The Air Force.

[spartasman]

Has anyone here been through the military before? I ship out for basic training on Sunday, and my nerves are fucking killing me! I know I should not be looking for "it's ok, everything will be fine," but I just want to know if anyone has any tips or, anything really.

[paladin]

Has anyone here been through the military before? I ship out for basic training on Sunday, and my nerves are fucking killing me! I know I should be looking for "it's ok, everything will be fine," but I just want to know if anyone has any tips or, anything really.

I did Army basic training years ago and my advice is:
1) Don't take things the Training Instructors say to you personally. It's their job to stress you.

2) Have fun! You're going to be doing things that most people would never try.

[Lonestar]

Has anyone here been through the military before?

lol

I ship out for basic training on Sunday, and my nerves are fucking killing me! I know I should not be looking for "it's ok, everything will be fine," but I just want to know if anyone has any tips or, anything really.

You picked the pussiest of the services. Those mocha frappachinos and cell phone access in Boot will be really tough for you to ride out.

[spartasman]

You picked the pussiest of the services

Yes, yes I did. Would it be better if I drained my family's bank account going to college so I can join the rest of my generation at McDonald's?

Those mocha frappachinos and cell phone access in Boot will be really tough for you to ride out.

From what I've been told and what I've read, BMT has changed since the 90's.

[Lonestar]

Yes, yes I did. Would it be better if I drained my family's bank account going to college so I can join the rest of my generation at McDonald's?

You missed the point.

From what I've been told and what I've read, BMT has changed since the 90's.

....How old do you think I am?

[Aaron]

lol, I went through Basic (I'm a Canuck) in the late 90's. It's not difficult, in fact 90% of the stress you will experience will be mental. Expect some lack of sleep and lots of yelling.

#1: Someone mentioned don't take the instructors personally? It's true, their job is to give you a hard time. And most of the time they will shit on you as a group.

#2: Don't blow your pay cheque on booze and hotel rooms when you get a weekend off. The base has a Mess, use it.

#3: Keep your mouth shut and your eyes open. Learn from your mistakes as well as those of your buddies, and look out for them, they will for you.

#4: "No excuse" is the perfect answer to anything related to you fucking up.

Oh and congrats on enlisting, send one of us Mess members a PM when your done. We'll see about getting you into the super-secret clubhouse.

Edit: Don't let Lonestar give you a hard time. He was in the Navy, the second pussiest service.

[MKSheppard]

[MKSheppard]

#2: Don't blow your pay cheque on booze and hotel rooms when you get a weekend off. The base has a Mess, use it.

#2A: Don't blow your money on a tech school marriage.

[Lonestar]

That is a good corollary and cannot be overstated.

[Aaron]

#2: Don't blow your pay cheque on booze and hotel rooms when you get a weekend off. The base has a Mess, use it.

#2A: Don't blow your money on a tech school marriage.

Fuck yes. There were a good two or three on my Basic that got married and another couple on my QL3's (that's like tech school IIRC) and none of them worked. You'll get posted different places and promptly stark fucking other people.

[MKSheppard]

#2B: Do not immediately buy a fancy new car with your enlistment bonus or whatever. IF you do need to get a decent car RIGHT NOW; spend $4-5k to get a used one that's five~ years old.

Don't go blowing it on a 2011 Mustang in Fire Engine Red.

[Mr Bean]

#2B: Do not immediately buy a fancy new car with your enlistment bonus or whatever. IF you do need to get a decent car RIGHT NOW; spend $4-5k to get a used one that's five~ years old.

Don't go blowing it on a 2011 Mustang in Fire Engine Red.

Also don't blow it on a 2004 Honda Civic which you intend to do lots of work on, only to notice that you bought a automatic not a manual after you signed the paperwork.
Fun story about dumb sailors at one of my old commands.

Oh speaking of paperwork

Once your out of bootcamp
Keep copies of all of your paperwork. Everything, every evaluation, every refer, anytime your given anything by anyone you keep hold on it. Every fucking piece of paper that gets signed by some one should be held onto by you. Everything from the results of barracks inspections to that handwritten note from your lunch run. Keep your hands on every piece of paper or you will get burned by not having something sooner or later.

[Kyler]

Well I had it easy going through AF ROTC boot camp.

Are you going to nervous, intimidated, worn down, and more? Yeah buts that normal, once the routine of training sets in it will get a lot better. The first day is the worst but after that for the most part it got better.

I actually would have preferred going through regular basic with other newly enlisted airmen and officer candidates than ROTC training. My basic training we only had AF Drill Instructors for the first two weeks then they were replaced by the awful Cadet Training Assistants. The DI's were hard on us, but they were fantastic teachers. They just don't like screw-ups. The DI's warned us that would only show us stuff twice before they laid down the hammer. In most cases twice was enough. You will screw-up, it will happen and you'll get punished, it happens to everyone. Just do not make a habit of it.

Basic is all about a schedule so once you get used to it, it gets a lot better in my opinion. Food is good just DO NOT try to drink caffeine. My advice if you haven't stopped drinking caffeine or smoking you better start now. To many cadets at my boot had withdraw that only got them in trouble.

The most important thing about basic is the safety of yourself, and all other AF personnel. The only instances I saw the classic movie DI rage was when a cadet endangered their own safety or especially other peoples. If you do anything that endangers another person, they will come down so hard on you, you'll wish you were dead. Also stay healthy by drinking plenty of water, eat good food, take regular shits (cause they will ask), keep clean, and if your sick say something. Don't be an idiot and get dehydrated and have to be shipped home to recover only to comeback and start all over again.

[FaxModem1]

Don't bring cash. You'll have to make an account of every single dollar and cent, which they then will check during inspection.

If you don't crap the first three days of Basic, that's normal, usually no one does.

Ask your fellow flight members for help if you need it, pride doesn't help you, being able to pass your inspections and evaluations will.

You won't be able to access any drink besides water until after Basic, so get used to that being your only drink from now on.

They will give you forms called 341s, Fill these out neatly, keep a steady supply of them, and be ready to hand them to a TI, because they will ask a lot for them.

Memorize the trivia of the chain of command, they will want you to memorize it.

For the chow hall, keep your face emotionless, at the end of the line is what they call the snake pit, this is where TIs grab a trainee and grill him on everything, looking for something that they have forgotten. They will ask you with three people at a time, answer in order of the questions received.

Every sentence you say to them will begin with the words"Sir/Mam, Trainee (your name) reports as ordered."

Get used to that sentence, you can't talk without saying it.

[adam_grif]

Am I doing this correctly?

[Beowulf]

Don't bring cash. You'll have to make an account of every single dollar and cent, which they then will check during inspection.

If you don't crap the first three days of Basic, that's normal, usually no one does.

Ask your fellow flight members for help if you need it, pride doesn't help you, being able to pass your inspections and evaluations will.

You won't be able to access any drink besides water until after Basic, so get used to that being your only drink from now on.

They will give you forms called 341s, Fill these out neatly, keep a steady supply of them, and be ready to hand them to a TI, because they will ask a lot for them.

Memorize the trivia of the chain of command, they will want you to memorize it.

For the chow hall, keep your face emotionless, at the end of the line is what they call the snake pit, this is where TIs grab a trainee and grill him on everything, looking for something that they have forgotten. They will ask you with three people at a time, answer in order of the questions received.

Every sentence you say to them will begin with the words"Sir/Mam, Trainee (your name) reports as ordered."

Get used to that sentence, you can't talk without saying it.

To add on:

You will be required to have a 3 copies of the form 341 on you at all times you're in a training environment. This includes after they've taken one from you for fucking up. So keep extras on you.

You will fuck up. Just don't make the same fuckup as someone else in your flight, and don't fuckup the same way twice. The Training Instructor (TI) gets annoyed if you do.

Be able to do pushups before you leave. You'd think this would be a stupid comment, but my flight in BMT lost someone on the PT test because they'd faked their way through all the times we did 'em. Couldn't do one.

Don't piss off your flight members. There's too many ways for them to fuck you over if they want to.

Don't have sex in the god damn garbage dumpsters. That's disgusting. Even if you haven't gotten laid in 9 weeks. Suck it up. (The aforementioned is also why I don't believe they stick saltpeter in the water to kill boners).

It's 95% mental. Keep your cool, and don't let yourself get trapped into a trick. Basic is seriously the easiest thing in the military. You get told everything you need to do.

Try not to get seriously sick or injured at BMT. Spending 6 months with the cripples and crazies before getting sent back home, or sent back to finish Basic sucks.

When you actually buy a car, get a cheap beater. It's better than a Mustang you can't drive because you can't afford the car payment, gas, and insurance.

Keep every a copy of every piece of paperwork you sign, or people give you to keep.

[Raxmei]

Break your caffeine addiction before you go. The first few days are stressful and disorienting enough without having to deal with withdrawal symptoms at the same time. On a related note, quit drinking and smoking.

The rooms are likely to have informational hangings and posters. Memorize the contents, you will be quizzed.

The left foot moves first.

[spartasman]

Thank you all for the tips, they really helped to calm my nerves about this.

[Stofsk]

Be able to do pushups before you leave. You'd think this would be a stupid comment, but my flight in BMT lost someone on the PT test because they'd faked their way through all the times we did 'em. Couldn't do one.

What? How did he fake pushups then at the end couldn't even do one?

Don't have sex in the god damn garbage dumpsters. That's disgusting. Even if you haven't gotten laid in 9 weeks. Suck it up. (The aforementioned is also why I don't believe they stick saltpeter in the water to kill boners).

Y'know, I was going to ask, but... I'm p. sure I don't want to know.

[Aaron]

People in my platoon used to do it in the cleaning closet on the floor lobby.

And yeah, that saltpetre story has been around since Christ was a Corporal.

[Ritterin Sophia]

According to this one dude I know, having sex with a Major General's daughter in your Flight Instructor's office is inadvisable.

[PeZook]

According to this one dude I know, having sex with a Major General's daughter in your Flight Instructor's office is inadvisable.

Wow, what a novel discovery

Did this guy also had to test the theory that you shouldn't put your hand inside a working blender? I am curious as to his results!

More seriously, is this a real story?

[Beowulf]

Be able to do pushups before you leave. You'd think this would be a stupid comment, but my flight in BMT lost someone on the PT test because they'd faked their way through all the times we did 'em. Couldn't do one.

What? How did he fake pushups then at the end couldn't even do one?

I'm not sure. I was usually too busy doing pushups.

[Lonestar]

Am I doing this correctly?

No. You showed a picture that some blowjob took of Steel Beach Picnic as if that were fact.

Sleeping in the Navy:

[Lonestar]

More seriously, is this a real story?

I had a buddy who was in my Scout Troop happen to go through Navy Bootcamp at the same time as me(he was in a "sister" Division) who went on to knock up the daughter of the Captain of the first ship he was on.


Good times.