boot camp advice

here is the post i am posting into 4 military geared newsgroups...

Hi all;
I hope this is a relevant newsgroup to post this in, if not, then
please forgive the post.
I have a friend of whom I have known for many, many years. We have
gone to one another for help on everything. He recently has decided to
join the U.S. Military. He is looking at the Navy, but he isn't 100%
sure yet. It isn't relevant to this post anyway. He has come to me for
advice, of which I have none since I have no experience in this field.

His only fear, it seems, is boot camp. The guy doesn't know what to
expect first of all. Secondly, he is scared that he won't have what it
takes to make it through; mentally or physically (both of which I am
sure he is able). I would assume this is a normal fear.

This got me thinking. And I started to think that perhaps there are
MANY OTHER kids who may want to serve their country, yet the fear of
boot camp may prevent them from doing so. I thought that since I am a
part-time writer, that I could write a pamphlet, or short book, or
even a website on tips or advice on getting through boot camps (mind
preparation, physical demands, maybe some pre-boot camp exercises,
etc).

The only Military background I have is that my dad was in the Air
Force (plane mechanic) and my brother was in the Navy (Sea Bee), so I
was hoping perhaps some of you folks in this newsgroup could help my
friend, and potentially many other young men and women who are
thinking about joining our armed forces.

Please feel free to post some advice or tips to this newsgroup. They
would be much appreciated. I am sure that certain Military boot camps
may have some activities that are to remain secretive. I understand
this if this is the case. I am sorry if my post seems to broad and
general.
Thanks so much in advance!
James

It really is just a fear of the unknown. The purpose of boot camp is to
indoctrinate the young people into the military way of doing things, as
quickly as possible. The best method, is peer pressure.

The drill instructor will will spend three days constantly making examples
out of people who are doing things the wrong way. These people will be
ridiculed and forced to do undergo pain. This is usually something like
50 push-ups, or running in place while the other people get to sit. Even
people who are smart, and do it the right way, will be forced to undergo
pain, there is no way out. You learn to take it, smile, and say thanks.

After seven days, the unit starts coming together. They all know what the
drill instructor doesn't like, and they don't do that anymore. Now the next
phase is to put you off balance by punishing the whole unit for one persons
infraction. One man will have his socks folded wrong, and everyone will
be forced to run 2 miles. This continues to increase, with every little thing
being taken out on the group. The time to get things done is decreased, so
the unit is becoming stressed. At this point (say the 2nd week) the unit
knows who the weak people are. What the drill instructor is trying to do, is
to get the unit to start thinking like a team. At some point the unit members
will start helping each other. The squad leaders (appointed by the drill
instructor) are in fear of their jobs, and so they must provide active leadership
to their squad. The drill instructor will fire the bad squad leaders, and elect
a stronger one. Generally, the only people who will be kicked out of the
military, will have injured themselves.

All the time, the unit is moved around in a platoon, or element, by marching.
The marching is used to develop teamwork, and discipline. The marching
will be relentless until the unit follows every command without error. The
longer it takes to become error free, the higher the pain, and the greater
the peer pressure. It's not uncommon to see squad leaders becoming
tougher than the drill instructor. Then the platoon is made to compete
against another platoon, with the loser getting pain.

Finally, the team comes together, and they graduate. During boot camp there is
lots of academic training. You march to class, learn military and service history.
You learn about sexually transmitted diseases, and you learn how to shoot.
March, march, march...

It is so intense, it is over before you know it. Anyone can be indoctrinated.
Boot camp is the most fun any 19 year old kid will ever experience, because
it is the ultimate team sport. It is no harder than football practice.

From: "D. Strang"
Date: 7/15/2004 9:55 PM Central Daylight Time
Message-id: frHJc.3167$Zr.933@okepread01

It really is just a fear of the unknown. The purpose of boot camp is to
indoctrinate the young people into the military way of doing things, as
quickly as possible. The best method, is peer pressure.

The drill instructor will will spend three days constantly making examples
out of people who are doing things the wrong way. These people will be
ridiculed and forced to do undergo pain. This is usually something like
50 push-ups, or running in place while the other people get to sit. Even
people who are smart, and do it the right way, will be forced to undergo
pain, there is no way out. You learn to take it, smile, and say thanks.

After seven days, the unit starts coming together. They all know what the
drill instructor doesn't like, and they don't do that anymore. Now the next
phase is to put you off balance by punishing the whole unit for one persons
infraction. One man will have his socks folded wrong, and everyone will
be forced to run 2 miles. This continues to increase, with every little
thing
being taken out on the group. The time to get things done is decreased, so
the unit is becoming stressed. At this point (say the 2nd week) the unit
knows who the weak people are. What the drill instructor is trying to do, is
to get the unit to start thinking like a team. At some point the unit
members
will start helping each other. The squad leaders (appointed by the drill
instructor) are in fear of their jobs, and so they must provide active
leadership
to their squad. The drill instructor will fire the bad squad leaders, and
elect
a stronger one. Generally, the only people who will be kicked out of the
military, will have injured themselves.

All the time, the unit is moved around in a platoon, or element, by marching.
The marching is used to develop teamwork, and discipline. The marching
will be relentless until the unit follows every command without error. The
longer it takes to become error free, the higher the pain, and the greater
the peer pressure. It's not uncommon to see squad leaders becoming
tougher than the drill instructor. Then the platoon is made to compete
against another platoon, with the loser getting pain.

Finally, the team comes together, and they graduate. During boot camp there
is
lots of academic training. You march to class, learn military and service
history.
You learn about sexually transmitted diseases, and you learn how to shoot.
March, march, march...

It is so intense, it is over before you know it. Anyone can be
indoctrinated.
Boot camp is the most fun any 19 year old kid will ever experience, because
it is the ultimate team sport. It is no harder than football practice.

I would add to that: the hardest part is staying awake in classes.

The only thing you will wind up really worrying about is letting your buddies
down. Nothing will be expected of you that millions of others your age haven't
already done. It's going to test you and prove to you things you never knew
about yourself.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

His only fear, it seems, is boot camp. The guy doesn't know what to
expect first of all.

Staying at home and never knowing would be a lot worse than anything the DI's
can do.

Walt

The above words, from the top down, are as good as gold. I went
through USAF basic training in August 1951. It really wasn't as hard
as fighting fire in the Coast range of Southern California, nor was it
as tough as pre-season football practice. AMAF, what the DI was doing
made mroe sense to me at that age than arguing with my Dad over
minutia. (He was a CPA; I couldn't understand he only viewed things as
100% right or 100% wrong.) We got along a lot better later on
-teen-agers don't have much patience.
So do as they tell you, keep your mouth shut, keep a poker face and
don't volunteer (until you know for damn sure what it's all about).
Like was said earlier, many millions of men and women (okay, boys and
girls) went through the same BS before you did. Hang in there and
towards the end you will - I promise you - start enjoying it. Basic,
boot, whatever; it is a rite of passage everyone should benefit from.
I bet it will do you good!
Good Luck! Walt BJ

There has been a lot of good advice given. Just remember, don't take
anything personally. The DI's are just doing their job. While the most in
your face adversity is the physical challenge, really the whole thing boils
down to a mental challenge. When you can't do something fast enough or hard
enough, recognize the situation for what it is. You are intentionally being
stressed. In the gas chamber, you are going to get gassed. Stay calm and
think things through. There were times that I doubted my ability to make
it. The one thing that helped me was I kept telling myself that I was going
to go home on an airplane in uniform not on a bus in civilian clothes.



Good luck



Evan Williams

USMC Retired

"Evan Williams" wrote

The one thing that helped me was I kept telling myself that I was going
to go home on an airplane in uniform not on a bus in civilian clothes.

Just remember that if Lee Harvey Oswald can make it, anybody can.

"Billy Preston" wrote in message
news:kDYKc.6487$Zr.1006@okepread01...
"Evan Williams" wrote

The one thing that helped me was I kept telling myself that I was going
to go home on an airplane in uniform not on a bus in civilian clothes.

Just remember that if Lee Harvey Oswald can make it, anybody can.


Thanks a lot

Just remember that if Lee Harvey Oswald can make it, anybody ca

Actually, this isn't the case. Oswald went through basic training in
the U.S. Army roughly at the same time I did. We were Depression
babies and the army took what it could get. I especially remember
"Pop", an ancient 28-year old who had several fused disks in his back
and so had a peculiar gait.

We had another guy who cried when the First Sergeant yelled at him.
"Goddammit, why are you crying?" "Because I'm afraid of you, First
Sergeant."

That winter, Golf Co 272 Inf Reg 69th Inf Div had five platoons: the
1st, the 2nd, the 3rd, the 4th, and the college graduates who trickled
in long after the others got home.

When I started basic, I could do 18 chin-ups. When I finished, I could
do 13.

We were not a very fearsome group. It drove the cadre crazy, because
they were all veterans of Korea.



We were not a very fearsome group.


all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put Cubdriver in subject line)

The Warbird's Forum www.warbirdforum.com
Expedition sailboat charters www.expeditionsail.com

"jameson" wrote in message here is the post i am posting into 4 military
geared newsgroups...

Please feel free to post some advice or tips to this newsgroup. They
would be much appreciated. I am sure that certain Military boot camps
may have some activities that are to remain secretive. I understand
this if this is the case. I am sorry if my post seems to broad and
general.
Thanks so much in advance!
James


This should help-

LETTER FROM AN OREGON FARM KID,
NOW AT SAN DIEGO MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT

Dear Ma and Pa:
I Am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the
Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to
join up quick before maybe all of the places are filled.

I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till nearly 6
a.m., but am getting so I like to sleep late.

Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot and
shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood
to split, fire to lay. Practically nothing. Men got to shave
but it is not so bad, there's warm water.

Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs,
bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried
eggplant, pie and other regular food. But tell Walt and Elmer you can
always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee. Their food plus
yours holds you till noon, when you get fed again.

It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much. We go on "route"
marches, which the Platoon Sergeant says are long walks to harden us.
If he thinks so, it is not my place to tell him different. A "route
march" is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys
get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks. The country is nice, but
awful flat. The Sergeant is like a schoolteacher. He nags some.

The Capt. is like the school board. Majors and Colonels just ride
around and frown. They don't bother you none.

This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting
medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as
a chipmunk head and don't move. And it ain't shooting at you, like the
Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable
and hit it. You don't even load your own cartridges. They come in
boxes. Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You
get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though,
they break real easy. It ain't like fighting with that ole bull at
home. I'm about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan
from over in Silver Lake. He joined up the same time as me. But I'm
only 5'6" and 130 pounds and he's 6'8" and weighs near 300 pounds dry.

Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers
get onto this setup and come stampeding in.

Your loving daughter,
Jocelyn