joined the army. any advice?

[MRX9989]

Arrive in good physical condition and without injuries. They'll teach you everything else you need to know.

[discoed]

Have you noticed that almost everyone here said something in regards to physical fitness. Go out and run.. then run some more.. One thing about the military, it's amazing how good in shape they will get you without any weight lifting...

I was in the Army for quite some time, you will learn everything you need to there just make sure you listen and keep your head up. You will love it. I did..

[NiteQwill]

Ahhhh, I remember Benning! It's either humid or freezing!

Run, run, and run.

Oh, and don't look like a "cool guy," everyone hates the "cool guy," especially the Drill Sergeants!

[11Z50]

Try to stand in the back row and STFU. But, don't be afraid to volunteer for tasks you know you can do well. Focus on training for the PT test and nothing else. Run, run and run some more. Push-ups, and more push-ups.

Moreover, realize that what is coming will be a defining moment of your life. The experiences coming, and the friendships you will make, will be with you the rest of your life. I actually envy you. Drive on and never quit.

11Z
B/5-2 Fort Polk LA 1975

[thebloodsonthewall]

If you have the time, you can start learning the Soldier's Creed and the Army Song. Sometimes in reception they do dumb little things and if you know one of them your get out of doing something dumb or you get to do something others don't. When I was in reception I think the people that knew the Army Song got to go to a 4th of July event. At that time I didn't even know there was an Army Song. You will say both oh yeah and the Infantry Song, you will say those three everyday at least three times probably. Don't worry too much about them now but it could help in reception and teaching the other guys when you make it to basic.

30th AG sucks!! I was there almost two weeks waiting for the next slot to open and I hated that place more than basic training.

[winnre]

If you ever do screw up in the Army, try to get justice served to you off the record. One time I was up for an Article 15 and the Commander was really mad at me. I told him if he did not give me the Article 15 I would accept any punishment that he personally desired to give me. It worked. I played his game in the short run and in the long run the Article 15 never happened and my record was clean.

Same with any time the Drill Sergeant gets mad at you. I fell asleep on CQ duty but got out of it by volunteering to help anyone who was a lousy shot on the range.

Don't screw up, but if you do, try to keep it off the record.

In 15 days I will have 30 years of service, and I loved it all.

[LAWABIDINGCITIZEN]

Congratulations!

People die of boredom because they are never challenged in life and are afraid to take any kind of risk.

Don't worry about failure. Give this everything you've got.

Whether you stay in the Army for 3 years or 30, this can be a really good experience for you and you'll learn things you'll take with you for the rest of your life.

Thanks for having the guts to serve.


PS: Think about all the FREE AMMO you're going to get!

[JaMail]

find a local police academy prep group, it will give you a group of people to train with.

run, run, run, run, run, run, run.. if you think your about to faint, then you need to sprint for another 5 minutes.

unless your a hardcore runner already, your not ready for the running portion.

push ups, to be safe, you should be able to do at least 100 at a time, since half the time you will do double what the lame *** near you is doing, cuz they will pick the ONE guy that cant do them right to count off the entire squad or platoon.

the march, build yourself up, hike hike hike, by the time you leave you should have done at least one ten mile fast walk with ZERO impact to you, its going to be diff when you are carrying everything and the march line starts stretching and compacting

learn to clean up after yourself. you want to leave ZERO foot print wherever you go. if your bar of soap has hair on it when your done showering, get used to rinsing it off before you put it in the case, same with razors, shaving cream dispensers and everything

and once you get your kit cleaned and ready for inspections, DONT LEAVE IT UNATTENDED FOR ANY REASON, some ****head scrub will take your good stuff and leave his crap in its place.

My shovel and canteen holder vanished of my bunk and in its place i got some dirty POS.


other than that, have fun and dont take anything to seriously. its basic training, its going to be 10 short weeks..

stay away from the obvious idiots that are trying to game the system by either drinking, smoking cig's or smuggling food, and if you find anyone flushing anything other than TP down the toilet, beat their asses..

200 people trying to use 2 working toilets because a retard flushed a soda can down the john sucks.

it took 3 weeks to get a guy in there to snake the toilet and he pulled up 2 soda cans and some candy wrappers.


Ft Sill 1992 middle of summer, 100+ temp's 80% humidity and some kid died the cycle before us from dehydration. so the DI's had a feild day with making us drink water until we threw up.

[develown]

in all reality you cant totaly prepare, your just going to have to figgure it out when you get there. But, as others have said PT it up!!

[Hunter4life1990]

thanks for the advice guys. im mentally prepared for it. i chose my life goal to be a green beret when i was 11 and im 19 now. ill definatley being PTing alot. im not trying to crash course anything. im in this for the long haul 25 years service is a minimum in my my mind.
thanks again

[metalliman545]

dont be "That guy" or a blue falcon. dont take basic training seriously. it is what it is, basic training. dont come graduating going to your unit acting like your the hottest POS that ever was, youll get bashed down. youll be a private, and thats it. just aprivate(pvt pvt2 pfc are all the same when looked at by Drill sgts) get into shape and stay into shape! i was 155 when i graduate. 8 months of drinking, pizza and partying it up brought me back to 185, im working on getting back down (currently in iraq) so keep up the fitness they have gave you. btw for 18-21 the standards for pt are 42 push ups, 52 sit ups and a 1554 two mile. but you wanna exceed the standard. 72 push ups 78 sit ups and 1330(iirc) 2 mile. i can still get a 270 outta 300, my run sucks because im a smoker. and! thats another thing! if you smoke, STOP youll be in hell during reception. dont do anything stupid, as a matter of fact dont do anything unless you are given permission to do so. including using the bathroom.
yes drill sgt and no drill sgt should be the only words out of your mouth. no excuses no other words. the restroom is called Latrine beds are bunks, the place you stay is the barracks. the DFAC is where you eat your meals.
learn to HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE! youll be doing forced hydration every few days, chugging your entire 2 quart. if you throw it up, looks like your going to do it again.
i stress doing push ups, youll do BILLIONS of them. better get started now. and be prepared for the one command that will make you cringe everytime you hear it. im sure everyone here remebers it!

HALF RIGHT, FACE! FRONT LEANING REST POSISTION...MOVE!

[metalliman545]

btw welcome to the beginning of your new life, Crunchy. if i ever hear you use the phrase DAT. there will be some hell to pay. hahaha

[Captain Crunch]

and be prepared for the one command that will make you cringe everytime you hear it. im sure everyone here remebers it!

What about those of us that dont kno w... what is it?

[metalliman545]

its the command given to start doing pushups in a formation. usually in basic training, thats the beginning of a smoke session.

[thebloodsonthewall]

its the command given to start doing pushups in a formation. usually in basic training, thats the beginning of a smoke session.

More often, they had us stay in the front leaning rest, that is the position you get into to do push-ups. Then they would tell us to sag in the middle arch your back sag in the middle arch your back. ahhhhh we would do that for 30 minutes sometimes. Kind of looks like you are humping the ground if you are trying to figure out with that means. While you are in the front leaning rest you stick your butt in the air, that's arch your back and sag in the middle is letting your core down almost to the ground.