By: A.P. Uffmann |
Joining the U.S. Army is a commitment of the body and mind. Its not a cake walk for most, but it can be accomplished a lot easier when you know what to expect. Here's 10 tips to help you understand what you'll be facing and how to handle it when you head off to boot camp.
1: BEFORE YOU GET THERE
Before you leave to basic training know this; you don't have to be in the best shape of your life ( that will happen during your training), but it's a good idea to start taking some runs and exercising a little to ease your transition from civilian to soldier. You should even quit smoking as you can't smoke in basic, so you might as well get used to it beforehand.
2: WHEN YOU GET THERE
When you initially get to the base in which you will be conducting your training, the personnel there will treat you quite well. You may get yelled at a little, but this is just the processing portion of basic and it takes about a week of this before you get put on a bus to the real" in your face" basic training. This first week is for getting an Army haircut, getting your military I.D., getting fitted for uniforms and preparing you for what your about to experience. Don't let the initial laid back mood fool you, the real training is a lot different and a lot more intense, it took me by surprise but you'll be ready for it.
3: BEFORE THE REAL TRAINING STARTS
At the end of the processing week they will give you a small P.T. (Physical Training) test before your even allowed to start the real training. You'll have to run a certain distance within a certain time, and do a certain amount of pushups and sit ups to pass this initial test. If you fail the standard they give, you'll have to try again. Sometimes the failing private will wait back another day to try it again. That's why my first tip is important and should be adhered to.
4: THE REAL TRAINING STARTS
After processing is done and the test passed , they will be sending you to your assigned company for the real basic training. For me it was an early morning shuffle into a cattle trailer with the windows blacked out but now days they use buses for the most part. One important tip I can give you is to be organized. Make sure all your issued gear they give you in processing is securely put away in your duffle bag or there will be hell to pay. Once your bus has made it to its destination, the real intensity of basic starts. As soon as you step outside of the bus doors there will be a drill sergeant waiting there yelling his head off. For most people it will be nerve rattling as this will be a sudden change from the processing atmosphere. Try to concentrate on exactly what they are saying and DO exactly what they are saying. A lot of people are so rattled by the yelling they don't even hear what the drill sergeants are actually telling them.
Remember this, the less noticeable you are the better. The way to stay unnoticed is by following every command to a tee. Also don't look any drill sergeant in the eyes, just keep your head straight forward and LISTEN. This is the first real test of basic training and is designed to see if you can handle orders in a stressful environment, something soldiers need to be able to do in combat.
5: LIFE DURING TRAINING GETS BETTER AS TIME GOES ON
Basic training is setup in three phases. The first phase is about 3 weeks and is the most intense portion of the training. This first (Red) phase is designed to physically and mentally push you, just know that it will get a little easier as the weeks go on. An important thing to know is that during the red phase eating in the chow hall is fast paced so don't sit around taking forever to eat , they will stand you up and march you out before you can finish your meal. What I would do is roll whatever was served into my bread and eat it like a sandwich, most of the time I finished everything. You need a lot of energy so this is an important tip. As you progress into the second and third phases , you start learning more about weapons and basic army tactics for a soldier. During these later phases it actually gets somewhat fun, at least it was for me. By the last phase you actually get to make phone calls and get a little more freedom on weekends. A lot of people give up in the beginning stages so remember it does get better. Just keep your head up and you'll make it through.
6: DRILL SERGEANTS
Drill sergeants are trained to stress you out. Don't take their yelling and derogatory remarks toward you personal. Its just the drill sergeants doing their job. Everyone will get yelled at but like I mentioned before, if you stay relatively unnoticed by doing whatever the drill sergeants are asking in the exact way their asking it, you will be less prone to harassment. During the first phase the yelling is more common place than the later phases so just suck it up and do what your told.
7: THE LITTLE THINGS MATTER, DON'T BE AFRIAD TO ASK FOR HELP
One thing that is stressed a lot in basic is attention to detail. From the way you fold your socks in your drawers to the way your bed is made EVERY day is very important. If you have trouble making your bed the way the drill sergeants want, find another recruit who makes his bed the best and ask him to show you what he does. Don't be afraid to make friends quickly with the others and seek help when you need it.
In the beginning everybody will be assigned a "Battle Buddy" that will be by your side throughout the training. Its usually the recruit in the bed next to you that gets picked for you. Work together everyday and remind each other of things the other one might have forgotten. Through all the hustle and bustle of training , its easy to forget little things that will get you into trouble quickly. I remember a recruit that went running out to formation in the morning with all the correct gear asked by the drill sergeants, but forgot his hat.(Cover in Army terms.) We all yelled at him as he went out the door, but it was to late . He ended up running a couple of miles and doing 100 pushups for his little mistake. I wondered where his battle buddy was to remind him. The other thing about battle buddies is if one recruit messes up , his battle buddy has to do the punishment with him, so help each other out as much as you can.
8: THE GAS CHAMBER, ITS NOT SO BAD
Yes there is a gas chamber, and yes, you will survive it. During the gas chamber exercises you will be lined up and asked to enter a bunker like chamber. Inside are some drill sergeants who will light some CS gas canisters. CS gas is the stuff used by riot police to break up unruly people in the streets. It burns somewhat and makes your eyes water and nose run, but it won't kill you. When inside the chamber you'll be asked to first have your gas mask on to show you how well the Army gas masks work. Then you have to take them off and say your social security number, sometimes your full name. It only last a few minutes and then you exit the chamber to breathe fresh air. After about 5 to 10 minutes all the effects from the CS gas wear off and your back to normal, so don't sweat this part of training.
9: STUDY YOUR ARMY GUIDE BOOK
Read your army guide book that is issued to you when you start basic training. A lot of recruits are so tired during breaks and at the end of the day, they just lay around or go straight to sleep. Getting as much sleep possible is a great thing to do but during breaks dig into this book and try to memorize certain parts of the guide book. The are general orders to learn and the Army phonetic alphabet to memorize, as well as information on treating combat wounds and weapons info. You WILL be tested on the information in the book and the more you know the less the drill sergeants will harass you. I wouldn't go on trying to impress any drill sergeant, but when you have memorized your general orders and can recite them at will, the drill sergeants WILL be impressed and will move on to the next recruit to scrutinize. They might even forgive tiny mistakes you make later on if they know your "Squared away", or on top of things and grasping Army life.
10: YOU CAN DO MORE THAN YOU KNOW!
One thing that I learned during my basic training is that I can push my body far past what I thought possible. It's something I'm still thankful to the Army for to this day. At times during training giving up goes through most recruits minds but just remember these trainers(Drill Sergeants) aren't there to kill you. They just want to push you all into getting into shape physically and mentally in route to becoming a US soldier. So remember that you can do everything your asked of in training you just have to keep telling yourself you can do it. You'll be surprised at what you can actually accomplish. One thing you can tell your self is this: life in the Army after basic training is a lot different. You actually have a life and get all the freedom a normal civilian would after work hours and on weekends.(Execpt for some guard details, and when your doing field training).
These tips are just a little bit of info that should help you get through basic training easier in knowing what to expect, but ultimitly its up to you. The Army is a great place to learn discipline and job skills you can use as a civilian, not to mention getting to serve your country in the worlds greatest Army. You also make lifelong friends along the way and get to travel the country and in some cases the world. Basic training is something almost anyone can accomplish and now you know the important things to expect, good luck!