Certainly if you have been to basic training you will always remember your first day.  As you laid in your bunk on that first night, thoughts were rushing through your head and your mind was scrambling trying to remember everything your Drill Sergeants taught you.  Your muscles and mind were fatigued.  On that first night, you felt helpless, alone and at the bottom of a very big hill to triumph. 

For all you recruits who entered the military I will tell you this, your first day will be the worst.  You will be homesick, in a new environmental and you will not see an end in sight.  This will be a time where you need to be mentally tough.  You have to remember to take your days one at a time because looking at the entire 9-weeks ahead of you will be very difficult.

In my book, the Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook (www.ultimatebasictraining.com), I interviewed many soldiers and wrote about their first day of basic training.  After I wrote this chapter I discovered something very important.  Wherever these recruits went to basic training, their experiences differed very little. All of their experiences encompassed basically the same aspects.  In the following paragraphs I will explain to you what others have gone though on their first day of basic training, and most likely what you will be going through.  I will also add pieces of advice to help you make your first day much more enjoyable.

The Pick-Up

This takes place after the Reception Process (when all your paperwork and medical tests are completed).  A bus or cattle truck will pick you up.  You will be packed in a crowded vehicle and you may or may not have Drill Sergeants on board.  If there are Drill Sergeants they will either introduce themselves, tell you to be quiet or ask you to sing the star spangled banner as loud as you can.  Drill Sergeants look intimidating, but do understand, they cannot physically hit you.
Tip:  Try your best not to show off or stand out at this point. There is always one person on that ride who tries to show he/she is different. 

The Drop-Off

When the vehicle stops, all the recruits will be asked to get out as fast as they can.  At this point, you may be asked to do a number of various exercises.  I will use my first day as an example.  When I got out of the vehicle they asked 150 other recruits besides myself to line up and place our luggage in a perfectly straight line, in alphabetical order, in under 3 minutes (which is 45-seconds in Drill Sergeant time).  Seeing how it is impossible for 150 strangers to know each other’s names, we were forced to do exercises because of our failure to complete the mission.  You will fail the first mission you are asked to accomplish; it is designed that way.  The purpose of basic training is to turn you from a civilian to a soldier in 9 short weeks.  In order to do that you need to realize how difficult it is to become a member of the strongest military power in the world.
Tip: At this point, you need to show your Drill Sergeants you are capable of handling physical activity.  Mentally prepare for physical activity when you wake up in the morning on the day you will meet your Drill Sergeants.  Also, don’t be letdown when you fail your first mission, which is what the mission is designed for, failure.

The Meet and Greet

After the exercises you will bring your luggage up to your bunk and meet the members of your platoon.  You are all strangers now, but rest assured, you will know a little more than you care to know about each and every member of that platoon when basic training is over. 

Tip: I cannot stress how important it is to get the rest of the members of your platoon to like you. Don’t order people around and don’t be too passive; come off as a team player. You can accomplish this by asking each person in your platoon a personal question such as “where are you from” “what sports do you like to play” anything at all.  Personal questions show others that your interested in what they are like, and they begin to respect you because of that.

Lights Out

Despite your physical fatigue, you will have trouble sleeping.  Your mind will be shuffling through many thoughts.  Before you go to bed make sure each member in your sleeping area is prepared for the next day.  Often, recruits will need help preparing their uniform or finding certain items.  Offer your assistance, your kindness will be appreciated and the favor will be returned in the future.
Tip: Keep the big picture in mind and remind yourself why you joined the Army, and how proud everyone will be of you when you return.  Mental toughness is 99% of surviving basic training.

Shin splints are a common cause for concern for each military recruit. Whether you are leaving for marine corps basic training or army basic training, the outcome of painful shins will be the same.  And, to make it even worse, there is no magic pill to cure them.  Shin splints are a result of fatigue and trauma of the muscles near your shins.  This trauma can feel like someone is hammering at your shins with each step. For military style workouts, shin splints can definitely be a road block, and surviving boot camp will be that much harder. 

Basic training leaves little room for rest and relaxation, so what can a recruit do to get rid of shin splints before arriving at basic training? Lots!

First things first, get new shoes. Most recruits don’t get the right shoes. Shoes should fit comfortable and feel well, if they do not, you are adding trauma to your shins with every step you take. Shin splints often occur with new shoes, if this happens, simply get new shoes that fit better and you will see shin splints quickly disappear.

Another quick fix for shin splints is to practice running on soft surfaces, not pavement. Running on grass should help the pain subside.

Rest may not be a luxury you have if your in training, however, if your shins are throbbing even when sitting on the sofa, you must stay off them as much as possible.

Another cause of shin splints is being overweight.  If you are overweight and have time to drop a few pounds, you will put less stress on your shins.

Last but not least, try adjusting your running technique. Get some gel insoles for your shoes. This will angle your foot toward your toes slightly. You should try running on your toes more than the heels of your foot. When you run on the heels of your foot on a hard surface, your shin is experiencing too much trauma for your muscles to bear.

Follow the above tips when preparing for boot camp and make your life a lot easier.

Le’ts talk about running at army basic training (or marine corps basic training, or heak, even air force basic training). When going through basic training a recruit has to do lots of running. In Army basic training a recruit will typically do a group run every other day of at least a couple miles. The drill sergeants will lead the run and it is the recruits job to keep up with the drill sergeant.

When joining the military, I highly recommend each recruit have a clear expectation of what is expected of him or her. Joining the military means more than just signing some papers and taking an oath.  You are now the responsibility of everyone in your platoon to perform to military standards. In the Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook I give a detailed 8 week fitness program. If you can, complete this program 16 weeks before you leave basic training, so you can complete the program twice

Let’s face it, basic training is tough. For the first time you will have to wait for permission to eat or even go to the bathroom. Wouldn’t it make life easier if you knew some tips on avoiding special attention from those mean Drill Sergeants?

In my best-selling book, The Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook I teach recruits how to make basic training as stress free as possible.  It’s important to understand that nothing will make you “yell-proof”, however, there are preparations you can make to reduce the amount of times you might get singled out by a drill sergeant. Use the 5 tips below to help you avoid getting yelled at by drill sergeants.

5) Don’t Volunteer- Many recruits think that if they volunteer for tasks then they will become the drill sergeant’s favorite. This might be the case in school, but not the case at basic training. Volunteering for tasks at basic training is like jumping in shark infested waters with chopped fish tied to your ankles. Your goal at basic training is to graduate, not become someone’s favorite recruit.

4) Label Everything- A common reason why recruits get yelled at is because they lose an item of clothing or gear, or they get theirs mixed up with another recruit. Drill sergeants will often do an inspection of your sleeping quarters. During these inspections, items are tossed all over the place often mixing up gear and clothing. Take a black marker with you to basic training and write your initials on everything you own.

3) Don’t be a Know It All- Drill sergeants aren’t impressed with what you know, or think you know. Many recruits come to basic training hearing stories and learning lessons of when their friends and family attended. Don’t listen to those recruits as stories are often exaggerated or interpreted incorrectly. Even if you know the answer to something, don’t shout it out unless you are specifically called upon.

2) Speak with Confidence- Drill sergeants love to pick on recruits who answer or talk in a quiet or timid voice. Their job is to make you a lean mean fighting machine; they don’t want you sounding like Richard Simmons. When asked a question, only respond with a confident voice, even if you don’t know the correct answer. A wrong answer spoken confidently sounds better than a right answer spoken timidly.

1) Don’t be Late- When a drill sergeant asks you to be somewhere in 45 seconds, you better be there in 15. Arriving on time is not going to cut it in basic training.

SGT Michael Volkin is the author of The Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook: Tips, Tricks and Tactics for Surviving Boot Camp

I have to admit, from time to time I get unique questions which I have never been asked before. Someone going to army basic training asked me if the top or bottom bunk was better at fort benning and/or fort jackson. Whether you are going to marine corps basic training or air force basic training, the bunk you choose could have a small impact on your overall experience.  I specifically chose the top bunk.
Why?
I felt if I was on the bottom bunk, I would just be staring at the bottom of the top bunk mattress, which didn’t appeal to me. At least at the top bunk, I could see the ceiling and have a small sense of aloneness. That’s just my view though. Military basic training is filled with stress, and that small sense of aloneness helped me just a little bit. Sometimes, the drill sergeants will assign your bunks for you (especially in the Marines), but if you get a choice, I would recommend the top bunk. It’s easier to make the top bunk bed in the morning too (also in my opionion)

SGT Michael Volkin is the author of The Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook: Tips, Tricks, and Tactics for Boot Camp Survival

Can Tuition Assistance Help With College?

When you joined the service you may remember hearing about tuition assistance. It’s a benefit available to everyone, active or reserves, in every branch of the service. It is entirely funded by the federal government, with the exception of some states’ air and army national guards that use state budgets to fund tuition assistance.

Tuition assistance is available for anyone who is an active member of the military through the completion of the course in which they are applying for. In other words, the course can’t end before your enlistment.

It is the responsibility of the service member to apply for tuition assistance through their appropriate channels—it is not a benefit that simply appears when you register for your courses. Typically, you must get the approval of your unit commander in order to apply for tuition assistance. You must be a service member in good standing and cannot have any flags in your file.

The current rate for tuition assistance is $250/credit hour. Each member of the service eligible for tuition assistance has $4500 available to them per military fiscal year (1 October-30 September). It can be used for traditional college courses or trade schools.

There are various public schools (particularly community colleges) with low tuition rates and private colleges that offer discounts that are based on the amount funded by tuition assistance. These can allow the service member the ability to pay for the majority of their education on tuition assistance alone.

However, not many colleges fall into the category of affordable these days. To confront the trend of rising tuition costs, President Bush signed an amendment to the Montgomery GI Bill called Tuition Assistance Top-up. It allowed active military students to use their GI Bill benefits to add to their tuition assistance to cover the additional costs per course for more costly programs.

Either alone or in conjunction with the Top-up program, tuition assistance can be a tremendous asset to active and reserve members of the military to enhance their careers and may be worth re-enlisting for to make sure you maximize your education benefits available to you!

David J. Renza is a military enrollment counselor, VA certifying official and adjunct professor at Post University in Waterbury, Connecticut. He is also the co-author of Military Education Benefits for College, which was published by Savas Beatie in May of 2010. He also maintains a blog on military education called The Most Powerful Weapon.

You have no doubt heard the recent buzz about the Post 9/11 or Chapter 33 GI Bill, which is arguably the most comprehensive education benefit offered to date, allowing many veterans serving our country after September 11, 2001 the ability to pay for school like never before.

As a military student, it pays your school a pre-determined amount for tuition based on the amount of time you served active duty and the state your school is located in.  It also pays a number of other benefits, to include an annual stipend for books and  a percentage of Basic Allowance and Housing, or BAH, depending on how long you served active duty and the BAH rate for the university you are attending. 

You may also be eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program, if you have served enough time on active duty and your school is a participant with the program.  The Yellow Ribbon Program serves to give additional funds for tuition for qualifying students whose tuition isn’t fully covered by the Post 9/11 GI Bill. 

Sounds great, right?  But once you transfer from the traditional GI Bill to the Post 9/11 GI Bill, you can’t opt back into the traditional Montgomery GI Bill.  So how do you know if transferring to the Post 9/11 GI Bill is the right decision for you? 

The key is contacting the Department of Veterans Affairs.  Determining your eligibility with the VA before making any decisions to switch to the Post 9/11 GI Bill is of paramount importance because, as mentioned previously, you won’t be able to go back to your prior GI Bill chapter once you switch.

For starters, you may stand to lose any kickers you may be eligible for with your current GI Bill.  In addition, you may only be allowed a percentage of Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits based on your service period.  Also, you may be able to defer the Post 9/11 GI Bill until after you have used the maximum amount of time for your present GI Bill chapter, which may make you eligible for an additional period of benefits after you’ve used your current GI Bill benefits up.  The institution you attend may also play a role in whether or not you should choose the Post 9/11 GI Bill, as you may not be able to use all of your benefits at some institutions or you may not be covered entirely due to tuition costs. 

To determine if the GI Bill is right for you and your education, contact the VA at 1-888-GI-BILL-1. 

David J. Renza is a military enrollment counselor, VA certifying official and adjunct professor at Post University in Waterbury, Connecticut.  You can buy his book: Military Education Benefits for College, here: http://www.ultimatebasictraining.com/shopping_cart.php

Are you allowed to bring a camera to basic training?

A recruit going to military basic training e-mailed me and asked “Are you allowed to bring a camera to basic training?”

The short answer is no. However, you will have a historian will be following you around everywhere and photographing you doing military fitness, getting yelled at by drill sergeants and all the other neat experiences you were promised when you decided joining the military was for you.

When I went through army basic training the historian assigned to us was everywhere he should have been. He knew where he was supposed to be and he knew when the exciting army training was about to take place.  The historian knew when the army fitness regimines where about to reach the breaking point for recruits and we would have that dumb and exhausted looks on our faces.  And if your going through USMC training the same applies for you.

At the end of boot camp, the historian will sell you a CD of pictures and videos for a few bucks. Even if it doesn’t sound appealing to purchase it, be sure to get a copy, you will want the memories.
SGT Michael Volkin is the author of The Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook: Tips, Tricks, and Tactics for Boot Camp Survival www.UltimateBasicTraining.com

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Basic Training

I just recieved another email regarding this question and I thought I would address this via a blog.

“Hey Sergeant Volkin, I was just wondering if A.I.T. is anything like Basic Training.”

Thank you Nick for your question.  AIT, which stands for Advanced Individual Training in the Army is similar but not the same as basic training. To reduce confusion, Air Force boot camp does not use the acronym AIT (I have recieved this same question from Air Force recruits).

Once you have a fantastic time surviving boot camp, you then have to make it through AIT. The Army basic training schedule gets a bit easier in AIT, but not much. Your standards are higher for your Army basic training workouts as your drill sergeants expect more from you. Your military fitness demands are higher, but then again, you are in better shape, so it seems easier. The Army fitness standards are tougher, you now have to surpass the 60% mark for all fitness test, but yet again, you are in better shape, so it seems easier.
I wouldnt worry too much about the Army physical fitness program in AIT, the standard are tougher but you should be in much better shape by the time you finish basic training, so your fitness should’nt be an issue.

SGT Michael Volkin is the author of The Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook: Tips, Tricks, and Tactics for Boot Camp Survival http://www.UltimateBasicTraining.com

Surviving boot camp is all about the mental aspect of basic training, not the physical aspect. Don’t worry so much about Army fitness (or military fitness in general). The Army fitness standards are easy to surpass if you follow chapter 2 of The Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook. The Army physical fitness program simply uses multiple repetitions and endurance to test your physical fitness levels. Your body can easily adapt to these types of movements and this, requires little preparation on your part (8 weeks). Once you have trained for 8-weeks with the Army basic training workout explained in chapter 2, the Army basic training schedule should be a piece of cake (fitness wise). Even though I am referring to the Army here, the military fitness program explained in chapter 2 works with any branch of the military, even Air Force boot camp.

So, in order to survive boot camp, it is critical that you prepare properly. When I say prepare, I mean mentally and physically. Mentally, you just shouldn’t leave for boot camp without knowing what your getting into. Physically, your body has to be fit (military fit, not civilian fit).

Small advantages you can give yourself before you leave for boot camp, can give you big advantages once you there.

SGT Michael Volkin is the author of The Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook: Tips, Tricks, and Tactics for Boot Camp Survival http://www.UltimateBasicTraining.com