Is life in military basic training really like this?

Question

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px2pOY0p27g&NR=1

I know this is American Hollywood, and might be outdated, not to mention perhaps unrealistic, but do the Drill Sergeants really act like this?

How about in the British Armed Forces? I am not military myself, but have always wondered.

Thanks

Answer 1

If you find the movie "The DI" that is pretty real, also the one called "full metal jacket" lots of it is real. As for the other one with Jack Webb, I knew one of the guy that played in that movie. He was the one who has to sound off with his general orders, when the movie was made he was a Sgt and a DI at SD. along with many of the troops you see in the back ground. When they swat the fly things like that do happen. LOL

Answer 2

To answer your question from a Female Army Veteran: It's hard more mentally than physically. Mentally you are away from your family and you don't have much personal effects so you may miss home a lot. Physically your body is trained to do a real workout because of the early mornings and sometimes late nights. Your ego may at first take a shot or two because someone else is always telling you what to do and how to do it. Get ready to get dirty if your a pretty girl but, you can hang it. In the end you'll have confidence to do many things you never thought you could and endure a hardship that some give up mid-way through just hang tough and remember it's all mental and those men and women instructor's have families and have made it through this too. You can do all things through Christ take Him with you and it won't be nearly as hard emotionally.

Answer 3

No, the Drill instructors can't touch you at least in the Army. They had to be 1 arm lenth away if they were angry. If inspecting you then they could be close just not too close. In Basic training we were called morons, dog gone dustys, & something else I can't remember. We were called a different name when we got to a certain stage in training, & more privleges too! That clip is from Full Metal Jacket, if you have ever seen the movie that really tall up & over (40+ in the air) was actually used at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina so they say! I had a good time in Basic training everyone I knew thought I was crazy but by being in Girl Scouts (primitive camping & outdoors)J.R.O.T.C. helped me survive believe it or not! We got to roll around in the mud learn hand to hand combat do obsticale courses I mean who wouldn't want to do all that stuff? The only bad parts in my opinion was the gas chamber I didn't want to flunk that part & have to do over! I passed just fine. I was in Delta 213 a "Mad Dog" I hope this helps

Answer 4

Only if you join the marine corps. The Killjoys will be right in your face, and they need to be. The army made the biggest mistake in the history of the army. They softened bootcamp up. That utterly distroyes there fighting effectiveness. As the saying goes,
" A n't R eady for M arines Y et"
take the capital letters, you get ARMY. Used to want to go army, but now its stupid. Marines All the way!

Answer 5

This is not a good representation of DIs at least not in the US Army. I went through in 1999 and the drill sergeants would yell at you but were not allowed to touch you. My father went through Paris Island in 1968 and says this was what it was like back then.

Answer 6

Even though this is fiction (and pretty good fiction too.), there is an element of truth to it. At least when I went through it 30 years ago.

Basic training is part training in the skills you will need to function in the military, and part indoctrination and conditioning of you to submit to the control of authority. I am a strongly individualistic person, and was miserable my entire time in the military. Think REAL hard before you join.

Answer 7

Yes they do, I am a Marine and I went through all of that. They are not suppose to hit or curse at you but they do. If y our footlocker is open they will toos its contents all over the deck, it happended to me. You stand with your hands out like those recruits were, thats so they can check to make sure that your nails are clean. Yes, the team does pay for the mistakes of one, it promotes a team concept. Oh and please dont get caught with food like that, sends shivers down my spine to think about what would happen. He is a very accurate depiction of what a drill instructor is like, at least in the Marine Corps, I can't speak about the other branches. Its not as bas as it all seems though, they basically break you down and build you back up to something better that what you were before, but it not for everyone. The recruit in the bunk next to me in bootcamp was like Gomer Pile without the shooting. I remember waking up at 0300 in the morning and seeing him rocking back and forth, and he tried to kill himself by drinking listerine, needless to say he was sent back home.

Answer 8

Thats Marine boot from the Vietnam era, things have changed a lot since then, the military basic has gotten soft and politically correct and that's ruining the military.

Answer 9

They're not supposed to use such vulgar language (it happens anyway) and they can't make racist comments or make you choke yourself but beyond that it's pretty accurate. You also have to keep in mind that this took place during Vietnam and in the Marines. It's pretty fair to say that's how it actually was. The rules have changed a bit, but the yelling, personal insults, thorough inspections and group punishments still persist. And rightfully so.

Answer 10

They do get excentric about a lot of things but nothing stupid like toe jam and stuff. The foot locker oh yeah. I remember having my clothing drawer thrown accross the room because my chirt was not properly folded with all seams aligned. I also remember us having to stand in the corner like children for three hours, being yelled at multiple times after I passed out, and being woken up in the middle of the night because a TI snuck in and started reaming people for having their canteens full of water at night.