What items should a new recruit take with them to basic training?

[stitch_paradox]

nothing.

[Tripper]

the army will allow him to use pay phones on the weekends...why i dont know. he will also be given trips to the exchange every week so any creature comforts he wants im sure the army will let him buy. tell him that if he wants to grow up and join the big boy gun club, to cancel his contract with the army, go next door and sign with the Marines!

when my son went (about a year ago) instead of making the recruits use the payphones on their 10 minute break on the weekend (if they got it), the ones that had cell phones could use those to make calls. my son probably called me 3 times, that doesnt mean he only got 3 chances, just he called ME only 3 times.

I sent my son, 3pre-stamped envelopes, 1 being pre-addressed, with each letter i sent him, I also included three blank sheets of paper.
that combination was just what fit in the envelope best

make sure he takes an address book, a small pad of writing paper, and a few pre-stamped envelopes, for him to send his first letters. they usually wont take those things from them.

[Tripper]

and

thank you for your sons service, and giving him the encouragement to serve.

[Tripper]

When I was at basic we couldn't use pay phones. If someone didn't have their phone they would have to try and find someone that would share that 5 or so minutes we were given our phones for. Creature comforts in basic? Yeah right. We got to go to the exchange to get hair cuts and to replace broken stuff or get essential junk. I'll ignore the Marines comment.

I do recall him mentioning letting someone borrow his phone too

wheres your son going for basic?

[MountainMike]

If you want to pull a harmless prank on him while he is at basic you can send him a birthday card. Those always go over well with the company commanders.

But in all seriousness stick to the list the recruiter provides, when I was in boot I brought a pair of cuticle clippers. Made trimming loose threads on my uniform a lot easier.

[evidens83]

All I brought was a traveler's sized toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, cell phone and charger. Everything else you need they will make you purchase at Basic.

Basically, you want to arrive with as little as possible because depending on your Drill SGTs, your entire company may be told to hold your baggage in the air while you're running around with your heads cut off as you step off the white bus while the Drill SGTs give you a piece of their mind. Ask me how I know

[11Bforme]

A side note for once he is there, Remind him to MAKE SURE HE LABELS ALL OF HIS STUFF! This makes it a lot easier when every ones lockers get dumped in the middle of the kill zone.

[cranemech]

and

thank you for your sons service, and giving him the encouragement to serve.

I do recall him mentioning letting someone borrow his phone too

wheres your son going for basic?

Tripper, It is a friend of my son that is going into the Army. My son has not decided if he wants to enlist or not. He has several friends that have enlisted in the various branches of the Armed Forces. I am definitely encouraging him to enlist. I never enlisted and it is one of only a couple of true regrets that I have.

My sons friend ships out to basic training on the 18th of April to Ft. Eustis, South Carolina.

Thank you all for the advice.

[ducky_0811]

so many defensive comments after one Marine makes a joke....gotta love it, and i would not have said anything about your basic training that i didnt witness with my own eyes during my time at Ft. Sill for artillery school. I havent even gotten into the overweight individuals asking their drill sergeants for 5 more minutes in the chow hall because they hadnt finished their ice cream... again, didnt believe myself until i saw it with my own eyes, but hey, like you said, bring your cell phones i guess

[docsmileyface]

like, enough toiletries to last a week. if its a summer cycle it might be a little while before they get to the PX to buy all the crap they're required to have. Everything you own thats personal gets confiscated and locked away.

[laabstract]

Honestly I would take a good watch with him preferably one with dials and not digital (draws less attention) I just had a cheap casio and it came in pretty handy. I would also take a list of adresses for people he would want to write while he is in basic.

[Tripper]

I think a good watch was the first thing my son bought at basic, aside from the stuff they made him buy

[Tripper]

Oh
And above all else
Take a positive attitude
No matter what happens, how upset anyone gets, how homesick, tired, wet cold, and all that, it is all over on a predefined date. Don't let anyone get to him, the drill sgt is not out to get him, they are out to get everyone.
Do his best at every assignment
If he can learn some skills, like commands, ranks, compass reading, land navigation, how to zero an m16, first aid, stuff that he can do now, it won't be so new to him when it comes up, and he can help others while not being so stressed out trying to learn something new all the time

[Zenith]

Tripper, It is a friend of my son that is going into the Army. My son has not decided if he wants to enlist or not. He has several friends that have enlisted in the various branches of the Armed Forces. I am definitely encouraging him to enlist. I never enlisted and it is one of only a couple of true regrets that I have.

My sons friend ships out to basic training on the Mid April to East Coast

Thank you all for the advice.

You might want to tweak the information in red a bit and make it a little more 'broader' so as not to show any 'specifics', as per OPSEC

-Jarred

[TAK]

You might want to tweak the information in red a bit and make it a little more 'broader' so as not to show any 'specifics', as per OPSEC

-Jarred

He is absolutely right, charlie is just waiting to figure out where he is going to basic training because it's not like hundreds of people ship out to the various publicly known recruit depots from the numerous publicly known meps stations.