BCT experience?

Question

Can anyone give me your experience at Army BCT from the reception battalion to actual training? I'm leaving next week.

what to bring with me, what not to bring, any tips for new recruit

Answer 1

Alright, first of all, don't bring much, pack light. You'll get uniforms day one there so you won't need new clothes once you're there. Don't bother with a cell phone or anything to keep you occupied once you're there, you won't be able to use them.

I went through Ft Leonard Wood in 2004. I got there late at night, we were issued a set of PTs (the physical training uniform). We wore them that night. The next day we were issued BDUs (now they were the ACU) and we started our processing. There's lots of shots (7 or 8), one in the butt with a much smaller needle than they will tell you (it's all a mind game) full of penicillin. It's not that bad, they squeeze the butt cheek and that hurts more than the needle. They get dental xrays, take a few vials of blood, get an ID card, do your processing.
By the way, if your recruiter says that you will start off at a rank, make sure it's in your contract. At meps right before you ship out you will sign your final contact. Only what is written on that contract will count. DO NOT SIGN that contract unless it says exactly what you want. They CAN change it up to that point. They can add and take away things if you request. Once it's signed you're done so make sure it says what you want it to say before you sign it.

During your inprocessing you will do a lot of standing around, it is pretty boring. Drill Seargents will not be in your face, they won't be messing with you and you won't be getting smoked.

Then comes zero day.

The DSs will be in your face. But they won't be being mean. If you pay attention, do what you're told, and sound off when you're told to, you won't have a problem. No DSs were in my face that day because of that. Remember, this is NOT the time to be curious. You'll get your chance and you'll know when it comes.

Red Phase is the first 3 weeks. This is the hardest, once you make it past here you'll be good. This is where they start really drilling into you. You learn the very basics and you do a lot of PT.

White Phase is next. I spent my entire white phase going to ranges and shooting.

Blue Phase is weeks 7-9. Here is where it all comes together. We went to the field and we put what we learned to use in a practical exercise.

During AIT it was like school. We went to class and had the rest of the time easy (not easy but not like in basic).

Just don't give up, give 110% even if others laugh at you, stay strong, you'll come out on top I promise and DON'T BE AFRAID.

Hehe, the CS Chamber is the most stressful part for basic trainees. As a chemical soldier, my job is to run the CS chamber. It's not bad, it's like peeling a giant onion and it won't last long.

You won't need much, you won't need money, bring a change of clothes and a book, you may not even need that. You will get to contact your family.

Oh, and bring a phone card. Your phone use is through pay phones.

Answer 2

I did not go through BCT, but I was a Basic Training Commander at Fort Leonard Wood.

Reception Battalion is kind of like MEPs. More lines where you get uniforms, more shots, and some of your equipment. There will be some classes on basic military things such as ranks etc. It is a fairly laid back environment.

Zero day will be hell. There will be Drill Sergeants all over. Lots of push ups, and other exercises.

The next 3 weeks were called Red Phase. It is mostly classes and kind of boring things, general knowledge and drill and ceremony mostly, but the Drill Sergeants will be the most strict and mass punishment will be the order of the day.

The second 3 weeks were White Phase. This is mostly technical stuff and Basic Rifle Marksmanship. Rifle qualification is the first of 3 big hurdles you will have to pass in BCT. Drill Sergeants will go into more of a coaching mode during this phase. They will be strict, but mass punishment is not used nearly as much as Red Phase.

The final 3 weeks are Blue Phase. This is the tactical portion. The other two major hurdles take place here, the 15k road march and the PT test. The longest of the field time is in this phase. Drill Sergeants will focus on geting the trainees to work in teams now and act a coaches and be their most relaxed (still strict though.)

Fort Jackson and Ft. Sill will be different slightly, but all have to follow the same instuction programs.

Answer 3

I had a great time (1991) at Fort Leonard Wood. The drill sergeants were kind, and courteous, and willing to spend hours, and hours of quality time with us.
Seriously though, you need to just open your mind to the fact that nothing you have been through yet will compare to what you are about to encounter. Try hard. Do your best, and above all, somebody with a smokey the bear hat tells you to do something, DO IT. Don't get discouraged, and don't give up (they want you to give up). It's all part of the training. You need it. Trust me.
They will give you a packing list. Bring every single item on the list, and nothing else. Exactly what is on the list, and not one more item. You won't need anything else.
Be prepared for the longest day of your life when you arrive at reception. When you arrive you will have to fill out an unbeliveable amount of paperwork, and the people there don't care if it's 4:00 in the morning and you've been travelling for 23 hours when you arrive. Stuff needs to be done, and you have to do it. That's your first lesson. Zero day at BCT is when the yelling starts. When they yell at you and call you everything you never wanted to be called, just suck it up. Chaos is a good thing, and you'll be getting plenty of it during your first couple of weeks. I hope you enjoy routines, because after the first couple of weeks you will be on a very strict routine. Learn to enjoy it. You will. Oh, and even if you are not a religious person, go to church on sunday. You 'll be able to grab a little rest there. You don't want to be hanging around the barracks with the drill sergeants when you don't have to.
Anyways, thanks for joining, and serving your country. Good luck.

Answer 4

Well good luck. The Army BCT has relaxed a great deal since I went 15 years ago. I am currently a recruiter for the Army and am told that BCT is not that hard. Good luck

SSG Schramm

Answer 5

you will not be able to use your cell phone in BCT. If you where to bring it he would end up putting it in storage. You will be leaving the day before your sceduled day to leave you will meet up with your recruiter the recruiter will take you to MEPS and you'll do some paper work and a quicker physical. Don't forget you highschool diploma or GED without it you'll be delayed from leaving like i was.Than when that's all said and done you'll be taken to a Hotel with other recruites and they'll sit in a room some people from the hotel will talk to them then give them a hotel key card to there rooms two people per room.That's where you'll stay over night in the morning they'll eat them begin bording the bus back to MEPs where they'll get there plane tickets and meal tickets ( those can be used at the airport to eat all the junk he wants he won't see too much of it in BCT ). You Will take a bus to the airport and eat and wait for the plane or planes depending on where he is going i went to Fort Jackson South Carolina and i had to take two planes. Once you get to your destination you will arrive at reception not BCT. Reception is about 1-2 weeks long there you'll get uniforms pictures are taken you will get get 6-7 shots dog tags duffle bag running shoes and if you wears glasses two pairs of BCG's ( birth control glasses it keeps the boys from looking at the girls and vias versa rumor ). No contacts are allowed or regular glasses.No cell phones either during inspection they'll take all soldiers to a room and have them empty there bags and the Drill Seargant will see if they have anything they shouldn't have the cell phones they'll give you a yellow envelope and they'll tell you to put the sim card and battery in it and the rest in the duffle bag with civilians and other stuff your not allowed to have. you'll learn in reception how to dress your uniform and how to do your bed hospital corners. . you'll get a smart book and a smart card worth $ 200.00- $ 300.00 dollars for males and 300.00 for females. The DI's will take all soldiers to the PX to buy what they didn't bring such as towels and another duffle bag and other things. Then when reception is over you'll go to BCT and start at week 0 it doesn't count. there are 3 phases in BCT red phase white phase and blue phase. Red Phase: All the basics and introduction military time the soldiers creed how to write the date the military way some paper work and you'll be given your ruck sack and three cantins two small ones and one large one and other things you'll do victory tower and you'll get your M-16 towards the end of red phase you'll also learn how to clean it and take it apart and the gas chamber ( *shiver* what a memory )yes you will get a gas mask. White Phase: Weapon Qualification with your M-16 hopefuly he gets hawks eye. Blue Phase: Victory Forge and all night thing. He'll go under barbed wire in a very low crawl with bullets be shoot over your head it's crazy. Then you'll graduate if you pass everything including PT tests. You'll have two minutes to do as many push ups as you can. Same for the sit ups and theres the two mile run. Good luck and Army Strong. Feel free to contact me if you have anymore questions





Phone calls are limited in reception phone calls are only 5 minutes in BCT it's 10 minutes and they can call during the weekends or before hydration formation.
Army BCT is 9 weeks
Military.com is a good website to go to it's all military with all branches and news as well as locations of military bases and

Answer 6

We did some form of coaching have been it required us to consume MRE's, and that i positioned my tootsie rolls in my pocket for a later time (completely against the guidelines), and so some days later i grew to become into sitting in yet another bay throughout our "very own time" speaking to a pair men and that i pulled out those tootsie rolls and began chowing down. properly I heard all of the privates calling the "comfy make way" ingredient down the hallway and that i had the wrappers to the candy in my hand, so for some reason i presumed it could be clever to place them under the 1st bunks pillow. properly impulsively we had a suprise room inspection, so I ran lower back to my bay. The DS got here across the wrappers under that privates mattress and smoked them, at the same time as i grew to become into in my bay not doing a damn ingredient. Ah relaxing days