Basic Training Questions: Top or Bottom Bunk?

By SGT Volkin

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

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July 23rd, 2010

About... SGT Volkin

This author published 38 posts in this site.
Sergeant Michael Volkin is a U.S. Army veteran and one of America's most successful military authors focusing on basic training. He served in Operation Enduring/Iraqi Freedom as a Chemical Operations Specialist and received an Army Commendation Medal for his efforts and for the military fitness programs he designed to help his fellow soldiers. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Science from Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas and also a Real Estate Brokers Degree. Note from the author: "I knew absolutely nothing about the military when I entered basic training. I had no immediate military family history and no prior desire to ever join the military. It was on the tragic morning of September 11, 2001 that I realized what I was taking for granted all these years. Freedom, as wonderful as it is, is an uphill struggle, and comes with an enormous responsibility. It wasn’t so much a decision, but a calling, that I joined the military - the Army Reserves. I departed for basic training without an ounce of military knowledge one month after September 11, 2001. However, I used this lack of knowledge to my advantage. I took notes on everything, with the ambition that no military recruit would have to go through boot camp like I did, with no knowledge of what was in store for me. I listened to hundreds of soldiers share their advice, tips, and tricks on surviving basic training. When I was deployed shortly after basic training to serve in Operation Enduring/Iraqi Freedom, I had the time to organize the notes, add to them, and assemble the most practical basic training guide ever written. The Ultimate Basic Training Series is straightforward, easy to understand and applies to every branch of the military. Take advantage of the military fitness routine in these books. Many hours of research and trial and error went toward creating the program. I believe there is no other fitness program that can get you in shape for basic training faster." SGT Volkin is currently a real estate broker and marketing consultant.