What's Basic Training really like.

[hornadylnl]

The tank platoon I was in was attached to an Infantry company at Ft Carson and every field exercise we made sure to run the engines first thing in the morning. It always gave you Infantry types a place to dry out your sleeping bags and give ya a place to warm up.

Were you ACR? I can't remember which cav unit was there. I was in 1/8 in 98. Carson was a beautiful place. I lived off of I25 and Uintah.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

I would say something. However, if I do, downsyndrome will be along with some smart *** comment. So all I'll say, is that winters in NJ, are freaking cold!

 

[Airborne33]

Basic is a mind game. For the Army it is 9 weeks.. period. The week or so you spend prior to that at reception doesn't count.. The time you spend training for your MOS afterwards doesn't count either (All you grunts out there need fess up lol).

Basic training is usually meant to be a stressful course, it will get you in shape, prepare you for military service, and teach you how to work in and as a team. Each branch will have a drop out rate, but for the most part if you are in decent shape and have a good head on your shoulders you will make it through.

What is it like? It is only what you make of it. If you are the kind of guy that can laugh with your co workers and buddies when life sucks, if you enjoy being challenged and learning new things, and you understand that even though you are valuable - the good of the team and accomplishment of the mission is more important that any one individual... you will enjoy yourself and be successful.

A lot of people confuse basic training with the be all end all of military training. This is a major misconception. Basic training is only there to teach you the absolute basics. Your training in the Army will continue until you leave service. Even throughout your AIT - MOS training, you should still be going to ranges and honing your rifle skills. This was true for me - I had a 54 week AIT and I recall being taken out and training on weapons quite frequently during that time.

Well before I get too off course, just to answer your question. Basic training is difficult. It can be really difficult for some people. You can make it easier on yourself and your buddies if you decide to work as a team earlier rather than later. Typically the only ones who don't make it are the ones who refuse to join the team and do things on their own. They lie, cheat, sit on their ass, and eventually are caught.

Even though it is difficult, basic training is one of those experiences that you will look back fondly upon. I made some very good hopefully lifelong friends in basic training. That was years ago for me. I know basic has changed. The Army has really stepped away from the outdated traditions of basic, and have changed to a program that really focuses on preparing troops for the realities of war. They do a lot more room clearing (not cleaning), focus more on the team aspect, and taught to think. I don't like writing every little thing down for a Private to do. I prefer when I can give a task and they figure out how to do it on their own.

Basic training is where the Army will help you change from a civillian to a Soldier. Soldiers are what this country needs, because Soldiers are what wins this countries wars.

If you still feel like you don't know what basic is like.. Well there's no good way to explain it. It's a fact. The only way you'll ever know what it is like, is to get out there and do it. I've talked to guys from various services, and you'd think all they have ever done was go to basic training. That should tell you something. Honestly there's nothing more annoying then people telling war stories about basic training. I guess I do make exceptions from time to time when I bump into people I went to basic with six years ago..

 

[Airborne33]

Oh yeah, there's a lot of talk about "stress cards". Has anyone actually held one in their hands? I heard about them before I went to basic. While I was at basic I never seen one or even heard talk of anyone ever having them. A few years after basic I heard more rumors about them. I've never actually met anyone that has gone through basic and held one in their hands. It's usually some story- a friend of a friend. More times then not it comes about because either some old dude in the Army wants to talk about how hard basic was when he went through - or someone else wants to talk garbage about our service. Still waiting to hear someone who has held one in their hands in basic. +1 to anyone who still has theirs on them (IE DIDN'T USE IT).

 

[j706]

Oh yeah, there's a lot of talk about "stress cards". Has anyone actually held one in their hands? I heard about them before I went to basic. While I was at basic I never seen one or even heard talk of anyone ever having them. A few years after basic I heard more rumors about them. I've never actually met anyone that has gone through basic and held one in their hands. It's usually some story- a friend of a friend. More times then not it comes about because either some old dude in the Army wants to talk about how hard basic was when he went through - or someone else wants to talk garbage about our service. Still waiting to hear someone who has held one in their hands in basic. +1 to anyone who still has theirs on them (IE DIDN'T USE IT).

Never heard of a stress card. The whole point is to create stress and determine who can deal with it or not.

 

[hornadylnl]

Basic is a mind game. For the Army it is 9 weeks.. period. The week or so you spend prior to that at reception doesn't count.. The time you spend training for your MOS afterwards doesn't count either (All you grunts out there need fess up lol).

I lived in the same barracks with the same guys and drill sergeants for 16 weeks with the same intensity for about 14 weeks of it. From every one I've talked to that went through other MOS's had a much more relaxed atmosphere in their AIT then what we had.

taught to think. I don't like writing every little thing down for a Private to do. I prefer when I can give a task and they figure out how to do it on their own.

Basic training is where the Army will help you change from a civillian to a Soldier. Soldiers are what this country needs, because Soldiers are what wins this countries wars.

It's my belief that beating soldiers into submission 24/7 doesn't teach them to think. It doesn't stimulate them to think. It teaches following orders. I would much rather have a soldier do something out of respect than fear because they will do it better every time. We had one drill sergeant that was tough as nails but we believed that everything he did to us was for our own good, not because he took joy in it. He told me one day that he could get more work out of 10 joes than the other drills could get out of 50. He was right. The guys respected him.

Treat soldiers worse than live stock and then wonder why they get the f out. I was made to feel like I was nothing more than a dirt bag for the first 3 years in. For the last 6 months, I was the best thing that ever happened to the Army only because my leadership was worried about their NCOer or Oer.

 

[SemperFiUSMC]

Oh yeah, there's a lot of talk about "stress cards". Has anyone actually held one in their hands? I heard about them before I went to basic. While I was at basic I never seen one or even heard talk of anyone ever having them. A few years after basic I heard more rumors about them. I've never actually met anyone that has gone through basic and held one in their hands. It's usually some story- a friend of a friend. More times then not it comes about because either some old dude in the Army wants to talk about how hard basic was when he went through - or someone else wants to talk garbage about our service. Still waiting to hear someone who has held one in their hands in basic. +1 to anyone who still has theirs on them (IE DIDN'T USE IT).

A thing on stress cards. My brother followed me into the Marine Corps in 1983. He was a very young 17, but was a bone crusher (6'0, 210). He was still a momma's boy. His drill instructors allowed him to call home a few times. Not when he was in stress, but as a way to relieve it afterwards. Damnedest thing I had ever heard of.

He went on to become an 0311, and then a scout / sniper. He went to every cool school the Marine Corps had to offer, and when he was out of cool schools, he went to BUD/S. He's a Master Chief on his final enlistment, Just back from Iraq and already back to Afganistan again. He'll have 30 years combined time between the Marine Corps and Navy.

Without those few phone calls home from recruit training he may have quit.

 

[Airborne33]

A phone call and a stress card are two different things. Calling home provides peace of mind and extra motivation. A stress card is an easy way out.

Yes if someone has a longer AIT of course it's going to be more laid back than a shorter one. Even more so if the longer AIT is a combat support job. It's just the name of the game. It costs a lot of money to put people through training. There's no need to keep someone in basic training mode for the 54 weeks or AIT. Our mission in AIT is to learn our job which is really technical. Sure they didn't baby us and they still messed with us from time to time, nothing they did interfered with the mission.

Yes I don't believe poeple need to be beaten in Basic Training. Anyone who isn't mature enough to learn from counseling and p.t. simply doesn't belond in the Army. From what I understand the Army has completely done away with physical abuse in Basic. Every once in a while you hear a story. Whether or not they are true is anyones guess (You know how privates and rumors are).

Yeah I saw a recruit get kicked in the head in basic training. That might sound terrible, until you learn that the guy was on the firing range and fell asleep with a loaded rifle and was wearing a ballistic helmet. Who knows how many people he put in danger. Thiskid was a turd though and we picked on him. We joked that he'd fall asleep at the grenade range. We acted a lot like highschool kids (even though most of us were pretty young).

 

[kedie]

I lived in the same barracks with the same guys and drill sergeants for 16 weeks with the same intensity for about 14 weeks of it. From every one I've talked to that went through other MOS's had a much more relaxed atmosphere in their AIT then what we had.

We were getting smoked just as hard in week 13 as we were the first week. I never heard a fellow 11B say they went to AIT. It was all just basic.

It's my belief that beating soldiers into submission 24/7 doesn't teach them to think.

We didn't really have anybody get beat. We did get smacked around during brass and ammo checks. We had some brutal smoke sessions though.

 

[hornadylnl]

A thing on stress cards. My brother followed me into the Marine Corps in 1983. He was a very young 17, but was a bone crusher (6'0, 210). He was still a momma's boy. His drill instructors allowed him to call home a few times. Not when he was in stress, but as a way to relieve it afterwards. Damnedest thing I had ever heard of.

He went on to become an 0311, and then a scout / sniper. He went to every cool school the Marine Corps had to offer, and when he was out of cool schools, he went to BUD/S. He's a Master Chief on his final enlistment, Just back from Iraq and already back to Afganistan again. He'll have 30 years combined time between the Marine Corps and Navy.

Without those few phone calls home from recruit training he may have quit.

Sounds like he had good leadership to me. They could have just drove him into the ground and washed him out for being a "momma's boy" but they must have recognized something in him. Good thing because it sounds like your brother has given much to this country.

I just think it's a huge mistake to take the "one size fits all" approach to military training. Not every student in a class room learns or is motivated in the same way. A good teacher recognizes that and works with it. Not every child responds and learns from their parents discipline in the same way. A good parent will learn how to best discipline and motivate their child.

to your brother.

 

[hornadylnl]

We were getting smoked just as hard in week 13 as we were the first week. I never heard a fellow 11B say they went to AIT. It was all just basic.





We didn't really have anybody get beat. We did get smacked around during brass and ammo checks. We had some brutal smoke sessions though.

We never had anyone get beat. One day our 6'3" Cuban drill sergeant had us out in the treeline practicing hand to hand combat and otherwise just killing time. We had a guy who was a pretty good wrestler in school and they decided to have a go at it. As they were rolling around, the private got some scrapes on his face and the drill sergeant about freaked making sure he was okay.

If any of my leaders would have beat on me, I would have shut down. That isn't what motivates me. Besides, it takes a real coward to lock somebody up at attention and beat them. My daughter was having trouble at school and we would spank her, etc. That only lead to more problems such as lying about her day at school. She was lying to keep from getting spanked. I had to adjust my discipline.

 

[E5RANGER375]

I never understood the losers that tried to off themselves in basic? I also saw 2 fools try to kill themselves. geesh. Basic was mostly fun. there was times in the beginning when I thought WTF wheres my mommy? (ok maybe im exagerating a bit ) for me the Army was the first real family I ever had. Everything done was to make us better soldiers and that means we stay alive! The Army made me a better man and gave me a sense of belonging and brotherhood. I would wish that experience on everyone!

 

[DragonGunner]

Something I just remembered back in Benning in 82', as a 11B, a private from another platoon went off an walked towards me screaming an cussing, followed by his drill sgt. telling him to get back here! He threw his helmet at the sgt. calling every filthy word in the book, threw his gear off going past me with drill sgt. still following him...later the private went back to his platoon an the sgt. who was a Nam vet disapeared. The drill sgt. had got in trouble before for hitting recruits an they discharged him. He didn't like the performance of the recruit an had slapped him across the face...an this recruit wasn't taking it.

 

[SemperFiUSMC]

Sounds like he had good leadership to me. They could have just drove him into the ground and washed him out for being a "momma's boy" but they must have recognized something in him. Good thing because it sounds like your brother has given much to this country.

I just think it's a huge mistake to take the "one size fits all" approach to military training. Not every student in a class room learns or is motivated in the same way. A good teacher recognizes that and works with it. Not every child responds and learns from their parents discipline in the same way. A good parent will learn how to best discipline and motivate their child.

to your brother.

I don't entirely disagree with you, but there is a place and time to open a can o whoopass on somebody.

Long story short, we threw a blanket party for a hog body in recruit training. Worst beating I've ever seen anybody take. He deserved it. He was a $4itbird through and through. Broke several ribs, and he got dropped and sent back to medical platoon. I met up with him a couple years later, and he was AJ squared away. It took a first degree @$$ whoopin to get his mind right.

 

[Airborne33]

I don't think I could do that to another Soldier. A fight is a fight, but jumping him is out of the question for me. I wouldn't do anything to lose the trust of a battle buddy. Who knows when you might be messed up in the middle of the road and it's up to them to make the right decision to drag you to safety.

Don't take it personal though, who knows what the situation was for you guys. Maybe he put someone's life in danger or something. Marines always had a strange way or dealing with problems.

 

[Blue Tile Spook]

"CODE REDS", "BLANKET PARTY"... whatever you want to call it, they happen in all services. I have seen one administered in boot and one in the fleet on a carrier.

The kid in boot didn't make it through boot as he seemed to be actively trying to screw up and cause dissension, the sailor in the fleet was ADMIN discharged after a Captain's Mast under the UCMJ.

 

[kedie]

I don't entirely disagree with you, but there is a place and time to open a can o whoopass on somebody.

Long story short, we threw a blanket party for a hog body in recruit training.

Hog body! We had a guy like that in my platoon. Refused to shower no matter what, and was just a general ****bag. It seemed like his only reason for being there was to make the rest of our lives a living hell. It didn't come to a beating, but he was drug outside and threatned with a washtub and a wire brush if he didn't clean himself up.

 

[E5RANGER375]

"CODE REDS", "BLANKET PARTY"... whatever you want to call it, they happen in all services. I have seen one administered in boot and one in the fleet on a carrier.

The kid in boot didn't make it through boot as he seemed to be actively trying to screw up and cause dissension, the sailor in the fleet was ADMIN discharged after a Captain's Mast under the UCMJ.

heck yeah they do

usualy corrects the problem too. or maybe it just felt like it did. its never fun to get smoked for someone elses lack of mental discipline. thats all basic is is mental. theres no way anyone that age (barring some REAL medical issue) should'nt be able to make it through the physical part. if they fail its because they mentaly failed. Having been pushed to my limit and then further, I can tell you that the mind is your worse enemy until you learn to use it. learn to use your mind and you could walk through hot lava to save your battle buddy until your legs were stumps, and then you would start crawling

Its all a mental game. They set the bar and some people look at the goal thats all the way at the end instead of setting smaller goals and winning smaller victories to get to the end goal and win the big prize, whatever that may be.

 

[GI JOE]

ahhhh... good times haha

 

[darinb]

I never understood the losers that tried to off themselves in basic? I also saw 2 fools try to kill themselves. geesh. Basic was mostly fun. there was times in the beginning when I thought WTF wheres my mommy? (ok maybe im exagerating a bit ) for me the Army was the first real family I ever had. Everything done was to make us better soldiers and that means we stay alive! The Army made me a better man and gave me a sense of belonging and brotherhood. I would wish that experience on everyone!

+1 The brotherhood the military creates is almost the closest thing to a real family you can get. Hooah!