5 things to do BEFORE you leave to US Army Basic Training

[Wall_]

Actually get used to working out the army will get you in shape but its alot easier if you’ve prepped before you go

[joshestime]

Come to basic physically fit, or at least, physically able. Cannot stress that enough. The military is a physically demanding profession and you will need to walk the walk.

[twinhearts]

I literally just finished 4 days ago and my only advice is be in shape before you go

[sheepleslayer]

If you buy new socks, don't open the packaging.
Don't cut your hair too short before arriving to basic (males). Shaving your head is a right of passage.
Be able to perform pushups, situps, pullups and run 1.5 miles in a good time.
Practice proper grammar and not cussing.
And lastly, and this one is hard.. do your best not to smile when being yelled at 😂 I'm not good and the last one...

[karlsnow]

Never take it personally and remember it's the start of a journey. It's not a destination.

[brandinwhite]

Only bring 1 change of clothes in a back pack, and very little personal hygiene. Your not going to need it, untill you get to A.I.T. basically bring nothing with you. Makes it so much easier. And also, save all your money 💰 in basic training and A.I.T. when you get to your regular duty station you will be happy that you did. 99% of all soldiers spend almost all their money. When they get to their duty station they are broke.

[Loveduhmusic]

1. First off pick an MOS that will benefit you when you ETS. I wouldn't suggest combat MOS as I learned being a 13B all you get is law enforcement jobs. Either way most law enforcement jobs only require 3 years of active duty and it doesn't matter what MOS you had.

2. Bring your own running shoes you fee comfortable running in. My Drill Sgt let me use my personal running shoes.

3. Do as you're told don't be a blue falcon. One team one fight so if you fuck up everyone pays the price. Then people will start hating you.

4. When you get to your first duty station don't buy any fancy cars or sports cars just to look cool. My captain had a 2000 Toyota Corolla it was affordable and good on gas.

5. Document all your injuries the army won't take care of you when you ETS so take care of yourself and document everything for your VA benefits.

6. Attend college while you are serving

[omarmassey]

Come with the right attitude. There will be days you don't want to sound off, do what's expected, or complete the task at hand. It's in those moments you need to dig deep within yourself and push through. Most importantly, understand you will miss your family and friends. But do your best to focus on where you are, not where you want to be. It will make adapting to the military life so much smoother. You'll be able to absorb the knowledge your drill sergeants are giving you, and you will be less inclined to give up when things get tough.

[alithareaper]

Never call a drill sergeant sir if you are army.

[shirleyrhodes]

My son has been in basic training for over three months now. He'll be home in December and I can't wait. So proud of him.. 💚💚

[ThrowMyBackOutOnTheACFT]

Also, prepare to get recycled. Probably won’t happen, but just don’t do stupid shit, and your chances are much lower. A recycle is when you are sent to another training company because you cannot train with your current company. It always sets you back to training you’ve already completed. It happens most often, from what I’ve seen, to red phase injuries. You’ll stay with your current company for at least a couple weeks probably; The Army loves to take their sweet time to out-process you from your training unit. Try not to get hurt, so keep your knees bent in formation for blood circulation, mostly at attention. DON’T FUCK AROUND WITH COMBATIVES!!! Private was training with a battle buddy, broke his buddy’s hip or something because he didn’t follow instructions from the DS. You already know, I’m sure, what happened to the injuree. Also, DS mean it when he tells you to throw away all food trash. Don’t sneak anything out of the DFAC. Cycle before us, a guy guy caught smuggling MRE gum or something. He got an NSO from the very end of black phase, right after CEFTX (Combat Engineer FTX) I think. NSO meaning New Start Over. Basically, you wasted all your training time because you gotta start all over from red phase again. Recycling can also happen if you fail to complete a graduation requirement the first time, and there is no make-up (from what I saw, there mostly was). So if you failed CBRN 2, (Gas Chamber/CBRN 1 being the classroom and prep) you get set back to probably the beginning of red phase (It’s in red phase anyways, so it’s not the worst). You’d also have to be a retard to fail CBRN 1 or 2. If you’re 74D, buckle up. Gas chamber ain’t the worst thing you’ll have in BCT. The TRADOC violation of a smoking we got afterwards for talking in formation was worse. Longest smoking we had, I believe. Low crawling and EO/shrimp and bear crawling around the tire PT pit for over an hour and a half. Also, you’re pretty much not gonna get recycled for failing training, at least from what I experienced. They’ll invest every poorly crafted bullet they have into poor shooters because the Army needs numbers bad. Especially Engineers. Used to be one MOS and then they split it into 12B and 12C, Combat Engineer and Bridge Crewmember. PRT is important, so is the ACFT. Don’t ever fail one after basic/AIT you might lose benefits. Anyways, I’ll hop off my soapbox. Hope my talk helped. Don’t forget- If I got through it, you can definitely do it. You just need the heart.

[TS-rfsy]

I left with a change of drawers. I never called anyone. My recruiter gave me a ride. I made it believe it or not.

[melemetcalf]

This is the best advice I got that made basic pretty easy to get through for me. You're never going to out run, out shoot or out shine the DSG Grandma. It's their job to break you down. They will tell you that you're not good enough because they are pushing you. And if you are not being forced to do pushups, DSG will find a reason. It's all head games. I'd seen SO many people upset, stressed, unmotivated or a lot of time angry because of this. Don't fall into the trap. Listen to direction and perform them to the best of your ability, but don't hurt yourself in the process. Also, I have never set foot in a gym nor did I ever run before the Army. I'm female and I turned 27 in basic and I was fine, they taught me everything. I slept a lot though. Now I'm in the gym 5 days a week.

[Nyckaka]

Wear Snickers, shirt, pants and a light hoodie. Pack light, don't brink contrabands, forget everything you learned during your civilian days, you sold your soul to uncle Sam,

[itsclutch]

The stuff the recruiters say gets tossed out, just bring your papers and ID

[blackkaiser]

don’t leave a wife or girlfriend at home because Jody will sneak up every time

[kstray]

I'm going to basic next month, finally after so long. I'm excited, I'll take all the tips that I can

[jerryl.]

Advice from my junior high school gym coach that applies to BCT, "Suit up, shut up and do as you're told. It means wear your uniforms correctly, keep your mouth shut and follow orders. Made my 21 year military career much easier.

[.withit]

My dumbass tried to pack 8 cans of grizzley wintergreen and a pack of newports along with like 2 bang energy drinks to help me stay awake during receiving week, luckily my recruiter checked cuz I fr had no idea that nicotine and caffeine weren’t allowed 😂I mean you can’t blame me tho my ASVAB score was a 30 something like that and I’m going 11B

[ExplosiveQuarry]

I already went through basic training... easy... just shut up, do your training, yes or no sir/ma'am, stay clean, shave, have a buddy... that's it...