Posted: 6/15/2008 7:25:14 AM EDT
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I am leaving for OSUT at Fort Benning in less than ten days. I've enlisted 11x with airborne school with a nice enlistment bonus. (I enlisted like 3 weeks ago, I wanted the quick ship bonus) The first time I went to meps for my physical I was too fat to enlist, I've since lost 28 pounds and came back a month later and passed. I have been working out everyday, sometimes twice a day. I see a little improvment everyday. I was wondering if any former or current US Army infantrymen had any advice for me as I disembark on my vacation down south. |
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Just do what they say and keep your mouth shut! When you finally do get cut over to jump school, after a couple of months of lockdown, DON'T go crazy. Don't drink heavily, stay off the strip. No sense in getting the boot and sent to korea just for a few wild nights. |
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Keep a positive attitude. Guys who are constantly negative or whine with any real frequency tend to get balled up. When you're get ready for ruck marches, put the heaviest part of your load in the radio pouch in the front of the ruck. I always took my SAPI plates out of my IBA and put them in there. Also, make sure the top of the ruck's shoulder straps is touching the top of the frame. Don't let that sucker sag down on your back. Don't cry, flinch or squeal when you get your blood rifles. Oh, and pray to God the Army doesn't decide to make you an 11 Charlie or send you to Korea. |
I am not Infantry but did go to the BAC after basic and AIT. Listen to this and the other posters. Once you get to the Airborne course you will now have evenings to yourself. Keep your head in the game and don't mess it up. While you are there they may even offer you some Ranger training (they did to my class). Think about it. If it's something you ultimately want to do take advantage of being in good shape after all of the training you have received. |
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Ditto for the stay off Victory Blvd,,lol. Your friends will steal anything and everything you own, even your roomate will steal from you. Lock your shit if you want to keep it. SAVE money. You have free food and a free roof over your head, don't piss away money drinking, on local sluts or needless gear and toys. If you are unsure what to buy, read the above statement. Buy a shitty car if you have to have one, you will be leaving it to rot when you are in the field. In three or four years, you can leave the army with no bills, free college and 50K in the bank if you just try a little. This makes adjusting to civilian life a snap. It also makes a decent vacation and plane ride home easy. ( My stepson was stop-lossed and got over 5 years of adventure and three combat tours. He is set for six months of vacation and college in the fall) Don't loan money, don't loan gear, don't loan tools, don't loan your car. Expect it to be crappy, when it is good it will seem great. Enjoy your adventure, remember you volunteered and take good advice to heart. These days you can have a guy with four combat tours training you, he must know something useful, so listen. Speaking of listening, listen more and talk less, if you have a sorry pussy story, save it. hahaha |
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What all these guys are saying...run, run, run some more then do push ups till you fall flat on your face and then knock out some more pullups and situps to round it out. Any cardio will help you out a ton, and anything that will harden your feet will help too. I think the most important thing is to prepare to embrace the suck...your body can hack it, even in your current "soft" shape. The main thing is the mental side- take their shit, suck it the fuck up and charlie mike! Good luck to you...let us know once you get your crossed rifles! |
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At OSUT, just give it your all, all the time, but try and keep a low profile. When you get to Airborne School, the PT is ridiculously low gear for all the overweight NCO's that got Airborne school for reenlisting, so make sure you PT on your own in the evenings. When I went to Airborne School, myself and the other guys just coming off of Sand Hill hung out with some of the Marines in our company. They were much more disciplined than the Army personnel and we stayed in better shape both mentally and physically. Had to because we went to RIP next and that was no joke. |
I was curious as to what this "Ranger" training consisted of? |
Well based on your previous post, your screen name, and usage quotes around "Ranger" I am guessing you are trying to fuck with me. That's ok though...maybe I didn't provide enough detail. When I was at BAC back in 1991 they offered the class the opportunity to go to RIP while we were there then subsequent assignment to a Ranger Bat. It was a good opportunity for soldiers that didn't already have this scheduled to bypass the BS process trying to request it later down the line. |
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Work hard (don't quit, I mean really push yourself), be smart and keep your mouth shut. You do these 3 things and you will be fine. You might get the opportunity to volunteer for the Rangers, if you think you've got in you, go for it and don't look back. Good luck and thanks for joining the Infantry! |