I was in the 11th Regiment of LDAC 2005 and just returned from 3 weeks of CTLT at Ft. Hood, Texas.  Now that I have a few minutes to reflect out loud on ARfcom, here are my thoughts:

First - Warrior Forge?  Sure, we were a little sleep deprived and they took away our cell phones, and they made us a little uncomfortable but we didn't train to any specific standard.  LDAC was not really that hard, and no I wouldn't do it again - I said it wasn't difficult, I didn't say it was fun.

Second - If you are not a total moron and you didn't quit, you passed LDAC.  I think that a few lame calves should have been culled from the herd, if you know what I mean.

Third - I really dislike females in the military - example:

random female #1 "Women can do anything men can do and we can do somethings better!"
me "Go with you battle buddy and get the water cans and MREs for the squad"
random female #1 "But, we're females!  We can't lift those!"

I also can't stand how girls seem to assume that they become 60% better looking because they are at camp - they don't understand the economic principle of scarcity.  I enjoyed the dejected looks on their faces when we arrived at the Seatac Airport and there was suddenly a readily available supply of good looking women.

I hate a 130 lbs female telling a 185 lbs male to shut up or she'll "beat his ass" - unless she's had some martial arts training that he doesn't have, it's a simple matter of mathematics and physiology - he could beat her ass if he had to.  I HATE THE TUFF GIRL ACT!

Fourth - I hope BOLC 2 isn't another LDAC only they call us sir/mam...

Fifth - On a positive note, some of the good parts included fire support day (get a chance to be a 13F and a 13B), security ops (fire up the m249), water confidence day, the air mobile raid, etc.

bump for exposure

Quoted: random female #1 "Women can do anything men can do and we can do somethings better!" me "Go with you battle buddy and get the water cans and MREs for the squad" random female #1 "But, we're females!  We can't lift those!"

Hahahaha!


Typical...    I'm soooo glad I was in the infantry and didn't have to deal with that bullshit.

Quoted: Quoted: random female #1 "Women can do anything men can do and we can do somethings better!" me "Go with you battle buddy and get the water cans and MREs for the squad" random female #1 "But, we're females!  We can't lift those!" Hahahaha! Typical...    I'm soooo glad I was in the infantry and didn't have to deal with that bullshit.

That's my #1 reason for wanting to go combat arms.

How long before we let women go to Ranger school and we lower the standards.  

I guess I was one of those lame calves... I was sent home 2 weeks before commissioning because I was found to have Inflamatory Bowel Disease.  I was pissed at the time, because it wasn't painful and it didn't stop me from any normal physical activity.  

3 years later....

Well, now its gotten worse, and all I can say is that if I had been in Iraq or Afganistan, I would have been one serious hurting unit.  And it wouldn't be good to be a leader and be preoccupied with something this painful.

But very true, as easy as it was, camp was not fun.  There was not one day that I didn't wake up on that damn top bunk directly underneath the lights and didn't wish I was somewhere else.  Fire Support Day was definitly the best day there though.

As for BOLC, and I may be totally out of the loop, but if you go combat arms, I don't think they'll send you there.

Good luck with your army career man.

Quoted: I guess I was one of those lame calves... I was sent home 2 weeks before commissioning because I was found to have Inflamatory Bowel Disease.  I was pissed at the time, because it wasn't painful and it didn't stop me from any normal physical activity.   3 years later.... Well, now its gotten worse, and all I can say is that if I had been in Iraq or Afganistan, I would have been one serious hurting unit.  And it wouldn't be good to be a leader and be preoccupied with something this painful. But very true, as easy as it was, camp was not fun.  There was not one day that I didn't wake up on that damn top bunk directly underneath the lights and didn't wish I was somewhere else.  Fire Support Day was definitly the best day there though. As for BOLC, and I may be totally out of the loop, but if you go combat arms, I don't think they'll send you there. Good luck with your army career man.

I'm sorry to hear about your bad luck.  By "lame calves" I was referring to the people who either didn't care enough to be there or those who were so "soup sandwich" that 2 + 2 did not ever equal 4 for them.    I guess the army in their wisdom decides that able bodies are sometimes more important than able minds.

I think the only people who might get out of BOLC II are infantry guys, but somehow everyone will now go to BOLC II after commissioning and before OBC.

ROTC and Advanced Camp/LDAC/Warrior Forge = BOLC I
??? = BOLC II
OBC = BOLC III

Thanks for wishing me well in my career, the way things are looking right now I'll be in Iraq in 2 years or less and I can finally start paying back Uncle Sam for helping me get through school and hopefully start a long career.

Carabinero1979,

For your accessions packet, what branches and posts did you put down?  If I recall correctly, before camp, I put down ADA as my first branch choice and Ft. Hood as my first duty station.  At the time I had glasses, and I figured if I couldn't fly planes, I might as well shoot them down

Always make sure you have a plan outside of the Army.  One of my good friends was commissioned last year at the end of camp.  The Army, in all their wisdom, put him into the reserves, and he was even a scholarship cadet, which pretty much use to guarentee active duty.  On top of that, he was branched ADA.  Now, try to find an ADA unit in the reserves, hehe.

I think things are working out for him.  He's getting a branch transfer to MI since he's now drilling with an MI unit near Syracuse.

When you get to Iraq or Afganistan, stay safe.  Its definitly a career booster to see combat, but dayum.  All my friends who I graduated with in 2002, and who've been to Iraq already, will be Captains on Sept. 1st.  Damn I feel old.

Quoted: I guess I was one of those lame calves... I was sent home 2 weeks before commissioning because I was found to have Inflamatory Bowel Disease.  I was pissed at the time, because it wasn't painful and it didn't stop me from any normal physical activity.   3 years later.... Well, now its gotten worse, and all I can say is that if I had been in Iraq or Afganistan, I would have been one serious hurting unit.  And it wouldn't be good to be a leader and be preoccupied with something this painful. But very true, as easy as it was, camp was not fun.  There was not one day that I didn't wake up on that damn top bunk directly underneath the lights and didn't wish I was somewhere else.  Fire Support Day was definitly the best day there though. As for BOLC, and I may be totally out of the loop, but if you go combat arms, I don't think they'll send you there. Good luck with your army career man.

I dont know how true this is, but on House (Fox show) the Dr prescribed  cigarettes for IBD.

Quoted: There are some hard corps and very capable female officers. There are some whiny duds. I say the cut is about 50/50.

You would know better than me - but of all the future female officers I have met, many are attention seeking, flirtatious and expect special privileges on the basis that they are females.

A perfect example would be a certain female cadet from Philadelphia (going to school in Syracuse, NY) - she constantly bragged about her enlisted boyfriend who was about to go to Ranger school.  Then she banged some guy from our platoon in the port-a-potty/skookum while we were on squad STX.  Now, I don't have a double standard regarding sex, but the guy she banged didn't have a girlfriend.

To top matters off, 3 weeks later when we were at CTLT, while traveling in a car full of cadets who all knew about the port a potty incident, she proceeded to tell her friend over the phone that her boyfriend was "at ranger school, then he'll come back to an all male unit, then he'll go to Iraq - so I really don't have to worry about other girls"