So It's Been A Few Months...

Alright I had full intentions on getting updates posted during basic but before I left I really had not idea of how busy we would be. I will try to get a summary of basic:

Here are the main key points to Army basic training:

1. Lack of sleep

2. Rushed Meals

3. Road Marches

4. Attitudes

That's about it. Basic training is easy overall. The PT is not difficult if you've worked out at all before shipping out. The food is really not that bad and you usually have a selection of chicken, fish, or pasta. Here's what you will experience...Red phase (weeks 1 - 3) there are a lot of briefings...STAY AWAKE! If you fall asleep during a briefing you will regret it very quickly. A helpful trick to staying away is sniffing your hand sanitizer. Now that will wake you up. White phase (weeks 4-6) is all BRM (basic rifle marksmanship). You will point, post, and sprawl till you can do it in your sleep. Blue phase (weeks 7-9) is where you take all you have learned and compile it into your final FTX (field training exercise). When you finish you will be a soldier in the US Army.

A few tips:

1. Get as much sleep as you possibly can. You are working from 0500 till 2000 so the sleep you're allowed to get you need to take advantage of.

2. Be friendly. In basic you will be surrounded by annoying, immature people that you have to live with for 9 weeks. If you start off as a jerk then you have a very long couple of months ahead of you, but if you can be friendly to others then it will make your time a little easier. One of the toughest parts of basic is just dealing with other people.

3. Mole Skin. Most people get a blister at least once during a road march in basic but the chance of this can be lessened by using mole skin.

4. Cough Drops. This will be your basic training candy...bring some good ones.

5. Don't quit. A lot of people, even adult college graduates, will want to quit sometime between week 1 - 4. Don't do it. You will get out of basic faster just by finishing. If you try to chapter out you will most likely stay there usually till after everyone else graduates.

6. Very important - - - The Army is not basic training. In the real Army you are not constantly yelled at and treated like less than nothing. The real Army is great so stick with it and try to keep your morale high. Remember you only go through basic once so make the most of it and finish strong.