Basic Training, how difficult is it physically?

[mwmorph]

I know BT is supposed to break you down as a civvie mentally but how about physically? What should I aim for before shipping out?

Physically, I'm fine, but I know I need ot work on my cardio. I'm 5'7", ~145lbs and naturally fit, but nothing special, maybe a bit above average with a average cardio system. How many miles should I be able to do in what time? What should my overall shape be like? Able to do 100 push ups? Able to do 2 miles in 12 minutes? Able to run 5 miles at a time?

I'll be enlisting soon to follow my dreams, either in the Army Medical Corps or Navy as a Corpsman. I've always wanted to be a ground-pounder in the combat medic role since I was 5 years old.

 

[Nik]

It physically weeds out those who are not above the standards required for later training and physical expectations.

 

[dainthomas]

We had a couple real fatties in our company, but they made it fine. I wouldn't say they had fun, though.

Edit: YES! Warp speed, baby!

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Navy boot camp wasn't physically demanding so much as it was mentally. If you are going in as a corpsman and want to do the Marine medic stuff, then they'll fuck you up more than Navy boot camp will.

 

[TallBill]

It's kinda hard, but pretty much anyone could pass.

 

[sutahz]

It's retardedly easy. I'm sure it was much more tough in the 50's.

 

[jamesbond007]

If I'm not mistaken, I believe you have to eventually run 2 miles in an 18 minute timeframe. I have never been told basic was tough.

 

[Fayd]

Originally posted by: jamesbond007
If I'm not mistaken, I believe you have to eventually run 2 miles in an 18 minute timeframe. I have never been told basic was tough.

i couldnt do that... haha.

 

[coloumb]

Air Force Boot Camp - it was mainly a mind game with about 30 minutes of "aerobics" in the morning every day. I've heard army/marine boot camps are more physical [for obvious reasons].

However - eventually as someone else stated - you had to run a mile in a certain amount of time or be put on a weight management program. Unless you were completely out of shape - you could easily run the mile within the time limit.

 

[Proprioceptive]

Herenull are the current standards for PT tests (2min pushups, 2min situps, 2mi run). At BCT you are required to achieve 50th percentile in all three categories. At AIT, you are required to achieve at least 60th percentile.

 

[HappyPuppy]

I went through Army basic in 1966. I was lean and fit and it was a bitch. Fatties didn't have a chance and got recycled through fat camp until they slimmed down and beefed up. The Army was an entirely different organization back then, though.

 

[Proprioceptive]

Oh, and by the way, I was pretty big and out of shape when I shipped. 6'1 225lbs, could barely do 15 pusups and 15 situps... ran a 2 mile in 21 minutes. By the end, I was 188 lbs and could run 2 miles in 15:00, do 56 pushups and 55 situps. I'm still working on my PT.

 

[Proprioceptive]

Originally posted by: HappyPuppy
I went through Army basic in 1966. I was lean and fit and it was a bitch. Fatties didn't have a chance and got recycled through fat camp until they slimmed down and beefed up. The Army was an entirely different organization back then, though.

Yeah... now it's kind of pussy whipped.

 

[zerocool84]

Marine boot camp is where it's at.

 

[HappyPuppy]

Originally posted by: Proprioceptive

Originally posted by: HappyPuppy
I went through Army basic in 1966. I was lean and fit and it was a bitch. Fatties didn't have a chance and got recycled through fat camp until they slimmed down and beefed up. The Army was an entirely different organization back then, though.

Yeah... now it's kind of pussy whipped.

By saying it was a different organization I am in no way implying it was better or worse, it was just run entirely different. Today's Army provides a much higher degree of training and AIT is, I'm sure, a physical wise and beautiful woman to get through.

 

[keird]

I've been in the Army as a medic for 21 years. The level of fitness that you have in your OP is fine, but if you get assigned to the infantry there's more.

Complete a forced road march with combat equipment and rucksack 12 miles in 3 hours. You'll do this in basic with a 45 lbs. rucksack. The load doesn't scale to your size. Expect medical equipment to weigh 44 lbs. alone. Then add the load of an ordinary rifleman. I've had rucksacks that weighed more than 100 lbs. before, but I don't think I could have marched effectively. 80 lbs. of rucksack I've done, though. Whether you become a corpsman or a medic, you'll be humping.

My first assignments have been to Infantry units. You'll meet a range of personalities and experience levels but I wouldn't trade it for anything else. If you do well, it's a satisfying beginning to a career. If you don't measure up, it will be a physically and emotionally draining period of your life. I'd recommend Airborne and Ranger if you can hack it. You'll get considerably advanced medical training in the Special Operations community, more so than conventional. Avoid getting assigned to a hospital, no matter what branch you decide on! It will not provide you with the starting point that you need, nor the confidence to pursue different training. From personal experience, a hospital is a difficult operational shift to endure when compared to a combat unit. Yelling at privates in a hospital doesn't get the results you would expect from a line unit, unfortunately.

My buddy was 5'6" and lighter than you. He was stronger, smarter and had greater endurance than me. By contrast, I was 5'10" and was no slouch, but he continuously challenged me to do better. If you're lucky, you'll have a peer to challenge, as well.

PM me for any questions.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

For person under 22yrs of age in the Army -

it used to be:
52 sit-ups in under 2-minutes
42 push-ups in under 2-minutes
2-mile run under 15:54

That is the bare minimum to pass. Your goal should be to exceed those number by quite a bit to put yourself at a score of 250+ points by the end of your 8-week basic training cycle.

My high score was 259 in BT:

You sound like you would be fine with your current body weight & cardio health.

The fatigue/exhaustion is the killer and what kept me from doing better but I also had one of it not the worst basic training sessions that I've heard from anyone as all of my DS's were the same MOS that I was becoming therefore it was there personal mission to weed out anyone they did not like because the same people they saw in BT would later be in their units with them.

If you are feeling exhausted I would plan on hitting the bunk for sleep way prior to lights out so you can cath an extra half-hour or more of sleep.


Our forced march was 12-miles in under 4hrs on varying terrain - tank trails - we were gassed - and had a rucksack, kevlar, full web belt, and M16.

And for those that care this was 1993 prior to Clinton imposing pussification standards.

 

[SilentZero]

I was a 91B (Combat Medic) in the Army (active duty) for quite a few years, and to be honest, BT was a joke (as was 91B school).

The biggest shock of it all will come the first 2 weeks, and if your not in decent shape it might be a moderate challenge, but nothing too bad.
You can prepare physically all you want and that will help (start doing pushups, situps and running now), but the mental aspects you can't really prepare for ahead of time. Aside from all the drill sergeants yelling at you non-stop, and the rules you have to live under (there are a LOT!), you also have to deal with a group of other guys from all different backgrounds around the country. Just do what your told, don't pissed everyone off, and most importantly shower! We gave people quite a few shower parties because they wouldn't shower as often as they should have. At the end of it all we did a 1 week FTX (field training exercise) which was a lot of fun.

91B school was cake (I had it at Ft. Sam Houston, TX). They do things in phases (based on how long you have been there), after a few weeks they let you go off-base to the clubs/bars. There was also a cool place I used to hang out at on base called the Hacienda where they had a food-court, game rooms, computers, and a big movie screen with about 50+ recliners/couches that played movies every day/night.

Sadly they don't give you the option to do Airborne school or Air Assault school right after graduation of 91B school (at least they didn't when I was in), but if your going to a field unit you can request a slot (that's what I did for both and got the slots easily). If you get put in a MEDCOM unit (aka at a hospital), the chance to get slots are almost non-existent sadly.

Hope that helps.

 

[Hacp]

Originally posted by: jamesbond007
If I'm not mistaken, I believe you have to eventually run 2 miles in an 18 minute timeframe. I have never been told basic was tough.

So its a cakewalk?

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: Fmr12B
For person under 22yrs of age in the Army -

it used to be:
52 sit-ups in under 2-minutes
42 push-ups in under 2-minutes
2-mile run under 15:54

That is the bare minimum to pass. Your goal should be to exceed those number by quite a bit to put yourself at a score of 250+ points by the end of your 8-week basic training cycle.

My high score was 259 in BT:

You sound like you would be fine with your current body weight & cardio health.

The fatigue/exhaustion is the killer and what kept me from doing better but I also had one of it not the worst basic training sessions that I've heard from anyone as all of my DS's were the same MOS that I was becoming therefore it was there personal mission to weed out anyone they did not like because the same people they saw in BT would later be in their units with them.

If you are feeling exhausted I would plan on hitting the bunk for sleep way prior to lights out so you can cath an extra half-hour or more of sleep.


Our forced march was 12-miles in under 4hrs on varying terrain - tank trails - we were gassed - and had a rucksack, kevlar, full web belt, and M16.

And for those that care this was 1993 prior to Clinton imposing pussification standards.

The only one I don't know about is the ruck march. I mean, they train up with ruck marches, but I cannot remember what the tested final march is.

But for PT, it's still the same, though those numbers listed are for 21 and younger at this point. At 22 the requirements change a little, I know the run you get a little more time but can't remember the difference.
Sit ups might be like 55, or 53. Basically the same.

And that saddens me. I'm just a few months shy of 22, and an APFT coming up in late June is worth like 11% of my Accessions for Cadet-land. Damn them, could give me a few more points in the run if I were 22.. :|

OP, if you can't hit those numbers yet, don't worry. Even if you're 5 minutes off on the run, after BCT you'll be past that.

It's quite a grueling experience from what I can tell, at least if you end up going somewhere that gets mighty warm in the summer, especially muggy. The phrase Heat Cat 5 is something you'll come to fear if you go somewhere South.

I sadly didn't get to take part in the extremely enjoyable 9-weeks of festivities known as BCT, but I did get to shadow the leadership and take part in the same activities for around 3 weeks last summer in Ft. Jackson, SC. That place sucks.

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: HappyPuppy

Originally posted by: Proprioceptive

Originally posted by: HappyPuppy
I went through Army basic in 1966. I was lean and fit and it was a bitch. Fatties didn't have a chance and got recycled through fat camp until they slimmed down and beefed up. The Army was an entirely different organization back then, though.

Yeah... now it's kind of pussy whipped.

By saying it was a different organization I am in no way implying it was better or worse, it was just run entirely different. Today's Army provides a much higher degree of training and AIT is, I'm sure, a physical wise and beautiful woman to get through.

Would you say back then it was more oriented to providing extremely lean and fit soldiers who would follow all directions and every ordered handed to them? As compared to today, which isn't as geared toward the most physically fit possible, but rather, "fit enough" and capable of following and making decisions as the situation demands?

That's kind of what I've heard before, but mostly that the current BCT, and Army in general, as well as the changes they are looking at making in the near future, are all geared toward making "smarter" soldiers who can deal with a terribly different situation on the ground, and make decisive and quick decisions without needing orders from above.

For example, we've been told the old way, the correct method was no one could open fire until leadership on the ground (squad leaders, maybe even team leaders) gave the order, whereas now it often requires the first person who makes positive visual identification simply opens fire and the rest orient themselves accordingly, unless the immediate threat/pressure isn't there then it still comes from higher.

 

[mwmorph]

Thanks for all the answers. The Military looks exactly like what I would be looking for.

I've done this college/frat thing about as long as I can and its just torture. I can't do that anymore. I'm 20, I gave it a chance and college is not what I'm looking for and it's time to move on.

I do have a couple of follow up questions though,

1. How do I avoid Medcom? I'm interested in being a ground-pounder. Airborne and Ranger training would be the icing on the cake. Is there a way to make sure or at least up my chances of getting assigned into a field unit?

2. What is life like during? I mean if I'm not deployed, how does military living go like? Is it like living in a college dormitory? Is there even less space and privacy than that? Can I actually make a living space in there and have possessions?

3. After you guys left, how did it go? Did you find a EMT job or go in a completely different direction?

4. What is AIT training like? I haven't had formal medical training besides some CPR classes (I'm more mechanical than bio, got more NATEF/ASE certs than anyone else in high school, but never taken a medical course). Is it hands on? Is it book?

I guess none of these are going to change my mind but at the very least it can assuage my fears.

 

[ballmode]

I'm about to go to Air Force Basic, I'll post a thread commenting about it when I can

 

[dr150]

If you work out regularly, it'll be no problem physically. If you're out of shape, it'll be a pain in the ass and that'll demotivate you. So stay in shape!....be able to do 3 mile runs and a good amount of pushups, pullups and situps.

You'll only have to deal with the mental aspects of the Sargeant yelling at you and making sure NOTHING you do is right. So don't take it personally when you do something right and get shit on by Sarge. LOL. Eventually they let off the gas pedal towards the end when they see the group excelling.

They try to break you down mentally, but just smile inside that it's a head game like a fraternity haze.

 

[keird]

Originally posted by: mwmorph
1. How do I avoid Medcom? I'm interested in being a ground-pounder. Airborne and Ranger training would be the icing on the cake. Is there a way to make sure or at least up my chances of getting assigned into a field unit?

4. What is AIT training like? I haven't had formal medical training besides some CPR classes (I'm more mechanical than bio, got more NATEF/ASE certs than anyone else in high school, but never taken a medical course). Is it hands on? Is it book?

1. Talk to your recruiter and get an Airborne and/or Ranger option. It may be available as an enlistment option. Be certain it's on your contract before signing. If you fail Airborne you'll be assigned to a unit in accordance with 'the needs of the Army'.

4. Read the stuff on the goarmy web site or military.com. 68W AIT is 6 weeks of NREMT-B training/testing followed by 10 weeks of everything from band aids to needle chest decompression for pneumothrax. You'll learn how to give I.V.s and injections and indications/contraindications for the mainstay medicines in use.

Good luck.