The physical conditioning platoon : Two years later

Abstract

Assessed the 2‐year effectiveness of Marines who had been assigned to the Physical Conditioning Platoon during recruit training in 1975 (N = 635). Participants were asked to complete: a background information questionnaire, a self‐evaluation scale, a Marine Corps opinion questionnaire, and the Comrey Personality Scales. The total sample was divided into a validation and cross‐validation subsample using the 2‐year effectiveness or noneffectiveness criterion as the basis. Results of Pearson product‐moment correlation analyses showed that higher levels of education, fewer expulsions and suspensions from school favorable attitudes on the Marine Corps Affiliation subscale and favorable self‐perceptions on the three Comrey Personality Scales of Trust vs. Defensiveness, Activity vs. Lack of Energy, and Emotional Stability vs. Neuroticism were significantly associated with effectiveness in both the validation and cross‐validation subsamples. Such findings suggest that these variables, particularly those related to affiliation and enjoyment of physical activities, should be considered as ossible selection indicators for recruits who are overweight or cannot pass the physical requirements for recruit training.

Health status of women in the U.S. military.

“…Research findings supportive of the benefits accrued from a remedial physical conditioning program have been reported in two studies conducted for the Marine Corps (Hoiberg, 1978;Berard & Hoiberg, ^.. 1980). Results showed that the strongest correlates of both recruit training success and 2-year effectiveness were ^ favorable attitudes toward the Marine Corps and prior service participation in physical activities.…”

“…Concluding from the results on injury rates during basic training, overall injury rates would decline if recruiting efforts were concentrated on enlisting those men and women in relatively good physical condition or, as suggested by Kowal (1980), assigning physically marginal recruits to a remedial physical conditioning program prior to the more strenuous regimen in basic training. Research results supportive of the benefits accrued from such a program have been reported; two of these studies, moreover, concluded that one of the strongest correlates of both recruit training success and 2 year effectiveness among Marine Corps recruits assigned to physical remediation was prior service participation in physical activities (Berard & Hoiberg, 1980;Hoiberg, 1978).…”

Determinants and effects of training success in U.S. Navy Special Forces

“…Ryman and Biersner (1975) have reported that attitudes related to "training confidence" were predictive of graduation from both diving and underwater demolition team training. Using several questionnaires, Berard and Hoiberg (1980) assessed the effectiveness of Marine recruits assigned (because of marginal physical skills) to a special conditioning platoon; measures included the Comiey Personality Scales.…”