Preparing for Basic Training

Most Soldiers and veterans can attest that Basic Combat Training is one of the most trying times that they have ever gone through. It challenged them physically, mentally, and emotionally, and they probably wondered at one point if they could actually finish it. Here's the good news if you just "signed the line" and are on your way to one of the few posts in the Army that are home to this challege; we made it and so can you. Preparation for BCT is essential however, as a recruit that has worked on some of the skills they will need will have an edge. By working on your neatness, ability to do things quickly, physical fitness, and capacity to have a thick skin you can be much more ready for the first step in a great career in the US Army.

Much of what the Drill Sergeants expect during your stay in BCT is your ability to keep yourself and your area neat at all times. Everything is inspectable, right down to the way your socks are rolled up in your drawer. Work on keeping your room cleaner than you have ever kept it before. Learn how to use a broom and mop to the point where your kitchen floor and any other tile or wood surface is spotless. Stop throwing your clean clothes on whatever surface you use now and start folding and hanging them up. If you are a male, start shaving every day and make sure you can get that extra close shave that the Gilette commercials always brag about. Females, work on being able to out your hair up in a very neat bun. These are not hard things to do, but you would be surprised at how so many people just have no clue as to how to do it, and your Drill Sergeants are quick to correct it.

Speed is everything in the military, and this is especially true in Basic Combat Training. You will be waking up every day for physical training, and you will be expected to shave, brush your teeth, and be downstairs in formation about 20 minutes after you get a wakeup. The Drill Sergeants will expect you to eat an entire meal in under five minutes. You get about an hour of personal time each night to write and read letters and shower. The list goes on and on. Prepare by learning to take fast showers (get wet, lather, rinse in under three minutes), eating lunch as quickly as you can, changing clothes as quickly as physically possible, and just doing everything quite a bit faster than before. You will start to find that you will have more free time this way as well.

Physical training makes up the majority of the actual work of BCT. Between running, pushups and other exercises, obstacle courses, and ruck marches you will be tested on an almost daily basis. Start preparing now. Be able to run a two mile in about 15 minutes. Get used to doing 40-50 pushups in one set. That six pack you always wanted? Get it now. Get a large backpack and fill it with anything heavy and go for a nice, long walk. Play basketball or touch football. You will want to come to BCT in top condition, as Privates who do not often suffer the pains of having to play catchup and may face separation from the service if they do not pass the final PT test.

Learning to take a little verbal abuse with ease will make your life in Basic a lot simpler. Your Drill Sergeants are not there to be your friend. They do not care about your feelings. They probably do not care if you do not like the type of profanities they use. They will criticize you when you are wrong. That being said, they do care about your development as a Soldier. They want to mold you into the kind of person who can take anything. They will be great teachers and mentors, just not in the way your parents and school teachers were. Listen to what they tell you, say "Yes, Drill Sergeant", and learn from it. Do this and they might even loosen up a bit when you do right and let you see a little bit of their human side. They might seem like the world's biggest bunch of jerks when you start training, but the second that you get to the airport for your next assignment you will be telling hilarious stories of things they said or did with your buddies that took the same harsh treatment.

Basic Combat Training may seem tough when you go through it, but when you graduate you will look back on it and realize that you have become such a better person and probably had a lot of fun while you did it. Start working at it now and you will be one step closer to earning the title of "Soldier", something that you can be proud of for the rest of your life.

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