To those who served in the military: Do you remember your first night of Basic Training?

Question

What was it like? When was it? Was it a good experience, bad one, or did you just survive it and waited for morning?

Any crazy stories? Did you sleep at all that first night?

Answer 1

I had no idea where anything was or what was going to happen next. It was confusing and I got maybe 2 hours of sleep that night. Many of the kids were very stressed. I just worked to remember everyone and pay attention. We were herded onto the plane, herded onto a bus to boot camp, herded into a processing center.



The first day was only slightly less confusing. Hair cuts, uniform issue, march to barracks, initial physical training. All before anything was routine.



Every day after that it got less confusing.



Boot camp is not for wimps but regular guys ended up doing just fine. Even slightly smart and'/or even slightly buff and it became routine in well under a week.

Answer 2

Yes, it was awful there must of been 100 men sleeping in there underwear farting all night long. I could not wait to go outside for fresh air. But when I got outside it got worse smelled like 2000 farts. it stayed that way till lunch I tried to hold my breath marching around Fartting. It got better while on the inside but when we went out they let loose. So when people ask why does the military march so much I tell them they are just Fartting around till a war starts.



Donald Trump donating 5 million dollars to Veterans, Is this a good move? Can he find relief for toxoplasmosis-gondii the brain eating parasite?

Answer 3

It was a little over 3 months ago at JBSA Lackland, and I remember being nervous on the entire plane ride there. Then we hopped on a bus to the base and the bus driver gave us a heart felt speech about how making the most of it and staying positive. Off the bus, we went to a briefing room, ate a frozen lunch (literally), & they just pretty briefed us on what they expect it and they kind of treated us like we were below them which is part of the whole development. I was extremely tired, I'd been up for 27.5 hours before we made it to the dorm to sleep at 6am. I woke up about 10ish to my mti screaming at the top of her lungs, & I'm sure I went into a state of shock for the first 2 weeks. Completely worth all the stress, because I'm better now than I was then and that's ultimately the goal!

Answer 4

On the flight down, the airlines had this special for a free glass of champagne for each passenger. It was a late night flight and almost empty, so there was a LOT of extra champagne. There were about 5 or 6 of us going to basic, and they gave us a couple bottles each even though we were underage.



By the time we landed in San Diego, we were all stupid drunk and wandered around the airport. The shore patrol picked us up and dumped us off at RTC reception...at like 3 or 4 am. The first day was a painful blur of hangovers, azz chewings, and PT till we all puked. Literally.

Answer 5

By the time you actually get to your first day of basic training you have spent at least 3 or 4 days at the reception station. Where they still wake you up at 0400. I remember shake down on my first day of basic. I remember nothing else. I was so tired I was probably asleep before I was on the pillow. I remember my first night at reception prior to basic. Mainly because I went into the latrine to brush my teeth and got stung in the leg by some sort of wasp.....

Answer 6

Ahh 1st night was at 30th ag ft benning. No we didn't get sleep we in processed all through the night standing in line to do everything facing forward no talking no looking around etc.. I've heard they do this to reset your sleep schedule, but I don't know how true that is. First night of actual basic training (after we finished up at reception) started mid day, holding our duffel out and run ing to and from random locations with our gear as part of the shark attack. The rest of the day was a series of impossible time hacks and tasks, each of which was followed by some type of exercise, usually flutter kicks or push ups. And several blocks of instructions on how to properly do each exercise. We had several people "quit" when asked who wanted to go home, all of which became immediate targets and did not get to go home. It was a late night but we did get a little sleep.

But this was also infantry OSUT at ft. benning Georgia.

Answer 7

Yes. It wasn't really all that bad. We were just glad to finally get some sleep because the first 2 nights of reception they didn't let us sleep and the last night of reception we were allowed an hour. Then we shipped off to basic and we had the "shark attack". That's when you get off the bus and a bunch of drill sgts swarm you screaming in your face. Then our platoon drill sgts introduced themselves to us. And we went over army values and all that bullshit.

Right before lights out someone was shivering during role call so we all got smoked. Then as soon as my head hit my pillow I was out. But around 0200 hours we all got smoked again because fire guard was sleeping.

Answer 8

We had this dude go AWOL at reception, but he came back the same day. Later on towards graduation, he became soldier of the cycle despite him going awol. I remember coming in around 9pm to the base and all we done was shower up and get ready for clothing fitting. Nothing drastic happened except one soldier fainting from getting all them shots and the argument we got into the 1st day in the DFAC trying to figure out whether the furry animal we saw was a woodchuck or a beaver and the DS's telling us to shut up about it.

Answer 9

Yes. RAF reception at Padgate near Manchester. Terrible bloody place, pissed down constantly. Never ever did see the Manchester area dry underfoot.

Recall the intense feeling of being dumped in a forlorn area of Hell amongst a crowd of strangers who all felt the same. Stumbled through six days of this growing confusion until posted to RAF Wilmslow for square bashing.

Despite all expectation started to enjoy it, learning much about myself. Liked the precision, the training, the drilling, the 'exactness' of it all.

Long time ago now, but some of the happiest days of life in the RAF.

Answer 10

oh wow. now it has only been 4 1/2 years, but i remember it well. reception was awful. the first night anyhow. we were late. we got there about 2230ish and i do not remember getting any sleep at all that night. was VERY tired the next night though! but i remember laying there looking up at the ceiling...i think that is when it hit me. i asked myself "what have i done?". Even though i 'knew' what to expect as far as the BS, the yelling, etc and thought i was prepared for that... huh uh. no way. i don't think you can prepare yourself mentally for that... no matter what you do, you are still going to be in for a little 'shock and awe' the first couple of nights anyhow.



looking BACK of course, it really wasn't THAT bad. It really went by fast. granted, it SEEMED like FOREVER at first... but blink, and it is over!

Answer 11

First night of reception was f*cking awful. No sleep. We got in around 2200 and stayed up all the way till 2100 the next day. It's nothing now but when youre not used to no sleep it sucked. It was hot as hell. South Carolina is very hot and humid in August. It took some time for me to adjust to the climate being from Ohio.



Now my first night of actual BCT wasn't bad but not good either. They f*cked us for about 2 hours after we were dropped off and the rest of the day was devoted to inprocessing. When one person f*cked up the whole platoon paid. A lot of "front leaning rest position, move. Position of attention, move." Over and over and over.



BCT is easy. Too f*cking easy.



I started writing down tips but then realized thats no fun. Youll figure it out. Good luck.

Answer 12

I certainly do remember my first night because we got about 3 hours of sleep and I asked myself what the hell had gotten myself into. I also remember the smell of Jack Daniels on our drill sergeant's breath and the thought that stayed in my mind...they really can't kill me and get away with it so I will be ok. Besides our drills never had females before so they were kind of afraid to push us as hard as they pushed the guys. That was Fort Dix NJ. AIT was a real surprise because the platoon I was put in was called Double Time Charlie at Fort Sam Houston. We had to double time everywhere whenever we were in formation. To chow, to classes, to church but we could run like the wind by the time we graduated.

Answer 13

To be honest...........not really. It was nothing extraordinary for me. I had worked my way thru college before joining, working as many as 3 different jobs at once..........so I was use to long hours of no sleep..........and I had traveled before I joined as well, so none of it was really all that new to me. We got processed in......assigned racks......did what we had to do. I remember they asked if anyone had any college, and I was the only one who raised my hand ...so that instantly made me the training P.O.......and I got the first rack on the right side along with the R-Poc. My previous experiences made boot camp no big deal at all for me. Others, of course, were crying the first night that they missed home and all that. Well, what the hell did ya join for if you were still that big of a momma's boy? I joined to get the hell away from my family......so I slept quite soundly that first night ...........glad to be where I was.....and starting a new adventure.



When they came in the next morning banging the garbage can lids and all that.............I just smiled, and said, "here we go". I expected as much.

Answer 14

Absolutely hated it when I arrived at 30th AG. No sleep, and for the first 48hrs we were not issued winter clothes as it was right after Christmas. Lack of sleep, and alot of people got sick. But it was better once we got our winter PT's.

First time I ever fell asleep standing up carrying my TA-50 waiting to get shots. lol everybody fell asleep it was a domino effect in the hall.



It sucked during the time, but its funny now.

Answer 15

Fianally made it to bed at about 1am

At 2am there was a single gunshot

Just dropping back off to sleep when awoken with a trash can lid being banged

At quarters informed the gun shot was a recruit trying to climb the fence

Other then that it was OK

That was NRTC Great Lakes 1970

Answer 16

first night wasn't bad



paperwork, then get to the barracks late, go eat and then into the baracks for bed



no problem sleeping, because it was 3 am before bed time, and most had been up since 6 am



you got about 3 hours of sleep the first night



then all the crap starts

Answer 17

Ahhh first night at Boot Camp. We departed Columbus Ohio before noon to Chicago. The 90 minute flight took hours we didn't get to the reception center until midnight. Anyway a pillow fight commenced and feathers flew everything where. We were woke up at 0300 to do field day.............

Answer 18

Of course my last night before bootcamp, I stayed out late with friends. Then when we finally arrived at Great Lakes,IL and got to bed around 2:30, we were woken up at 5:00, when our Company Commander threw a steel garbage can down the middle of the aisle. My fear edged out how ridiculously tired I was.

Answer 19

It was in 1977, so, a long time ago. I had been an Air Cadet for 5 years before that, so, things were pretty familiar to me. But, the language! For our Master Corporals, swearing was an art form. That was new to me. I'd heard swearing before, but, nothing like at Basic!

Answer 20

My first night was terrifying. When I was a drill instructor, my goal was to make every recruit's first night as, if not more, terrifying than I remembered from boot camp. If a kid wet himself that first night, cried, or requested to go home, I counted that as a personal win.

Answer 21

Loved it; I was raised on a German Dairy Farm ( Slave labor ) ! Stayed in the military for 21 years, then went to college, on the GI Bill !

Answer 22

Slept about 2 hours the first night then the DI came into the squad bay screaming "GET YOUR ASSS OUTTA THAT RACK" while beating a trash can with a board

Answer 23

Reception was horrible. A lot of hurry up and wait. Reading the famous "blue book". Drill sergeants yelling at you for no reason. It was great. lol. I remember being so tired, more tired than i think ive ever been.

Answer 24

Yes I do. I got into the reception station at 2 am. We were fed pizza( which seems to be what everyone gets army wide at the reception station). We had to turn in all contraband(knives, adult magazines, cards, etc). Then we got some sleep, until 6am.

Answer 25

When we got into camp after midnight they showed how to make our beds and go to sleep. Woke us up at 4:30 in the morning!

Answer 26

You’ll spend the best nine weeks of your life learning what it means to be a soldier in the US Army. And when it’s over, you’ll discover some amazing things. Your mind will be sharper, your body will be lean and hard, and you’ll be more confident than you’ve ever been before. US Army Basic Training only lasts 9 weeks – but you will remember those 9 tough weeks the rest of your life! Today’s recruit will immediately move on to advanced level training such as Airborne School, Advanced Infantry School, or even Ranger School, then begin preparing for the first deployment to the combat zone. Training is highly specialized such that the soldier is best prepared for the rigors of Iraq and Afghanistan.



You’ll be asked to do a lot during Army Basic. But you’ll never be asked to do anything you can’t do. If you work hard and listen to your instructors, you shouldn’t have a problem. Remember, literally millions of soldiers have come before you and many of them didn’t think they could get through Basic. The vast majority of them did. And chances are, so will you. Remember, the last easy day was yesterday!



Basic Training starts early and with a bang – you will arrive at your Boot Camp base and be issued your personal gear and uniform items. Then, you will turn in all of your personal “contraband items” and in process to include a full assortment of vaccinations. You will quickly assemble your gear in your open-bay barracks – your new home for the next nine weeks. Now is when the Drill Sergeants will get in your face and give you some personal mentoring as you progress through the daily regimen of training, briefings, physical training, and drill and ceremonies.







A Day in the Life of a Basic Training Private



Your days in Basic Training are very repetitive. You begin bright and early at around 0500 and quickly make your bed, tidy up your personal area, brush your teeth, shave, and other personal hygiene. Following that, you meet with the rest of your squad and divide the cleaning duties and other tasks given to you. Then you are off to your first formation of the day with your rifle in hand. Your Drill Sergeant calls roll at formation and your platoon marches out to do morning physical training (PT).



You will normally start off by running some warm up laps followed by stretches and calesthentics led by your Drill Sergeant. Next, you will return to your barracks and change into the approved uniform of the day. Save time by squaring away your uniforms ahead of time and have them ready to be thrown on at a moments notice – your Drill Sergeant will likely give you but a few minutes to change into a new uniform. Oh, by the way, don’t leave the barracks a mess – tidy up as you go.



Back in formation, you will march as a platoon to the mess hall for breakfast. You will be under tight time constraints to get your entire company into the mess hall (one platoon at a time) and fed, then back out again. It may result in only about 7-8 minutes per platoon to eat. It’s all about time management – even while you are eating.



Back to the CQ you march after you are done eating. Your Drill Sergeant will now brief you on the rest of the day’s activities.



This is when you will be divided into smaller groups to accomplish different training objectives. These include marksmanship, drill and ceremonies, briefings, and a multitude of other important classes and lessons.



You will continue to train throughout the day eventually marching back to the mess hall for dinner around 1900. Following supper you will have your final formation of the day where the NCOIC takes final roll call and lets you know what to expect for the next day and what gear and uniforms are expected to be used. You will finally be released back to your barracks where you divide up the remainder of the night before lights out to clean your bay, write letters home, and try to relax.



Before lights out, you will need to secure your rifle, perform more personal hygiene. During the night you will also be permitted to do your laundry and take showers. And the whole routine begins again early the next morning!

Answer 27

First night I was scared sh*tless.

Looking back now it wasn't really that bad. I was just a young punk.

Answer 28

No I was never in the military.

Answer 29

Mot realy to Tired i ached all over

Answer 30

It was a memorable unique situation for me. Tore me down. But

built me up all at the same time.

Answer 31

Glancing at your post history makes me very nervous about telling you anything.

Answer 32

I was absolutely exhausted and I slept like a baby.

Answer 33

no i did not join the military

Answer 34

Man, you're talking decades ago for me.



I started BMT during the last week of August...must have had a masochistic streak, given the climate of Texas. I think it was late afternoon.



I remember arriving at the San Antonio Airport and going to the Military Reception Area. Then started my first taste of "Hurry Up And Wait." I waited I don't know how long, clutching my sealed orders for dear life.



Sometime an MTI came, lined us up and marched us to the bus. He was relatively "nice."



The bus ride to Lackland took forever, or so it seemed. There was a lot of nervous joking. Then we went through the gates of Lackland..."Gateway to HELL," sorry, "Gateway To The Air Force." We stopped at an office building and gave our sealed orders to some civilian (I think). We all sat in this classroom-type room with several civilians at a table opening our orders and calling out each of our names. This took over an hour at least.



Then we got herded back onto the bus, with a bored-looking A1C driving. He drove us way back into the nether regions of the base. There was one guy who kept mumbling, "I want to know when the yelling's gonna start!" over and over.



We pulled up in front of one of the dorms, and there were several MTI's lined up with murder in their eyes. One got on the bus and bellowed something like "you have 30 seconds to get off of MY MUTHA-F**KIN' BUS!"



As soon as the first person's foot hit the pavement, all hell and brimstone broke loose. TI's descending like vultures on carrion...telling us what worthless pieces of s**t we were, it was their misfortune to have us sorry sacks of s**t in "their" Air Force, and that, Good Lord willing we MIGHT graduate unless they got sick of us, busted us up and sent you home in a bag...somewhere along the line (including the TI game of hefting luggage: "PICK IT UP! PUT IT DOWN!") we got formed into flights and led single-file up the steps to our dorm with airmen (we weren't called "trainees" back then) further along in BMT lining the stairwells and laughing at and generally insulting us "rainbows."



Our "Team Chief" MTI (There were MTI's I respected and those I didn't. I didn't respect this guy at all; young punk SrA who couldn't complete a sentence without dropping the F bomb and threatened to dismember us so many times that eventually it started falling on deaf ears.



We got led to the dayroom, made to sit down on the floor and started repeating the Chain of Command from the President down to the TI from a poster on the wall.



Then we got taken out into the dorm and told to "get a f**king bunk and wall locker before I shove your a**es into the wall locker."



Sometime after that we finally bunked down.

Answer 35

Idk