Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is considering reversing the ban on the “shark attack,” a classic training technique used by drill sergeants to prepare U.S. Army recruits in basic training.
This practice involved multiple drill sergeants swarming trainees at the start of training, yelling in their faces at high volume.
“It starts at basic training. It starts at our military academies,” Hegseth mentioned during an interview on “The Will Cain Show.”
“We are going back to basics. Drill sergeants will be drill sergeants, ensuring good order, discipline, and training exceptional recruits who will form great units. Just like we need military officers with the same rigorous discipline and background. So, we’re going back to the basics, and it’s proving to be effective.”
The Army had phased out the shark attack in recent years, mostly discontinuing it in 2020. It was replaced by the ‘First 100 Yards,’ a more structured training exercise aimed at fostering camaraderie and teamwork under pressure.
“‘The First 100 Yards’ is a U.S. Army trainee’s initial exposure to Basic Training (BCT), Drill Sergeants, and the start of their transformation as members of the world’s most potent fighting force,” as per the U.S. Army Center for Initial Military Training on Facebook. “‘The First 100 Yards,’ a tribute to their legacy of closing the last 100 yards of the fight, involves teamwork in a competition with mental and physical challenges on their first day in their basic training company.”
The decision to replace the shark attack stemmed from discussions at the Army Infantry School in Fort Benning, Georgia. While senior leaders believed the practice was outdated, they emphasized that the Army was not becoming less stringent despite the absence of the intense training method.
Advocates of the shark attack argued that it helped trainees transition from civilian to military life and prepared them for the chaotic environments they may encounter on the battlefield.
“The secretary is enthusiastic about revitalizing basic training,” stated Defense Department press secretary Kingsley Wilson. “Once again, he will review basic training to ensure that the standards are appropriate.
“We want our warfighters to be resilient, and that begins in basic training. We aim to return to the fundamentals. The reinstatement of shark attacks is something he is considering.”
Recently, an Army unit lifted a ban on “tossing bays,” another traditional practice where drill sergeants overturn bunks, mattresses, lockers, garbage cans, and other items in the sleeping quarters of enlisted trainees, prompting them to clean the area.
A memo issued on July 31 by Col. Christopher J.C. Hallows, commander of the 197th Infantry Brigade, which trains infantry soldiers, declared that bay tossing was “strictly prohibited.”
However, Hallows issued a memo on Sunday reversing the ban.
Hegseth highlighted on Thursday that bay tossing and the shark attack had been integral parts of basic training for many years.
“It’s the fundamental experience that anyone who underwent any type of basic training understood – as a recruit, you were entering a crucible,” he remarked. “You were going to be molded. You were going to be tested. You were meant to be scared, nervous, and anxious.
“And by enduring that, you would emerge as an American warrior. A shark attack involves drill sergeants surrounding a specific enlistee, right?” he added. “Creating a stressful scenario that they must navigate. Bed tossing within barracks after a day of activities — this is standard. This is not beyond what has been done before. This is a reinstatement.”
