[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Army Basic Training (Page 1 of 3)
Posted: 3/5/2010 12:34:58 PM EDT
| Anyone who has been to basic training have any insight they want to share with someone who will be going there in about 9 months? |
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Quoted: Yeah...much like most things in the Army...it's stupid and fun all in one fell swoop. Quoted: Run. Do push ups. Do sit ups. Don't take anything personal and do everything exactly as told...then prepare to be smoked even for doing it right. It's a big mind game...once you get around that...it's actually fun. Or was to me. I actually enjoyed it. |
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Quoted: Run. Do push ups. Do sit ups. Don't take anything personal and do everything exactly as told...then prepare to be smoked even for doing it right. It's a big mind game...once you get around that...it's actually fun. Or was to me. That is about it. The great thing about the Army is you get out of it what you put into it.
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Be anonymous ––especially at first.
One day about week 3 or so I was going through the chow line and my senior drill sergeant gets about a tenth of an inch from my face and screams "MYLASTNAME!!!! Are you one of my fucking guys?" ... "Drill Sergeant, yes, Drill Sergeant"... "Holy shit someone as big and dumb looking as you and I still don't recognize you? You must be doing something right. Keep it up, now get the fuck out of my face!" 
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1. Get in shape NOW. Basic will be more 'fun' if it's not killing you physically.
2. Your goal should be to graduate without the Drill Sergeants knowing your name without having to look at your uniform. Your performance in Basic is alot like your elementary school grades....once you graduate, nobody gives a shit how well you did. 3. Remember that it's a head-game. The Drill's purpose is to get you to think like a soldier rather than as an individual and a civilian. Don't let them get under your skin. 4. Get good at moving quickly all the time. It's fucking exhausting moving full speed all the time. 5. No matter how tired you are, do NOT fall asleep during classroom instruction. They will make you pay (ask me how I know). 6. No matter how knowledgeable you are about the AR15, when it comes time to learn how to field strip an M4, don't get ahead of the instructors. They will make you pay (ask me how I know). 7. NEVER leave your rifle leaning up against a tree while you're picking up brass...they will make you pay (ask me how I know) 7. Take care of your feet...you're gonna abuse the shit out of them (ask me how I know). 8. Regardless of how bad it sucks at the time, you WILL look back on it fondly years from now. Remember that and do your best to enjoy it! You will get to play with cool toys and do shit that your average college jockey will never do. |
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1. Keep your mouth shut and your ears open. 2. Be in the right place at the right time and in the right uniform. Oh, and don't fall down exiting the bus when you arrive at your training company. The drills will be all over you like a pack of rabid hyenas.  They had us run into close arm intervals (basically) then told us all to ground our gear on each side of us (no room)...hilarity and smoke session ensued. 1) Don't think you can win...you can't, you're supposed to get fucked up. 2) Make it look like you're trying a little bit. 3) Think about how funny it is from their perspective
4) If you're doing pushups and your big ass BCGs fall off your face....don't pick them up––-you were not ordered to. You are not fast enough to get away with it. I got swarmed for that dumb mistake....3 drills screaming at the top of their lungs for about 15 seconds....I had some much Copenhagen flakes stuck to my face and glasses, it was hard to see
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Yeah...much like most things in the Army...it's stupid and fun all in one fell swoop.
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Run. Do push ups. Do sit ups. Don't take anything personal and do everything exactly as told...then prepare to be smoked even for doing it right. It's a big mind game...once you get around that...it's actually fun. Or was to me. I actually enjoyed it. This, and that. Both above true. +2. Have fun 'croot! |
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1. Get in shape NOW. Basic will be more 'fun' if it's not killing you physically. 2. Your goal should be to graduate without the Drill Sergeants knowing your name without having to look at your uniform. Your performance in Basic is alot like your elementary school grades....once you graduate, nobody gives a shit how well you did. 3. Remember that it's a head-game. The Drill's purpose is to get you to think like a soldier rather than as an individual and a civilian. Don't let them get under your skin. 4. Get good at moving quickly all the time. It's fucking exhausting moving full speed all the time. 5. No matter how tired you are, do NOT fall asleep during classroom instruction. They will make you pay (ask me how I know). 6. No matter how knowledgeable you are about the AR15, when it comes time to learn how to field strip an M4, don't get ahead of the instructors. They will make you pay (ask me how I know). 7. NEVER leave your rifle leaning up against a tree while you're picking up brass...they will make you pay (ask me how I know) 7. Take care of your feet...you're gonna abuse the shit out of them (ask me how I know). 8. Regardless of how bad it sucks at the time, you WILL look back on it fondly years from now. Remember that and do your best to enjoy it! You will get to play with cool toys and do shit that your average college jockey will never do. But, how do you know?
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I would start running with a 3 day pack with some weight in it. When the Drill Seargent says to sound off you holler at the top of your lungs Don't volunteer for KP ( although you might be voluntold ) Take some good running shoes since your gonna use those alot try to keep your uniforn neat and as wrinkle free as possible. shave correctly |
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do not volunteer for anything. keep a low profile if you can ( don't do stupid shit) Actually, after almost 7 years in the Army, I have found that it is better to volunteer just enough so that you don't get voluntold to do stuff. Case in point, my first week in Korea I volunteerd to guard an ammo truck that was parked just outside the fence. about 2 and a half days of duty, IIRC, and I got a 4 day weekend the next weekend and got out of all of the shit details that came own for the next little while. The low profile thing is 110% correct. The saddest day for me this deployment was finding out that the SGM knew my name. 
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Run. Do push ups. Do sit ups. Don't take anything personal and do everything exactly as told...then prepare to be smoked even for doing it right. It's a big mind game...once you get around that...it's actually fun. Or was to me. This It can be fun. Especially if you are in shape already. If you volunteer for everything at first they will start picking others instead of you
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It isnt what it used to be, enjoy your cell phone and smoke breaks. WTF? It was not like this at Benning on 2005. (1/50) I know a guy at leonardwood right now I got him in, hes on facebook everyday, and hes in redphase. This is scary  Maybe somebody is updating it for him-epic ownage if you know his Drill Sergeant's (or even better First Sergeant's) name and send him a screenshot. |
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It isnt what it used to be, enjoy your cell phone and smoke breaks. WTF? It was not like this at Benning on 2005. (1/50) I know a guy at leonardwood right now I got him in, hes on facebook everyday, and hes in redphase. WTF is a "redphase"? In '89, guidon colors would change as your company progress through the 8 weeks of basic-IIRC, it went red, white, blue. |
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1. Get in shape NOW. Basic will be more 'fun' if it's not killing you physically. 2. Your goal should be to graduate without the Drill Sergeants knowing your name without having to look at your uniform. Your performance in Basic is alot like your elementary school grades....once you graduate, nobody gives a shit how well you did. 3. Remember that it's a head-game. The Drill's purpose is to get you to think like a soldier rather than as an individual and a civilian. Don't let them get under your skin. 4. Get good at moving quickly all the time. It's fucking exhausting moving full speed all the time. 5. No matter how tired you are, do NOT fall asleep during classroom instruction. They will make you pay (ask me how I know). 6. No matter how knowledgeable you are about the AR15, when it comes time to learn how to field strip an M4, don't get ahead of the instructors. They will make you pay (ask me how I know). 7. NEVER leave your rifle leaning up against a tree while you're picking up brass...they will make you pay (ask me how I know) 7. Take care of your feet...you're gonna abuse the shit out of them (ask me how I know). 8. Regardless of how bad it sucks at the time, you WILL look back on it fondly years from now. Remember that and do your best to enjoy it! You will get to play with cool toys and do shit that your average college jockey will never do. But, how do you know?
He he.. #5: Iron chair in front of my entire platoon until I was damn near crying and about to piss on myself. #6: Do NOT have the weapon fully broken down and parts placed on the silhouette mat when the instructor says "Step 1, push out the rear take-down pin"..you can't get it back together fast enough for them to not notice...I know. #7: Yeah...I was on brass detail after combat movement training (buddy ready!...buddy moving!), so to have both hands free to police up all the blanks we'd dumped on the ground, I leaned my rifle up against a tree...with all that brass in my hands, I plum forgot my rifle and left it leaning there. A drill sergeant was, uh....nice enough to return it to me. #8: My boots were so stiff that my left boot strained and broke a bone in my foot on a 9 mile road-march during BRM. When we got to the range, I pulled my foot out of my boot and it started swelling so fast that I just shoved it back into the boot for fear that I wouldn't be able to get it back in if I waited any longer. I ran PT and marched on that foot for two more days until a health inspection at the barracks revealed a foot that was about half again as large as the other. 2 weeks in a cast in basic training SUCKED, but I didn't get recycled....that cast was nothing but a sock on the bottom by the time it was ready to come off. |
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Just blend in. None of it is overly difficult, but you have nothing to gain by being the best at everything in BCT. When you actually get to a unit, they aren't going to give a flying fuck about anything you did in basic. Standing out in basic for any reason is just going to put you on the DS's radar and you'll end up getting fucked with for no reason all the damn time.
I managed to fly under the radar for the first 6 weeks or so. At one point my Senior Drill Sergeant even asked me if I was in his platoon My cover was blown the day I qualified expert on the M16A4.. oh well. At that point we were well past the getting fucked with for no reason phase so it really didn't matter.
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: It isnt what it used to be, enjoy your cell phone and smoke breaks. WTF? It was not like this at Benning on 2005. (1/50) I know a guy at leonardwood right now I got him in, hes on facebook everyday, and hes in redphase. He doesn't go by the name, Fieroloki, does he? |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: It isnt what it used to be, enjoy your cell phone and smoke breaks. WTF? It was not like this at Benning on 2005. (1/50) I know a guy at leonardwood right now I got him in, hes on facebook everyday, and hes in redphase. This is scary Holy fuck. |
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Keep your mouth shut and do exactly what you're told. If your Drill Sergeants don't know your roster number or name by Graduation, you've done well. Depends completely on your DS. They knew my name by the end of the first week. I caught the least amount of shit in the platoon, probably because they saw that I had a good head on my shoulders and wasn't a fuckup. One of the DS being from KS also probably helped.
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what's iron chair? Knees bent @ 90 degrees, thighs parallel to ground, arms stretched forward like the arm rests of a chair-if you're really, really, lucky, you're leaning against a wall. I guess I was lucky, I got the wall, but I think they used the wall as an excuse to keep me there longer. That was some painful shit. |
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It isnt what it used to be, enjoy your cell phone and smoke breaks. WTF? It was not like this at Benning on 2005. (1/50) I know a guy at leonardwood right now I got him in, hes on facebook everyday, and hes in redphase. WTF is a "redphase"? PHASE I Red Phase or Patriot Phase (Weeks 1-3) Overview * Recruits arrive for general orientation and are issued haircuts and Army uniforms. * Basic Tactical training begins followed by Nuclear Biological and Chemical Defense, Landmine Defense and rappelling at the confidence tower. * Recruits learn about Army heritage and the Seven Army Core Values * Recruits undergo the Army Physical Fitness Test to help determine their physical aptitude. This test is routinely administered to Soldiers throughout their enlistment periods to ensure their top physical condition. * This phase focuses on the starting the soldierization process. The following subjects are introduced and taught. PHASE II White Phase or Gunfighter Phase Overview * Recruits go through Marksmanship and combat training and learn to rappel at the Warrior Tower. This training teaches vital Soldier skills and instills them with more confidence. PHASE III Blue Phase Overview * After becoming familiar with the use of automatic weapons and hand grenades in U.S. Weapons training, recruits put their training to the test as they negotiate the Night Infiltration Course. Red Phase is "Total Control" phase. 30sec-1min showers, DS marches you everywhere, you're known as nothing. White Phase is more lax.....start to march yourselves to chow, 1-5min showers.....5min phone calls on Sunday. Blue Phase even more lax......march yourselves everywhere, showers as long as you want, 10min phone calls on Sunday or if you're done for the day. The above in blue is my own experience from 2003....things have changed quite a bit, so I've been told since then. |
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do not volunteer for anything. keep a low profile if you can ( don't do stupid shit) Actually, after almost 7 years in the Army, I have found that it is better to volunteer just enough so that you don't get voluntold to do stuff. Case in point, my first week in Korea I volunteerd to guard an ammo truck that was parked just outside the fence. about 2 and a half days of duty, IIRC, and I got a 4 day weekend the next weekend and got out of all of the shit details that came own for the next little while. The low profile thing is 110% correct. The saddest day for me this deployment was finding out that the SGM knew my name.
An idiot in my company lost a radio during CEFTX, so our drills got my platoon together for a meeting to go get it (done as if it was like a recovery op) "Ok, we can only fit 30 in the truck, who wants to go?" 20 dumbasses raise hands "stand in the hallway and wait, anyone else?" 10 more raise hands "ok, go tell the other idiots to go take naps in their beds, the rest of you fuckers jam yourselves in the trucks, we're gonna find that radio!" |
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Yeah...much like most things in the Army...it's stupid and fun all in one fell swoop.
Quoted:
Run. Do push ups. Do sit ups. Don't take anything personal and do everything exactly as told...then prepare to be smoked even for doing it right. It's a big mind game...once you get around that...it's actually fun. Or was to me. I actually enjoyed it. True, true. |
That never happened in 1969. You had to call them "Drill Sergeant". Have things changed