For all of you that have been to boot camp

[Automaggin2]

How hard is it really? I might go into the army reserves this summer but everyones like "OMG ITS SO HARD! hardest thing ever", then some say "its it not that bad"

What do i actually have to do? Like, how much running do you do a day? how much excersies? How much pysical training?

[RamboPreacher]

More PT senior drill sargent, more PT! wooha!

boot was hard (Army), but honestly, it could have been more gruelling/difficult. basicaly an intensife form of training - I think it is great, and looking back, was something that I look back on and realise just how much I learned about life.

[lopxtc]

First thing ... its Basic, only the Marines have Boot Camp ... :)

I cant tell you about army, but of the friends that I have that have gone through army basic they say its pretty much nothing compared to boot camp. In the Marines its all about breaking you down as an individual and building you back up as a part of a team. Its about finding your limit, and they will find your limit believe me, and pushing your further.

Again I cant comment on the army, but in boot I tell people expect allot of yelling. DI's (Drill Sergeant in the army) are trained to be like sharks .... once one starts to find a flaw to pick on and yell about the others join in. DO NOT take it personal. Thats the first mistake many recruits make. Yes they are jumping on you about a mistake you made, but thats what they are supposed to do. Not only are they working on correcting you, but on correcting the others in your platoon. Its not personnal, you just happened to be the one that messed up at the moment.

Get used to mentality of group punishment ... to learn to be a team you need to learn to suffer as a team. If one person messes up the team is punished. This isnt to turn the platoon against this person, its to get the platoon to look out for one another. If someone is failing or someone is falling behind the DI's want to see the team coming together and helping that individual to get better. You will probably still suffer a punishment, but it will be less if the team helps then if they leave the person to fail.

The hardest part at first was learning to stop being an "I". In Boot camp you cannot speak in first person ... you must always talk in the third person ...

No "I need to go to the head ..."
its "This recruit needs to make a head call ..."

There is no I, and they will enforce that.

The best piece of advice I will give you is probably the opposite of what most will say. And that is during basic volunter for everything. No matter how crappy a detail or job it is, be the first in line to do it. In the begining they stick you with it .... but after a little bit the DI's (or DS's) will start to see who is trying to hide in the background and will start to pick on them and tell you to go away.

And finally, during an inspection ... even if you know an answer you give to a question is wrong always stick to your answer. Always be confident that the answer you give is what you meant to give. They will attempt to ruin you bearing by making you question your answer, even if its right, just to fail you on an inspection. Always maintain bearing and remain confident in all your answers.

Feel free to PM me with any questions if you want to talk more. Like I said I can only tell you what boot camp is like, but as many will tell you the Marines have the toughest entrance of all the basic forces.

Aaron

Aaron

[Thordic]

One of my favorite scenes from Full Metal Jacket comes to mind :)


HARTMAN: Private Joker, do you believe in the Virgin Mary?

JOKER: Sir, no, sir!

(HARTMAN throws down the garbage can with a loud bang.)

HARTMAN Private Joker, I don't believe I heard you correctly!

JOKER: Sir, the private said "No, sir," sir!

HARTMAN: Why, you little maggot! You make me want to vomit!

(HARTMAN slaps JOKER, hard, across the cheek.)

HARTMAN: You (expletive deleted) communist heathen, you had best sound off that you love the Virgin Mary . . . or I'm gonna stomp your guts out! Now you do love the Virgin Mary, don't you?!

JOKER: Sir, negative, sir!!

HARTMAN: Private Joker, are you trying to offend me?!

JOKER: Sir, negative, sir!!! Sir, the private believes that any answer he gives will be wrong! And the Senior
Drill Instructor will beat him harder if he reverses himself, sir!

HARTMAN: Who's your squad leader, scumbag?

JOKER: Sir, the private's squad leader is Private Snowball, sir!!!

HARTMAN: Private Snowball!

(SNOWBALL double-times up to HARTMAN.)

SNOWBALL: Sir, Private Snowball reporting as ordered, sir!

HARTMAN: Private Snowball, you're fired! Private Joker is promoted to squad leader!

[johnny dee]

i have had a few friends and relatives that have gone into the millitary, now and 20 years ago and ive heard form my family and from my friends that it makes them a new person and it does, b4 my coudin went into the marines he was a cool guy but was a jerk about everything, when he came out he had some compasion and wanted to make things better, and its something that has stayed with my uncle sence he got out of the marines in the late 80's he is still just a jar head as he was back than,(according to my mom and aunt).

in all they said that it was fun and exciting, something new. but now my cousin is a marine recon and he said that it is more fufiling going throught that training than ne other training he had ever done....good luck if you go in.

my original plan was to go into the marines after high school but than i was diagnoses as a diabetic about 2 years ago and i was CRUSHED to find out that i couldnt go in because of that...and i realyl wanted to. I felt like it was something i had to do seeing as tho my family has a good military backround....but yeah good luck i know i rambled on and on but oh well

[-Jôker-]

its really simple.... its only as hard as you think it is, PT is 10% physical and 90% mental, when doing it just think of the next # of whatever excercise your doing, if your running think of a hott girl not how your legs feal like jello and how your throat feals like the saharra ;)

[oldsoldier]

Well, it has changed alot since some of us older folks have gone...but Basic isnt designed to make you fail; it is to help you reach beyond your limits. When youre young, get all the cool schools you can; try to get airborne, air assualt, all the fun stuff outta the way while your body heals quickly:). Other than that, it'll be tough, but, keep in mind, may hanve had it worse.
A little trick I learned a long time ago, when life gets miserable, is to think of people who have been in worse situations. Here are two of my favorites;
During the Falklands campaign, a British Field Artillery unit was engaged in Direct Action with the Argentinians. They were in desperate need of help. The RMCs (Royal Marine Commandos, essentially their marines), decided to try and get behind the Argies. To do this, they crawled 6 miles, on their hands and knees, behind a low stone wall. This allowed them to rescue the Artillery unit largely intact. Try crawling 50 yards...and multiply that times a zillion.
My other story is the SAS unit that were scud hunting, and subsequently discovered by that little girl. Well, one of them ran 186 miles nonstop in an attempt to get to Turkey. He died 16 miles from there. To even ATTEMPT to run that far is amazing.
Take these stories, and, everytime you think you are miserable, or cant handle it, think of them. Kinda puts your problem into perspective.

[ghideon]

It's all a mind game. Once you realize that and get adjusted life becomes much easier. One thing to remember is that when one of you screws up, you all screw up.