Any advise for my daughter soon to leave for Naval bootcamp?

Question

I am just being a "mom", my daugher leaves 8/16 for Naval bootcamp. Not so much for her, but for me as well....
What will her first day, week, month be for her? I picture the worse case senario: getting screamed at in the face, and her break down, just as they try to do. I told her to do EXACTLY as she is told. What thoughts, advise or actual experiences can you share with me? Thank you!

Answer 1

Granted, I'm with the Canadian Forces, but basic training goes around the same principles everywhere.

She will be subjected to a highly disciplined, extremely controlled environnment. She will be put under great deals of physical and mental stress. And at some point, she might think that some of the instructors have it in for her.

We all wind up thinking something like that at some point.

But there is one piece of advice I can give that should carry her through: Play the game.

Indulge the instructors, play to their tune. It is a very short period in her life and it will be over soon enough. But all that matters if that she keeps her eye on the prize, keep her chin up and bear it.

The yelling, it's easy enough to deal with. Turn the brain off, you'll stop hearing the extra noise and chaos around the basic message that the instructors are trying to pass.

Breaking, well, that can be prevented in only one way. Remembering that it will be over soon enough.

And in the end, she will realize that her instructors aren't just murderous, brutal, savage beasts who are there to make her life miserable. Once she will graduate, she will be able to see that they are human beings, servicemen who were there to teach her to serve her country as opposed to having making her life miserable as their one life ambition.

But there is a really bright side to this. She will learn a discipline that will serve her well in any aspect of her life. Also, she will forge some friendships during Basic Training that will follow her for the rest of her life.

Answer 2

Coincidentally, I left for Navy bootcamp on 8/16/1986. The first few days were a shock to be sure. Very little sleep, had to immediately become accustomed to being naked in front of a lot of people, and learn quickly to follow orders.

On her first day, she can expect to fill out a lot of paperwork. They will issue a uniform - i understand these days the uniform isn't issued until the 5th or 6th week and they wear PT gear (shorts or sweats) until then. It saves money, and luckily for your daughter, is probably a lot more comfortable. They will cut her hair. They cut everyone's hair, no matter how short it is. It's one of those experiences they use to help the company bond. It's not that bad. .

Anyway, she will get a series of moderately painful shots - smallpox, tetanus, hepatitis, etc. She will spend an inordinate amount of time standing in line and marching around from place to place singing silly songs. She will do more pushups than she thought humanly possible.
None of this is harmful.

The first 3 weeks are the worst as her body adjusts to a different pace of living and really bad food. I would encourage her to eat healthily as she will be burning much more calories than normal. She will need to drink water at every opportunity. She will be exercising at least an hour a day, but this won't kill her either. It's a good habit that will serve her lifelong.

They cannot do anything that will kill her, but everything will challenge her. She will learn to work along with a team and will learn to follow orders. This is probably the only place in life where being a follower is a good thing.

She will learn Navy history, traditions, swimming, life saving, first aid, basic firefighting and seamanship. All very handy skills later in life.

Boot camp is the most difficult part of her Navy experience. From then on, it's a breeze. To survive boot camp, your daughter simply has to do everything her superiors tell her, follow the rules and be ready to make life long friends.

Answer 3

Be in the best physical condition possible. Keep her mouth shut as much as possible. Don't ask dumb questions (this is very important advice). Receive mail from home. Always remember that the drill instructors are acting, they see way too many people for it to be personal anymore. Go to chapel (even if she is not religious, it's a nice break from the routine no matter what your religious views). Make a friend (preferably not the one always getting in trouble, but friends help). Enjoy herself, a lot of the stuff you get to do is pretty cool, enjoy those parts.

Answer 4

Naval boot camp was a breeze. When went through it the males and females were segregated. go to some naval site and look up "the rudder" its basically a yearbook of bootcamp. tell her this its very important. When the C.C. (company commander) tells her to drop and do push ups "forever" she's simply has to go 1ever, 2 ever, 3 ever, 4 ever.

Answer 5

Ma'am, I first of all want to wish your daughter the best of luck in her Navy career. I think she will find the experience to be one of the best decisions of her life. While I'm a officer, I called my brother who's a Basic Training instructor at Great Lakes to ask him about your question. He says that her first week will be a week of getting adjusting to Navy life but gets easier from there in some way. He says that Navy instructors don't stand in front of your face and scream at you like in the movie "Full Metal Jacket". Her experience with bootcamp is going to depend entirely on her and how prepared mentally she is. Yes, there will be push ups and punishments for things other in her recruit class have done, because it builds unity and teamwork, but Marine type things. Welcome to the Navy family.

Answer 6

Yeah, tell her basic in only 5 weeks. Don't volunteer for anything. And don't take anything personal...the drill sergeant's play mind games. Enjoy it, tech school is a blast but don't get interested in any guy...their are too many tech school romances and they all marry and end in divorce. Stay single at least till she gets to her home base and they'll be tons of guys she'll meet. It is a great move she is making. Wish her luck and send cookies and letters with love and lots of news from home.
I hope this relieves some "parental stress" mom. She'll be fine. They all get through it.

Answer 7

trust me, it is much worse in the movies. boot camp isn't all that hard. the best advice you can give her is when she gets out of boot camp do not get involved with Navy guys. most of them want one thing only, this coming from a navy guy. nobody wants a Navho. I have been in five years now and that is probably the worst thing that can happen to her. encourage no relationship first and if that is a no then strongly encourage outside of navy relationships. oh and while in the navy don't use gender as a reason for not getting the job done. that is probably the single most thing that pisses me off with "women" in the navy,

Answer 8

Hello, Miss Mom,

If you are an advised parent, you will at least give a peek on those links a send you. You future and your daughter, future depend on the spreading of this information, you freedom of thinking is in danger, like your freedom of speech or acting or beeing...Especially if your kid will go to U.S. Naval....

Please investigate you own ways, it's a serious concern..

Answer 9

My little brother has been in the Navy for 17 years. I don't know how typical he is but from what he has said its a pretty good deal. My guess is it will be harder on you than her.

As far as dealing with boot camp, my advice to her is to not take anything too seriously. You have to pretend to take it seriously but don't let it get to you. The drill instructors, I don't know what the Navy calls them, are mainly putting on a show. There's nothing personal about it. And no reason to take it personally.

"Back in the day" a lots changed since then. We were greeted 4:30 am each morning to trash cans rolling down the middle of the barracks and a drill sargent screaming a the top of his lungs "get up" while smashing the trash can lids together like cymbals.

We had what seemed like 2 minutes to get dressed get the barracks straightened up and be in formation on the parade ground ready to start physical training. Which in addition to normal exercises and yelling, concluded with a nice jog accompanied with more yelling and brief rest periods where we became familar with the the "front leaning rest postion" some people call them push ups.

We returned to the barracks to find that while we were away it had be redecorated, with the personal effects of anyone stupid enough to have left their lockers, unlocked and debri from trash cans that had not been emptied before we left. We then had another 2 minutes to get the whole place cleaned up listen to more yelling before we returned to the parade ground and marched off to breakfast.

Contrary to popular belief military food is very good and good for you. My view might be a little off, as I had lived on my own for a couple of years before I joined and it was definitely better than food I prepared for myself.

The rest of the morning was filled with more yelling and training broken by several more breaks in the "front leaning rest" position.

A break for lunch then more training, yelling and more breaks in the "front leaning rest position".

After supper we'd return to the barracks, and work on polishing boots (I understand they don't do that now) and cleaning the barracks some more.

About 9:30 it was lights out and most of us went to sleep except for those on guard duty that night. Next day more of the same.

One of my uncles was a drill sargent. He said they were told to wear us out every day. You're talking about teenagers, and they hhave way more energy than us old people. If their not worn out they'll find other outlets for all that energy. The drill sargents job is to make sure they don't have enough left for any of that non-sense.

Its been 30 years and I still remember the people in my basic training company. Its one of those things that you're glad when its over but you remember and laugh about it for the rest of your life.

Answer 10

Well, as a former Marine Officer, you can relax. The training she will receive, will of course, introduce her into an entire new "way" of doing things. Like making her "rack" (bed) marching, eating (take all you want, but eat all you take!). Most of all, it teaches "teamwork" as no individual is above the unit. They do not physically abuse recruits, no do they swear! (I know, but the worst statement ever said to me during OCS was "what a fine example of American youth you are, candidate"). There is significant running, marching, learning the dictates of service life etc.
Let her learn, tell her to LISTEN to what is said, and, most important, bring her sense of humor, along with the will to complete her training, that will see her through it.
Good luck,
and Semper Fi