Posted: 3/24/2006 5:28:08 AM EDT
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I'm not sure if this is the perfect place to post this so please excuse me if it isn't. I'm planning on heading off to basic training during the summer and I'm wondering what to bring? Should I just pack light, for the Army will supply me with what ever I need? Or do I need to bring anything? Thanks for the help, this is going to be a big change. |
| You want to bring the bare minimum, basically the clothes on your back and some personal hygiene stuff. You will end up having to hold whatever you bring up off the ground for extended periods along with all the stuff you get issued, so the less you have the better lol. Pretty much anything you bring is going to be locked up in a closet for the duration. |
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Running shoes, toilet kit, bible or other book of faith, no more than $100, any perscription medication you need, and the clothing on your back. Tha Army no longer issues underwear so bring at least a week's worth of skivies. They do issue t-shirts and socks. Letter writing marerial, leave the cell phone at home. NO KNIVES OR OTHER WEAPONS OF ANY KIND |
WHAT? They are depriving new recruits of the wonderful shit brown underwear?? 
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Who the hell wear underweari n the field anyway? |
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The Army does issue underwear, as I just got back from training and they issued them to me. Take only the minimum, as you wont need or want to carry anything extra. You will have more than enough stuff issued to carry around as it is. I just completed the Warrior Transition Course at Fort Knox at 42 years of age. So if I can do it, you can to. GOOD LUCK 
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If you are in the national guard, see if you can get one or two extra sets of BDU's from your unit. Depending on your drill sergeant, you may be allowed to maintain an extra set or two. Trust me, when you're hand scrubbing your laundry on your (limited) spare time, you'll be glad you have an extra set. Other than that, don't bring anything. Bring a set of clothes to get you to MEPs, and the barest essentials of personal hygiene kit, and that's it. The army will give you whatever else you need, and if you bring extra, they'll seize it. Good luck! |
Maybe that's how y'all did things at Fort Brokeback Mountain, but that's not how we did things where I was stationed.
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I wore skivvies one time in the field as a new Private. Having low crawled in water/sand during a LFX, and then stepping off on a 12 mile roadmarch, I never wore them again. If I could have skipped the movement, and just took a sander w/ 80grit to my inner thighs a "jumblies", the result would have been the same. 
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So are you saying go commando or wear boxers? |
| I wore the the brown underwear during basic. Someguys would wear PT shorts under their BDU's during the ruck marches to help prevent chaffing. It helps but now I either wear "ranger panties" which are just nylon running shorts or go commando. Just do whats comfortable and when you finish up basic you can wear whatever you want under your BDUs. |
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Stamps, writing materials and other stationary, envelopes. A prepaid calling card might come in useful later in the cycle. (We were actually instructed to call home the day we arrived in Ft Knox to let our families know we had arrived safely). A bit of cash, it cost me about $30 to get from Louisville Airport to Ft Knox, which was unexpexted. (My 'plane arrived late). Shaving gear. Feel free to bring a photograph of your family (or whatever) for your wall locker. A couple of padlocks (I used combination, so I didn't need to worry about keys) for your 'private drawer'. You will be brought to the PX on day 1 or 2 to purchase running shoes. Due to soldiers suffering foot injuries because they have shoes which are not suitable for their arches, they will stand you on a light box, give you a colour code, take you to the PX and you select your shoe from a group. "This is the Blue section, for low arches. Select your shoes from this section, blue people" www.clubi.ie/exalted/40th.htm My diary from Basic. Five years old now, but I'm sure a lot of it is the same. NTM |
We had the choice of briefs or boxers when I went in. Also back then once you were issued your uniforms you had to box up your civie clothes and send them home. |
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Pack light. Bring the clothes on your back and a debit card and you'll be good to go. Everying else will be purchased at the PX. They'll give you an EZ Pay card with an advanced pay of $250 to buy everything you need. We were issued tan underwear, but no one ever wore it. Go commando. When we got to our unit, we dumped all our shit and did inventory, everything not on the list went in the personal bag and got locked up, or got thrown away. Leave your cell phone and buy a new one when you get to your duty station. You will buy running shoes when you go to the PX at reception. Your DS may or may not allow any other shoes. Basically, it depends where you go and who your Drill Sergeants are. POG basic training seems to me more lenient than OSUT. You'll probably get smoked if you get caught wearing PT shorts or civie boxers under your ACU's. You'll get a packing list at MEPS, but a lot of things on the list will get thrown away or packed away and you'll never use them. To be honest, you're wasting your money by buying stuff. |
All the civvie stuff we had was locked up and returned to us when we graduated. As I didn't to go on to AIT, I took a cab to the airport right after graduation with my civvie bag, changed in the airport latrine and flew home in my civvies. So Andrew_C and DVCAPI, it's not quite a cut and dry situation--it all depends on where you go and who's in charge. So the best advice is to follow instructions and be Semper Gumby. |
Various basic training classes have experimented with other protective eyewear (ESS style) for all soldiers, with prescription inserts for soldiers who needed them. You may have BCG's. Contacts are not allowed in a field environment according to some or other AR, which means that they aren't allowed in BT or OSUT. Bring your standard glasses (not your nice DKNY ones), and a copy of your current prescrition. Be forewarned, even if you have a shaved head, they'll charge you $5 something for a haircut at reception. Welcome to the politics of contractual AAFES vendor agreements. Keep your mouth shut, ears open, and eyes to the front. Most of all, good luck and thanks for serving. |
Bring a copy to MEPS or to basic? |
Whatever you bring with you to MEPS goes on to basic, you won't have a chance to go back home. Make sure your prescription makes it to basic, they will issue you new eyewear there, and they may be able to use your prescription. |
They don't use those anymore. You just stand there while two PFC's (medics I assume) stab you up and down your arm with about 10 needles. Really doesn't hurt, just plain jane shots. |
Same here. That was the point in my life when I switched from "tighty whiteys" to boxers, and I have never looked back. |
Well that sucks, think of all the haz-mat med waste created by using needles instead. |
Hmmmm.... they just had us stuff all of our civvy stuff in whatever bag/suitcase that we'd brought with us, made sure the bag was marked well, and tossed them into a closet off the squad bay. The Senior DS was the only one who had the key, and we got our bags back the day before graduation. |
+1 |
Thats how it was when I went through. Commando is the only way to go, unless you enjoy monkey butt. When you get to go to the PX for toothpaste and shit, make sure to get baby wipes....nothin better for washing your juevos in the field. Edited to change "boys" to "juevos" ......Didn't want to start any hit. I'm sure I misspelled juevos.....sorry i don't speak mexican |