Observed Warming Trends at U.S. Army Basic Combat Training Installations and Implications for Future Recruit Training.

This article analyzes trends in the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index—a measure of heat stress—at four U.S. Army Basic Combat Training (BCT) installations from 1960 to 2022, documenting steady increases in heat exposure that elevate the risk of exertional heat illness among recruits. The study finds that Ft Moore, GA, experiences the highest heat burden, with nearly 50% likelihood of extreme heat days in late July, while Ft Leonard Wood, MO, has the lowest. Increasing hours of hazardous heat during training, especially for classes starting in mid-June through July, suggest a growing challenge to maintaining recruit health and training standards amid rising temperatures. The authors recommend enhanced heat illness prevention measures, including improved cadre training, pre-BCT acclimatization programs, and expanded real-time heat monitoring, while acknowledging that more substantial adaptations to training schedules or locations may be necessary as climate warming continues.