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Joining the Army

Krautle87

Krautle87

Confutatis maledictis, voca me cum benedictis.
Joined
Oct 5, 2005
Messages
585
So guys I've been away for a few weeks, I've been kind of busy prepping for and celebrating my enlistment, I finally signed and will be shipping to boot camp April 5th...

Anyways, it seems there are a few Army guys here, Brickhouse is the first to come to mind, what can I expect in the beginning? I still need to get into shape, how intense is the first few weeks? I'm pretty pumped to go, but I figure I might as well hear from some others what I'm getting myself into (besides just what the recruiter has to say... :p )

Worst part is definately gonna be no smoking for 9 weeks. :(
 
might wanna ask brickhouse, and high-n-tight, they were/are army officers repectivley.
 
Former enlisted guy still working with the Army. Still need to get in shape? I say enjoy every minute you have, the army will get you into shape. I started running a 22 minute 2 mile, about 12 push ups in 2 minutes and 20 situps in 2 minutes and within 3 weeks I was down to a 14 minute 2 mile, about 50 pushups and 60 sit ups. Again, the army will get you into shape. I went to all male basic so I might have also been pushed harder since there were no females holding us back. That is not to offend any female at all, men are just naturally physically stronger and faster. When you get smoked you do it as a group so if a female is there, the smoke sessions are quicker. I also hope you go to all male basic. There is much less drama and "boys will be boys" applies. Even women don't like basic with other women.

Your drill sergeants will try to get you to fight your fellow comrades, they will try to keep you divided, and they will put the fear of god in you. Work as a team, despite your DSs trying to keep you divided, you will work better as a team. You will be there with people from all walks of life. I was an intel guy and went to basic with a bunch of artillery guys at Ft Sill. You will find someone you get along with. You don't have to be best friends with everyone, just don't talk to those you don't get along with.

Our DSs were all infantry, some snipers, some pathfinder, some went through SERE school, one was a ranger. Getting mad and trying to kick their ass is not a good idea, they work as a team and old guys will take cheap shots, but they will not lose. They will tell you you will be going to Iraq, you very likely will. I've been twice and I joined before 9/11, at least you know you're going to go.

Don't worry about trying to wake up at 4am, you never get used to it. There is no snooze button on your new alarm clock and when you get downstairs and start running you will wake up and feel good. Don't worry about quitting smoking, you will have enough to occupy your time that you won't even think about smoking.

That was 6 years ago though and I'm sure things are different. We never had stress cards and I saw some physical interaction between a DS and one of the guys there. Not too bad, just enough to scare the guy.

Remember a couple things: If you're not cheating you're not trying. If you get cought cheating, you weren't trying hard enough.

Millions of people have done it before you. I have seen some fat bastards make it through basic training. I have seen some scrawnet bastards make it though basic training. I have seen weak hearts make it through. The Army was designed for everyone to pass. If you want to pass you will. If you ever think you can't pass, remember "Millions have done it before me".

So what are you going to be? Where are you going? What rank you starting out as? Don't let all that stuff scare you, once you get there and get started it will all fall into place and be normal to you. Honestly, without the Army I would still be working at Bob Evans drinking with the same guys I was with in High School. Probably still be single sharing an apartment with my friends that I drink with. Instead, I have a great job, great wife, own a house, have a dog and cat, and am buying Gurkha's and LFDs instead of Swisher Sweets and Phillie's Blunts. Seriously, if you have any questions about anything send me an e-mail, douglas.p.gordon@us.army.mil.
 
First of all I want to thank you for your upcoming service to this great country. Serve our country and your uniform proudly!

I can't give you the Army point of view, but I can give you my experiences from my time in the Navy. The first 24 hours are very rough. We got little sleep because we arrived in the evening and had to be issued our new Navy gear. Expect to be tired, confused, and not knowing at thing about what is going on. There may be a lot of waiting at this time. If they let you doze off for a few winks in the hall, I suggest it. Eventually you will get some sleep in a bunk....hang in there. Not only will you be tired, you will be rushed by the drill instructors.

Expect a free head shaving and thick boot camp glasses, if you wear glasses. You will also become a human pin cushin with all the shots you will get. Don't expect to get a ride anywhere...you will have to march your way around camp. In the first few weeks you will also learn military bearing and basic general military knowledge. I believe we did PT three times a week as well. If you leave for boot camp and are not as phycally fit as you wanted to be, you will be soon. But the more fit you are when you arrive, the better you will be.

I would also expect that you will get screamed at pretty often. Just remember to do what you are told and keep you mouth shut...it will be in your best interest to do so! In addition, there will be a lot of "hurry up and wait" situations. Again, keep your head up and your mouth shut. There will be "clowns" in your group that will be trouble makers. Learn from them and don't make their mistakes. Also in this fist few weeks you will be finalizing your paper work into the Army.

Don't bring anything that is of any value with you. You don't want to lose it or have it stolen. Also, it will be all sent home anyway.

It will be a very trying time for you and all in your group. All I can say is that it will get better with each passing day as you all get familiar to Army life. When you get out of boot camp and are assigned to a permanet duty station, always remember the training you get in boot camp. It is valuable and it means something.

This is all I can think about for now. If I remember something else I will post it for you. If you ahve other questions, PM me...I will try to help if I can.

Again, congrats on your enlistment. I was in the Navy four years and loved it. You will have your ups and downs in the Army just like we all have in the civilian world. Make your own judgement about your experiences and do not let others with bad attitudes get to you. Remember, serve our country proudly. We all thank you :thumbs:
 
Congratulations on your enlistment. Thanks for coming into the service, especially during this time.

The best advice I can offer is to grow a very thick skin. Basic training is a lot of head games. The Drill Sergeants will play a lot of them with you, too. You'll do things over and over until they're satisfied. You'll get punished as a group for what one guy did or didn't do - don't hold it against him, though. The Drill Sergeants will always find someone to blame something on. Learn to play the game and soak up as much knowledge as you can. The games are for a reason, either training you to follow orders, training you to work as a team, etc.

It wouldn't hurt at all to try and get into better shape. Yes, the Army will do all it can to assist you, but if you're struggling, this is just more ammo for the Drill Sergeants or others to use against you. Not a problem if you're truly trying and can brush it off and drive on, but many get too discouraged and start fighting it.

You can't really get too prepared for what you'll go through. I think about the only thing that you can get prepared on to give you a little head start is the rank structure and some basic drill and ceremony. Hopefully your recruiters are already working on that with you like mine did.

What MOS did you sign up for? Where will you be doing basic at? Good luck either way. Drop me an email at john.holmes1 @ 101aamain.army.mil if you have any other questions that I can help with. :)

---John Holmes...
 
OK, now I have a couple things to add. My wife who was also in the Army, saw a previous post and laughed. If you want to get strong real fast, sleep in a hall. Even if they tell you you can sleep, i is not advised to sleep anywhere that was not designed to sleep in. Don't even lean on a wall, they will point out that the wall doesn't need you to hold it up and you will do push ups. Expect every DS to have a catch phrase they call every private, usually high speed, sometimes they get creative though. PT will be twice a day, not 3 times a week. Nobody at home expects you to write letters back, don't feel bad. Also, you never know what to expect. I was supposed to go to Ft. Jackson for basic training and when I arrived to ship out I was redirected to Ft. Sill. My family found out when I called when I got there. Your time at reception will be much less stressful than actual basic. Week 1 doesn't start when you get there. You go through a week or 2 of inprocessing, doing paperwork, getting haircuts, equipment etc. This will be very nice and you might get to call home a couple times a week. Even in actual basic, expect to be able to call home once every week or two. It is not just a one time thing.
 
John had good advice, learn rank structure quick. It saved my platoon a lot of pushups when our DS asked for a volunteer to name the ranks. Every one missed was 10 pushups, my platoon had to do 20. The more you know going into a situation, the better you will be in the situation. Ask questions, ask your recruiter, ask jholmes, ask tolije (retired enlisted), and feel free too ask me. I am not trying to scare you, I am just trying to be brutally honest. Also, expect the worst, hope for the best. If you expect the worst, whatever happens will be good, at worst... expected. You will not die. Your DSs went through training before they took charge of you. They know your limits and when your body is at it's limit. You will not be harmed. If you are, it looks bad on them, it is in their best interest for you to not be harmed.
 
Thanks for your service bro, now brace yourself.

It's going to be a fast pace and hectic ride, but you'll be doing one of the most rewarding jobs you'll ever find.

As for what to expect:

I'm not going to try and tell you what to expect as far as boot camp and early enlistment. I was an officer, and commissioned straight out of college into active duty. I never attended a "boot camp" like you're about to experience. The officer side is definitely different than the enlisted side, but when put together, they form a great cohesive team.

I will defer to Tasman and xRanger for that information. Tas is about to be promoted to Master Sergeant and he has 20 years enlisted. The finest NCO I've ever known. Also, he was a Drill Sergeant, so there is plenty he can fill you in on with all that business. I would encourage you to contact him through PM if you desire. He won't mind.

I would go ahead and mentally prepare yourself and any family you may have, right now, on the possibilities that you may be in Iraq within the next 12 months. It's just the facts bro, it's how it's working right now. It doesn't matter what field you're in, if you spend any amount of time active duty, you're going to see time over there. The best thing you can do is just accept that and start preparing for it. Yeah, I got it, you can't FULLY prepare for it, but just picturing yourself there, and letting your family know about it is a big part.

The military is a great place to start your life though bro. The sky is the limit for you if you want it bad enough.

The best advice I can give you is very simple:

Show up on time all the time, look like a professional, behave like a professional (on and off duty), take your lickings like a man, and always go back for more.

If you can do those simple things, it's up to you how successful you will be.

Finally - Let me know if you need anything.

Good luck and thanks again for choosing the best profession in the country.
 
Show up on time all the time, look like a professional, behave like a professional (on and off duty), take your lickings like a man, and always go back for more.

If you can do those simple things, it's up to you how successful you will be.
Click to expand...

Sage advice for any man. Gospel for a serviceman. Danged officers!
 
My father spent 11 yrs in the Army. His advice to me was....
































Join the Navy

Doc.
 
Wow thanks for all the info guys, frankly alot of what you guys said is what I've been told and it sounds like as long as you're ready to work your ass off and learn, I'll be fine. I'm really looking forward to it, it should be a good experiance for me.

My MOS is gonna be 96b, Military Intel, and I'm gonna be at Ft Leonard Wood in Missouri before spending 17 weeks in Arizona...in the summer. :cool:

As far as going to Iraq, I should be okay for now, I signed up as reserve (to keep the 'rents from killing themselves :( ), and I'm going to be doing my "one weekend a month" in Maryland, although I'm seriously considering going active a few months after AIT, since I could get activated anyways and I'd rather do it on my own terms. Part of me wants to go to Iraq, not in a stupid kid "I'm gonna go get some" kinda way, but the reason I joined was because we're at war and I've always supported the war. It had always been in the back of my mind, but Bush's anouncement of a troop surge was really the "Call to Arms" for me.

Anyways, thanks again for all the info and good wishes, I'll keep checking back for any more details you guys can throw my way. :thumbs:
 
Congrats on joining. The 6 years I spent in the Army were some of the best years ever. There was a LOT of bullsh*t, but a lot of good times also. Same with the people you'll meet... Some will be life long friends, others are just asshats. Enjoy your time with the former and just stay away from the latter.

My advice:

1. While in Basic, just keep reminding yourself that "this won't last forever."

2. Volunteer for the special services (Airborne, SF, Rangers, etc.). IMO, you'll be glad you did when it's all said and done.

3. Walk only on the sidewalks - stay off the grass.

4. Never put your hands in your pockets.

5. Listen closely to all instructions and follow them!

I was in Intel as well - CounterSigInt Specialist. We tapped phones and listened to unsecured radio transmissions. My final assignment was NCOIC of the 82nd Abn Div Security Office. Of course, this was all 20 years ago!!

Best of luck to you!
 
What has already been said is all good!! I was in shape when I went in, or so I thought, and the first couple of weeks still kicked my ass! I think it is more of getting on the "Army" schedule, and off of your schedule, that makes it the hardest part. The PT can be tough, but if your in fairly good shape, you will adjust quickly.

And your right, don't sleep anywhere that wasn't designed for sleeping! They will catch you...Especially if it is on CQ Duty, at 2:00am outside the CO's office. :whistling:

Don't be "On time" for anything, be early. God forbid if you are late running back from the chow hall. And you will form a love/hate relationship with your Drill Sergeants, thats why they are there. Toward the end of my eight weeks of Basic, I had a running repore with one of my Drill Sargeants...I was a smart ass, and he got to drop me for push ups, it was great!! We could both laugh about it toward the end of Basic though, and thats the best part. WE all went to AIT as a Platoon, so we were all familiar with each other when we moved on.

The most important thing, IMHO, is to have as much fun as you can possible have. You will never get another chance to experience it when you are done, and hold on to the friendships that you make.

Bill
 
Here is the advice I'd give. Never ever believe what the recruiter told you other than how to get into physical shape. You don't want to be the guy that throws up because the physical requirements is just to much for you at the beginning. As I did OSUT training aka my MOS and Basic all rolled up into one package, its a tad different than the other MOS's in the Army regiment. Its a 4 month straight crash course fill with many days of PT and training. Pay attention and try not to stick out like a sore thumb. Extra attention isn't a plus.

What I did was 300 to 1000 push ups a day and also 300 to 1000 stomach crunches a day. I did some running as well so I wasn't so over whelmed at the beginning. Just remember when the Drill Sergeant says move, DO IT FAST. You will pay in extra PT sessions if not.

Other than that, do as you are told and you should be fine. Good luck as it will be a interesting culture shock. :thumbs:
 
It looks like everyone else has given the same advice I was going to give, all I can add is to indulge in self-analysis when you step in it. Because you will step in it whether you meant to or not. That's just how it goes.

That and have fun. Seriously. 20 years later I still laugh, and cry, everytime I think of some of the crap I got myself in to.
This is an experience you'll carry with you the rest of your life. Some of it will suck balls, some of it will be fun. Some days you'll feel like you have the world by the tail, and some days it'll feel like the world is out to mess with you.
Approach every morning as a new opportunity to be a better man, and to learn something new.

Make the most of it, and never regret it. Even when you hate it. :thumbs:
 
Thank you for answering the call to serve.

Wishing you the best on your journey...
 
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