FORT JACKSON, S.C. (AP) — 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 ...

As of March 17, nearly 8,400 people had been admitted to the prep course and more than 5,400 had graduated and gone on to basic training. Army Lt. Col. Randy Ready, spokesman for the Army Center for ...

The course, she said, was like “basic training without the yelling.” It also allowed her to bond with fellow students. “We helped each other out throughout basic training, so it was easy,” she said.

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 ...