What should i do to prepare for Army Basic training?

Question

And what should I bring with me when I first go?

I hear travel sized toothpaste and a tooth brush. and to have a clean shave when I go.

is everything issued?


I'm doing infantry OSUT. I'm excited.

Answer 1

Banner Man ... God BLESS you, dude. Thanks for stepping up!

You know, I joined in '69 and they may do things a little differently, but here's what I recommend:
• A few toiletries (razor, soap, tooth paste & brush, comb, etc.)
• One change of clothing (another shirt & pants) in case you don't get your uniforms for a couple of days.
• Two or three days worth of underwear & socks.

If you bring TOO much, it may not fit in your locker, etc. You want to be traveling light, anyway. After you get settled and see what it's like, you can have your family send more civilian clothes to you by mail, if you like.

Yes, do show up clean shaven. It's not a requirement, but it can't hurt. Do as you're told, say "Yes, sir" and "Yes, ma'am," and you'll be more than halfway there. Everything else you'll need will be provided.

One more thing: I don't know whether you're "tough" or on the Momma's baby side. No offense, but note this: When your drill sergeant gets in your face, puts you down, or seems to be treating you like your name is Osama Bin Laden, just tough it up, thank him, and realize that your drill sergeant is really looking out for you. He's giving you a very, very tiny sample of what it might be like if you're captured and poorly treated by the enemy, God forbid.

Thanks again for stepping up, Banner Man. Godspeed ... We wish you all the best!

Answer 2

Everything else is issued. A couple of tips:

Make your bed before you sleep each night, and sleep on top of it. Just fix it up a little in the morning. Saves time.

Guard your underwear and t-shirts with your life. people will steal them

Get anti-fungal spray for your feet.

Don't have time to polish your boots? Put a basic shine on them.. two minutes before muster, get some water and your boot brush and do a quick clean and brush with the water. They'll look like crap in 10 minutes but during inspection they'll be ok. After that you're marching around so they're expected to look bad.

Never volunteer.
Occasionally the Sergeants will pick from those who don't volunteer but your odds are better when you don't. Unless you like cleaning latrines that is.

The louder and more obnoxiously you yell "Huah" and "Yes Drill Sergeant", the easier time you will have.

Try to get a bunk closest to the showers/exit. Again saves time.

Answer 3

First off now that we wear ACUs Dont worry about boot shining now weapons cleaning thats a different story! Ft benning grad here trust me on this one. First off keep your mouth shut and take in everything and be sure to write it down. Benning is what I like to call a mind F*** so don't let it get to you. Second when you get there they will give you an inital pay to get all of your tooth paste brushes tolitries watch soap etc everything else is issued. I dont recomend taking all the crap they say you can bring because its a major pain in the *** dragging it aroung all over sand hill at benning. Second if your in 2/47 or 3/47 be prepared to run alot! I recomend getting in shape before you go if you send me your email address I will send you a copy of the PT standards to graduate basic if you are any where near it before going than you are good if not trust me the DS's will get you there. Mostly just keep telling your self once its over active army is totally different so just push through and keep your mouth shut. That simple. Good Luck and welcome to the finest fighting force in the world. ....shadow stalker

Answer 4

They will give you everything you need, but the toothpaste isn't a bad idea. It may take them two days to get to that.

You may want to take a handful of pre-addressed and stamped postcards home, as you won't have a lot of time to write, just "wish you were here instead of me" or something like that, but to tell them you're doing ok.

You can also take your bible, but you will be given one of those if you want it, so I'd leave the family heirloom at home.

As for what you wear... you will probably either have to ship it home, or have it locked up, or if they do let you keep it, it will be subject to daily inspection as if it were a uniform. I suggest you wear clothes you can drop in a trash bin once you get your uniform so you don't have to deal with any of that.

A digital watch with a light and alarm is a good thing to have, I think they allow that.

Take only pictures of family and friends that fit in your wallet, and don't be surprised if they become a public display and get judged. I'd leave them home.

Answer 5

Do a lot of running... you'll do plenty of push-ups, but your muscular endurance will build up quickly. It's much harder to get your cardiovascular system in shape. You'll need to be able to run 2 miles without stopping in less than 15 minutes.

Toothbrush and toothpaste are excellent ideas. Safety razors and shaving cream. A jock strap. Foot powder. White crew socks. Your recruiter should be able to provide a comprehensive list (which'll be wrong). Good luck to you.

Answer 6

Everything said here so far (except the stupid posts, of course) I agree with...EXCEPT for the don't volunteer thing. You have to be observant, but once in awhile when you volunteer you get a pretty cool thing to do...Typically the cadre (at least in my experience) don't ask for volunteers for the crap details, rather they just pick someone. I volunteered once and got to run a VERY cool mission as OPFOR...one of the best experiences I had during the whole cycle.

Also, I had the opportunity to attend another school recently with a number of drill sergeants who just recently came off the trail...I guess things have changed. They can't yell, they can't call you names, they can't get in your face...they can't even call you private, anymore. It's a far different experience than us old timers have gone through.

Answer 7

Just start getting into shape now. Ask your recruiter for a list of items you'll need to bring. Examples are tooth brush, tooth paste, soap, shampoo, shower shoes (very important!), clean underwear, socks...etc. Your recruiter or MEPS should be able to provide you with a list of everything you'll need.

But really, start running and doing pushups and situps. Thats my advice.

Answer 8

running,lots til you might puke. sit ups till it burns then some. get the cockyness out now, dont wear flashy cloths there, you dont want to stand out, everything is issued. bring what you will need the day you grad. they give you everything else, but you wont get it right away, no just bring trial size stuff till u get your issue.
practice having someone yell and spit in your face and swear at you,
it is hard,but youll look back and laugh some day. bootcamp is a trip. good luck

Answer 9

I would start by trying to be in good shape when you get there. That would make the transition a lot easier. Don't bother with a travel toothbrush. A real toothbrush doesn't take up much space, and travel toothbrushes suck. Foot-powder is good to have.
Good Luck

Answer 10

Remove your brain ..you won't need it to become a statistic