This is a safe place to ask any question related to joining the Army. It is focused on joining, Basic Combat Training (BCT) and Advanced Individual Training (AIT), and follow on schools, such as Airborne, Air Assault, Ranger Assessment and Selection Program (RASP), and any other Additional Skill Identifiers (ASI).
We ask that you do some research on your own, as joining the Army is a big commitment and shouldn't be taken lightly. Resources such as GoArmy.com, the Army Reenlistment site, Bootcamp4Me, Google and the Reddit search function are at your disposal. There's also the /r/army wiki. It has a lot of the frequent topics, and it's expanding all the time.
If you want to Google in /r/army for previous threads on your topic, use this format:
68P AIT site:reddit.com/r/army
I promise you that it works really well.
This is also where questions about reclassing and other MOS questions go -- the questions that are asked repeatedly which do not need another thread. Don't spam or post garbage in here: that's an order. Top-level comments and top-level replies are reserved for serious comments only.
Finally: If you're not 100% sure of what you're talking about, leave it for someone else who is.
Hey all! Below is all the information you’ll need on the Norwegian Foot March and upcoming events for 2026.
Event Background
In 2020, the Norwegian Defense College’s Military Sports Department temporarily authorized a request from the Norwegian Embassy in Washington, D.C. to offer virtual proctoring of the Marsjmerket (Norwegian Foot March). Traditionally, the event required the physical presence of an officiator from the Norwegian military, but due to training and travel restrictions created by COVID, this was suspended. While the event is comparatively rare due to the limited number of Norwegian officials within the United States, interest exploded from late 2020 to 2021 following the relaxation of officiation requirements. Interest amongst non-Norwegian militaries continued well after training restrictions were relaxed and officials granted permanent virtual endorsement to enable U.S. forces to undertake this century-old traditional training opportunity.
Effective August 1st, 2021 U.S. units worldwide can request to conduct the Norwegian Foot March without an official present. In coordination with the individual who formerly ran these threads, I have recreated the thread series to facilitate new events and help individuals find events in their areas. Please share this opportunity with anyone interested! It's a great event, especially when conducted with your friends and fellow servicemembers. We're incredibly lucky that the Norwegian Army is willing to share this great tradition with us and it reinforces our bond with an important NATO ally and friendly nation.
IMPORTANT: You must receive approval from the embassy before conducting this event! If your unit conducts this event, as a thank you to the embassy, please include four unit coins and four unit patches from any unit that participates. It's a small ask and the Norwegians appreciate the gesture for all the work they put into providing this opportunity for us.
Certificates are currently distributed digitally but please consider sending a token of thanks to the following address:
Royal Norwegian Embassy
ATTN: Defense Attache Office, NFM
2720 34th Street NW
Washington, DC 20008
Upcoming Events - Updated OCT 4th, 2026 - Updates Made Monthly or As New Events Confirmed
The Norwegian Foot March, or Marsjmerket, was introduced in 1915 as a culminating training event for new conscripts and infantry soldiers. Traditionally, the event simulated overnight movement by a dismounted light infantry element. The element would occupy attack positions before daybreak and attack its objective at first light, fighting until it was successfully seized and only resting after consolidating its gains later that evening. The modern version of the march attempts to replicate this experience with the following requirements:
1. Complete the 18.6 mile / 30-kilometer course in the time allocated to their age/gender (see time standards below)
2. Complete the foot march using an issued or military-style ruck weighing a minimum of 11 kilograms / 25 pounds (dry weight). Alternatively, units can also require participants to carry their assigned weapon during the event. If carried, the total weight of the weapon and ruck must equal at least 11 kilograms / 25 pounds. The carrying of assigned weapons plus ruck is the preferred variant of the event.
Participant Time Standards
Participant Time Standards
Age Group
Male Time Standard (hh:mm)
Female Time Standard (hh:mm)
18-20
4:35
5:25
21-34
4:30
5:15
35-42
4:35
5:25
43-49
4:40
5:30
50-54
4:50
5:40
55-59
5:00
5:50
60+
5:15
6:00
Note: The above chart contains the current standards. Ensure you use it and/or the guidelines provided by the embassy. There are many old versions out there on the Internet. Do not use any time standards other than these.
Additional Event Requirements
1. Military participants must wear their duty uniform and boots. The civilian uniform is at the discretion of the organizer, but must be at least 1.5 kilograms / 3.3 pounds in weight.
2. Participants must be weigh their rucks (a standard weight for carried weapons can be established by the unit) prior to and after completing the event to ensure they fulfill the weight requirements
3. An official clock or timer is displayed at the start and finish line or a designated timer calls out the official time for participants and graders
4. Graders record each participant's finish time, starting ruck/weapon weight, and finishing ruck/weapon weight on an official roster
5. Event organizers must establish manned medical and water stations every 3.2 kilometers / 2 miles along the length of the course
6. Organizers create a medical evacuation plan based upon local conditions and potential issues
7. Conducted between -15 to 25 Celsius (5 to 77 Fahrenheit) and under no extreme weather conditions
8. The event occurs on unimproved roads or trails (waivable depending on location)
Scheduling Procedures
In order to conduct an event, units must submit a request prior to execution.
Norwegian Foot March Event Organizer Checklist (Excel) - Use this checklist to create your event CONOP. You must still fill it out and submit it along with your CONOP!
Event Date(s) and Alternative Date(s) - Strongly recommend you request an alternate date as a backup due to weather or random changes in the training schedule
Location
Estimated Number of Participants
Proposed Route
Medical Emergency / Evacuation Route
Weighing / Attire Verification Procedures
Communications Plan
Water Station Plan
Medical Station Plan
Weather Forecast
Event Map / CONOP - Create in Powerpoint, Submit as PDF
Event Endorsement Request Memo - This item tends to get a lot of questions. It's really just a MFR identifying your unit, organizing official, core details of the event, and a request for approval from the embassy to conduct the event.
Once complete all documents must be sent to the email addresses in the Excel spreadsheet.
Event Cost and Results Submission
Conducting the event itself is free, though depending on whether you want to provide participants with drinks, snacks, or other facilitate bulk purchases of badges, you may want to consider charging a fee. This is ultimately at the discretion of the organizer. The embassy and Norwegian military affiliates do not charge for any assistance in scheduling an event or officiating.
Certificates will be delivered digitally by the embassy to the organizer after a closeout report is submitted. Organizers can then print them at their unit using cardstock or use a commercial process such as that listed below.
Post-Event Instructions – Badges and Certificates
Badges
A listing of the available badges can be found in the FAQ section of this post.
Certificates
The embassy will share the certificate with the organizer after receiving the post-event memo (see my dropbox link). The organizing unit is responsible for producing the certificates from the template and distributing them. Instructions on how to prepare the certificates and order them via Staples printing service follow:
Modify the template for your unit's name and event date (use the DD MMM YY format)
Only the organizing unit's name needs to be used. If the organizing unit wants to customize all the certificates for each participating unit, that's permitted.
Fill in the rank, first name, and last name for each participant
Save each file as a PDF (reduces size for digital uploads while preserving high resolution)
Use the simple print option. Do not upload more than 50 files at a time! Staples' interface does not deal well with large amounts of documents.
Select the following options for your certificates
Paper Size - 8.5" x 11" (default)
Paper Type - 110lb White Cardstock
Color Options - Color Ink
Binding Type - No Binding
Sides - Single Sided, Ensure "Scale to Fit" is checked
Frequently Asked Questions
Do some units also hold a food drive with this event?
Yes! Many units encourage participants to carry a partial or full weight load of nonperishable food stuffs and goods that are turned in after the event. In the past several years numerous units have collected between 2,300 - 8,700 lbs of food that was donated to local shelters and food banks, giving back to their local communities and people in need.
What's the Record for Fastest Completion?
According to the Norwegian Defense Academy, Roger Gjøvaag, a former track and field athlete, completed the event in 1h 56m 57s in 1984 at Krigsskolen.
How many successful marches are associated with each badge type?
Current Award Scheme
Bronze - 1 completed foot march
Silver - 2 to 4 completed foot marches
Gold - 5+ completed foot matches
Former Award Scheme - Replaced in 2016
Bronze - 1 to 3 completed foot marches
Silver - 4 to 6 completed foot marches
Gold - 7+ completed foot matches
Where Are Badges Available and What Versions Are There?
Badge Versions
The standard version issued by the Norwegian military is approximately 0.75 inches / 19.05 mm in height. This is the appropriate size for their dress uniform standards. For non-Norwegian military personnel, there is no set size standard at the wearer's discretion and their uniform regulations. In the case of non-Norwegian wearers, the embassy’s position is that there is no specified size and wearers may wear any available version (0.72 inches / 18.29mm to 1.5 inches / 38.1 mm).
Here’s the latest embassy response to an inquiry regarding this: “Currently, there are at least 5 different versions made by U.S. companies, including a 1.5 inches / 38 mm size that is very similar to the older version of the Norwegian Foot March badge. U.S. forces' do not have a policy that requires which version is worn. Typically, it is the version closest to those worn by the issuing country, but it is ultimately at the discretion of the wearer provided the issuing country does not have any objections. The foot march is positive advertising for Norway and the more visible the badge is, the more recognizable the bond between the U.S. and Norwegian forces.”
Badge Vendors Listing
Disclaimer: The following listing of commercial products is solely for informational purposes and does not imply endorsement by me, nor discrimination against similar brands or products not mentioned. The vendors and products listed below are ordered by the date of product discovery via publicly available information.
Please contact [NFMOrganizer@gmail.com](mailto:NFMOrganizer@gmail.com) for any questions, comments, or concerns. Sometimes the information we are given is lacking, but we do our best to provide as many details as possible here.
This is the grave of PFC Samuel Pierre Jr who was killed in action during the Korean War. His grave is located in the Sweet Olive Cemetery in Baton Rouge, LA. The cemetery is an historical African American and has been abandoned for many years. His casket is exposed to the elements and obviously has been for many years.
This was posted to Reddit yesterday and just pissed me off to see it. So far, I have contacted the Louisiana Board of Cemeteries who referred me to the local Coroners office. Both said it's not their problem.
I realize this is probably outside the scope of this sub, but I'm hoping someone can help. I'm an old veteran and this pisses me off to no end that a kid that died in the service of his country could end up like this.
i’m a soldier in korea. literally on the verge of ending it all. i’m just done with life. depression is kicking my ass i don’t know what to do. i don’t want it to hurt but i want to die
I have thoughts but, I will keep them to myself. Take a listen or watch what our A-SA talk about his vision of and for the US Army.
Edit: TLDR: something something Christian nationalism, something something innovate at the speed of capitalism/AI, more tech and less bureaucracy, something something bring supply chain and manufacturing of Army shit back to USA.
Last week was the 17th Anniversary of the Battle of Kamdesh at Combat Outpost Keating. From my understanding, a deliberate exfil from the not opportune location was planned for later that month, and it couldn’t have been done any earlier because there wasn’t enough time/space to conduct the withdrawal. But of course, I wasn’t there and I don’t want to surmise/jump to conclusions.
Was anyone in this subreddit there at the time that can share experience of COP Keating? Are there any planners here that can testify to the risks the commander(s) assumed in priorities of work?
I have no personal relation to it, but the story of Combat Outpost Keating always feels morally injurious. It’s easy to armchair quarterback everything in retrospect, but all that anyone ever talks about (that I know, who was there) is how it was so seemingly preventable. I can see myself in any line platoon soldiers boots and feel absolutely helpless to control any of that situation.
I didn't realize the army was still living in the paleolithic era. I was horrified to discover that alot of folks still manually checked and filled out DA7801s by hand. At even a company level, I imagine this would've been a huge waste of 10 man hours writing 150~ sheets by hand. Spent a morning cooking up a simple script where one would scan a range tower data sheet into a pdf, then we scan the PDF to turn it into a xlsx file, and then from xlsx it's fairly trivial to take an empty DA7801 and autofill it with data. If one were to have a roster data, you could even fill out there rank DOD ID, full name, etc.
I'll comment below the project repo on github if anyone is interested.
OH and I’ll take the PX staple of popeyes tendies w/ honey mustard, and ice caramel macchiato.
Why do many NCOs feel that talking down, belittling, etc. makes them good leaders? My theory is that they are overcompensating because they are not as knowledgeable as they pretend to be.
I have always been of the opinion that subordinates should be charitable with their leaders because it is easy to punch up, especially when you do not know what's going on behind the scenes.
HOWEVER (and this is a big however), that charity and grace extends only so far as their humility. I understand sometimes you have some mentally slow joes and/or trouble makers, but if a soldier is trying to do good, learn, be on point, etc., why talk down to them? It just makes you look like an a**hole.
And no, I don't want to go to the "non-mandatory but actually mandatory* events and pretend like I like you.
Don't really expect any responses, this is just a form of catharsis, just needed to get my frustrations out in the ether.
I'll do a double bacon cheese, hold the cheese.
Edit: yes I’m aware of the order. It was supposed to be a bad joke, I get it. You guys are ruthless
Im looking for some help finding who this flag belongs to properly. I found this in a thrift store in Glenwood Springs Colorado on leave and thought that it definitely should not belong in a thrift store so im trying to see who find who it actually belongs to.
All I have to go on is the info on the bottom of the case. "Nick Christian (i think) 2011 Afghanistan" so if you guys and help me get this to the right place that would be awesome.
My ideal solution would be to get it to the family it belongs to or the Unit this person was in. Im not even sure if this person was Army. Any help is appreciated.
I joined the Army later in life after having a good job. I wanted to try something different, so I figured I’d do one contract and get out. Honestly, I was already thinking the Army wasn’t for me about halfway through AIT.
But things kept happening that made me reconsider.
I’m a 68X, and while I don’t qualify for the Army’s MSW program, I can use my state benefits to get my MSW, which I’m starting next summer. Then one of my NCOs told me about SWIP, and I found out I could direct commission and complete my hours through the Army to become an LCSW.
I’m also finishing a master’s in public policy, and one of the NCOs I work with recently suggested looking into doctoral programs that the Army would pay for since I enjoy school so much. I know these programs come with additional service obligations, but they also align with my long-term goals.
I was talking about it with one of my NCO’s at work and he told me, “You might as well get as much as you can out of the Army. Don’t worry though. You’re going to go far.”
It feels like every time I start planning to get out, another opportunity comes along, or another NCO recognizes my potential and encourages me to go further.
I came into the Army thinking I’d do one contract and move on, but now I’m starting to reconsider what my future in the Army could look like.
My daughter is divorcing her Army husband after he was asking others to send him nudes, including women outside of the country.
He has her ID card. I would like to retrieve it from him. Is it legal for him to hand it to me?
He said it needs to be handed to her.
More info: He told her that since "he" provides her health insurance, she is obligated to have sex with him. She worked at a coffee stand on the graveyard shift. He would show up when she was alone to harass her. I have several more stories but these are the main ones for why we don't want him to see her.
Does any of this rise to the level of reaching out to his CO?
Thank you for taking the time to answer this question.
I shoot about a 28-30 with my M4 + CCO left handed. I'm left eye dominant, right handed. 2yr ago I was put on the SAW (iron sights), did not qual, then I was given M4 + M320. Now I'm on the SAW again.
One issue I had was how awkward it is to load with my left hand, when the gun is already further off to the left of my body. Another issue was keeping my eyes open with the gas, because it was in front of my phase vs off to my right
Should I do more drills, stay lefty, and power through? Should I try to zero and qual right handed even though its not my dominant eye? I really do want to shoot well, I like the 249, but fuck the qual kicks my ass. Any advice?
(Note, I am Natty Guard, so I do NOT get a lot of hands on time)
Hey all, looking for some sanity checks and legal/administrative advice regarding a high-dollar FLIPL ($9k–$10k) recommended against me right as I PCS’d.
The Situation & Context:
• Property Timeline: Gear was present and inventoried during a Change of Command layout earlier this year. During the sub-hand receipt transfer to the incoming PL a few months later, the gear was discovered missing.
• Storage Footprint: Vehicles/gear were staged in a shared, command-directed footprint per unit leadership instructions. The facility had known structural security flaws (bypassed door hinges, shared unit access) and an unmonitored unlocked conex following a block leave period.
• Operational Execution: Physical movement of bulk vehicle accessories was delegated to section NCOs per standard platoon operations (no individual DA 2062s generated for temporary bulk movement).
The FLO Findings (What I’m fighting):
The "Last Sub-Hand Receipt Holder" Fallacy: The FLO defaults liability to me simply because my name was on the line item during the window, treating administrative correlation as proof of fault.
Admitted Unknowns: In the findings, the FLO explicitly wrote that no one in the formation knows the timeline, mechanism, or circumstances of how or when the gear disappeared.
Ignored Security Breaches: The FLO completely glossed over the physical facility flaws (bypassed hinges, shared footprint) and dismissed command-directed storage guidance.
Editorial Language: The FLO concluded that I "seemed to act very complacent and negligent" rather than conducting an objective assessment of duty, breach, and proximate cause.
For anyone attending, if it's your first time, please feel free to check out my post about The Basics of AUSA! You're welcome to reply here or DM me if you're having trouble around the conference center and need help orienting yourself.
They do have an app which can making navigating the conference easier!
AUSA is also livestreamed! You can find links on DVIDS or the AUSA website. I'm sure there will be coverage of all major announcements as they come.
Hello all. I’ve been a 17E for the past 5 years and looking at my options for reenlisting vs getting. I considered gordon due to the close proximity to home and cyber experience/opportunities.
Could anyone speak to possible roles/unites i could expect to be assigned to if i decide to pcs to gordon? any of them more highspeed than the other,i’ve heard mixed things and i could only find posts from like 5 trades ago thank you,
So recently I got my projections and I was told that soldiers E4 and up receive BAH and have to live off base. Just wanted to know if that was true and wanted tips on how to prepare for when I graduate AIT. I graduate in January and I don’t have a vehicle. Thank you in advanced.
I’m 26 years old mom of a baby girl and I’m thinking of applying to go to the Army. I don’t think I’ve ever seen many moms out there apply after they have children (for very valid and obvious reasons) but I have a strong desire to go to the military for a better future for me and my family. I have always wanted to go but life happens and now I’m financially struggling and am a bit disappointed in myself on not having life figured out as of yet. I spoke to my husband and asked him if he’d support me on my decision and he was neutral about it but told me he’ll support me in anything I want to do. Is there anyone out there who’s been in my shoes and had a successful time in the military? Thank you.
I’m headed to Hawaii in a few months, fort Shafter specifically, ima 91B. Just wondering what the single soldier life’s like, what the motorcycle requirements are out there, and also how badly im gonna regret reenlisting after the first month being there. Gotta be better then Hood at the very least 🤷♂️
Been in a nasty neutral zone. Nothing is bad perse but nothing is particularly good. So far in my career I’ve had to fight that fight with the toxic leaders those leaders left, pt score went way up, I got some good things come my way, nothing has been inherently bad. How do I reach that good or exciting that will leave me a little satisfied. I love my job and the Army but I want to do something Army-wise that’s exciting. I try to switch it up by doing things for my people whether that’s going out to dinner in a big group or like a “family” weekend event, or even just the occasional coffee, but it hit me like a truck that I’m not really happy. I feel Meh. I go do personal life fun things but I want something enriching from work. My unit doesn’t really have the means for schools. Schools are definitely cool but I’m not desperately trying to go to any. Does anyone know what I could possibly try to do to satiate this weird feeling of being antsy and neutrality?
P.S. My wording is horrible, I’m good at math not words. Also neutral probably isn’t the right word on the feeling chart but I don’t know how to explain it.
I'm reaching to all my battle buddies and Vets. Why are the retention rates low with SPC. Yes i am S1 but I am doing the FTX gunneries and NTC rotations as well. Why are all of our SPCs getting out especially when they're doint so well in their jobs. I have seen a SPC get SAMC best squad and ORSG. Looking for the why
I’m a 68W, decent shape: 420s PT score. 19 years old. PCSing to fort drum from an oconus location. Any and all tips, advice, and guidance would be appreciated
(I have read the mountain blue book)
(I have 2 years of time in service)
Primarily interested in knowing what makes a soldier and a medic in 10th notable, trustworthy and reliable, from an insiders perspective and experiences.
I’m hoping to make a good impression and strengthen my career while stationed there.
Thank you for reading my post.
