“One cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war.”
—Albert Einstein
If you’re like me, you would have opened this book and flipped right to this chapter before reading any other content. Not because you’re interested in the subject of poop, but just because the chapter title is so odd. I have to admit, I made the chapter title enticing on purpose. This is a subject that will often be skipped over, but is important to read. The best way to approach this odd subject is to debunk a famous military myth, commonly referred to as the “white powder.” I have been asked the following question no less than 400 times:
Q: “SGT Volkin, I have heard of a white powder being put into the drinking water at basic training to constipate recruits, why does the military do this?”
A: The military does not do this, it is a myth. This common myth is reasoned by the fact that the military needs to constipate recruits so when they are training in the field they don’t need to use the bathroom. This is not true.
When going through basic training, a recruit will not have a bowel movement for weeks. Why? Because your schedule is so packed with activities and your body will be so taxed by the daily workouts that your body will utilize all of the food you’re putting in your mouth. The basic training fitness program is a day in and day out exercise regimen and with the lack of snacks and extra meals you get at basic training; you can imagine how taxing it could be on one’s body. It is not uncommon for a recruit to literally go 2 or 3 weeks without a bowel movement. I must note though, that if in fact you stay “regular,” that doesn’t mean something is wrong with you.