I have been planning on enlisting for quite awhile, and I still don't have a ship date however I am really nervous about going. I'm not sure what I should know going in or what I am not expected to know. I have been going to every Army website I can find to try to learn EVERYTHING before I go but I get different answers. What should I know?

you should have a solid understanding of the soldiers creed, your general orders, and military rank. ( the proper forms of address are a great thing to start with).

Check with your recruiter and get a leg up on some drill and ceremony. Learning how to stand at attention without locking your knees, how to snap into at-ease, and how to salute properly will be of good help.

learning how to do a proper sit up and push up will help you make sure your effort is counted at basic.

During hand to hand combat training you should learn from others that have gone before you that when you do " right-guard" it is not the time to make the spary sound in honor of the deodorant. It wasnt funny a decade ago when corrective training was applied.

I also read somewhere not to call a DS sir, or you will be a "sirsayer" is that true too? Do you call them Drill Sergent or Sir? Its all really confusing for me since I was origionally joining the Air Force and after reading up on that had to switch over to the Army which is so different.

No, you do not call your DS "sir". You call officers Sir. Just do what your told. Don't talk unless you've been asked a question. It will be rough, but it's short, and don't let it put a bad taste in your mouth. Things are different when you get to your first unit. But don't expect it to be MUCH different in AIT. But good luck! Remember, it doesn't last forever. If I did it, anyone can! haha!

What about contacts? I can understand not being able to wear them at certain times under certain conditions but are you just not allowed to have them at all while at BCT? I don't want to sound like im complaining but glasses give me headaches.

quote:

Originally posted by eblazek:
What about contacts? I can understand not being able to wear them at certain times under certain conditions but are you just not allowed to have them at all while at BCT? I don't want to sound like im complaining but glasses give me headaches.

Sorry but contacts are not allowed in the field or any deployable areas. You'll probably get an eye exam and the issued "Birth Control Glasses" (because they're so ugly everyone will stay away.. )

I wore glasses and they locked my regular glasses up- we HAD to wear BCGs at basic training, but could wear whatever at AIT.

IF you still have the headaches, make sure you go see a good eye doctor and insist on getting glasses that don't bother you. Maybe just tilting them up or down (how they sit) will help.
(AFTER you finish AIT you can get 'regular' looking glasses for free from the Army.)

You HAVE to find something that works for you, because a LOT of Army life doesn't mix with contacts.

Like stated before, do what you are told at the moment you are told. Do not try to interpret things or put your twist into them. If the Drill Sergeant tells you to do this:... You will perform that action step by step as stated. Basic is not what the true Army is, it's only a necessary step. Don't matter how tough it gets, it won't last forever. Before you know it, you will be in AIT and then your 1st unit.

quote:

Originally posted by eblazek:
What about contacts? I can understand not being able to wear them at certain times under certain conditions but are you just not allowed to have them at all while at BCT? I don't want to sound like im complaining but glasses give me headaches.

even better would be to ask for corrective eye surgery when you get to your first unit. It's definitely worth it.

whats your mos? Combat arms specialties have priority for prk (eye surgery) but now they do it more often and at more places so even if you dont become combat arms the chances of you being able to get it are good..

quote:

Originally posted by eblazek:
What about contacts? I can understand not being able to wear them at certain times under certain conditions but are you just not allowed to have them at all while at BCT? I don't want to sound like im complaining but glasses give me headaches.

you cannot wear them during training...

You know, it's one of the Army's dirty little secrets and no one talks about it much, but...

Basic Training is a lot of fun, for the most part. YMMV, I wasn't really worried about missing family or anything, so it made it easier. You get to do a lot of fun and cool things. And I was a fairly prissy little thing when I joined, so don't think I'm some gung ho grunt.

Don't get me wrong, getting up at 0400 sucks. For the first 3 weeks or so, my body ached from the neck down.

One of the great things is that the Army is one of the best enablers out there. If you want to do something, chances are they'll train you to do it and pay for it, to boot. Everything you need to know, they're going to teach you.

Just run beforehand. If I had just run before I joined, life would have been so much easier. LOL

By the sound of things he prolly just talked himself out of it and is working a job in retail.

quote:

Originally posted by Corvette1140:
By the sound of things he prolly just talked himself out of it and is working a job in retail.

Don't be so negative! LOL