Nowadays there’s a wealth of high-tech simulators as well as incredibly accessible fitness tracking. Back then though, military training and boot camps in general were all kinds of gritty. They included unforgiving drills, intense physical challenges, and notoriously strict drill sergeants that never held anything back. We’ll take a look at a quick roundup of some old-school boot camp and military training photos that capture the old days.
1. 1942, Chester Nez, a Navajo Code Talker, after USMC boot camp.
2. A happy boot camp photo from 1965.
3. A gritty bootcamp photo from 1957.
4. US Army boot camp graduation in 1967, Ft. Benning, GA.
5. Cadets in training for the U.S. Army Air Corps, who would later become the famous Tuskegee Airmen, 1941.
6. Solid bootcamp portrait throwback from 1956.
7. Someone broke into the drill sergeant’s office, put on his hat, and posed while his buddy took pics.
8. Boot camp in Kentucky back in 1942.
9. A U.S. Marine, at boot camp with standard issue puppy (1951).
10. Some gents in boot camp before fighting in Korea, circa 1951.
11. Marines with gigantic training guns at Camp Pendleton, October 1956.
12. A happy lad at Navy boot camp, c. 1959.
13. This was in 1960 at boot camp for the 101st Airborne.
14. USMC Boot Camp in 1967.
15. Fort Bragg/Camp Mackall 1967.
16. Two soldiers compare accuracy and speed of M1 Garand (top) and M1903, Camp Kilmer, NJ (1941).
17. Looking ready for duty.
