When a civilian enlists in the military, he or she is not a soldier right off the bat. All are required to pass a basic training camp, where they are put through tremendous exercises and training. The length of this boot camp varies according to the different branches of the military. The term came from the type of footwear that was given to the military trainees. But, you may have heard this term used to describe a wide variety of things, not all military related.
Obviously, the most notorious type of program, other than the original military use of the term, is when it is used in a correctional capacity as it refers to adolescents. Normally, these types of camps are within the US Penal System and many parents send their errant teens to these programs. It uses techniques that apply to military recruits and they are also taught socially acceptable patterns of behavior. Most times the pattern follows closely to what a military training camp would entail, not at all similar to what a youth would consider a camping hiking adventure.
Many different organizations tend to figure out a way to include the term boot camp into their business and the popularity of this type of program seems to have a common thread: “hard work and don’t talk back.” Does that indicate that a little discipline is what many of us need? Take a program about Fat Camp in general, as it indicates that overweight people are not able to successfully lose weight on their own. Instead they employ rigorously filled timetables and strict routines that at one time were only used by the military. Does that indicate the need for more of these base camp training programs for those who, for whatever reason, are not able to help themselves?
Are there other types of these camps? Yes, they are everywhere you look. There are probably some that you have never heard of, or some you can’t even believe exist, but one thing you can be sure of is that they are most definitely not like summer camp. In the 1980’s, Georgia and Oklahoma were the first to open “camps” for prisoners, done mainly to reduce the population in largely overcrowded prisons, and as a preventive measure for those likely to commit crime again. There are also camps for things such as paper and essay writing, spiritual boot camps, baby boot camps and leadership boot camps.
Any parent will tell you that the teenage years may be difficult, but is sending your troubled teen to a boot camp the answer? There are many conflicting opinions on the subject as to whether this type juvenile training will turn out a well adjusted, socially adept “happy camper,” or is it only a temporary solution at best.
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