I don't know about other branches but in the Marines there is something called Marine Corps knowledge. It is a book that contains everything from how to spit shine boots, to the maximum effective range of a .50 cal machine gun, to the Battle of Chapultepec. The history of the Marine Corps is just as important as shooting a rifle or martial arts. Everything in the Marine Corps has some kind of history to it. History is a big part of boot camp. So yes, history should be taught in boot camp.