Training; it challenges U.S. Army Trainees to effectively execute all Warrior Tasks and Battle Drills they've learned. One of the more rigorous challenges that trainees are exposed to is the Battle March and Shoot, which reinforces the principles of Basic Rifle Marksmanship with an elevated heart rate. This is a foundational skill for all Soldiers to master, no matter their Military Occupational Specialty (MOS), as a basic tenet of being a Soldier. | U