If you’re thinking of going to Boot Camp, this is something that every person fears. Every recruit, during the first week of Boot Camp, will have to queue for their medical evaluations – this involves being stung in the arm with needles and thermometers shoved in peculiar places.
From everything that the recruits are injected with during their medical evaluations, there’s nothing that terrorizes them as much as the infamous “peanut butter shot”. Now, this isn’t your typical beverage, it is something way worse!
In this article, I will explain what the “peanut butter shot” is, and why it is given the military recruits.
What Is “Peanut Butter Shot”?
In the military, the “peanut butter shot” is slang for the notorious bicillin injection, a derivative of penicillin, which is a mandatory vaccine for every recruit unless they can prove that they have an allergy. However, if you can’t, you are in for an agonizing experience!
It is a standard practice in Boot Camp to inject everyone with a significant dose of penicillin, which can be up to 10,000 units. Although, this might vary according to different Boot Camps, however, it is an obligation. Remarkably, this isn’t common practice in the United States only!
What Is It Called The “Peanut Butter Shot”?
Depending on one’s tolerance to pain, it was renowned as the “peanut butter shot” because it was as being injected with peanut butter into your ass-cheek due to the thickness of the fluid. Some recruits even describe it as a tennis ball being implanted into your body!
In addition to the excruciating pain, you can’t walk after being injected as your legs become numb and it becomes challenging to even sit. After being injected, you’d be swaying around for days, just to ease the torment!
What Is The Procedure?
For recruits to be injected with this, they have to stand with all their weight on one leg, while the other would be suspended in the air. Supposedly, this would keep the muscles from tensing, which would cause even more misery.
They are then injected with a thick needle on one of their ass-cheeks, with an even thicker fluid. Ouch! As mentioned above, the thickness of the shot is what causes the intense pain. After being injected, the recruits are encouraged to not lie down as to permit the vaccine to absorb. However, recruits are permitted to rest.
Recruits are also given the entire day off but would have to continue with routine training after that. Once the recruits regain their vigor, they are sent for medical evaluation again, to be injected with more vaccines.
Why Is The “Peanut Butter Shot” Necessary?
You might be wondering why recruits have to go through all of this – is there any benefit? Well, yes! As mentioned above, the “peanut butter shot” is a vaccine, and as such, it is an immune booster to prevent the recruits from various infections and diseases, which they are bound to confront during Boot Camp.
Therefore, the torment is positive in the long run!
Has The “Peanut Butter Shot” Been Discontinued?
If I’m being upfront, no! Even though there are people who claim that the shot has been discontinued, there is still no certainty. It is widely used in the United States, and somewhat in Europe as well. However, there are some Boot Camps in the United States that seem to have discontinued the use of this vaccine, although, that isn’t the majority.
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