Im a 200lb, 6 foot, somewhat out of shape 23 year old. Got a 97 on the asvab, and work as a machinist. Joining the guard as an 11B to hopefully then tryout for 18B in 20th Group. I was wondering if anyone has some tips for me before I ship. Things such as can I wear my watch? If I wear boots all day already should I still focus on that or will I be ok? What will my first couple days be like? Anything would be appreciated.

You can start running. You'll probably lose a good bit of weight in Basic because of lack of food/time to eat it. You can bring your watch with you, but I don't think you'll be able to wear it during basic. They'll let you buy a crappy watch. You won't want to wear your watch at Benning unless you want it full of sand.

You'll be at 30th AG for like a week. It's actual purgatory(maybe hell) where you stand in lines and get issued gear. Then the Drills pick you up and march you, carrying all your new shit, to your CP. I wouldn't worry too much about prep. Basic is very well run generally and Drills will teach you everything you need to know. I joined at 24; you'll find it easier being older. A lot of the kiddos go insane being away from home for the first time and the various stressors you go through, but just sit back and enjoy the ride.

I forget what its called, but theres a series on youtube about Basic that goes through every single thing you'll do. I watched this before I went and found it to be very accurate, and it was nice knowing there were no surprises. Search for that.

If you're really bored though, find "The blue book" online and start learning that shit so you don't have to see it for the first time there. You'll get one at 30th; it has everything you'll learn in Basic in it. Start memorizing the ranks, the Soldiers', and the Infantryman's Creeds.

And don't worry about SF or even talk about it there. You can train for Selection afterwards.

Start running and stretching a couple times a week. Do some push-ups as well.

Don't
- be that guy
- get into fights
- be messy or sloppy in your appearance or your personal sleeping area, wall locker ect.

Do
- be motivated and take the experience seriously
- be on time and pay attention to everything you can

And I wouldn't talk about your desires to be SF.

You will hook up with certian people pretty quick, try and help the ones that struggle to a point.   Some will be destined to quit or give up,  you should be able to pick them out pretty quick.

Like mentioned start running now a little at a time, thanks us later.

Don't believe the sq needle shot in the testicles, and the gas chamber sucks if they even do that anymore?    Show leadership and initiative and you can move up with in the company pretty quick, if want that type of role.   Doesn't change much, but makes you fell like you have accomplished something others haven't.

Good luck, thanks for your future service!

Stop calling it “boot”, that’s for jar heads.

let me tell you the secret to looking like a superhero in the gas chamber. take very shallow short breathes when you take your mask off. deep breathes will cause bad coughing and you will be in pain. I watched a female say the whole soldiers creed in the gas chamber without her mask on because our commander gave her that tip. She told me afterwards...

dont tell everyone though. it ruins the experience.

And use any extra time to PT and get in shape. be a rock star, but definitely be humble about it.

No it’s not

I can’t speak for anything Army.  The roughest part of it for me was the running until I got in better shape.  I was 23 and out of shape, fairly skinny and used to manual labor but I had no endurance.  If I had to do it again all I’d do is find a list of current exercises and start doing them and some jogging to lessen the physical shock of it.

I wouldn’t worry too much about anything else.  They will teach you.  Do exactly what they say exactly how they say.   If you know how to do something another way forget it and relearn it their way.  Once you figure it out it’s pretty easy, just do what you’re told when you are told and don’t draw attention in a negative way.  Help those who are struggling.

Once you get in a groove one of hardest parts, for me at least, was not laughing at the shit they scream at others and you.  It’s fucking hillarious.  I swear they must have done recruiting for instructors at comedy clubs.

Good luck and enjoy, it flies by.

I went in 2014. It’s a pretty low dose in Basic now, but yeah. We, for some reason, did a gas chamber while training in Latvia and they were throwing actual CS grenades at us and that was awful lol

Congrats.

they used to do that in basic after the gas chamber. Many field exercises were "spiced up" with a CS grenade. Especially if you were talking loudly while eating your MRE out in the field

Shut up and listen

It's called Basic.