Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday explained why he plans to bring back the military tradition of having drill sergeants scream at recruits at the start of basic training.
The defense secretary appeared on Thursday’s episode of The Will Cain Show. When Cain brought up Hegseth’s vow to “make basic training great again,” he specifically asked about one exercise known as “shark attacks.” In basic training, the exercise involves numerous drill sergeants swarming individual recruits and yelling at them.
Hegseth initially laughed when Cain brought it up. Then, he explained why he believes it’s actually an effective training exercise:
Well, it’s the basic stuff that anyone who went through any form of basic training for decades understood. As a recruit, you were going into a crucible. You were going to be forged. You were going to be challenged. You were going to be scared, nervous, and anxious, and by coming through that, you were going to be forged an American warrior.A shark attack is when drill sergeants surround one particular enlistee, creating a stressful situation that they have to figure out how to manage, bed tossing inside barracks after you’ve had a long day out on the range or walking patrol. This is basic stuff. This is not beyond what’s been done. This is a restoration.
As noted in a report from Fox News, the shark attack exercise was phased out of training
Watch above via The Will Cain Show.