no BS details on Army basic training

[Irish soldier]

hello all, this is my first proper post so i appologise if this goes against any board ettiquette or something, but here goes,
Im interested in finding out about basic training in the army, specifically as an infantryman. Now i've read most of what i could find from official sources but as I've learned from my own time served what your told when going in is often different to the reality for both good and bad. So what im looking for is an honest assesment on basic training from someone whos gone through it recently. Now while i know there have been previous posts like this im not sure they've covered the answers im looking for.
Firstly I know that it is a standard course, but is it slightly different for those on a combat MOS to those with a support MOS? what i mean is that the sylabus and physical requirements are the same, but do folks with a combat MOS get a more demanding and tougher time than support lads? and whilst on the subject, how physical does it get? what would be the longest march, and run you would be expected to do? or is it entirely at the DS's discretion? What about time spent training? is it 7 days a week for the 9 weeks? Also i know the drill sergeant cannot touch you and rightly so but what about swearing or shouting at recruits? Not that i dissagree with it i actualy think its neccesary the same with physical punishments like runs and push-ups for infractions? is this still done?
thanks in advance for any help.

regards
Eoin

[SSGMike.Ivy]

Welcome aboard.

Army Basic your guide to Army basic training

http://www.armybasic.org/portal/index.php

there are some other good sites if you do a search for us army basic training

[cowsrus]

I went to Infantry Basic this summer of 06 so this is pretty much up to date.

You really have to live through it. I have talked to a couple of my friends that went to Fort Jackson (they have a non combat MOS) while I was at Benning and from what he said his experiences where I would say I had it alot tougher then he did. It gets pretty physically tough, and this is from someone that can max out a pt test. As for how far you march and stuff like that you can go to the Infantry Training Brigade home page and view it there. And for how far you run, well, that depends what you're talking about. For pt or any other time else, the only time I wasn't running is when I had chow, the small amount of free time at night or when I was marching. The training was 6 days a week, monday through saturday, sunday was church and maintanaince around the barracks, we couldn't leave or have passes on sunday so we were still stuck there. Also, if you do Infantry you do OSUT so you are there for 14 weeks instead of 9. Also, the DS can pretty much do whatever they want to do with you. When I was there one guy was crying on a ruck march and the DS told him to stop. He didn't stop so the DS pushed him off the road and he fell into a ditch while everyone else kept marching. So yes, the DS aren't allowed to touch you but do they... well, yes.

[Covertness]

........

Where's Jr. when you need him........

[RR691983]

14 weeks. 9 weeks initial + 5 weeks of "MOS training" combine the two and you have 14 weeks of OSUT or one station unit training. Things are different now than awhile back when I went through. The Army is shifting away from the cold war doctrine that was still taught when I went through basic. Basic training now is designed to best prepare you for combat in Afghanistan or Iraq and honestly, it still won't do enough.

Basic training isn't physically hard at all. Mentally it can be a bit of a mindfuck but you'll make it through unless you lack what it takes anyhow. Basically what I'm saying is unless you're completely soft and you have some kind of backbone you will pass and graduate. They're pushing kids through down there now that don't even meet the minimum Army standards. I probably shouldn't tell you that but its the cold hard truth.

My advice. If you want to be a grunt first get this through your head. Being an Infantryman isn't a job it is a WAY OF LIFE. If your idea of roughing it is jumping in the family camper and going to a campground for a weekend with your gameboy, cellphone, etc and whining when there's no electrical hookup or hot showers then this definatly isn't the job for you.

In garrison you will do one of two things. You will be doing so many bullshit details (painting rocks, painting the grass green, guard duties, CQ, suicide watch, etc) that you will be disgusted. Or two, you will be training and while training you will be colder/hotter, more wet, smelly, hurt, and miserable than you could ever possible imagine. You will want to quit with every ounce of your being. You'll wonder why in the hell you are pulling guard in a frigid cold swamp that you just happened to break through while you were sleeping. It is -40 degress without windchill and you haven't been able to feel your feet from the ankle down since you stopped doing battle drills three hours ago. It'll dawn on you that you signed yourself up for this and there are a million other things you could be doing at that very moment, most importantly being warm, dry, and clean.

On deployment you will be even more miserable. You'll be pulling 12 hour patrols or longer, if you're lucky you'll catch some sleep at night (if you can sleep through the helos, gunfire, mortar splash, and VBIED explosions) you'll be filthy, exhausted, hungry, cold, muddy, and you'll be some homesick it will sometimes be all you can think of. You'll most likely lose someone close to you and it'll change you forever and if you're lucky at the end of the day when it's mission complete you'll still be alive and able to go home.

Why do we do what we do? As I said, it is a lifestyle. Like the Spartans that stood against and entire Persian Army at Thermopylae and fought to the last man breaking the enemy's will to fight we are warriors and it is what we do best. There is nothing glamourous about what we do, we train to fight and KILL the enemies or our country. If you are thinking of enlisting because you want medals or stripes look somewhere else because we don't want heroes. We want warriors.

If you are serious about becoming one of us do yourself a favor and heed my words. Get yourself in shape BEFORE going to basic. Join a gym, study a martial art preferably some MMA. Run, run, and run some more. Definatly lift weights. I would even suggest going the extra mile and buy yourself an ALICE pack at a local Army surplus store. Throw 40lbs (preferably more if you can) in it and go for a walk, no need to go crazy just walk and build up your legs.

Trust me you do NOT want to show up as a fat slob, if you do yes most likely you'll still graduate but I can promise you if you take this route it will only cause you much pain and suffering when you do get to your unit. You will not be able to keep up. An average line company's PT standard is a 280 or above, I believe Ranger Batt is a 290 (although it's your ass if you aren't scoring a 300 in Batt) the Army standard of 180 passes but it is not acceptable and you won't go far if you settle for the minimum. You will be labeled a shitbag and that will follow you until you quit or are kicked out as a failure to adapt.

If you think this is for you, and you are prepared to sacrifice for the entire time you serve then by all means go for it but don't even think about it if there is an ounce of quit in you because it will get you and most likely one of your battle buddies killed and that is not something you want on your conscience.

[RR691983]

Originally Posted by cowsrus

...one guy was crying on a ruck march and the DS told him to stop. He didn't stop so the DS pushed him off the road and he fell into a ditch...

Crying on a ruck march??? WTF... That kid got off easy, ya'll are lucky I wasn't your Drill Sergeant.

[BrianP]

Crying on a ruck march? Ruck marches are the easiest part of basic training, all that you have to do is put one foot in front of the other.

[HIBBERT]

Crying on a ruck march - that is what happens when the Drills are held back too much from 'developing' the Soldier. I would anticipate they gave the guy special attention after that. House of Pain sound appropriate?

Basic/OSUT - get in shape, get in shape. Run, pushups, situps etc. Learn to stay focused. In my opinion, you are better off not knowing the plan. It is a time to learn the basics of your limits. How you will react to change, unforseen circumstances, rigors of physical challenge etc. This is what sets the Infantry Man apart from the rest. Information can be learned in a book. It is the self which must be developed. If you already know the game plan and how far/hard everything will be, you will not realize your own shortfalls. We all have them when first starting out. The best way to nail them is to identify them and over come them. Believe me, if you don't identify them, the Drills will. That is part of what they are there for. To grow you from a civilian to a Soldier. Get in good shape, then show up. That's it, that is all you need to know.

If you are in shape, have what it takes, give all you can and pay attention; it is something you will get through successfully. You need to grow during Basic/OSUT. Too much intel may rob you to some degree of that.