Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Military Bayonet Training?

I did not like it.

Why not, we're you the dummy?

In the army of the early '60's...the drill instructors did not sugarcoat it. DI shouts, "What is the spirit of the bayonet?"...proper shouted reply of the recruits, "To kill, sergeant".
Of course we knew from day one, we were in the wartime army whose only mission was to kill people and break things ...but nothing quite brought it home like bayonet training.

Our bayonet dummies were rubber tires mounted on a stand with a big hot dog looking thing sticking out that pivoted when you hit it, it was supposed to emulate the enemy soldier's rifle.

I was always afraid I was going to break the stock off my M-16 when I did a horizontal butt stroke against the tire.

Bayonet training with an M16? Now THAT is up close and personal (M-14 for my era).
Funny (not at the time) story, I was picked by an assistant DI to be his demo dummy sparring partner (sheath on the bayonet)...I was ordered to lunge at his torso...he was supposed to parry my thrust in the demo. I gave it my all (I did not need to do any more pushups that week), big lunge forward...all my weight too far forward, he calmly stepped aside not bothering to parry, gave my rifle a little pull forward and I fell right on my face. Great comedy routine for everyone's amusement. Sigh, drop down and give me 20 'cruit.

Thrust, butt stroke to the head, slash, smash and recover... I remember.

I had bayonet training at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, in 1959. We were issued M1 Garands. Hang a long bayonet on an M1 Garand and it is a heavy weapon. No fun at all during training.

My platoon sgt. was a career soldier who had fought in Europe, WW II, and in Korea. He had the CIB from both. One night as we were cleaning weapons, etc., etc., he came through the barracks and I asked him, "Sgt. Moore, do you really think it's necessary for us to have bayonet training?"

He answered, "The United States Army says you're going to have bayonet training, so you're going to have bayonet training. ' Then he got the hint of a smile on his face and said, "As for me, when those mother fuggers got close enough for me to stick 'em, I shot 'em."

I thought that was a pretty wise idea.

L.W.

We did bayonet training when I went through OCS and TBS in 2008. It’s not so much about the practicality as it is about the mindset. The bayonet is a psychological weapon. My company commander at TBS ordered a bayonet charge in Afghanistan when they got caught in an ambush on a motorized patrol. The Taliban ran right the hell away.

Another Marine unit stopped one of the stupid Koran-burning riots by fixing bayonets and forming at close interval at the ECP. There were something like a thousand angry Afghans surging towards the ECP, but they reversed very quickly when confronted by a thin line of determined men. It could have turned into an absolute bloodbath.

If you don’t feel like a badass when you fix bayonets, you might be in the wrong line of work.

Bayonet on an M-4 . . .

Now that is Close Quarters Battle

lmao, now that is funny! 🤣

Me and about 80 mechanics, cooks, radio men, clerk typists, supply drones...rear echelon types, got volunteered to confront a communist demonstration/riot on Okinawa in 1964. We were fortunately commanded by an MP sergeant first class who knew his schidt. No big pep talk to rally us...I'm gonna put you men across this road in front of our gate, wall to wall, shoulder to shoulder in three ranks. I'm going to give 4 commands, fix bayonets...do it in cadence as smartly as possible, first rank...kneel...slam the toe on the pavement, rifle at 45 deg, 2nd rank..'on guard' position, 3rd rank...'high port'. It's very simple, if you remain steady and follow commands we will prevail, if you break ranks, they will prevail.
Here they came, white shirts, red headbands, toting the Japanese 'bo' and cane knives, chanting something sounding like, ho...ju...ooooah.
They got up to the length of a 'bo' about 6 feet...and the chanting started to peter out...eventually quieting to the screaming of 2 or 3 agitators trying to rally his slant eyed bolsheviks. But apparently the bolsheviks were not dedicated sufficiently to charge 80 bayonets.
It was a bluff of course, not one of us barracks warriors were issued even a single round, but I believe discipline and the outmoded bayonet saved the day.

And what makes the grass grow? “The blood Drill Sargent , the blood!”

Basic training Ft Jackson SC 1986, yes I know I am a youngster…. Joe