I read a lot about how it was terrible between 07/09, but I'm not sure if that's still the case. I enlisted as a 25s and I really don't know what to expect from it all.

As far as it being terrible, I heard stories of waiting forever to start classes, which I expect... theft of items and I honestly can't remember what else at the moment :O

Where did you read these stories at? I used to run a website so I'm curious... but AIT anywhere sucks. Its not the Army its TRADOC as I have said for 12 years. I'm stationed out of there but deployed right now. There's a few signal geeks who have gone through and are on the forums now.

As for thieves? Probably not as much now (that's anywhere in the Army though) as the criminals have a harder time getting in than 2006-2008 which is when you would of read up on their escapades in the barracks. Classes take forever becasue people tend to come in at the beginning of summer and wait forever because there's hundreds to push through. It all depends on when you come in. Also, "forever" is usually no more than 3-5 weeks and you do menial tasksi around the post to pass the time and suck my oxygen and piss me off when I go to the PX.

Hit me up when you get to Augusta I'll break a rule I care little for and we can talk story instead of the line of BS you'll get from the recruits you're with or the cool guy shit you get from the platoon sergeants that have to put up with you.

You will love it and never want to leave.  Hug your instructor when you get there and you will hit it off just fine.

I think it was military.com


I am supposed to arrive there August 27th.

I had a great time there back in the mid 80's. $1.00 cab rides anywhere on post, the little hick bar outside of gate 5 with huge beers for $.50
and the Bulldog bar inside regency mall with scantily clad dancers was fun for a hormonally challenged young man. There were some
unique areas on the border of S.C that were ah um entertaining. This was a long time ago. Brings back memories. We never had any trouble with
theft of any kind.

my step brother enlisted for 25S. Leaves for Ft Jackson in a few weeks, then to Gordon. Maybe you'll be in same area for boot, definately same class at Gordon.
I've heard good and bad about it, but just like most places, it's what you make of it.

I always had blast.

2 AITs and BNCOC. Plus mobilization when I got called back in 2006.

I guess it's what you make it.

I am due to ship June 5th.  

I wonder how it is being a 25s too... I only know one guy who does it and he doesn't say much other than it's a good job while you are in and a better job when you get out. Not sure if that's true or not but I'll find out in a year I'm sure.

I don't remember Ft. Gordon being a bad place to be.  It was a training command so you still lived under certain conditions as a trainee but overall it wasn't a bad experience.

I think a lot of people probably hated it due to the way I hear tradoc works...  Re-reading everything I realized that many of the complaints were from spouses of military members with only a few being from service members...    

Brings me to a question.

Would I be best off trying to live with my wife off base down there or on base with her staying up here?  The training is long enough to allow it, but I don't know if it's really worth the move and all the hassle.  I'm thinking it may be the best decision to live on base housing and keep her up here since I really need to focus on training and PT.  She is thinking the same as I do, but I'm curious regardless.

Leave your wife at home, stay in the barracks. You would only rate accompanied if it's over 180 days, and then probably only is CO agrees. Be a geo batchelor and call her often, have her visit, but stay at home until you PCS to first duty station.

went through in '10. compared to the barren WINDY AS SHIT tundra of southwest Oklahoma, it was fucking heaven. spent 3 months in Fort Sill hoping to never EVER return and finally got to my home station to be sent for addtl. training.. where did they sent us? OKLA-FUCKIN-HOMA. buddy of mine is from FL and he bout froze to death.
I loved Augusta, GA, back in the south, decent weather, and met some really cool people in my class.  We had a top notch CO command, all the way down to PSG. Took first place in our BDE Field Day competiton.. it wasn't without its stupidity,( MW inspections) privelege phases?! FTS) but again. it's TRADOC, not the place.
i imagine even being in Sam Houston with all the 68W chicky snacks is GONNA SUCK because it's TRADOC. IT's Supposed to SUCK.
theres only one thief in the military, everybody else is just trying to get their shit back
had a post wide problem with synthetic drugs, SPICE and every safety briefing that was made apparent by the commander.

I was there summer of 2004 for 74B (now 25B), we had DS's (about 4-5 per company) then and privates were under control.  I was back there May to Aug in 2008 for 25A, no DS's they only had about 3 E6's per company, no where near enough control for them.  I was at the PX grabbing dinner after class and saw a PVT in PT shorts and a PT jacket barely zipped, ID pouch and dog tags hanging out, PT shirt untucked.  NCOs sitting in the PX not addressing this at all, I politely told him to un-f himself before I escort him back to his company.  PVTs walking around, smoking and talking on cell phones, not saluting officers etc.  I went back in summer of 2009, same issue.  I had an E6 in my class (Satellite Planners Course) said they are essentially handcuffed into what they can do and there isn't enough NCOs in Permanent Party to control them.  Same issues with customs and courtesies, PVTs not acting like professional soldiers.  

My experiences in a nutshell over the last couple trips to FT. Gordon.

yep, the DS was phased out in order to "better prepare the soldier for close platoon interaction with PSG and squad leaders". whateverthefuck that means. i remember one day we were in formation, bout to march off to the school house and we saw a Brown Round across the lot talkin with another Sgt. SCARED THE SHIT OUT US! haha!
i guess you can only keep your own people in the right lanes, try and lead from the front. etc, but IMHO, unfucking your military bearing is everyone's duty.
fuck, if i didn't have a SSG from Charlie CO yell at me to get my hands out of my pockets. i fuckin did it damn it. He was correct and i wasn't it. simple as that.
MOS-T Sgt in our class waranted an "at ease!" everytime we saw him not because he was our instructor, or a PSG, squadleader, but because he was an NCO. proper respect and all

Ive been wondering.  Do you live in a barracks type setting in AIT?  How many people to a room?  Would it be worth having my computer brought to me while there?

When I was in AIT at Gordon, you lived in the "Barracks".  The number of guys per room varied from 2-8.  At least thats how mine were.

I was at Ft. Gordon for crypto school. Lots of fine, fresh off the bus, army poontang on that base.



Ahhhh.....the memories of penny drink night and the Bobby Friss Band at Katmandu's!!!