You’re (Almost) in the Army Now With ‘Basic Training’

Three decades after the end of the draft, military service has long since ceased to be a widespread experience for the American public.

Large segments of society have little or no firsthand knowledge of the men and women serving in the all-volunteer military. Even the massive media coverage after Sept. 11 tended to dwell on “elite” units, not the average soldier or sailor.

Two weekly series that debut tonight on the History Channel aim to correct that civic ignorance about who serves in the modern American military and what they do.

The more ambitious of the two is “Basic Training,” a look at recruits’ first real taste of the Army at Fort Jackson, S.C. Four men and two women recruits will be followed throughout the nine-week rigor.

They enlisted for reasons only vaguely related to patriotism: One wants to escape his inner-city neighborhood in Chicago; another had a bad day at work in Oklahoma and went directly to the recruiter; a college graduate from Oregon dreams of being a colonel at the Pentagon.

Although the Army provided the filmmakers with virtually unrestricted access, it remains to be seen whether the Army will come off looking good at the end of “Basic Training.” Based on the first episode, the series is a warts-and-all look at the individuals and the institution.

One immediate impression is that the “Saturday Night Live” satire is right: Some of the instructors speak in such a strongly accented Southern-pidgin dialect that they are nearly incomprehensible.

The recruits are confused but not particularly awestruck. One tries to stare down a corporal with that basic sarcastic look that every teenager learns. Another vows not to be pushed around.

“I’m going to do what he says and what he wants me to, but in my own way,” says Ever Ochoa-Bonilla, 19, from Clovis, N.M.

One of the first tasks is to boil away the Hollywood myths.

“ ‘Full Metal Jacket’? A movie,” says an instructor. “ ‘Hamburger Hill’? A movie. ‘Saving Private Ryan’? Yes, a movie, but it did happen, but we’ll never see it.”

Although the corporals and sergeants doing the early training seem inhibited by the cameras, the recruits do not. By turns, they are cocky, insecure, idealistic and pragmatic.

The Army offers them the kind of challenge that others in their peer group are finding in college or on the first rung of the civilian job market.

“I don’t think I’ll be afraid of anything once I go through this,” says Richard Jones, 19, of Chicago.

The other History Channel series making its debut tonight is “Mail Call” with R. Lee Ermey, the ex-Marine who played the drill sergeant in “Full Metal Jacket.” The format has him answering letters about gear and tactics.

“Mail Call” seems geared to the aficionado who really does wonder how a land mine works, how fast a Gatling gun shoots, and what makes samurai swords so powerful. In his growly, listen-up voice, Ermey provides his own brand of instruction.

“You just put this piece of machinery on like a pair of pantyhose, doncha?” Ermey says as he slides into a World War II tank.

No one said being a G.I. meant being dull.

“Mail Call” airs at 8 tonight, followed at 8:30 by “Basic Training,” on the History Channel. The shows repeat Sundays at 11 and 11:30 p.m.