[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Guide to Surviving Basic Training (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 7/3/2016 12:31:39 AM EDT
Some good advice here. Get yourself a blue pen. 
|
|
You know how you did it right? At the end of the cycle, when you're graduating? The drills all look at you and go "Who the hell are you? I don't remember you...".
You don't want to be noticed. Period. Be a face in the crowd, and just don't draw attention, good, bad, or indifferent. If they still can't connect your face with your name by the time you graduate, you've won. |
|
Quoted: You know how you did it right? At the end of the cycle, when you're graduating? The drills all look at you and go "Who the hell are you? I don't remember you...". You don't want to be noticed. Period. Be a face in the crowd, and just don't draw attention, good, bad, or indifferent. If they still can't connect your face with your name by the time you graduate, you've won. this is how I did it |
|
Quoted:
You know how you did it right? At the end of the cycle, when you're graduating? The drills all look at you and go "Who the hell are you? I don't remember you...". You don't want to be noticed. Period. Be a face in the crowd, and just don't draw attention, good, bad, or indifferent. If they still can't connect your face with your name by the time you graduate, you've won. Sounds like Surgery Intern Year, just with a lot less blood. |
|
Quoted:
this is how I did it Quoted:
Quoted:
You know how you did it right? At the end of the cycle, when you're graduating? The drills all look at you and go "Who the hell are you? I don't remember you...". You don't want to be noticed. Period. Be a face in the crowd, and just don't draw attention, good, bad, or indifferent. If they still can't connect your face with your name by the time you graduate, you've won. this is how I did it I tried to be invisible, but that's tough to do when you are 6'5", and impossible after they make you squad leader. |
|
Quoted:
You know how you did it right? At the end of the cycle, when you're graduating? The drills all look at you and go "Who the hell are you? I don't remember you...". You don't want to be noticed. Period. Be a face in the crowd, and just don't draw attention, good, bad, or indifferent. If they still can't connect your face with your name by the time you graduate, you've won. Before I went in the Army, I was in CAP. The second week of basic training I get a letter during mail call that my Dad sent to the CO asking him to recognize my recent promotion to 2Lt in CAP. I went to the head of the class! 
|
|
Quoted: Before I went in the Army, I was in CAP. The second week of basic training I get a letter during mail call that my Dad sent to the CO asking him to recognize my recent promotion to 2Lt in CAP. I went to the head of the class! Quoted: Quoted: You know how you did it right? At the end of the cycle, when you're graduating? The drills all look at you and go "Who the hell are you? I don't remember you...". You don't want to be noticed. Period. Be a face in the crowd, and just don't draw attention, good, bad, or indifferent. If they still can't connect your face with your name by the time you graduate, you've won. Before I went in the Army, I was in CAP. The second week of basic training I get a letter during mail call that my Dad sent to the CO asking him to recognize my recent promotion to 2Lt in CAP. I went to the head of the class! was your dad prior service? |
|
Quoted:
was your dad prior service? Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
You know how you did it right? At the end of the cycle, when you're graduating? The drills all look at you and go "Who the hell are you? I don't remember you...". You don't want to be noticed. Period. Be a face in the crowd, and just don't draw attention, good, bad, or indifferent. If they still can't connect your face with your name by the time you graduate, you've won. Before I went in the Army, I was in CAP. The second week of basic training I get a letter during mail call that my Dad sent to the CO asking him to recognize my recent promotion to 2Lt in CAP. I went to the head of the class! was your dad prior service? Oh yea! 22 years active duty joined up when he was 15 in 1947.... It was like a boy named Sue! They did make me a squad leader and then the APS when the original guy got fired. I did that for a week until I got fired and spent the rest of basic as a road guard 
|
| I was shocked when they pasted around the amnesty box at MCRD. When the Drill Instructors went over the list of prohibited items, all I could think, was what kind of moron would bring something like that to Boot Camp? Well, I guess most of the folks I was standing in the room with were morons. The box was filled with guns, fighting knifes, drugs, and other prohibited weapons. I mean full to the top of the box. |
|
Quoted: this is how I did it Quoted: Quoted: You know how you did it right? At the end of the cycle, when you're graduating? The drills all look at you and go "Who the hell are you? I don't remember you...". You don't want to be noticed. Period. Be a face in the crowd, and just don't draw attention, good, bad, or indifferent. If they still can't connect your face with your name by the time you graduate, you've won. this is how I did it |
|
Quoted:
Everybody from all branches should go through Marine Corps Boot Camp then back to their respective service branches...and advanced MOS training. Quoted:
Quoted:
Oh, it's for the Army. That's not really boot camp. Everybody from all branches should go through Marine Corps Boot Camp then back to their respective service branches...and advanced MOS training. Does the Corps give the best lobotomy? |
|
Know it's a big game and a mind fuck.
Have fun, don't take shit personal and enjoy the ride. Shit, my one DI was like a 4' 9" female who gave me a nickname of "brain" and seemed to enjoy screwing with me and I gave it back as much as I could get away with. She got me back in the damn gas chamber though. 
|
|
Quoted:
Know it's a big game and a mind fuck. Have fun, don't take shit personal and enjoy the ride. Shit, my one DI was like a 4' 9" female who gave me a nickname of "brain" and seemed to enjoy screwing with me and I gave it back as much as I could get away with. She got me back in the damn gas chamber though. POG 
|
|
Quoted:
POG Quoted:
Quoted:
Know it's a big game and a mind fuck. Have fun, don't take shit personal and enjoy the ride. Shit, my one DI was like a 4' 9" female who gave me a nickname of "brain" and seemed to enjoy screwing with me and I gave it back as much as I could get away with. She got me back in the damn gas chamber though. POG POG... POG... POrtableGorrilla?
|
|
Quoted:
this is how I did it Quoted:
Quoted:
You know how you did it right? At the end of the cycle, when you're graduating? The drills all look at you and go "Who the hell are you? I don't remember you...". You don't want to be noticed. Period. Be a face in the crowd, and just don't draw attention, good, bad, or indifferent. If they still can't connect your face with your name by the time you graduate, you've won. this is how I did it Same here, my DI didnt know my name by the end of boot camp, I was right in the middle of the pack during training, not the best but not the worst. |
|
Quoted: Before I went in the Army, I was in CAP. The second week of basic training I get a letter during mail call that my Dad sent to the CO asking him to recognize my recent promotion to 2Lt in CAP. I went to the head of the class! Quoted: Quoted: You know how you did it right? At the end of the cycle, when you're graduating? The drills all look at you and go "Who the hell are you? I don't remember you...". You don't want to be noticed. Period. Be a face in the crowd, and just don't draw attention, good, bad, or indifferent. If they still can't connect your face with your name by the time you graduate, you've won. Before I went in the Army, I was in CAP. The second week of basic training I get a letter during mail call that my Dad sent to the CO asking him to recognize my recent promotion to 2Lt in CAP. I went to the head of the class!  |
|
Quoted:
You know how you did it right? At the end of the cycle, when you're graduating? The drills all look at you and go "Who the hell are you? I don't remember you...". You don't want to be noticed. Period. Be a face in the crowd, and just don't draw attention, good, bad, or indifferent. If they still can't connect your face with your name by the time you graduate, you've won. coward. |
|
Quoted:
this is how I did it Quoted:
Quoted:
You know how you did it right? At the end of the cycle, when you're graduating? The drills all look at you and go "Who the hell are you? I don't remember you...". You don't want to be noticed. Period. Be a face in the crowd, and just don't draw attention, good, bad, or indifferent. If they still can't connect your face with your name by the time you graduate, you've won. this is how I did it Same here. One of my RDCs knew who I was because we were from the same area and he rented a place from my uncle between being in the Army and Navy, but the others had no clue. |
|
Quoted:
NEVER volunteer . When I went through, they'd ask for volunteers for good tasks. The people who didn't raise their hand would end up cleaning bathrooms or waxing floors. My advice? Bring Camelback cleaning tabs. The canteens you're issued haven't really been cleaned in years. You don't want to drink from that nastiness for weeks. Don't show up in clothing that has any kind of logo or picture, or you'll find yourself with a stupid nickname. Axe (and others) make shower gel with sand or some kind of grit in it. That's the kind of soap you'll want, because you'll be getting really dirty, but not have a lot of time to clean up. Be in shape before you ship off. That reduces the stress level. Pay attention and do things exactly how you were taught them. There will be mind games, but honestly, most of the time is the instructors teaching things newbies need to know. Don't be a pussy. |
|
Quoted:
POG Quoted:
Quoted:
Know it's a big game and a mind fuck. Have fun, don't take shit personal and enjoy the ride. Shit, my one DI was like a 4' 9" female who gave me a nickname of "brain" and seemed to enjoy screwing with me and I gave it back as much as I could get away with. She got me back in the damn gas chamber though. POG Was my first response as well. But with females now in the infantry, everyone is going to be a POG!
|
|
Quoted:
Does the Corps give the best lobotomy? Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Oh, it's for the Army. That's not really boot camp. Everybody from all branches should go through Marine Corps Boot Camp then back to their respective service branches...and advanced MOS training. Does the Corps give the best lobotomy? The best that the lowest bidder can provide. |
|
Quoted:
When I went through, they'd ask for volunteers for good tasks. The people who didn't raise their hand would end up cleaning bathrooms or waxing floors. My advice? Bring Camelback cleaning tabs. The canteens you're issued haven't really been cleaned in years. You don't want to drink from that nastiness for weeks. Don't show up in clothing that has any kind of logo or picture, or you'll find yourself with a stupid nickname. Axe (and others) make shower gel with sand or some kind of grit in it. That's the kind of soap you'll want, because you'll be getting really dirty, but not have a lot of time to clean up. Be in shape before you ship off. That reduces the stress level. Pay attention and do things exactly how you were taught them. There will be mind games, but honestly, most of the time is the instructors teaching things newbies need to know. Don't be a pussy. Quoted:
Quoted:
NEVER volunteer . When I went through, they'd ask for volunteers for good tasks. The people who didn't raise their hand would end up cleaning bathrooms or waxing floors. My advice? Bring Camelback cleaning tabs. The canteens you're issued haven't really been cleaned in years. You don't want to drink from that nastiness for weeks. Don't show up in clothing that has any kind of logo or picture, or you'll find yourself with a stupid nickname. Axe (and others) make shower gel with sand or some kind of grit in it. That's the kind of soap you'll want, because you'll be getting really dirty, but not have a lot of time to clean up. Be in shape before you ship off. That reduces the stress level. Pay attention and do things exactly how you were taught them. There will be mind games, but honestly, most of the time is the instructors teaching things newbies need to know. Don't be a pussy. Don't issue canteens anymore, they get camelbacks at in processing. |
|
My keys to success were:
Don't be last. Don't be first either but at least be near the front/have a decent time, etc... Learned to eat faster than I had formerly thought possible. I know it's a cliched thing but I LITERALLY had a drill Sargent say "who are you" at graduation. Very satisfying moment, which vindicated all of my effort (and lack thereof) taken to not get noticed. |
|
Quoted:
My keys to success were: Don't be last. Don't be first either but at least be near the front/have a decent time, etc... Learned to eat faster than I had formerly thought possible. I know it's a cliched thing but I LITERALLY had a drill Sargent say "who are you" at graduation. Very satisfying moment, which vindicated all of my effort (and lack thereof) taken to not get noticed. The drill sergeants knew me in Basic, but not for any bad reason. Among other things they tasked me with keeping the key for our platoon cleaning closet and I was also responsible for the weapons maintenance kit we would take out to the range. The first couple of trips out to the range got me noticed too. It was really surprising, seemed like I was one of the few in the company that did much shooting prior to signing up. My AIT was about 5 months long. At the end of it, at midnight we were lined up in the hallway outside of the drill sergeant's office. He'd call us in two at a time to sign our leave forms. When I went in, he said, "PA452....you kept your nose clean this whole time, didn't you..." I responded with "Too easy drill sergeant." Then he said, "Either that or you just didn't get caught." 
|
|
Quoted:
You know how you did it right? At the end of the cycle, when you're graduating? The drills all look at you and go "Who the hell are you? I don't remember you...". You don't want to be noticed. Period. Be a face in the crowd, and just don't draw attention, good, bad, or indifferent. If they still can't connect your face with your name by the time you graduate, you've won. Impossible in '70s USMC boot camp. No one escaped 'attention' from the DI's in your Platoon, or Company. Maybe it's all warm and fuzzy now, I don't know. |
|
RTC San Diego
My Company commander was from Brownsville and I am from Laredo. Both Texas border towns. We had lot of the same things in common. I was either you dirty Mexican or wetback during boot camp. He was Hispanic also. He was a great guy. The assistant red rope from OK. Not so much. That guy loved mashing us. 
|
Be the last one dressed on the first day. Get foot locker dumped in DI highway. That will get you flying under the radar from the get go. Also gets you out of cleaning detail every morning, cause your on deck pushing and doing leg lifts. Let other guys clean while you get in the best shape of your life.
|
|
Quoted:
I was shocked when they pasted around the amnesty box at MCRD. When the Drill Instructors went over the list of prohibited items, all I could think, was what kind of moron would bring something like that to Boot Camp? Well, I guess most of the folks I was standing in the room with were morons. The box was filled with guns, fighting knifes, drugs, and other prohibited weapons. I mean full to the top of the box. I smuggled a 110 camera in. Kept it under my cotton balls. WTF was I thinking.
|
|
Quoted: Learn how to inhale 2 pounds of chow in 90 seconds or less. You're always starving during basic, and they don't exactly sit and wait politely for slow eaters. The hard bit is losing that habit after separating from service. |
|
Quoted:
When I went through, they'd ask for volunteers for good tasks. The people who didn't raise their hand would end up cleaning bathrooms or waxing floors. Quoted:
Quoted:
NEVER volunteer . When I went through, they'd ask for volunteers for good tasks. The people who didn't raise their hand would end up cleaning bathrooms or waxing floors. I remember during week 1 or 2, the drills came around asking for volunteers for a special forces mission. I stayed quiet, but some tards took the bait. They spent the entire weekend raking miles of leaves. I'd volunteer for the occasional detail, but anything that was pitched as not sucking. I wouldn't volunteer and would hope that I wouldn't get voluntold because of all the times I volunteered in the past. It worked pretty well during OSUT and after. I never even pushed a lawn mower until I was an E4 promotable. |
