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US Navy Considering Wii Fit and DDR For Boot Camp
almehdaaol writes "New military recruits are coming in physically heavier and out of shape, so the US Navy has decided to take an interesting course of action by creating a new training regimen inspired by the fitness-centric Wii Fit and Dance Dance Revolution."
This comes alongside a report confirming some of the BS we told our parents when we were growing up: "Bavelier said playing the kill-or-be-killed games can improve peripheral vision and the ability to see objects at dusk, and the games can even be used to treat amblyopia, or lazy eye, a disorder characterized by indistinct vision in one eye. She said she believes the games can improve math performance and other brain tasks."
Considering that so many young Americans are obese that it's affected our military's ability to recruit, I'd say just about anything may be worth a try.
Fatness in the US has become a threat to national security.
At least with the end of Don't Ask/Don't Tell we might have a better chance of having physically fit people enlist.
You are welcome on my lawn.
This comes alongside a report confirming some of the BS we told our parents when we were growing up
Be that as it may, your parents were still right about exercise, fresh air, and socialization.
Between my high scores on Paranoia: Survivor and Territories on Zanzibar, I will be the greatest soldier America has ever seen!
Those who fail to understand communication protocols, are doomed to repeat them over port 80.
From the article: "...newcomers to the military service build up the endurance they need to get in shape safely." Allowing trainees to play games to get in shape goes against almost everything the military is supposed to teach soldiers. Soldiers are expected to spends weeks or months in the field where there might not be electricity and clean water, forget entertainment electronic. Soldiers should learn to rough it and exercise even when it's difficult or boring. If the new recruits cannot take the standard training, perhaps there should be a "pre-boot camp", but to allow them to play games? Insane.
Wow, now that is a reversal of policy. Going from "Don't ask don't tell" to "now, with extra-gay training regimen!"
You kidding? Those guys will be able to make every step in the right direction.
When I was in the army in the early 90s we just did good old fashioned exercise. What the fuck is wrong with making them run until they're no longer lardasses?
Apparently the state of gaming on Macs is so bad that the government has to step in.
but Wii Fit? I guess you can get some aerobic exercise with it as well, but if you're going to use a game, DDR has far more feedback for the aerobic exercise with the mat. Long sessions of DDR could replace some aerobic fat burning classes for new recruits.
Here in Finland, an outside support organisation bought a bunch of Wii consoles and Wii Fit games for various army garrisons. This was met with some initial scepticism, of course, but apparently the thing has turned out to be a success.
In recent years, the army has been forced to figure out how to give the new conscripts who are in really bad shape (blah blah blah, moral and physical decay in youth today, yadda yadda yadda) a bit softer landing so they don't completely break themselves apart during the basic training, and this has played toward that goal too. The worst couch potatoes get Nordic walking instead of morning sprints.
I was in the navy for 20 years. I retired in 1997. I know how much training the Navy gave during boot camp. There were some that went to the fleet straight after boot camp but the majority went on to another school before going to the fleet. I myself spent almost 2 years in schools before going to the fleet. I soon found out that what the schools taught you were relevant in only about 20% of what was expected of you. The most important job was to keep the ship clean and well painted. The second most important job was to keep the top officers happy. This included when to salute and when to give honors to those officers. Several times I went to firing ranges to shoot the 45 pistol. Even after getting 10 practice shots and than not changing the target I failed to hit the target enough times to pass. I was never given very much training on how to shoot the pistol but I was always given the responsibility of carrying the weapon. It was just assumed that I would never have to use them(I do not know when the last time one had to use one). I was given the responsibility of firing both missiles and guns but was never given much training on when to use them(it was likewise assumed that I would never need to use them). I can hardly believe that someone hasn't forcefully taken over a naval vessels since at night at sea there is a fantail watch but he is unarmed and most of the hand held weapons are in the armory. There was absolutely no training about what to do if we did have an intruder board the ship while it was at sea. Even small tactics like keeping all the entrances to the ship one way locked at night so it would at least slow them down were not even contemplated. I was given a shot gun and told to patrol a deck when in port but I was never given any training on when I could use it. When the ship was in port one night while I was on watch I noticed a native Indian approaching the ship in a canoe but lucky for me there was a Spanish speaking guard on the pier who shouted at the intruder to go away and he did(he was probably just curious about all the lights). That was the closest I got to see any action in the whole 20 years.
*sigh* up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, Start.
DDR *is* made by Konami, after all.