I'm joining U.S. Army...

[Stewie7Griffin]

I'm going to keep this post sweet, simple, and to the point. I'm joining the Army and will be shipping out to basic soon. I want responses from people who have been in the U.S. Armed Forces and have been to BCT. I do not want people saying "Well, my brother told me..." "I heard that...."

Any tips on how to survive/endure BCT?

[GG_Guru]

Don't die.

[Calcium Deposit]

I was in JROTC in highschool, and as a sort of "initiation" we had to do two weeks of boot camp at Fort Lewis. NO MATTER HOW MUCH THEY YELL AT YOU TRY NOT TO CRY THEY WILL JUST YELL MORE.

[Rubin0]

With such an abrasive OP I have no interest in even congratulating you on your decision. Why don't you go on an armed forces forum instead of telling people whether or not they can even post in your thread?

[Mans0n]

All I can say is good luck.

[who_cares973]

I can't see myself crying when being yelled at

[HoneyMelonCalibrator]

I would probably end up laughing while being yelled at, not crying.

Originally Posted by Rubin0

With such an abrasive OP I have no interest in even congratulating you on your decision. Why don't you go on an armed forces forum instead of telling people whether or not they can even post in your thread?

I've got to agree with her on this one. FFR doesn't seem like the best place to receive advice on joining the Army. I can only think of maybe a handful of people currently enrolled if even.

[DotKritic]

Surviving Military Boot Camp
Army Basic Training

[Thatskier]

Its not worth it. You could get the pensions and respect with Peace Core.

Have fun killing people.

Have fun being killed.

[krunkykai22]

Contrary to what many people say, it's not that bad, believe me. If you have the endurance and what not, you'll do fine. Sure it's going to push you to the limits, but you'll thank them later. It starts off pretty rough and gets easier with time. You'll do fine.

But, piss of the drill sergeant, Good ****ing Riddance.

[Calcium Deposit]

There's more to the army than just dying/killing. Quite a few positions require zero combat.

[DotKritic]

^
Yeah...

[G.S.M]

You just have to hang in there. My family is full of people that were in differen't parts of the military.

Do your best.

[Crashfan3]

OP, when do you leave?

I leave for USAF Basic Training 4/3/2011 ;o

[AsphyxZero]

oh hello I'm currently in the army (getting medically discharged though)

I went to BCT 3 years ago so I don't know if it's still the same. I went to Fort Jackson, which some people (more like everyone) call relaxin Jackson. Don't let that fool you, Fort Jackson is definitely tough. I was in Alpha Company, 3-14 Infantry Battalion for the 9 weeks I was there.

At basic, you can pretty much expect what you've seen in movies. Drill Sergeant will yell at you, it'll be tough, you'll be "smoked," etc. Push-ups are definitely used a shit ton for punishment. Do NOT give any of the cadre any issues. Fly under the radar. What that means is make sure they don't know who you are. That's the best way to go through basic. If you're getting mail and the DS asks "Who da **** is this ***," feel good. Other than that, just do what you're told and you'll be fine.

Here are some helpful tips I've learned throughout my short but informative career in the army:

Holding your breath does help with marksmanship. But don't inhale and hold. Exhale until the lowest point and then don't breath. Don't tap the trigger, follow through with your shot. It's like golf, but it has the potential to kill someone.

Be the Switzerland in your platoon. Don't try to act all tough, but don't be the wimpy kid. If you have a good sense of humor, by all means USE IT. Humor got me through BCT and AIT (although most of AIT was witty one-liner comebacks to my friends that made fun of me lmao).

DO NOT FALL ASLEEP ON FIRE GUARD. HOLY SHIT, IF THE CADRE CATCHES YOU DOING THIS, YOU WILL ALL DIE.

DO NOT MISPLACE YOUR WEAPON. HOLY SHIT, IF THE CADRE SOMEHOW GETS YOUR WEAPON, YOU WILL ALL DIE.

Do not be afraid to go to sick call. If you're getting sharp pains in your shoulder or some other joint/muscle, ask a DS about it. Buddy of mine didn't think anything of it and he ended up dislocating his shoulder doing pull-ups.

During ruck marches, hum to yourself. Walking 12k with 40-50 lbs on your back gets really ****in boring.

Make absolutely sure you hydrate. If you're going to basic during the summer, this is extremely important. I wasn't completely hydrated and almost died after a 10k ruck march (body stopped sweating, went into some kind of shock (I was told this, all I remember was falling and then I'm in a hospital bed)).

And finally, make sure you send letters. If your training is anything like mine was, you will get your phone once when you get to the training area to tell your family when they can come out. And then once during grad week to tell them you're still alive.

Have fun with it. Not many people get to experience something like this. And the majority of soldiers say that basic was the most fun they've had. If you have any other questions, about BCT, AIT, or active duty, feel free to ask.

[Patricoo]

Originally Posted by HoneyMelonCalibrator

I've got to agree with her on this one. FFR doesn't seem like the best place to receive advice on joining the Army. I can only think of maybe a handful of people currently enrolled if even.

No I see where he's getting at. Any time you mention anything about expectations of the army you get people saying things like this;

Originally Posted by Thatskier

Its not worth it. You could get the pensions and respect with Peace Core.

Have fun killing people.

Have fun being killed.

You don't get jack with the peace core. Its also a terrible post-college choice if you still have loans to pay.

[AsphyxZero]

Originally Posted by Thatskier

Its not worth it. You could get the pensions and respect with Peace Core.

Have fun killing people.

Have fun being killed.

This post is terrible. First off, it's peace corps. Secondly, there are a massive amount of jobs that don't require combat. Actually, the majority of jobs don't require combat. I'm a communications specialist. I have a few friends who are light-wheeled mechanics. I also have friends you work on night vision, some that are Bradley mechanics.

M.I. usually don't have to engage in combat. Except for special forces, interrogators, and psychological operations, most of M.I. sits behind a desk or something like that.

[kommisar]

They will break you and re-assemble you to be an efficient soldier, remember that. It depends how strong you are mentally. It can be a simple process or it can be the worst days of your life. Just follow mr. texass soldier's tips and you'll be fine.

Ask yourself the right questions before going in such a career. It's not as simple to just say "meh I don't want to do this anymore" like any other career choice you may make.

[AsphyxZero]

Originally Posted by kommisar

mr. texass

ya gay

[Litodude]

hydrate hydrate hydrate

don't sneak food

don't sleep on duty

don't laugh

answer each question, even if it's a rhetorical one

ps don't laugh