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Bootcamp!

Humorous side note: If anybody asks the mister about what his rank "is" - he's been out quite a while now - he'll say he's a "PFC." Which stands for one thing when you're in the USMC, but once you're out, it stands for "Proud F*cking Civilian." I thought you might enjoy knowing that, Laser...but I wouldn't recommend it's use to anybody who hasn't been in the military.

And the Proud comes from actualy having worn the uniform. The rest comes not having to serve any longer.
 
When you go to the field, if it is hot or humid. Do not wear underwear.

You'll be in Holland in the fall/winter, and most Air Forces don't spend much time in the field, so it probably won't apply in your case. But if you ever get to Iraq or somewhere similar, you'll see the truth.
 
Good luck at the academy!

I enlisted in the US Army myself in 2007 and commissioned as a second lieutenant back in may. Right now I'm currently at officer school in Georgia and following that I'll be heading to Signal School to become a communications officer
So you living in the Quads? Tired of the Infantry Hall yet? Congrats.

Wear knee high pantyhose over your socks.

And hope to God your DI doesn't find out. :guffaw:
Who do you think taught me that trick?:shifty:

USAF basic training was not too bad..but really you'll do ok..
From what I have heard from zoomies, USAF basic is hard core about mind fucking you worst than the other three services. I never figured out why though. I've talked to guys who went through USAF boot camp and I swear I would have been chaptered out (thrown out) in about an hour. No way I would have put up with the chicken shit that I was hearing.

I believe the USMC's boast is that it breaks you down to build you up.
They all do that. The idea is to break down the individual so that the cadre can rebuild you to be both a new individual as well as an integral part of a greater organism. It's pretty interesting from a psychological POV.

When you go to the field, if it is hot or humid. Do not wear underwear.
Excellent point. What you do though is bring baby powder of some sort and use it liberally.
 
Having the option would be nice. I highly doubt I would be able to get through basic due to my bad back and light asthma. Even when I was sporting a six-pack and spending an hour a day on the 'eliptical' I couldn't run more than 10 minutes straight. Always with the running. I'll just have to serve my country some other way.
 
No military branch would ever have me with my bad eyesight, but I'm looking forward to hearing about your adventures, Omnius!
 
^I'm blind as a bat, but my vision is correctable to 20/20, which means I can be anything but an aviator or sniper in the military.

Eyesight will not keep you out of the military unless you want it to.
 
2.5 weeks bootcamp sounds like a vacation. I was in the US Army and we had an 8 week basic training course. Swimming in boots works similar to taking a hot shower in your boots - leather forms to your feet. I also discarded my wool green socks for more comfortable white ones after basic. I would definitely suggest getting a good foot powder to keep your feet dry, and definitely take care of your feet every day after training.

Don't sweat the instructors. They're hard-asses because you need them to be. They are a breeze compared to actual combat, and their lessons are what you want to listen to through the BS. Actually, basic was rather funny after a while, and our platoon would make fun of the DS's after training. We had some guys who could do spot-on impersonations that were hilarious. The best part was, they knew! And at the end of the 8 weeks before graduation, they had us put on a talent show where the best impersonators would perform, and the DS's had to guess which one was being imperonated.
 
As recruit shithead I wore all regulation gear. There was no where to hide other stuff after all. After joining my unit I then started to get civilian and after market gear. The uniform store did have olive drab atheletic socks which I wore in garrison. In the field it was always wool as they kept you warm while wet.
 
Good luck at the academy!

I enlisted in the US Army myself in 2007 and commissioned as a second lieutenant back in may. Right now I'm currently at officer school in Georgia and following that I'll be heading to Signal School to become a communications officer
So you living in the Quads? Tired of the Infantry Hall yet? Congrats.
thanks! Right now I'm living in the barracks right outside the 75th Rangers, about half a quarter mile from where the Airborne school is. Unfortunately, I don't think they're using Infantry Hall right now. They're changing the whole thing since they're moving armor down here and turning it into the Manuever center or some such
 
Good luck at the academy!

I enlisted in the US Army myself in 2007 and commissioned as a second lieutenant back in may. Right now I'm currently at officer school in Georgia and following that I'll be heading to Signal School to become a communications officer
So you living in the Quads? Tired of the Infantry Hall yet? Congrats.
thanks! Right now I'm living in the barracks right outside the 75th Rangers, about half a quarter mile from where the Airborne school is. Unfortunately, I don't think they're using Infantry Hall right now. They're changing the whole thing since they're moving armor down here and turning it into the Manuever center or some such
Yeah they are getting ready to create the "Maneuver Center of Excellence". I was supposed to stop by Ft. Benning this summer for a few hours during our vacation trip, but it didnt work out. Im hoping to get up there as part of the civilian marksmanship program for some tournaments. Oh I used to live in Kelly Hill. Last time I was there (4 or so years ago), they had the new barracks up, but never tore down the old shit hole type of barracks.
 
^I'm blind as a bat, but my vision is correctable to 20/20, which means I can be anything but an aviator or sniper in the military.

Eyesight will not keep you out of the military unless you want it to.

Maybe not, but it'll be a hindrance nonetheless. Anyway, they abolished the draft here two years before I turned 18, so I was never called up. But if they need, they'll call me, I know that! :)
 
I think we have a small but formidable Air Force. But I'm not going to fly any of those aircraft (unfortunately). Instead I'll be managing the Communications and Information Systems on one of the Air Force bases.
"Telephone Operator". :D
Manager of "Telephone Operators" ;)

Here's a deep, dark secret passed down from boot to boot (which translates to "from enlistee to enlistee") in the U.S. Marine Corps, or so my husband, a former Marine, tells me: You only wear those horrible socks in boot camp. After that, you find something else, something more comfortable.
Winner!!!

Ok now for a hint from an old Infantry soldier. You want to know how to break your boots in so you dont get blisters....(Im assuming these are leather boots). Go swimming with them on for a half our, then go do a few hours yard work or walk for a few hours. What you are doing is breaking down the leather, and then as you work out in them you are getting the leather to form to your feet. The boots will be infinity more comfortable and less likely to blister your feet.

When you go on road marches (12 miles / 7.2km) here is another hint. Wear knee high pantyhose over your socks. Rub the bottom of the pantyhose down with a bar of soap. Your feet will glide in your boots.
Thanks for the advice. I think I'll hose down my boots and go for a good walk with the dogs.

Good luck at the academy!

I enlisted in the US Army myself in 2007 and commissioned as a second lieutenant back in may. Right now I'm currently at officer school in Georgia and following that I'll be heading to Signal School to become a communications officer
Thanks! When I graduate from the Academy next year I'll be a 2nd lieutenant myself.

Of course all military bootcams are designed to make a person miserable. It weeds out the strong from the weak. Once graduated, you will join real military and wear what you want.

Will you be going to a technical school after? Those are fun too.
I already have a bachelor's degree in Computer Science. So this is basically a 1 year course to turn me into a soldier. After that I start my four year assignment which includes specific training for my field of expertise.

Here's something to look forward to..

(Not safe for work BTW)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFNeBRc7W7s

USAF basic training was not too bad..but really you'll do ok..
hehe, well it can only be better than that right? :lol:

When you go to the field, if it is hot or humid. Do not wear underwear.

You'll be in the Netherlands in the fall/winter, and most Air Forces don't spend much time in the field, so it probably won't apply in your case. But if you ever get to Iraq or somewhere similar, you'll see the truth.
You mean all those soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan aren't wearing underwear? :lol:
While chances are slim, I could get sent to Iraq or Afghanistan. It all depends on where the MoD needs me to be. However I think the US or Canada is more likely since we have lots of air force personnel training there.

No military branch would ever have me with my bad eyesight, but I'm looking forward to hearing about your adventures, Omnius!
I shall try to keep you guys updated!

2.5 weeks bootcamp sounds like a vacation. I was in the US Army and we had an 8 week basic training course. Swimming in boots works similar to taking a hot shower in your boots - leather forms to your feet. I also discarded my wool green socks for more comfortable white ones after basic. I would definitely suggest getting a good foot powder to keep your feet dry, and definitely take care of your feet every day after training.
Thanks for the tips!

As recruit shithead I wore all regulation gear. There was no where to hide other stuff after all. After joining my unit I then started to get civilian and after market gear. The uniform store did have olive drab atheletic socks which I wore in garrison. In the field it was always wool as they kept you warm while wet.
I found these on the web. I'm going to see if they sell them here. But likely I'll have to order them because I have a ridiculous foot size (48EU/14US).

Good luck Omnius! Keep your eyes on your final goal :techman:
Thanks, I shall :)
 
Two things I "learned" in my time in the US Army. The first is how to hide anything in your barracks. Not everyone will get a setup like this, but my platoon was assigned quarters on the top floor of a two story barrack at Fort Gordon Georgia. The walls of the barracks are cinder blocks. When stacked up to create a wall, cinder blocks have a hollow center. Remove the ceiling drop-tile next to a wall and look up to see if you can see the top of the cinder block wall. It will not go all the up to the ceiling above the drop-tile. If you can reach, take one of your brown t-shirts and stuff it down the hole about as deep as your elbow. Then whenever you need to stash something, just toss it down there. The instructors and inspectors will check the drop-tiles to see if something is laying on top of it, like a pack of smokes or a tin of dip. But they will not check the in between the cinder block wall.

The next is a great pratical joke to play on someone going into the military. When I was in boot camp, (Ft Jackson, South Carolina) (Also the fictional Ft McCellan, from the Danny Devito movie whose name I cannot remember at this point.) Anyway, I was an E-1 (a Private) in basic, I was Private Smith. However my friends would send me letters addressed to Sergeant Smith! Man, I used to get in alot of trouble and had to do countless exercises to "pay" for my sudden promotion.

Hope you don't have friends like mine.....

Good luck soldier, I wish you the best!
 
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