Military people I need your help

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Replies

  • santini1975
    santini1975 Posts: 175 Member
    I was an Army MP and there's no way you should sit around for 2 weeks before boot camp. It will kick your butt when they start working you! Also take into consideration where you will be training. Changes in elevation can make running more difficult, so your lung capacity needs as much practice as possible. I had a blast in basic! You will enjoy it if you just push yourself and accept that the drill sgts are not really yelling at you and "smoking you" for messing up- they just have to find excuses to make you work out to get you whipped into shape! Have fun!
  • BananaBee3
    BananaBee3 Posts: 224
    I'm in the Coast Guard and just went through bootcamp in New Jersey last May. Not sure how the Navy's PT compare to the CG's, but we would be pushing the deck, running, doing a lot of "incentive" training and drills every day.

    I wouldn't take 2 weeks off. You want to show up prepared.

    I used to live 10-15 min from the Great Lakes Navy Base and it will be COLD. IL winters suck! Sorry :frown:

    Good luck in bootcamp! When you look back on it, you'll realize that it was actually a fun experience
  • Classalete
    Classalete Posts: 464 Member
    I graduated from Marine Corps OCS this past summer. To be blunt, it completed sucked in every way imaginable...but you build a strong cohesion with your fellow candidates in your platoon...After the third week, your all essentially just trying to survive together. You're gonna be sick, sleep deprived, hungry, exhausted, injured, dirty, dehumanized, and mentally fatigued to the point where simple questions confuse the **** out of you; on a daily basis.

    I felt every damn minute of those 10 weeks, and I hope to never have to revisit MCB Quantico for the rest of my life.

    However, looking back on it now, it's laughable. Just don't ever quit on yourself...and don't be a blue falcon.

    Edit: I completely forgot to answer your original question.

    Train your *kitten* off now, because regardless of how much of a PT stud you are...You'll be draggin'.

    Also, get used to running and find a way to enjoy it. If you're training is/was anything like mine...You'll be running 5 miles up and down mountain trails in boots and utes after the first few weeks.

    Semper Gumby.
  • ATT949
    ATT949 Posts: 1,245 Member
    Keep exercising but just make sure you do not injure yourself. Once you get to the MEPS station and raise your right hand, it's all up to them.

    My background - 8 1/2 years in the US Army, 3 as an EM in the 82nd Airborne, then Officer Candidate School, and then a few years as a commissioned officer.

    With one exception, every school I attended made sure that I was in better shape when I finished than I was when I started.

    That's for a very simple reason — the mission of a training unit (get used to the word "mission") is to take raw recruits and prepare them for a permanent duty station. The schools are designed to train you to a level of proficiency in a variety of skills and then test you to determine how well you're performing. Yes, they get rid of the folks who are "unsuited for military service" and some folks just burn out, but, overall, they know about how many new sailors/soldiers/air people/Marines will be standing at the end.

    The cadre (civilians call it "staff") at a training unit know what number they need to hit and they will do what they can to make sure that they hit that number. The reason is simple — their efficiency report (meaning their career) is based, partially, on hitting that number.

    So don't fret the details. The drills will yell and scream a lot but it's designed to get rid of those people who don't want to be there or who really shouldn't be there. If you show up in decent shape and bring a "can do" attitude, you'll do fine!
  • skylerlreese
    skylerlreese Posts: 2
    Another thing that will affect your training is altitude, so remember that higher altitude is gonna make it harder. I would keep working out and stay well rested. Boot camp will still kick your butt, although i'm sure you will do well.
  • prettyfitchick
    prettyfitchick Posts: 502 Member
    Thanks guys for the Feedback I am feeling less nervous about it already I am confident I made the right choice to join I figure bootcamp would be the hardest part which it proably will be but you all really put it in persective for me
  • ATT949
    ATT949 Posts: 1,245 Member
    I graduated from Marine Corps OCS this past summer. To be blunt, it completed sucked in every way imaginable...but you build a strong cohesion with your fellow candidates in your platoon...After the third week, your all essentially just trying to survive together. You're gonna be sick, sleep deprived, hungry, exhausted, injured, dirty, dehumanized, and mentally fatigued to the point where simple questions confuse the **** out of you; on a daily basis.

    I felt every damn minute of those 10 weeks, and I hope to never have to revisit MCB Quantico for the rest of my life.

    However, looking back on it now, it's laughable. Just don't ever quit on yourself...and don't be a blue falcon.

    Edit: I completely forgot to answer your original question.

    Train your *kitten* off now, because regardless of how much of a PT stud you are...You'll be draggin'.

    Also, get used to running and find a way to enjoy it. If you're training is/was anything like mine...You'll be running 5 miles up and down mountain trails in boots and utes after the first few weeks.

    Semper Gumby.

    Congratulations. I have a lot of respect for Marine officers. I did my Field Artillery Officer Basic Course with two Marine lieutenants and they were among the most impressive officers I ever met.

    A female going into the Navy as a recruit is going to face a completely different set of stresses than you and I did. For one, there's no need to train those folks to that level of fitness and the PT program reflects that. If the cadre tried to do that, they'd get bslapped. Second, if they did put those kinds of stresses female recruits, their dropout rate would skyrocket and that would bring all sorts of very official heat on them.

    "You're gonna be sick, sleep deprived, hungry, exhausted, injured, dirty, dehumanized, and mentally fatigued to the point where simple questions confuse the **** out of you; on a daily basis." Sounds like "good training" to me! :-)
  • StephieH007
    StephieH007 Posts: 1
    I agree with the rest of these folks. Maybe your friend just meant to take it easy before going? I wouldn't suggest stopping for 2 weeks. I think you want to be as prepared as you can be going into it. Along with keeping your muscles in good condition exercise is a great stress relief. You'll also sleep better at night if you keep it up. I know how stressful those last couple weeks are, although it was so long ago...

    Best advice I can give to get you through... STAY POSITIVE!! You are going to have moments that you doubt your decision to join. Stick with it. It is a process we all have to go through. Keeping a positive attitude will carry you through (and help others get through it as well). GOOD LUCK!!
  • talisamb
    talisamb Posts: 65 Member
    I am currently in the Air force and I wouldnt advise 2 weeks off. Basic training wasnt so bad after the adjustment. I workout daily and only take one day off during the week. You will be working out daily in basic training with no day off, so why take two weeks before.
  • kathydp
    kathydp Posts: 21 Member
    Keep it up. Your body will be used to working out. .
  • Classalete
    Classalete Posts: 464 Member
    I graduated from Marine Corps OCS this past summer. To be blunt, it completed sucked in every way imaginable...but you build a strong cohesion with your fellow candidates in your platoon...After the third week, your all essentially just trying to survive together. You're gonna be sick, sleep deprived, hungry, exhausted, injured, dirty, dehumanized, and mentally fatigued to the point where simple questions confuse the **** out of you; on a daily basis.

    I felt every damn minute of those 10 weeks, and I hope to never have to revisit MCB Quantico for the rest of my life.

    However, looking back on it now, it's laughable. Just don't ever quit on yourself...and don't be a blue falcon.

    Edit: I completely forgot to answer your original question.

    Train your *kitten* off now, because regardless of how much of a PT stud you are...You'll be draggin'.

    Also, get used to running and find a way to enjoy it. If you're training is/was anything like mine...You'll be running 5 miles up and down mountain trails in boots and utes after the first few weeks.

    Semper Gumby.

    Congratulations. I have a lot of respect for Marine officers. I did my Field Artillery Officer Basic Course with two Marine lieutenants and they were among the most impressive officers I ever met.

    A female going into the Navy as a recruit is going to face a completely different set of stresses than you and I did. For one, there's no need to train those folks to that level of fitness and the PT program reflects that. If the cadre tried to do that, they'd get bslapped. Second, if they did put those kinds of stresses female recruits, their dropout rate would skyrocket and that would bring all sorts of very official heat on them.

    "You're gonna be sick, sleep deprived, hungry, exhausted, injured, dirty, dehumanized, and mentally fatigued to the point where simple questions confuse the **** out of you; on a daily basis." Sounds like "good training" to me! :-)

    Thank you, I really appreciate it. Unfortunately I chose not to accept the commission at the end of the course...I just decided that although I made it and didn't get dropped, it just wasn't something my heart was in for the right reasons. I have to much respect for the Corps and the armed forces in general to let myself just 'go through the motions' for 4 years.

    Anyway, the female platoon suffered the worst attrition. I think they started with 63 and ended up with less than 20...Those ones who made it were the real deal though, they did everything right along with us...The only thing that was modified was their PFT requirements.

    I haven't a clue what Navy training is all about so I figured my story could serve as a nice 'worst case scenario', hahah. I remember the corpsman as being the only 'good guy' we could rely on.
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