Hey all you boot camp and basic training survivors...any good stories about your experience? Mmm?

Question

Geez you guys, I was looking for a bit of humor here. I try to forget the bad and remember the funny like when we were getting ready for an inspection and Charlie the buffer broke so all of us girls whipped out our kotex and started buffing with them...Doesn't work at all well. Or perhaps the one girl who never bathes so she got a good ole GI bath. lol Mmm

Answer 1

Nine Weeks of Hell: Completely Worth It
Looking back at basic training, I remember thinking; “Are you crazy?” “You actually signed up for this?” Now I realize just how worthwhile it was.

I remember the first day: the drill sergeants, with their unmistakable brown hats and need to speak in an outside voice, even while inside. The day we left inprocessing began what the Army calls “Red Phase.” We loaded a bus with the first few personal items that we had seen in a week and our issued uniforms. We had thirty-five pounds of gear and loaded a bus, seated two-by-two, back to front, and our gear in our laps. They ordered us to put our heads down, preventing us from seeing where we were going.

After an eternity, we were greeted by more drill sergeants who taught us very quickly what “move with a purpose” meant. I tripped over my bags running to get in formation where we were given a basic overview of our next nine weeks. We were told to take a canteen, fill it up, and drink it. In half an hour, I consumed three quarts of water and wore another two over my head. Others were not as lucky. By the end of this training exercise of push-ups and drinking water, many vomited.
Next was our first PT test. I hadn’t run two-miles since ninth grade, so it took me 25:19. As we ran more though, my times got better. We took three more tests during the nine weeks, each time I improved. I remember the first time I carried my ruck sack. It was no more than four miles, but the blisters on my feet appeared quickly and I could barely walk for two days. When I was issued my M16 rifle, they liked that I had no experience. There was no need to retrain me. Before I knew it three weeks were over and White Phase began.

Much of the White Phase is a blur. We started seeing less of the “brown hats” after our daily training, qualified on our rifles, had another PT test, and fired crew-served weapons such as the machine gun. The day we were at the hand grenade range, I felt ill and passed out on the return march. Three more weeks flew by as we entered Blue Phase.

Here I proved I was an American Soldier. We trained in hand-to-hand combat, went on a field exercise, and a twelve-mile foot march. We tested our abilities on the marching surface with drill & ceremony. I had to pass the final PT test to continue to Advanced Individual Training. When I ran across the finish line and heard the time of 16:34, I knew I had.

Two days after graduation, I found myself where I started; on a bus, not really knowing what was ahead of me. Things were different though: I was forty pounds lighter, and had something I didn’t when I started - self-confidence. People didn’t think I could do it, I proved them wrong. Three years later, I’m still proving them wrong.

Looking back, it seemed difficult, but now I realize it was just a small part of my life. Some parts were good and some were bad. It adds to the story of my life and I don’t regret a single thing that happened.

Answer 2

I did a three day survival course back in 1985. Our group of 100 was broken up into small squads of 10, each with an instructor. Our squad instructor wanted us to do certain things when we got in the field. (Inventory what we have, find out where we are, plan how to either get rescued or hike out.) One guy who was a former Green Beret was insistent we all get a big stick. I mean he was REALLY insistent. Finally the instructor asked why. The GB said, "We have no guns and only small knives. We need a weapon of some kind. It can also be used as a hiking stick." The instructor said OK just to shut him up so we all went and got big sticks. Then the instructor left and told us we were on our own for a while. So we started checking out the area to see if there were any landmarks that matched our maps so we could figure out where we were. As one group went down a path, a deer popped. The lead guy clobbered it with his big stick and killed it. Then they hauled it back to camp.

When the instructor came back and saw the deer, he asked how we got it. And we all yelled, "WITH A BIG STICK SIR!"

For the next three days while the other squads were eating bugs and wild onions, we feasted on venison. Fried, stewed, jerked, smoked, did not matter, we were the best fed squad out there.

It is now 22 years later, and I still have my BIG STICK!.

Answer 3

I know if it is good, but gives you an idea about DIs.

We were scheduled for a 20 mile walk in the part, full combat gear of course. We were not really looking for to it. Anyway, about a week before the tramp through the woods, the DI told us that if any of us gave blood we wouldn't have to take the hike. What a mad dash for the Red Cross unit. About half of us couldn't give blood--too weak. I was able to give blood so I was really giving a bunch of S*** to those that didn't.

The evening before the march everyone was preparing their gear. We blood donors just sat around smiling at each other. Then all of a sudden, the door to our hut slammed open and there stood our DI looking right at us. In language unfit to print here (Old Corps) he growled at us wanting to know why we weren't preparing our gear. We told him about the blood deal. He retorted with something to effect, "did you see any orders for that, did you sign them, are you crippled, or just a momma's boy, on and on. No, Sir. Well get your gear squared away because you are going for a walk tomorrow. And we did, and I was glad I did it. The Marine Corps sure can find unique ways to prove your mettle.

Answer 4

Basic was funny event free. However while at Wildflicken in 1974 the squad I got assigned to was all Gomer and Barney me included. I was fresh from AIT and dumber than a rock.

On the E & E course we were doing fine but came up on the aggressor camp. We snuck around them and ended up in a pine tree nursery. It was dark and we could not see the sky. We pulled out our hoods and held on to each other until we got to a road. I spotted a big rock and was going to sit on it when it stood up and grabbed me. The last I saw of our fearless leader he was diving into a bush. He had his hands over his head like he was doing some stupid dive into a pool.

We were not the last in either another group ended up in town and got picked up by MPs.

Just as well. We were sooo rear area that we were to bug out from Hanua to Baumholder or Ramstien if fur flew.

SSG US Army 73-82

Answer 5

My BCT was at Fort Bliss Texas before going to Fort Knox for AIT. Fort Bliss is in the desert nestled between mountains by El Paso in West Texas.
One day, two buddies of mine and I were returning to the barracks from KP and a big wind storm blew up. One of my buddies looked out past the perimeter fence and said "What is That Thing!". Out in the desert, a huge, black, pulsating hairy blob of a monster was making it's way straight towards us. It had to be as big as an elephant. It paused at the perimeter fence a moment then leaped over it like it was nothing and picked up speed coming at us from about 300 meters away. My buddies ducked inside the barracks and peaked out but I just had to see what this thing was. It wizzed by me and crashed into the wall of a barracks. It was hundreds of tumble weeds packed together in a big hairy ball rolling through the desert.

Answer 6

This is a sick stupid story from when I was in. Somebody took a crap that was probably 5in. around and 11in. long, and it was stuck in the toilet. So we named it the titanic and put a sign up on the stall door, and put a mark for every time that we flushed it and it wouldn't go down. After 22 flushes it finally sank and we acted like a bunch of 5yr olds running around in amazement. The only thing that I still wonder is how a human butt hole would every be able to push something out that big

Answer 7

I went to Ranch Challenge in Arizona in 1975. Boot camps were not regulated back then and this camp would not be legal by today's standards.

We had a guy send by the Colorado Courts who refused to work. They starved him for 4 days waiting for him to start digging an out house hole he was assigned to.

I was assigned to supervise but forbidden to dig for him. After days in the hot sun he final started digging. He dug for 10 hours straight. We broke through to sand and creates a huge cavern. To this day, the ranch has never needed another outhouse hole.

From that point on he was the hardest worker at the ranch. I believe he got into politics but don't blame me you that.

Another guy was sent for beating his grandfather. This guy was big and could easily beat anyone I knew. Brother Jack, the old man that ran the place, came out and challenged the kid to a fight. Brother jack being elderly and only having one arm would be at a disadvantage.

Brother Jack beat the daylights out of him with one arm. When they moped up the blood, the guy never sassed once after that. I believe he has now started 4 4square gospel churches and evangelizes in Arizona today.

I will never forget the look on his face when Jack kicked his legs out from under him and smacked him in the face.

Jack loved the guys enouph to do whatever it takes.

Ranch Challange was the first boot camp in Arizona.
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Answer 8

We had these two guys, one was real tall and fluffy and the other was short and stubby. One day, we happen to be going to 9 mile march and these two bubbas love to volunteer to everything. You know, the kiss *** type. So one day the senior DI needed two volunteer to carry the brownbags. So he chose these two and name them Yogi and BooBoo bear. They had to speak like them, run like them and act like them. I couldn't stop laughing everytime I heard Yogi say to BooBoo "Hey BooBoo go get the picnic basket" and he would reply "OK Yogi". To this day, I still get to laughing my butt off just thinking back.

Everytime I laugh I ended up on the quarter deck, and I made others laugh and they too went to the quarter deck. I have soo many stories that when I have a party, I am the center of laughter. Or the time I was urinating at the firing line and I kept hearing from the loud speaker"Seize Fire, Seize Fire" I just didn't know he was talking at me. lol

Answer 9

I made a DI laugh when I was doing Mountain Climbers on the quarterdeck and he went in the SDI's house so I stopped and stood there he came out and asked why I stopped I told him This recruit made it to the top of the mountain sir!

I got fuc^ed up after that LOL
Good Times

Answer 10

When I was in Army Basic Training in 1995 our barracks room was right next to the Drill Sargent office. We used to always wrestle in the room. It never failed some one would accidentally kick a wall-locker, bunk bed, or the wall and the drills would drag us outside and smoke us for hours. After a while they go bored of smoking an made us wrestle for there entertainment.
There was also the re-class people who had More privileges then us. They would buy candy, gum, cigarette, soda, and magazines to sell to us at outrages prices. Then they would tell the drills who they sold the stuff to to get us in trouble.
We had one drill named SSG Flores he was just tall enough to stand and rest his head on the top bunk. He would stand there as long as it took till some one woke up, freaked out and rolled of the top bunk on to the floor.
It was 1 or 2 nights before graduation and we were doing our final weapons cleaning. We had all snick disposable camera's into the barracks. My buddy Falseta wanted me to take a cool picture of him leaning out the window with his m-16. It was pitch dark out side He leaned out the window doing his sniper pose. I took the picture and right then some one ripped the weapon out of window. One of the drills grabbed it and smoked us for 3 hours that night.