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Going to Basic Military Training

gamepad

Golden Member
I don't really know anything about it except u get yelled at and have to wake up early.

Share some insight/advice about Basic?
 
:thumbsup:

i think they are all different.
navy boot camp involved a lot of folding your clothes in an exact manner and making your bunk tight enough to bounce a dime off of it

your milage may vary
 
Originally posted by: gamepad
I don't really know anything about it except u get yelled at and have to wake up early.

Share some insight/advice about Basic?

Gee, I went there in the last century and no one ever yelled at me.

AIM HIGH.
 
Go with the right attitude. Realize that 1) You will screw up. 2) Everyone around you will kscrew up. 3) It ultimately does not matter 4) You will get yelled at.

Go there and have fun. Seriously.
 
Originally posted by: everman
Good Luck

I'd love to fly some of those planes, but I'd like to skip the whole boot camp thing 🙂

maybe ROTC is the best for you. Althougth my brother did go to Field Training one summer, but he described it as glorified PT... for 6 weeks.

 
Originally posted by: yellowfiero
Never volunteer for anything.

So not true. Ok, don't volunteer for everything, but you should still volunteer ocassionally. For instance, if they ask for five volunteers, you could be doing anything. You might be cleaning a latrine or you might be setting up a stage for a concert going on that evening, you never know. Regardless, the DI's/DS's will respect you for that. It can also get you (sometimes) out of doing PT with the rest of your group.
 
Originally posted by: SarcasticDwarf
Originally posted by: yellowfiero
Never volunteer for anything.

So not true. Ok, don't volunteer for everything, but you should still volunteer ocassionally. For instance, if they ask for five volunteers, you could be doing anything. You might be cleaning a latrine or you might be setting up a stage for a concert going on that evening, you never know. Regardless, the DI's/DS's will respect you for that. It can also get you (sometimes) out of doing PT with the rest of your group.

Volunteer only once, I did the laundry. Got to hang out in the Laundry building, it was easy and had nobody looking over your shoulders, even had the snack machine close by.

Also what sarcasticdwarf said about the attitude is pretty much spot on.
 
Originally posted by: KK
Originally posted by: SarcasticDwarf
Originally posted by: yellowfiero
Never volunteer for anything.

Volunteer only once, I did the laundry. Got to hang out in the Laundry building, it was easy and had nobody looking over your shoulders, even had the snack machine close by.

Also what sarcasticdwarf said about the attitude is pretty much spot on.

Yeah, forgot to mention that fact. Depending on what you are doing, you might not have a DS looming over you. Of course, most of the time when they ask for people it is to do something that takes 10 minutes.
 
Originally posted by: gamepad
I don't really know anything about it except u get yelled at and have to wake up early.

Share some insight/advice about Basic?

I don't have any, but good luck & thanks gamepad :beer:

 
Originally posted by: chowmein
i just enlisted too. i ship out on May 1 to S.A, Texas ... WOOT so pumped

Hey, when gamepad washes back a week, you two may get to be bunk mates.
 
remeber these words....
"Sir trainee ____ reports as ordered"
But do not use this phrase until your TI (training instructor) explains it/makes an example of someone with it.

DO NOT volunteer for anything. I suggest you get through boot as quickly as possible. Keep a low profile if possible. Start practicing how to fold hosptial corners.

Prepare to have fights in your flight. How it works is you will have 1 bay chief picked by your TIs discretion and 4 element leaders. Some will go on a mini power trip. Grin and bear it. remeber it's only a few weeks.

I think you'll be going in under the new 8 week schedule? Not too sure on this. But in any case. 0 week will be your worst week. You will not do anything right and you will be put on your face often. You will be considered a "rainbow" flight because you will not have been issued your BDUs until 1st week. So your flight will be "marching" around in your civillian clothes. hence the rainbow term, you all look different.

Learn to eat your food quickly. The food is good (except in the 326th I was told) you just won't have any time to eat. Learn to either make sandwiches quickly out of many objects. or mush the crap together and gobble it down. While exiting the line for chow DO NOT make eye contact with the snake ppit (the table where all of your TIs sit and watch you eat). While waiting in line for chow stare directly into the back of the persons head in front of you. You will be placed in close proximity.

One of the worse jobs is latrine queen (guy who has to keep the crapper clean) avoid being on the crew or being this poor sap if possible.

There's a lot your going to learn, but this should get your through your 0 week. Just remeber it gets better after each week...

Also GO TO CHURCH! Even if your not religous church is a haven where the TIs cannot venture. The band is pretty good (for the modern christian service. I'm catholic but went to this service because they show movie clips), and it's a time to get your emotions out, even pent up crap you weren't aware of. You'll see many people break down and cry your first sunday. do not be ashamed to cry yourself. Just remeber it only gets easier.

Above all else if you want to succeed and get through quickly. Never lose military bearing. Remeber this is a job and you are being paid for it.


Good luck recruit, and push through.
 

[quick edit - +1 on what Joe King said, except the duration. You are not getting 8 weeks.]

Hello.

My flight graduated last December. Had the unique pleasure of cele...um...commemorating Thanksgiving and Christmas with fifty some odd of my closest friends. We also showered together. 😉


It is a head game. Training is designed to pressure you. You will be pushed to do things you didn't really think were possible. This is so, hopefully, you will look back and say 'wow, I did that. I can do anything.'

Zero week. You are not a person. You will be referred to by roster number. Remember that, your reporting statement (Sir! Trainee Numnut reports as ordered!) and don't leave your locker unlocked. Ever. When eating, eat the most filling thing first, as quickly as possible [eg - breakfast, eat the eggs, they'll stick with you]. Don't try to grab a pastry.

Week 1. Slightly more time to eat. Less yelling, but they're allowed to drop you and make you do pushups/flutterkicks. My TI group also loved partial squats. Smile, they're fun, and they'll help you pass the final eval.

Stuff happens......you may be going through the new new cirriculum (which I helped calibrate - you're welcome. It was fun to be a guinea pig) or the new new new cirriculum (no idea).

Week 4 is warrior week. Live in the same set of BDUs for the week. Bring an extra towel and keep it dry - wear this as a scarf while doing tent guard if it's cold - stick the ends into your field jacket. Primarily during the FTX. Pay attention, don't let go of your rifle (you should have trainers now, not just the rubber duckies), and pay attention. Challenge anyone during your watch - no exceptions. NO EXCEPTIONS.
Enjoy your NBC training, and the 'chemical protective gear confidence chamber'. It only stings for 2-3 minutes, then you get lunch.

Week 5 - much better. See, you're human now, but better still, you're ALMOST there. Pass your written [easy if you were awake in class] and PT evaluations.

Week 6 - jesus christ, just don't ****** up now. Graduate, see your parents, spend too much money in the riverwalk and restaurants. Stay over another day or two depending, then the flight gets broken up as everyone gues to tech school.

What's your AFSC?
 
oh, be sure to practice folding clothes (eg tshirts into a 6" square) and to shine your boots very efficiently. Hint on folding clothes: keep a display set in your locker at all times...where you keep your "work" set is up to you 😉
 
Originally posted by: dquan97
oh, be sure to practice folding clothes (eg tshirts into a 6" square) and to shine your boots very efficiently. Hint on folding clothes: keep a display set in your locker at all times...where you keep your "work" set is up to you 😉

actually we roll shirts now 😛

But that does remind me. as dquan said learn to live out of your laundry bag.
 
You won't be folding your T-shirts.

Put one face down on a clean surface (not the floor, unless you sweep it beforehand) with the bottom towards you.

Fold the sleeves inward.

Fold in half lengthwise, then do so again. there's a specific way of doing this, as you'll learn. Fortunately, you get to forget it after 7 weeks.

Then roll TIGHTLY from the bottom to the neck. Mid/late third week your TI may show you how to cheat since you'll have to roll your white t-shirts also. Take your ruler, fold the bottom edge of the shirt over it, and use THAT as a spindle to roll your shirts.

You're welcome.

Also - try to be a good wingman. You'll need help. After a week or so, you'll figure out who in your bay is good at what - I couldn't roll a shirt to save my life. My wingman and I swapped off and did great, untill he got med rolled. Poor bastard.
 
Originally posted by: SarcasticDwarf
Originally posted by: yellowfiero
Never volunteer for anything.

So not true. Ok, don't volunteer for everything, but you should still volunteer ocassionally. For instance, if they ask for five volunteers, you could be doing anything. You might be cleaning a latrine or you might be setting up a stage for a concert going on that evening, you never know. Regardless, the DI's/DS's will respect you for that. It can also get you (sometimes) out of doing PT with the rest of your group.

Hell, my brother just got to come back home for 2 weeks and I went to visit him after he finished up his A school for the Navy. He said his, can't think of the word...group?, would mess up just to get MORE PT because they felt it didn't happen enough. Said football 2-a-days were tougher physical wise.
 
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