Making the decision to join the United States Army is not one you should take lightly. Seems like everyone I was in the service with had a different reason for joining. But why you joined doesn’t really matter. What is important is what you do once you get in. We used to joke about it and say the Army takes anyone. To some degree, that is true. You really don’t need a whole lot of experience to join the service, because they are going to provide you with the tools you need. That’s what Basic Training is for. Basic Training is a six-week physical and mental challenge that was designed to prepare you for a life in the military. But who is going to give you the tools you need to prepare for Basic Training?
Basic Training can be mentally and physically exhausting and many enlisted members who are not prepared end up getting a dishonorable or other than honorable discharge, something you don’t want on your record for the rest of your life. There are three things you can do to help prepare yourself before you go.
One thing you can do to prepare for Basic Training is work on physical conditioning. There will be certain physical requirements for you to meet in order to pass your Basic Training Tests. Getting a head start will mean less stress on your emotional state once you are under scrutiny of a pushy Drill Sergeant. By practicing push ups, sit ups, and running you will be better prepared to meet the physical demands of Basic Training before you get there. Flutter kicks are also a great way to build your stomach muscles and prepare for circuit training. Drill Sgt’s will often use flutter kicks as a punishment tactic to encourage physical development.
Learn the military chain of command. Just like any company or organization, the Military has a system of hierarchy starting with the President as Commander in Chief and ending with you, the soldier. When you are in basic training, the Drill Sergeants like to play games with you at lunch time to see if you have learned your chain of command. If you miss a question, they will send you to the end of the line, giving you just a few minutes to cram some food in your face before they have you off and running again. If you know your chain of command and can spit off the names and positions held by your leaders like they were your second cousin, they will probably move on to someone else who is more fun to pick on. You can find the most current chain of command at this Web site: http://www.usaac.army.mil/acce/command_group.html
Never fired a weapon before? The military will give you plenty of time to get familiar with your weapon. Sometimes, you will even have to sleep with it. If you can find a firing range locally and a teacher to show you how to shoot a rifle, you will be better prepared to qualify as a marksman, another testing phase required of you to pass basic training. Believe it or not, if you can’t hit the target with your weapon, they can push you back to another class and keep you in training longer, or kick you out for not being able to qualify. By getting familiar with the feel of a weapon in advance, you can improve your confidence on the firing range when it comes time to qualify in Basic Training.
If you have spoken to a recruiter about joining the Army, chances are he will give you some additional pointers on what to expect. Typically, they provide you with a manual that outlines the steps you should take to prepare for Basic. Don’t take it lightly. Learn as much as you can before you join so you don’t have any surprises when you get there. Being prepared will greatly help reduce the stress you will inevitably endure from the culture shock of Basic Training.
