FILE-Second Lieutenant Kody Sims instructs students participating in the Army's new Future Soldier Prep Course at Fort Jackson on September 28, 2022 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) WASHINGTON - Last August, Daysia Holiday decided to try one more time to join the Army.She’d taken the academic test and failed three times.
So, when she was offered a slot in a new Army prep course to help improve her scores and qualify for basic training, she jumped at the chance.Seven months later, Pvt.
2nd Class Holiday is a proud graduate of Army basic training, and is finishing her advanced instruction at Fort Lee, Virginia, to become a power generation specialist who will maintain engines and other equipment for the service.Holiday is an early beneficiary of the new program, which gives lower-performing recruits up to 90 days of academic or fitness instruction to help them meet military standards.
In place for only eight months, it is already making a significant difference for both the Army and those who want to serve in it.RELATED: Army expands program for recruits who don't meet weight and test requirements as recruiting crisis deepensSo far, 5,400 soldiers have made it through the prep course since it started in August at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.