boot camp tips
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jambra ...@yahoo.com (jameson)
here is the post i am posting into 4 military geared newsgroups...
Hi all; I hope this is a relevant newsgroup to post this in, if not, then please forgive the post.
I have a friend of whom I have known for many, many years. We have gone to one another for help on everything. He recently has decided to join the U.S. Military. He is looking at the Navy, but he isn't 100% sure yet. It isn't relevant to this post anyway. He has come to me for advice, of which I have none since I have no experience in this field.
His only fear, it seems, is boot camp. The guy doesn't know what to expect first of all. Secondly, he is scared that he won't have what it takes to make it through; mentally or physically (both of which I am sure he is able). I would ***ume this is a normal fear.
This got me thinking. And I started to think that perhaps there are MANY OTHER kids who may want to serve their country, yet the fear of boot camp may prevent them from doing so. I thought that since I am a part-time writer, that I could write a pamphlet, or short book, or even a website on tips or advice on getting through boot camps (mind preparation, physical demands, maybe some pre-boot camp exercises, etc).
The only Military background I have is that my dad was in the Air Force (plane mechanic) and my brother was in the Navy (Sea Bee), so I was hoping perhaps some of you folks in this newsgroup could help my friend, and potentially many other young men and women who are thinking about joining our armed forces.
Please feel free to post some advice or tips to this newsgroup. They would be much appreciated. I am sure that certain Military boot camps may have some activities that are to remain secretive. I understand this if this is the case. I am sorry if my post seems to broad and general.
Thanks so much in advance!
James
"Arved Sandstrom" asandst...@accesswave.ca
Reasonably relevant. I don't think there is a sci.military.bootcamp NG.
Yep, pretty normal. Odds are, if he's in decent shape, isn't a druggie, has average morals and ethics, and decent people skills, he'll do just fine.
Pretty much all of that information already is available. That's precisely the function of recruiters. Me personally, I did the shock treatment program - I was aboard Parris Island less than two months after contacting a gunny at the Ottawa US emb***y (not a legal procedure, incidentally). And I suppose that just about all I ever knew was that I was going to be challenged, even though I stayed with my recruiter (a staff sergeant) and his wife for about a month in upperstate New York.
The information is there, though, and recruiters take pains to make sure that potential enlistees are well-informed. It's not in their interests to have washouts, because it reflects on them. I don't know if the other services have poolee programs, but the USMC certainly does. As I say, I was never a poolee myself, but the program is good, and lets the people know sort of what to expect.
Any extra material (a well-written pamphlet, or a good website) is, of course, not to be discouraged.
There's actually almost nothing you can do to prepare for boot camp, except for trying to get into decent physical shape before you go. There's no "mind preparation" you can do at all - either you are motivated or you are not.
[ SNIP ] [ SNIP ] No, there won't be any cl***ified material or activities ***ociated with recruit training.
AHS
zzbun ...@netscape.net (ZZBunker)
There isn't a GPS equipped bear hunter in the entire US that can't p*** military boot camp, no matter what branch it is, even the Russian Army bootcamp.
If you can lift the bear onto a pickup truck, you can even p*** marine bootcamp. There are no secrets.
zzbun ...@netscape.net (ZZBunker)
There isn't a GPS equipped bear hunter in the entire US that can't p*** military boot camp, no matter what branch it is, even the Russian Army bootcamp.
If you can lift the bear onto a pickup truck, you can even p*** marine bootcamp. There are no secrets.
Steven James Forsberg sjfor...@bayou.uh.edu
: His only fear, it seems, is boot camp. The guy doesn't know what to : expect first of all. Secondly, he is scared that he won't have what it : takes to make it through; mentally or physically (both of which I am : sure he is able). I would ***ume this is a normal fear.
I found navy boot camp to be primarily an exercise in boredom. Of course I would argue that boredome and having the discipline to deal with it is a very important lesson. There really isn't much to boot camp beside learning to listen closely, do as told, and repress the urge to argue or ask deep questions. They tell you, and it is basically true, that it is a lot easier if you just learn to shut down the majority of your brain.
Physical - they won't let you go to boot camp unless they think you are healthy enough. Some people have physical problems that only become apparent at boot camp, not a lot you can do about it. Very few people fail out of boot camp simply because they can't p*** the PT test, very few indeed. Rather, some people just give up and become 'attitude failures' or "refuse training." I did organized athletics in high school, and was probably in a little better shape going into boot camp than coming out, though I did lose a few pound (not much junk/snack food). The hardest part, in my opinion, was being on your feet all day and spending long periods of time standing at attention/parade rest. Any recruiter can give you a handout that lists the eventual standards, if you do even moderate preparation you should do fine.
Mental - Boot camp has been constantly changing, getting quite a bit "easier" really, for decades. But still, some people get real flustered getting yelled at or feel some strong urge to "have the last word" or talk back to authority. Most of them adapt. If you legitimately p***ed the ASVAB (i.e. took the test and scored high enough to enlist) then you would have to be a statistical rarity to not be able to 'p***' boot camp cl***room work.
The hardest things to learn, like how to fold and stow a complete seabag, you will get a lot of practice at.
BOOT CAMP SECRET -- here is an interesting tidbit. There is one factor that is the primary determinant of whether a person will successfully complete boot camp. Among all variables, i.e. age/ASVAB/physical fitness/criminal record, etc. there is ONE factor that can separate you from your peers and make you more likely to fail boot camp. SMOKING. Yes, according to very in depth research from the people at RAND, for any given cohort/cl*** of recruit, smokers will fail out of boot camp up to three times as often as non-smokers.
Indeed, it has been suggested that the Navy ease up on the current "no smoking" in boot camp rules. Whatever the psychological/sociological/ physiological/physical etc. underpinnings, entering boot camp a smoker is not the best idea. Quit beforehand.
regards,
------------------------------------------------------------------
sjfor...@bayou.uh.edu
"Arved Sandstrom" asandst...@accesswave.ca
Granted, even if you're not in a poolee-type program ahead of time, advance study on your own before joining up is never a bad idea. Apart from the above suggestion, some research on the history of the target armed service, and learning military ranks and insignia in all the services, and starting to memorize Navy/Marine lingo for various things is all stuff that gives that extra edge in boot camp.
AHS
jacklinthi ...@earthlink.net (Jack Linthicum)
Forgot the most important skill: learn to shine black shoes, black 'boondockers' to mirror finish.
http://216.239.41.104/search?q=cache:X6_***Cm1lIJ:www.safetycenter.na...
Andrew Chaplin abchap...@yourfinger.rogers.com
Finally, act on your knowledge, don't voice it (conceal it if you have to, but don't deny it) and, *most* importantly, use it to help others as much as yourself.
--
Andrew Chaplin SIT MIHI GLADIUS SICUT SANCTO MARTINO (If you're going to e-mail me, you'll have to get "yourfinger." out.)
renabor ...@aol.com (RENABORNEY)
Finally, act on your knowledge, don't voice it (conceal it if you have to, but don't deny it) and, *most* importantly, use it to help others as much as yourself.
SNIP Ther's an old expression - "Cooperate and graduate". The cadre is looking to develop team players, because the military operates as a team. Helping your buddies when you can is evidence that you are one and will be looked on with favor by your instructors. And there will be a day you will need your buddies' help, as well....
Steven James Forsberg sjfor...@bayou.uh.edu
: Forgot the most important skill: learn to shine black shoes, black : 'boondockers' to mirror finish.
The navy is doing away with "boondockers", and the replacement boot may well be "shine free". The horror, the horror! (as mentioned in the latest 'Navy Times' in an article on uniform changes).
I don't think recruits get them until at least several weeks into boot camp now, anyway. I never did learn to polish them worth a darn, but there are always a few guys who do it great and end up doing just about everyone else's boots. I also never really learned to tie a neckerchief.
Indeed, I don't even think I had a complete seabag at the end of boot camp. I was never quite recruiting poster material.
regards,
----------------------------------------------------------
sjfor...@bayou.uh.edu
renabor ...@aol.com (RENABORNEY)
The Army's latest advertising slug line, "An Army of One", goes right against this and has bothered me all along. "Be All You Can Be", yeah, I can get behind that. Nobody in the Army is singular, and acts alone in the field.
SNIP AMEN!!! To that, brother!
Fred J. McCall fmcc...@earthlink.net
:The Army's latest advertising slug line, "An Army of One", goes right against :this and has bothered me all along.
Same here. They need to add a phrase to the end of it to get the point correct. Perhaps something like "...dies quickly and alone."
--
"I know Slayers. No matter how many people there are around them, they fight alone." -- Spike, the vampire
jacklinthi ...@earthlink.net (Jack Linthicum)
Somebody must then sit down with the chiefs who will be running inspections and explain that these new shoes won't take a shine. And woe betide the rest of the group if one guy gets a mirror finish on a pair of those chukkah boots.
Mark Borgerson m-a-...@oes.to
> : Forgot the most important skill: learn to shine black shoes, black
> : 'boondockers' to mirror finish.
> The navy is doing away with "boondockers", and the replacement
> boot may well be "shine free". The horror, the horror! (as mentioned
> in the latest 'Navy Times' in an article on uniform changes).
> I don't think recruits get them until at least several weeks into
> boot camp now, anyway. I never did learn to polish them worth a darn, but
> there are always a few guys who do it great and end up doing just about
> everyone else's boots. I also never really learned to tie a neckerchief.
> Indeed, I don't even think I had a complete seabag at the end of boot
> camp. I was never quite recruiting poster material.
I always wondered why you never see CTs on the recruiting posters!
Boot camp is a lot like a condensed version of the first year of college in a science or engineering program. You will be presented with a seemingly incomprehensible amount of new material to learn.
It will seem that you never get enough sleep. However, I found Navy boot camp food to be far superior to dorm food. Add in a good dose of fraternity rush and pledge hazing, any you'll get the picture.
Being in decent physical condition gives you one less thing to worry about. I was lucky in that I'd spent the previous summer on a forest service survey party and had to bike or walk about 1.5 miles to cl***es before I ended up in boot camp. I'd also spent my high school years in Sea Scouts, and the Sea Scout Manual looks an awful lot like the Bluejacket's Manual!
IIRC the difficulty order of boot camp is Marines, Army, Navy, Air Force. The first is really tough. The last was for boys who didn't want to leave home to go to junior college!
Mark Borgerson
"Arved Sandstrom" asandst...@accesswave.ca
When in fact, you get just about eight hours, and since you're wiped out, it's deep sleep. I actually had a worse time with sleep in university.
For some weird reason, though, I remember that most recruits woke up about 30 minutes before the lights flicked on and the DI's came storming out. I think it was mental prep.
No problems with military food. Maybe in WW1 and WW2 it sucked, but by the time I was in, it was fine by me. Even at PI the food was great, although in fact you didn't pay much attention to it other than getting it down your neck. Out in the fleet the food was great, whether in garrison at the chow hall, or in the field with the often-disparaged MRE's. You can do some great stuff with MRE's, actually.
A lot of Marines came from low-income backgrounds, so they never were used to being fed so well in the first place.
Marine recruit training is not easy. I'd agree with your ***essment. But it's designed to improve and change the recruit rather than reject them.
It's not like SEAL training or Spetznaz.
I still have my memories of mattress drills - and dammit, we were on the third floor of the barracks.
Worst time I ever had was getting the giggles whenever the DI's did their routine when we were lined up in front of our racks. When you see two junior DI's screaming into the face of the recruit across from you, 6 inches away from his face, and catch the eye of another recruit, it's hard not to.
OK, not quite the worst time. When the senior DI was away one time, and we were having a snap of unseasonably cold weather, the three junior DI's called me into the DI hut. It was well-known that I was from Canada...so was the weather, unfortunately. I got blamed for it. By the time we were done, I'd been punched in the gut and slammed up on wall-lockers - I think they enjoyed taking something out on one of the senior DI's pets, the "scribe", which I was.
AHS
"Joe Osman" Josph.Os...@verizon.net
I took my retired Gunny dad down to the hospital at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri and overheard one doctor ask another what he gave guys in basic training who had trouble sleeping. We really got a kick out of that.
It was mandatory in both of the platoons I was in. I helped slow recruits with their "knowledge" and others helped weak recruits with their exercises, etc, We had one recruit who was incredibly skinny and had never had enough to eat. The DIs had him eat three meals at a sitting. After they told us to get up and get out, he stayed until the DIs left their table. He looked like Arnold Shwartzenegger on Graduation Day.
And all those other trainings come after basic training. One thing that makes USMC boot camp so effective is the immediate shock from civilian life to boot camp.
I spent 5-1/2 months in USMC bootcamp and my first worst experience was after I had returned to a regular platoon from the Medical Rehabilitation Platoon and then the Physical Conditioning Platoon. We were on the company street doing "up and on shoulders" where you take your rifle in both hands and place it across your shoulders, then above your head and repeat ad infinitum. It's a relatively easy punishment. A Junior Drill Instructor came behind me to see who the new guy was and startled me. This caused me to bring the butt of my rifle down square in the middle of his nicely blocked DI "Smoky Bear" cover. He grabbed my windpipe, threw me against the nearest quonset hut and proceeded to whup on me with the other hand. I had been there so long that my only thought was "I hope I don't drop my rifle." The Senior DI heard him screaming and pulled him off of me.
The best anyone ever got me was my Series Officer. I dropped out of a couple of the daily three mile runs and was terrified of being dropped so instead of complaining about my leg I took my punishment (doing Bends and Motherf-----s while the rest of the platoon threw hot and cold buckets of water on me, which was strangely refreshing). Somehow I ended up with the Senior DI in front of the Series Officer (a Captain). He saw that I was from Jefferson City, Missouri and told me he went to school at Mizzou (The University of Missouri-Columbia), which was about 25 miles from Jeff City.
He mentioned a famous woman of easy virtue in Jeff City and asked what I knew about her. I replied "She's the biggest whore in town, Sir." He leaped out of his chair and face as red as can be screamed and spit an inch from my face "That's my wife, you son of a bitch!" My DI's jaw dropped to his chin, but I was in such a state of shock that I began to idly wonder how they were going to cover up killing me and burying my body somewhere on MCRD San Diego. It was kind of a future version of the old life p***ing before your eyes thing. Then the Captain fell back in his chair and laughed and laughed and laughed. I've never seen anyone so pleased wth himself. He asked why I had dropped out of the runs and I told him it was because my leg hurt, so he sent me to the doctor where they found that I had a bone cyst in the small bone in my lower leg that had stress fractures all around it from the running.
Joe
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"Arved Sandstrom" asandst...@accesswave.ca
My whole time in (boot camp and FMF) I was worried about pullups. Pushups were also an issue, but not to the same extent. I'm 6'2", and built like a long-distance runner, so pullups for me are tough, and pushups aren't that easy either. Whenever we had our PFT's, I basically realized that I wouldn't do much better than the minimum on the pullups, would do reasonably well on the situps, and would max out in points on the run. Of course, we had people who were exactly the opposite - they knew they'd max out on the pullups and situps, but do lousy on the run.
Most of the kind of damage you describe, I saw coming from the "boots and utes" mud-runs. Spend a lot of your time on pavement in combat boots, and then the rest of it on slippery forest paths - well, let's just say that a lot of Marines spent time on crutches. I have to admit that I'm rather surprised that more Marines didn't rack themselves up on the obstacle course - it was pretty rare to have injuries there for some reason.
Occupationally, most artillery injuries (I believe) happened because of jumping out of the back of a 5-ton at night, or carrying 155mm rounds at night on uneven ground.
The worst I ever hurt was when me and another corporal (he was with Comms, I was with Regt Liaison) got nominated to do this pre-cold weather physical fitness and ski-training course with the Recce platoon of 2nd Marines. I thought *I* was good at running - these guys were animals. We had these 10 klick runs where every so often you'd have to knock out maybe 50 yards worth of simulated telemark lunges. For about the first week me and Suggs would come back, not be able to sit comfortably for the rest of the day, use lots of muscle lotion, and bitterly curse the command structure.
AHS
gbl ...@hnpl.net (George)
The basic rule when any-one joins the military no matter what the service or country is as follows: If it moves salute it If it shines polish it If it does neither paint it If you stand on it sweep it :)
"CJ Adams" blueb...@multiboard.com
As posts to this topic draw to a close, I offer to young recruits an infallible rule of the sea in the hope that it may be found useful in later life: For the first week aboard a new ship, whatever you grab to steady yourself will be: (1) boiling hot.
(2) freshly painted, or (3) perfectly free and comes away in your hand.
CJ Adams Arte et Marte
Joe Osman Jseph.Os...@verizon.net
I'm 6'2' also and had the same problems with pullups and rope climbing.
The most pullups I ever did was 3 with the DI poking me in the *** with his sword for inspiration. I'm a klutz too, so it took me some time to figure out the footwork required for the rope climb if you can't do it with your arms alone. When I did finally make it, it was with the whole platoon verbally urging me on and I felt great when I reached the top and everyone cheered.
I maxed pushups (61) on my first PFT in the Physical Conditioning Platoon (PCP), mostly due to my fervent desire to escape PCP and it's constant PTing and running.
I was counting pushups for one guy with such a big chest and short arms that my hand wouldn't fit between his chest and the ground when he was in "front leaning ready position" to do pushups. Guys like him had a hell of a time with the standing broad jump. I watched the PFT staff cheat to let Pvt. Strange of my platoon p*** it after he had been dropped from his platoon twice for failing that part of the PFT. They knew he was doomed to become a tunnel rat in Nam, but he wanted to graduate so bad that they p***ed him.
We took our boots outside after we were issued them in bootcamp, unlaced them and turned the uppers down as far as we could. Then we beat the insides of the heel on the pavement for about an hour. This was supposed to prevent heel contusions, another common boot camp malady.
I thought that was crazy, but when we were issued our rifles, the first thing we did was wash them in hot soapy water like they were laundry.
Joe
Ogden Johnson III oj3u...@yahoo.com
We did that twice during my all-expense paid summer at PI. Once after we returned from the rifle range and our mess duty/depot police week that followed the three weeks at the range, to remove any carbon buildup from our rifle range sting. Then once again the night before Final Field, to make sure they were really, really clean.
Upon reaching the FMF, I found it was not that unique. Several times thereafter with the M-1 and M-14, in division and in the air wing, we did the same before an A&M or IG inspection. Short of gasoline, a steam cleaner, or an ultrasonic cleaner, it is the best way to clean a cosmolined or carbonized or long-stored, etc.
rifle.
--
OJ III [Email to Yahoo address may be burned before reading.
Lower and crunch the sig and you'll net me at comcast.]
"Arved Sandstrom" asandst...@accesswave.ca
I never did that one, either, at PI, but I can believe it. The hell of it is, ever since I left the Corps I've been slightly bowlegged in such a way that the outer heels of my footgear wears out first. I should maybe start doing the above procedure.
The most prized possession any groundpounder could have was a pair or two of field boots that were soft as a baby's ***, and sometimes you'd have a favourite pair resoled just because they felt like slippers. I know I spent a few hundred bucks enhancing the fortune of Dr Scholl's, too.
Usually you had two pair of field boots (one sometimes being a pair of jungle boots), then your garrison boots (always at least glossy or sometimes even gleaming, even though that was officially not supposed to happen), and your CG/IG boots. The latter were works of art. Of course, when you have a situation where (1) you are not supposed to starch or size your cammies, but need to have incredible creases in same, so everyone does anyway, and (2) you maintain a a lot of duplicate uniform items and deuce gear for IG/CG inspections so you don't go through the agony of preparing the issue gear that you have used in the field, and (3) you spend way too much time painting those little br*** grommets in the webbing, not to mention your insignia, and (4) spend way too much time sanding your E-tool, then taping the leading edge, then spray-painting the rest of it black, and (5) spend way too much time ironing underwear and measuring its folded dimensions with a ruler, and finally (6) spend way too much time cleaning a canteen - scrub the threads and the cap with a toothbrush and toothpaste, do the bleach and hot water thing, Armor-All the outside for that nice gloss, and then rinse out the inside with a nice mouthwash, then you know that there's way too much time on your hands.
And that was in the fleet.
I was willing to experiment a bit with clothing in the Corps. Almost all of us had non-issue gear in the field at various times. Nothing too obvious -
people usually went for better socks, and better gloves in cold weather were common. I wore rather flashy Goretex ski gloves one time - I got some grief for that, but boy, were my hands warm.
I recall that in the Canadian militia, for rifle and SMG cleaning (we were using 7.62mm FN C1's, FN C2's and Sterling SMG's at the time) we used a 50/50 mix of gasoline and varsol. That was for routine cleaning.
In the FMF we were Officially Not Supposed To Use Hot Water, seeing as how that removed the CLP. Unofficially you'd find most everybody taking hot showers with their M-16's, and scrubbing away.
My worst mistake in this regard had to do with an IG or CG, can't remember which. I observed that the little ring inside the flash suppressor of my M-16 was still carbonized. In fact, that little ledge is practically impossible to clean with any of the tools that they give you to do the job.
I also knew that it was one of the cl***ic "THIS RIFLE IS DIRTY - THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE" spots, so I decided to do something about that. So I took a screwdriver, wedged it through the slots in the suppressor, and screwed it off - it's threaded on, after all. That little ledge got burnished to a shine. Then I threaded the suppressor back on, and tightened her up. Come time to return the rifle to the battalion armory, the armorer looks inside the muzzle, and notices that that ledge is amazingly clean.
Out comes the torque wrench. What *I* didn't know is that the suppressor gets put on within a certain range of foot-pounds. The armorer quickly determines that things are amiss. Fortunately me and him were buds, and I just promised not to do it again - during an IG or CG those are things that could possibly be inspected at the armory.
AHS
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