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Posted by kristine on 7/9/2002, 8:22 am

is ne one else on the virtualarmory.com website?it a realy good website and yall should join if not already in it.

Going to BT with family

Posted by Nikki on 7/9/2002, 8:43 pm

I am married with 1 child and my husband is a Marine. I am joining the Army next month....starting my paper work. My question is for anyone who was ever in this situtation. Will it be easy for both my husband and I to be in the military (i will be a reservist) while wwe have a child? Is it harder for the families to be in 2 different branches? Is it harder for the child to be taken care of? I know that the reserves is only part time, but while i am in BT (my hubby is a grunt) Im not sure how things will be going at home. If any of you had this experience, please give me some advice.

Re: Going to BT with family

Posted by RT on 7/11/2002, 8:03 am , in reply to "Going to BT with family"

I was hoping someone would respond who is in the same situation as you, but I can offer you some insight into your situation. Even though you are not active, you will be required to put together a "Family Care Plan". In a nutshell, you and your husband MUST designate someone (on paper) to take care of your child when you are in training, deployed, etc.. This packet always has to be up-to-date and it should be someone that you trust. I don't know what reserve unit you will be in, but most do have training cycles and many do get deployed from a few weeks to 6 months. You have to prepare yourself mentally and know that when your husband can, he will take care of them (but will need some help AND that if he deploys or goes to training himself that your child may be with someone else for up to 6 months!). It's heartbreaking, and I've known plenty of dual military and single parents who have had to go through this. It's extremely stressful, and my hats go off to them for what sacrifices they have made for their country.

Re: Going to BT with family

Posted by Mike C on 7/12/2002, 10:06 am , in reply to "Re: Going to BT with family"

Hello. My wife and I are dual military. I'm a reservist going on active duty in a few months and my wife is active duty Army. Not only will you need a family care plan and help from family and very good friends, you have to prepare yourself for the fact that your husband's unit could care less that you're in the service, let alone in a completely different organization. The Corps will always put his duties and their need above yours. My wife and I are always having trouble with schedule conflicts and her job always takes priority. Your time away will be lonely, but with the help of your family, friends, and your husband you'll get through the hard times and have what can be a very rewarding career to show for it. Good luck and be strong in your efforts.

MEPS before shipping

Posted by Howard on 7/10/2002, 11:02 am

At present I am in the DEP. I report to MEPS on Oct 1st, for shipping on Oct 2nd. My orders request me to report no later than 10pm on the 1st. Does this really mean I can do my own thing all day on Oct 1st and just show up that night? I don't really look forward to hanging around MEPS all day if I report in that morning and have to wait for a red-eye flight out later that night. Or if I show up earlier, will they perform the quick physical, processing etc and just tell me to come back later for shipping out? I live about 15 minutes drive from MEPS. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks,Howard.

Re: MEPS before shipping

Posted by Sher on 7/12/2002, 12:19 am , in reply to "MEPS before shipping"

You can do your own thing all day on the first, they want you to be there no later than 10pm which is at the hotel, so that you are up and ready to be at the MEPS building at 4am or 445am to complete processing for you to be shipped out. It doesnt matter what time you show up as long as its befor 10pm, you wont do any processing on the 1st, you only report to MEPS on the 2nd.

Posted by lisa on 7/10/2002, 5:09 pm

my boyfriend left on monday july 1st. and i understand that the 1st week doesnt count towards the 9 weeks. but then i saw 2 different websites that said that the actual training part is only 8 weeks. so is it 9 weeks from the day he arrived or 9 weeks from the day he started? also he was in processing up until today so was monday the start of week 1 or is today the start of it?

Posted by RT on 7/10/2002, 7:13 pm , in reply to "8 or 9 weeks?"

BT used to be 8 weeks, maybe some websites have not been updated? BT is now 9 weeks long, and this does not include the time inprocessing. The training week usually starts on a Friday, so count from there (now this was at Ft Leonard Wood..other posts may be a bit different as to when during the week BT starts...all are 9 weeks though).

Posted by Sarah on 7/10/2002, 5:56 pm

My boyfriend was just discharged from the army because of asthma, and he wanted to get LASIK and then join the Navy....is that possible??

Posted by RT on 7/10/2002, 7:14 pm , in reply to "asthma"

I am pretty sure the Navy has the same requirements (ie no asthma), but it wouldn't hurt to check. The Army disqualifies those who have had LASIK..it might be similar in the Navy also. I suggest going to the About.com website above as they have a section on joining the Navy also.

Posted by dee on 7/11/2002, 8:45 am

Does anyone know the records for BT? Like what has been the fastest two mile ever, most pushups, situps for females ages 17-21? Or overall?

Posted by RT on 7/12/2002, 8:24 am , in reply to "Records at BT?"

I don't think the fastest times/#s are recorded anywhere except maybe in the individual companies. In my company, we did have a few PT studs coming through. I do remember this one female (who won the PT award her cycle) who did the 2 mile in just under 12 minutes, just over 100 sit-ups and push-ups..let's see, I don't think she hit 100 there. We did have a few males who broke the 10 minute mark for the run. We had one guy do 120 situps and over 100 pushups..can't remember his runtime. I'd say in the thousands of recruits I saw, maybe 6 or so were this stellar in all areas of the test..only one a female

promotion before basic

Posted by amy on 7/11/2002, 12:11 pm

I am currently training for my pt test to get my e-2 rank i allready passed the part regarding rank structure and medical i am afraid that by mid august i will not be ready to do the 2 mile i can get my e-3 by recruiting 1 person on top of that do you know if i get two people to join can that get my e-2 for me in case I am not 2 mile run ready? Or can I compensate for my running by being able to excell in push ups and situps

Re: promotion before basic

Posted by RT on 7/12/2002, 8:32 am , in reply to "promotion before basic"

I'm not sure what the rules are regarding how many people you recruit vs. what rank you achieve. I can say that the PT test is looked at as a whole, that means run, pushups and situps..can't be done piecemeal. So I would say to get credit for the PT test, you have to do all three events to get one score.

Transfers to diff. bases

Posted by Nikki on 7/11/2002, 12:50 pm

I talked to a recruiter about going in as a reservist while my husband is active. Everything that he told me sounded fine except for this...I bought up a scenario of my husband being stationed somewhere else. Since we live together, I would be moving with him (i will only be a reservist). This is what the recruiter told me. I can go to my CO and get a transfer to a local reserve unit in whatever state that my husband might get deployed to. He says that all I need to do is show a copy of my husbands orders and that I would get orders to be transfered to another unit. Does this exist? I have never heard of this, so can someone tell me if this is possible and should i get it in writing?

Re: Transfers to diff. bases

Posted by RT on 7/12/2002, 8:36 am , in reply to "Transfers to diff. bases"

I think this is something you can try to do when your husband gets reassigned, but as anything, I don't think there are guarantees. If for example, there is no reserve unit in your new area with a slot for your MOS, or let's say all their slots are filled (even if they have your MOS), then what are you supposed to do? Also, would you be willing to travel long distances to hook-up with a reserve unit in the new state? I suggest going to one of the other boards above. You might get better feedback there.

Re: Transfers to diff. bases

Posted by jing on 7/12/2002, 12:17 pm , in reply to "Transfers to diff. bases"

I recently joined the USAR and told my recruiter that I was planning on moving in the next couple of years. He told me that wouldn't be a problem. RT is right though, there might not be a job available for you and you might have to travel a long distance to get to a Reserve unit that has your MOS. Have you considered joining the National Guard in your state? That is also an option. You can transfer between states. The other thing is that since they split their resources across the state rather than the entire country, they tend to have a wider variety of job openings in a local area. Either way, both the NG and the USAR told me that it would be okay for me to move if I wanted to. I chose a pretty flexible MOS, 63B light wheel vehicle mechanic so I could probably get a job in another unit. If you were forced to move because of your husband's station, I'm pretty sure that would apply to you.

Posted by Concerned on 7/12/2002, 9:57 am

I enlisted in April and ship out in October. After AIT training, what is the likelihood of getting deployed over to the middle east. I'm sort of freaking out about it. I'm in the reserves and I'm female, I'm just concerned.. the not knowing is killing me. Can someone be straight with me and tell it like it is?

Re: I need the truth

Posted by Mike C on 7/12/2002, 10:30 am , in reply to "I need the truth"

Hi. Unfortunately, this is the business you have chosen. Being in the Reserves means that there is always a chance that you will be deployed for some real world situation, but you must remember that usually active units will always be deployed first. I'm a reservist also and I've never deployed anywhere in the ten years I've been in, so you never know. Also, if by chance you do get deployed, try to remember that as a woman and a reservist, you will be well behind the FLOT (forward line own troops). Try to remember that the last time people were deployed in bulk to the Middle East most soldiers (to include combat troops) never fired their weapons or were fired at by an enemy. I hope this alleviates some of you concern. After all, the chance that you get deployed is pretty small, but the chance is always gonna be there, so try not to let it worry you too much. Bye!

Posted by todd on 7/12/2002, 1:26 pm

i am getting ready to leave for basic and i was just wondering...after i am done with all of my training and i come home after my training, and i marry my girlfriend, when we are ready to move to my station will the army help me find housing even if i dont want to live on base?

Posted by RT on 7/13/2002, 11:55 am , in reply to "housing"

If you are married and your wife accompanies you to your new duty station, then you will be eligible for family housing. A few posts you can move into on-post housing right away..most have waiting lists from 1-6 months. If the post does not require you to move into on-post housing right away, you will get paperwork allowing you to move off-post. Most posts have housing offices that will assist you in finding something (depending on your rank, zip code and years in service you get a housing allowance that usually covers most of what you would pay for rent or a mortgage). You can go out on your own too, just make sure if you rent something, make sure you get a military clause in your contract (ie if you get orders to move you can be released from your contract w/out penalty).

Posted by Mike C. on 7/13/2002, 1:12 pm , in reply to "housing"

That other person gave you quite sound advice. The Army has people whose whole job is to help you find somewhere to live when you arrive at your new duty station. Wait times for on post housing are different on every post I've ever lived at. Here at Ft. Hood we had to wait 11 months for on post housing, but we had an off post house in 2 days. In Berlin, I had post housing in 2 days. In Baumholder we had post housing in one month, so as you can see it is all different. What that other person said about having a clause in your contract that protects you if you get on post housing or orders to another duty station is absolutely key. It is a vital protection that will save you what can become thousands of dollars in the event you have to move unexpectedly, or get the chance to get into better quarters on your base. If your contract doesn't have such a clause, walk away. Around an Army base there is always another person willing to rent you a place with that little clause. You can bring your contract by your base housing office or legal affairs office for them to look at before you sign anything just to be safe. Don't worry about things though, because there will be all kinds of people there to help ( base housing, your chain of command, etc). Good luck getting a good duty station!

Posted by Mary on 7/13/2002, 12:24 pm

I just received a letter from the Army notifying us of our soldier's graduation date. I am so disappointed to learn that Family Day will be held the same day as Graduation! What a bummer. This means that we will not get to spend as much time with our soldier as we thought. Also found out there will be no "off post" pass for that day, only an "on post" pass. I was under the impression that Family Day was the day BEFORE Graduation?! I guess we have to take whatever we can get.

Posted by lisa on 7/13/2002, 9:07 pm , in reply to "Graduation"

that really sucks. where is your son at for basic and when did he leave? (just incase it is at the same place that my boyfriend is at)

Posted by Mary on 7/13/2002, 9:19 pm , in reply to "Re: Graduation"

lisa- he's at Ft. Knox, he started May 22(ship date) But the good news is, he called today (twice!) and I found out we will get to spend the next day with him, til 9:00 P.M. So we are really looking forward to seeing him, to say the least!How long does your boyfriend have?

Posted by RT on 7/14/2002, 7:02 am , in reply to "Re: Graduation"

Every post will be a bit different. I see that Ft Knox is very restrictive (as opposed to Ft Leonard Wood)! It's great though that you get to spend the next day with him...most other posts don't have that unless the soldier also has AIT at the same place. Have fun!

Hardest thing during basic

Posted by Dan on 7/13/2002, 8:45 pm

For all those who visit this board who have been through basic combat training, what, in your opinion, is the most difficult thing during BCT, all things considered?

Re: Hardest thing during basic

Posted by Robb on 7/14/2002, 12:17 am , in reply to "Hardest thing during basic"

without a doubt being away from my wife. I know a lot of guys who weren't as close to their families thought that the gas chamber was the worst, or waiting in reception for so long was bad, or the eagle run (5 mile run @ 8 minute pace), or the 15 mile march on FTX. (btw only infantry "gets" to do half of those things, there's other milestones for other MOSes) I can tell you though, nothing will make you prouder then thinking back to the times when it was really hard and knowing you proved up to the challenge.

Re: Hardest thing during basic

Posted by Mike C. on 7/14/2002, 5:16 pm , in reply to "Re: Hardest thing during basic"

I agree about the longing for family, but I think the worst was just the mental games Drill Sgts would play with us. Like destroying the barracks and then giving us 15 minutes to fix everything, or at least in my case not letting us see a news paper and then telling us that we were going to war immediately after AIT. (They even told us that the class before us was already at war and had taken 60% casualties. Cute huh?). Another one was the time the drills supposedly caught someone up after lights out and had us out in the sawdust pit every 15 minutes from 12:00 until 4:00am to dog us until someone confessed. What was funny was the fact that they made it up and every time someone would confess, we got dogged some more because the drill sgt's knew he was lying. There is something to be said about sleep deprivation! At least that's the way it was at Ft. Benning. It was a special kind of hell for all my sins before my arrival there. I can smile about it now, but it wasn't so funny then.

Ft. Jackson and Basic in general

Posted by Ivy on 7/14/2002, 11:36 am

I'm leaving for Fort Jackson July 30. I heard they call it Relaxin Jackson. Has anyone been there for basic? I know it won't be easy, but I hear it's not as bad as others. Can someone tell me firsthand?

Re: couple more things, lol

Posted by lisa on 7/14/2002, 6:53 pm , in reply to "couple more things, lol"

i dont know if this may help you or not. my boyfriend left for basic on the 1st. and before he left he was told that it is one of the most easiest bases for basic training. although it will still be hard. about the push ups and sit ups. he had to do 43 push ups in 2 min. and 53 push ups in 2 min. i think he had to have the mile done in 9 something. he was promoted the week before he left and was and e3 when he went in. as for the age limit on graduation, i dont know. and the perms i dont know. i dont know about the cameras but you might want to take a phone card with you. also be prepared, he had orders yesterday (saturday the 13th) to call his parents and tell them that he cant call for 3 weeks (the toughest of them all)i hope this gave you some insight on the whole basic thing. good luck to you.

Re: couple more things, lol

Posted by RT on 7/15/2002, 7:49 am , in reply to "Re: couple more things, lol"

Your whole family is allowed at graduation! It is a BIG milestone in your life! Your parents will get sent some info well before the "big day", so tell them to look-out for that. Most BT posts don't allow any cameras, although I've seen some that allow you to keep them in your wallocker..most only let you get it out of your personal belongings (that were locked away at the beg of BT) towards graduation. As far as the hair, time is limited during BT. You'll be able to go get regular haircuts (you'll be marched to the beauty shop), but you can imagine, there is no time for perms. Depending on your company, you may be allowed more time towards the end of BT, in prep for graduation, but be prepared to come up with other ideas for your hair. The push-ups, sit-ups and 1 mile run time required..I don't have them in my head, different for each gender and the numbers elude me right now!..go to the Resources Page and go down to the Fitness Training Unit (FTU)..there is a link right by reception, and you'll find the answers there.

getting rank as a reservist

Posted by rochelle on 7/14/2002, 3:12 pm

I have joined the army reserves and leave for Ft. Leonard Wood in Nov. My question is as a reservist, how do u make rank? I know that active duty go up on boards, get points and are evaluated to get their rank. How does it work in the reserves? Whats the highest rank that you can get on a 4 yr contract?

Re: getting rank as a reservist

Posted by Mike C. on 7/14/2002, 4:29 pm , in reply to "getting rank as a reservist"

The rank system is the same for a reservist as it is for active duty. There are really no differences. In four years if you apply yourself you can realisticly make E-5 and even possibly make your E-6. I made E-5 in four years in the reserve. I did it by going to college, volunteering for every kind of training school you could imagine, by doing correspondence courses and being ready when a slot for PLDC came open. I started studying for my E-5 board as a PFC. I also used my drill time wisely and never tried to get out of any work that needed to be done. I also made sure my chain of command knew that I was gunning for that next promotion by always being on time, doing my job right the first time, and always having a correspondence course with me. Another good tip is to never complain when you're given a job to do. No leader likes that. You can do it if you just apply yourself. Good luck and work hard!

license and license plates?

Posted by lisa on 7/14/2002, 7:05 pm

my boyfriend and i are getting married when he comes home after ait and i am moving to fort bragg with him. since i am a spouse will i have to get my license for that state and get new license plates. please help! i really dont want to go through that process all over again.

Re: license and license plates?

Posted by RT on 7/15/2002, 7:53 am , in reply to "license and license plates?"

That's one neat thing about the military...you can basically pick any state for your "home state" (and pay taxes there..or in some states, no state income taxes). All you have to do is show an intent to live there. So in short, yes you may keep your driver's license and car license there...you just have to keep on the ball about renewals through the mail..easy to forget when you don't live there!

Posted by Dani on 7/14/2002, 8:21 pm

Does anyone know of any websites that arew dedicated to talking about BT and what its like? What about sites with pictures of people in basic? Or any sites with BT stories? In a nutshell, im looking for anything that has to do with BT. Any help is appreciated.

The Resources Page has BT soldier diaries, etc...

Posted by RT on 7/15/2002, 7:55 am , in reply to "Any links"

Please do check the Resources page at this site. I have a few diaries of recruits posted there...I believe one even has photos... There are MANY other BT-related resources there also!

Posted by Jill on 7/14/2002, 9:41 pm

I am going down to MEPS this week and I am a little nervous about my physical. I was wondering if anyone could give me a "heads-up" now, or if anyone has any tips for me. Thanks,Jill

Posted by Romulusguy on 7/15/2002, 2:51 am , in reply to "Exam"

Hey there Jill...I went down to the MEPS down in LA, and boy was THAT a lon day. I was there from 5am till about 3:30pm. Prepare to stand in LINE and be bored to tears.I dunno how much help I will be to you since I am assuming you are female, and I am male. THe pee test, for me, was easy. I just drank loads of water beforehand. Hearing and Eye exams are pretty self explanitory. Just remember to say SIR and MAM to the people in charge.The worst part of the entire thing was when they stuck me for blood...but in ALL HONESTY, the guy who did it was great, and I didnt feel a thing. Its all in the head.Good luck-Romulusguy

Posted by RT on 7/15/2002, 7:57 am , in reply to "Re: Exam"

I suggest though that you don't call everyone in charge Sir or Mam! You do not call enlisted soldiers that or they could pounce on you! Reserve that for officers....good time to get familiar with the basic rank structure (see the Resources Page for the link).

Posted by Mike C. on 7/15/2002, 10:17 am , in reply to "Re: Exam"

Just remember to bring a good book to read during those times you have to sit around and wait. Prepare yourself ahead of time to expect a long boring day. The MEPS personnel are professionals, so don't worry about the medical part of it. At worst, you'll have to stand in a line at some point in your bra and panties for the weigh-in, and at best, you might meet some nice people while you are all sitting around waiting. Some places will let you use a walkman, but some won't so talk to your recruiter before hand that way you don't bring something with you that you won't even be able to use. Also, bring some change for the soda or snack machines just in case you want more than just the water fountain. Good luck! Oh! When it comes time to see the counselor don't let yourself be steered into a job you don't want. If they can't give you the job you want then and there don't be afraid to tell them no thanks. You can always come back when the job you want is available. Your physical is good for 2 years, so don't let yourself be pressed into anything. (most won't do that, but some do, so be careful)

Posted by kristine on 7/15/2002, 1:55 pm , in reply to "Re: Exam"

for me i guess the worst part would have to be the part where u r in ur panties and bra just dont wear really reveiling undergarments LOL get a good nights rest and dont do nething the night before with a guy if u know what i mean it can get u in trouble in more ways then one when i went for my physical there was a girl that got kicked out so please be carefull email me if u have ne ?s i will be glad to help

Posted by Romulusguy on 7/15/2002, 3:43 pm , in reply to "Re: Exam"

Oh, and another thing...do NOT wear a thong or anything like that. Some girls had to wear the underware that they had in reserve for such situations, and thast kinda of gross. ANd I disagree about the SIR and MAM part. THey specificly TOLD us to say that, and anyone who didnt was treated like horse crap. I said MAM and SIR to everyone, and was fine the whole time. Anyone who didnt say that got "special treatment" and were berated infront of everyone else. Maybe thats JUST how they do it in LA, but I suggest on the side of caution to pay attention and see if they require you to say MAM or SIR. Thats one thing you need to do right away is PAY ATTENTION. Lots of people in there (Lots of kids too) just didnt listen, and didnt do what they were told.Good luck-Romulusguy

Posted by Ivy on 7/15/2002, 10:48 am

I was replying to a message and realized that there isn't very much from a female's point of view, so I decided to offer my 2 cents (for all it's worth). I hope this helps some of the girls that may be a little shakey. First of all, sexual harrassment and anything like that is a BIG DEAL in the Army right now, so don't get worried about that. A lot of people ask about the physical at MEPS also, so let me tell you not to wear a thong. Yes, you have to stand in a room with a bunch of other girls in bra and underwear, so if you're bashful, get over it. You do some really strange stuff half-naked. The doctor does look to make sure you're reeeeaaaally a girl lol. Now, when I went, there was a girl on her period and she was all upset that she had to do it. They made us put on a paper gown with nothing underneath, and she didn't want to take her underwear off for obvious reasons. If she would have left, she wouldn't have been able to come back, so we all talked her into just getting it over with. I know how she felt, though. If you're on your period or supposed to be and you really can't possible handle it, then try to go another day, but it really isn't the end of the world so it's better to just get it over with. Also, about the counselors that help you choose your MOS. Try to have an idea about what you want to do first, because then it doesn't have to be long and drawn out. Bargain with them, because remember that they want you as bad as you want them, so make it worth it. Ummmm, I think that's it. Just wanted to add a couple pointers!! Hope it helped!!! Good luck.

Posted by amy on 7/15/2002, 11:00 am

I have very long hair and even though i know i dont have to cut it i want to so i dont have to deal with the hasle how short does it have to go and does it have to be tied back ?

Posted by Ivy on 7/15/2002, 5:00 pm , in reply to "(no subject)"

I don't really have long hair, but I know that is has to be able to be short enough to be tied in a bun but it also has to stay out of your face in basic. So if it is too long, they'll cut it, but if it is at that length where it can't be tied, clipped, anything, it'll go in your face. That's about all I know.

Posted by RT on 7/16/2002, 7:58 am , in reply to "Re: (no subject)"

If you have long hair, yes you will ALWAYS have to braid it up (a bun is too thick and would impair the wear of your headgear). It's a real pain..literally, I had females who had terrible headaches cause of their hair (especially the pressure of their braid from the Kevlar helmet). If you're used to braiding it now and can make it lie reasonably flat, then do that, if not, get it cut. It doesn't have to be supershort, a bob will suffice as long as it is above your collar. I always told the females, your hair will grow back...it's not worth the headache to always have to braid it and deal with the issues of getting your headgear to fit right!

what about short hair

Posted by jing on 7/16/2002, 1:23 pm , in reply to "Re: Long Hair"

I have my hair really short, less than half an inch all around. I really prefer it to be even shorter, shaved pretty close, less than 1/4 an inch. I checked the new regulations and it said that women cannot have parts of their scalp shaved except for the neck line. Can you clarify what this means? Can I shave my head as long as I don't go all the way to the scalp?

Re: what about short hair

Posted by RT on 7/17/2002, 8:46 am , in reply to "what about short hair"

Yes, women are not allowed to have shaved heads! A 1/4 of an inch is pretty short. I'd say, cut it like that before you leave and it should be okay when you start basic. As far as the neckline, that means where your hair ends and you have skin (around the bottom), you can have it cut close (ie shaved) there (just like the guys) but the rest of your hair cannot be shaved.

hey RT got a ? for ya

Posted by kristine on 7/18/2002, 9:23 am , in reply to "Re: what about short hair"

so what would happen to u if u shaved ur head because u didnt know about the rule- i didnt do it but i know someone who hasi would suggest to any girl- cut your hair cause it does grow back xpecially if u r going during the warm parts of the yearalso while ur at basic can u buy a pair of scissors and let another girl trim ur hair off ur collar? or do u have to go and get it done?

Re: hey RT got a ? for ya

Posted by RT on 7/18/2002, 5:30 pm , in reply to "hey RT got a ? for ya"

No, you're not allowed to cut your own hair..gotta go to the beauty shop for women, barber for men. If you shave your head, you'll be given a hard time by the cadre..will probably get a verbal warning (and lots of flak) but that's about it for a newbie who hasn't started BT yet.

(don't get tired of me)

Posted by Ivy on 7/16/2002, 10:26 am

Don't get tired of me, I just have a bunch of questions and want to be as prepared as possible for basic!!! Not to mention, I'm sooo excited! Anyway, I have been going on a bunch of sites about basic and stuff and I never see anyone with my MOS of 98XL, which is a linguist. I heard that sometimes intelligence get grouped together in basic and I wanted to know if that was true. Do different groups get treated a little differently? Also, I have a date to start my AIT at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey for Nov.11, and my date for basic is supposed to start around Aug.9, so I was counting and realized that I may end up with almost a month between AIT and basic, so can I do hometown recruiting for two weeks even though I haven't finished AIT? And my mother lives in Australia, so would they let me go there? And I know about all the sites to go to to see about MOS's, but mine isn't really explained well on any. Does anyone really know exactly what I'll be doing after AIT? Last, I am in the DEP, and we had functions where we would do some drill and ceremony practices...if I show that I am proficient in drill and ceremony and the general orders, and all the other memorizations, will I be picked on more or will I be able to be a leader? And I kinda forgot what the rest order is, I know there is a certain order that you have to go down in rest positions and I kinda forgot lol. Okay, last question forreal : has anyone been to DLI in Monterey or heard firsthand? Because I know it is a year long, so they may not be as strict and I also heard that is was beautiful there. Sorry about all the questions, but I was kinda wondering. Oh and can I get my hair braided before I leave, since I can't get a perma and my hair would be wiiiild? Thank you so so much!!!

Re: (don't get tired of me)

Posted by RT on 7/17/2002, 8:25 am , in reply to "(don't get tired of me)"

Yes, lots of questions! No, you don't see a lot of linguists (at least we didn't in the past..maybe a bit more these days). Where you go to basic and then in what training company, all has to do with when you sign up and when you arrive at your BT post. We never did this at Ft Wood, I imagine the other posts didn't either, as far as I know (ie combining certain MOSs). Because you have an MOS with less frequent AIT dates, be careful that you stay on your time schedule during BT (don't get injured, or get behind..it may screw up your AIT date..I know this is sometimes out of a soldier's control but keep that in mind). With recruits in your case, yes we would allow them to go on leave back home..never had a case with one wanting to go overseas, not sure what the regulations are there. I would think it's just fine to do Hometown Recruiting in that timeframe. As far as the rest position you are asking about..do you mean when you are doing the push-ups or sit-ups? There are two authorized rest positions during the push-ups. Both your hands and feet must remain on the ground and you can't touch the ground with your middle. YOu can either sag or put your body in a V-shape with your butt in the air. For the sit-up, the only rest position is in the "up" position..can't rest lying down. It will be a HUGE plus that you know things beforehand. If you are proficient AND motivated, yes you will find yourself in platoon leadership positions (yes, most times just a gopher)..but, it will give you confidence to lead a squad or platoon (ie stand in front and give commands under the drills' direction), as well as to keep your squad or platoon informed of what uniform to wear, what time to be in formation, checking to make sure everyone's canteen is full, etc... I can't tell you much about your MOS, but I can say that you will love Monterey! Your school is hard work and Monterey is an expensive area, but you will have a blast!! As far as the hair, I believe the new wear and appearance of the AR 670-1 uniform regulation change just came out and they changed it to allow braids for women. See link below:

Link: http://www.dtic.mil/armylink/news/Jun2002/a20020627uniform.html

Re: (don't get tired of me)

Posted by Mike C. on 7/17/2002, 11:06 am , in reply to "Re: (don't get tired of me)"

Hi. All I can say about DLI is that it is beautiful. It is in my oppinion the nicest post in the Army. It is a very demanding school with a good amount of responsibility placed on the individual with regards to studying, etc. Study hard, because they cut you no slack there. My friend just graduated their farsi program there and he said it was pretty tough. He tends to understate things, so it must be really tough. At basic, you will probably be put in a leadership position because you have that bit of experience over the average recruit. In AIT, forget it. My friend told me that most people in his class were E-4 or E-5. That's unusual for an AIT. I envy your choice in an MOS. I would love to learn to speak something other than German, or high school Spanish. As far as braids are concerned, everything is in AR 670-1 that that other person told you about. In my wife's unit women can have braids, but they can't be over your collar. (short braids I guess) You can find that AR at www.usapa.army.milGood luck with whatever language you've chosen.

Posted by amy on 7/16/2002, 10:57 am

my brother was previous service but had to leave early due to his fathers death on a hard ship discharge he is trying to reenlist now he filled out his paper work and turned it in but the recruiter handling his stuff kept leaving things out and filling out papers incorrectly now it has been almost two months and he still has not heard back what should he do? Also what is the likelyhood of not getting your promised station of choice after basic? Also to do your coorespondences on line do you just log on and do them or do you have to go get set up some where fist ?

Re: previous service

Posted by RT on 7/17/2002, 8:37 am , in reply to "previous service"

Sometimes there can be paperwork snags. I suggest that your brother makes an appt with the recruiting station commander (an officer) to find out what's going on (after he talks to his recruiter again first). If a duty station was promised in his contract, that is a pretty good guarantee that he will go there, barring some kind of disaster...I have never seen anyone not go to their station of choice (that is ONLY if it's in the contract or else forget it, I don't care what they tell you). I would ask the recruiter about the correspondence online. I assume you are talking about the Army Correspondence Course Program. They do have a website, see below (page down to the bottom of the page):

Link: http://www.atsc.army.mil/accp/aipd.htm

Re: previous service

Posted by Mike C. on 7/17/2002, 9:36 am , in reply to "Re: previous service"

Hi. Two quick things. First, your brother had to submit a waiver to re-enlist in the Army. Waivers can take months to go through the process. Six months is not uncommon, but it pays to ask questions. His recruiter can call and check the status of the waiver. He can check on how far up the chain it has gone and is it being seen by the top person that would have to approve it. Second, correspondence courses can be done anywhere you have access to a computer if you do the ones that are on line only, but you have to have a mailing address for them to send you the paper sub-courses. that website the other person will tell you everything you would need to know about it. Take care.

silly question, but maybe not...

Posted by AS on 7/16/2002, 1:06 pm

I've read we cannot take books to BT. Does that include the Holy Scriptures? Thanks to anyone who can answer this one.

Re: silly question, but maybe not...

Posted by RT on 7/17/2002, 8:43 am , in reply to "Re: silly question, but maybe not..."

Yes, I can confirm that you may keep your Bible if you brought it. Of course you won't be able to take it with you in the day's training (if it's large)..like Robb said, I think a lot of MEPS do give out the little gideon ones..you can use that or if that's not what you want, hopefully you can find a small one somewhere. No you won't have alot of time during the day to read (especially at the beg, you'll have these required sessions to sit and read your soldier's handbook), but you'll have more opportunities later in the cycle. The recruits who had little Bibles were allowed to take them along to training in Ft Wood.

Posted by Randal Jarrell on 7/16/2002, 4:04 pm

I ship out Spet 17th for OSUT at Benning. In my contract, I got the Airborne Jump School option and my first unit of assignment, which is Vicenza, Italy. Here are my questions: On my paper work, it says that I will spend 10 days in reception. As I understand it, in September I can expect to spend between 20 and 30 days in reception. If I spend more than 10 days, that delays my graduation date from OSUT. The problem is that Jump School is scheduled to start on Jan 21st, 2003. If my graduation is delayed past that point, will my slot in Jump School be lost, or will I be guaranteed the next available slot? As I understand it, all Airborne slots are full. Also... If I get injured during OSUT, and have to recycle a training unit for whatever reason, will I loose my Jump School slot? If I get injured during Jump School, will I be able to recycle, or will I just be dropped from the class, thus forfeiting my first unit assignment with the 173rd ABN BDE in Italy? Thanks!

Re: Contract Questions

Posted by Robb on 7/17/2002, 4:13 am , in reply to "Contract Questions"

i would expect more like 25-35 days at the 30th AG in reception (bring lots of 1$ bills for the powerade machine. No, more. No really, more.) I wouldn't worry about what dates your orders give. Basically, as I understand it (from talking to abn guys), after you graduate osut, you goto an "airborne holdover unit". there you spend 1.5-2 wks and then goto jump school. In my platoon at osut, not only did everyones orders give different "start" and "end" dates for osut, they also said different amounts of weeks of training some guys had 1 wk less or 1 wk more according to thier orders, but everyone who graduated, graduated on the same day. Also, (this is just heresay mind you) i heard that you need 70s to goto airborne (you only need 60s to grad osut) and that people in the airborne holdover with high pt scores get preference. and (more heresay) supposedly if you restart (recycle is air force i think) you have to renegotiate your contract

Posted by lisa on 7/16/2002, 4:25 pm

my boyfriend and i will be getting married in feb. which means i will be quitting my job and going with him to fort bragg. will the army help me find a job on or off base since i will be a spouse of one of their soldiers?

Re: employment (spouse)

Posted by RT on 7/17/2002, 9:01 am , in reply to "employment (spouse)"

Every post has an excellent program to assist spouses in finding jobs (as well as helping with interviewing skills, resumes, etc...). Of course, what job you find is directly related to your education level and skills, so if you don't have those, don't expect to get a high-powered job just like that! Oh, and the program is called the Employment Readiness Program and you can find Ft Bragg's at (just cut and paste) http://www.bragg.army.mil/mwr/COMMUNITY/ACS/ACS_Emplred.htm See the link below and also request a Welcome Packet from Ft Bragg if you like:

Link: http://www.bragg.army.mil/18abn/

Being horny during BT

Posted by Tammy on 7/17/2002, 1:12 am

This may sound really weird but Im curious. I leave for BT on next tuesday the 23rd and I am wondering what would happen on the off chance that I got horny and decided to masturbate during basic. Of course, it wouldn't be in plain view and it would be during personnal time, but what would happen if I got caught? Again, I don't mean to weird anyone out, but I kinda need to know.

Re: Being horny during BT

Posted by RT on 7/17/2002, 9:23 am , in reply to "Being horny during BT"

What you do in the bathroom stall (within reason) is your business. You may be given a hard time if you're caught but that's about it. Gotta be discreet about these things.

Re: Being horny during BT

Posted by mike g. on 7/17/2002, 9:09 pm , in reply to "Re: Being horny during BT"

During basic, one trainee had a great line. He said: "It's my dick and my soap. I'll wash it as fast as I want!" Everybody laughed, but it took the edge of a topic everybody thinks about. I was just too tired to think about it most of the time.

Posted by Jaime on 7/17/2002, 1:38 pm

i have a question will i did my physical on may and i'm shipping off august 13th do they do the same physical they did the first time ? i'm just wondering thanks

Re: physical question

Posted by Mike C. on 7/17/2002, 6:32 pm , in reply to "physical question"

No. They usually just do a short physical. They do a height/weight, urine test, and just check to see if anything has changed since the last physical. As long as you didn't eat your weight in hotdogs, or smoke dope you should be through there nice and quick. (Army quick that is.)

Promotion to E-4 before/during BCT

Posted by Paddy on 7/17/2002, 4:39 pm

I've enlisted in my state's National Guard. I go to BCT in October. I have been given the rank of E-3 because I have over 60 hours college credit. Is there any way that I can make E-4 before or during Basic, similar to the way you can make E-1 to E-2 or E-3 by passing the PT test with flying colors or taking Land-Nav classes etc. Thanks for all the great posts, I've learned a lot from this board over the last few weeks. Keep up the good work. Paddy.

Re: Promotion to E-4 before/during BCT

Posted by Mike C. on 7/17/2002, 6:41 pm , in reply to "Promotion to E-4 before/during BCT"

Most states (mine included) will not allow a recruit to get their E-4 prior to basic unless they have their 4 year degree. Check with your unit retention NCO, or recruiter to be sure of what your states regs are. My friend had over 60 hours of college and got 3 people to enlist with him and he was only advanced to E-3. Some of that stuff is different in every state, so check with your recruiter to be safe.

Re: Promotion to E-4 before/during BCT

Posted by Mike C. on 7/17/2002, 6:52 pm , in reply to "Re: Promotion to E-4 before/during BCT"

I almost forgot. In Basic training, unit commanders are authorized to advance something like 20 percent of their company to a higher grade. There is a chance that if you arrive at basic as a PFC and excel while you are there you can be promoted. Make sure you have something in writing from your company commander that lets your basic commander know that he is not against you getting promoted. I know that sounds weird, but the active reg is that he can't promote a reservist or guardsman without the permission of the reserve or guard commander. This is usually in the form of a memo. see ya.



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virtual armory Posted by kristine on 7/9/2002, 8:22 am 67.97.109.107 is ne one else on the virtualarmory.com website?it a realy good website and yall should join if not already in it. Going to BT with family Posted by Nikki on 7/9/2002, 8:43 pm 65.138.130.221 I am married with 1 child and my husband is a Marine. I am joining the Army next month....starting my paper work. My question is for anyone who was ever in this situtation. Will it be easy for both my husband and I to be in the military (i will be a reservist) while wwe have a child? Is it harder for the families to be in 2 different branches? Is it harder for the child to be taken care of? I know that the reserves is only part time, but while i am in BT (my hubby is a grunt) Im not sure how things will be going at home. If any of you had this experience, please give me some advice. Re: Going to BT with family Posted by RT on 7/11/2002, 8:03 am , in reply to "Going to BT with family" 207.220.156.157 I was hoping someone would respond who is in the same situation as you, but I can offer you some insight into your situation. Even though you are not active, you will be required to put together a "Family Care Plan". In a nutshell, you and your husband MUST designate someone (on paper) to take care of your child when you are in training, deployed, etc.. This packet always has to be up-to-date and it should be someone that you trust. I don't know what reserve unit you will be in, but most do have training cycles and many do get deployed from a few weeks to 6 months. You have to prepare yourself mentally and know that when your husband can, he will take care of them (but will need some help AND that if he deploys or goes to training himself that your child may be with someone else for up to 6 months!). It's heartbreaking, and I've known plenty of dual military and single parents who have had to go through this. It's extremely stressful, and my hats go off to them for what sacrifices they have made for their country. Re: Going to BT with family Posted by Mike C on 7/12/2002, 10:06 am , in reply to "Re: Going to BT with family" 32.100.98.178 Hello. My wife and I are dual military. I'm a reservist going on active duty in a few months and my wife is active duty Army. Not only will you need a family care plan and help from family and very good friends, you have to prepare yourself for the fact that your husband's unit could care less that you're in the service, let alone in a completely different organization. The Corps will always put his duties and their need above yours. My wife and I are always having trouble with schedule conflicts and her job always takes priority. Your time away will be lonely, but with the help of your family, friends, and your husband you'll get through the hard times and have what can be a very rewarding career to show for it. Good luck and be strong in your efforts. MEPS before shipping Posted by Howard on 7/10/2002, 11:02 am 165.124.28.63 At present I am in the DEP. I report to MEPS on Oct 1st, for shipping on Oct 2nd. My orders request me to report no later than 10pm on the 1st. Does this really mean I can do my own thing all day on Oct 1st and just show up that night? I don't really look forward to hanging around MEPS all day if I report in that morning and have to wait for a red-eye flight out later that night. Or if I show up earlier, will they perform the quick physical, processing etc and just tell me to come back later for shipping out? I live about 15 minutes drive from MEPS. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks,Howard. Re: MEPS before shipping Posted by Sher on 7/12/2002, 12:19 am , in reply to "MEPS before shipping" 152.163.188.194 You can do your own thing all day on the first, they want you to be there no later than 10pm which is at the hotel, so that you are up and ready to be at the MEPS building at 4am or 445am to complete processing for you to be shipped out. It doesnt matter what time you show up as long as its befor 10pm, you wont do any processing on the 1st, you only report to MEPS on the 2nd. 8 or 9 weeks? Posted by lisa on 7/10/2002, 5:09 pm 152.163.188.229 my boyfriend left on monday july 1st. and i understand that the 1st week doesnt count towards the 9 weeks. but then i saw 2 different websites that said that the actual training part is only 8 weeks. so is it 9 weeks from the day he arrived or 9 weeks from the day he started? also he was in processing up until today so was monday the start of week 1 or is today the start of it? Re: 8 or 9 weeks? Posted by RT on 7/10/2002, 7:13 pm , in reply to "8 or 9 weeks?" 204.33.117.90 BT used to be 8 weeks, maybe some websites have not been updated? BT is now 9 weeks long, and this does not include the time inprocessing. The training week usually starts on a Friday, so count from there (now this was at Ft Leonard Wood..other posts may be a bit different as to when during the week BT starts...all are 9 weeks though). asthma Posted by Sarah on 7/10/2002, 5:56 pm 67.0.69.182 My boyfriend was just discharged from the army because of asthma, and he wanted to get LASIK and then join the Navy....is that possible?? Re: asthma Posted by RT on 7/10/2002, 7:14 pm , in reply to "asthma" 204.33.117.90 I am pretty sure the Navy has the same requirements (ie no asthma), but it wouldn't hurt to check. The Army disqualifies those who have had LASIK..it might be similar in the Navy also. I suggest going to the About.com website above as they have a section on joining the Navy also. Records at BT? Posted by dee on 7/11/2002, 8:45 am 68.64.171.29 Does anyone know the records for BT? Like what has been the fastest two mile ever, most pushups, situps for females ages 17-21? Or overall? Re: Records at BT? Posted by RT on 7/12/2002, 8:24 am , in reply to "Records at BT?" 204.32.144.91 I don't think the fastest times/#s are recorded anywhere except maybe in the individual companies. In my company, we did have a few PT studs coming through. I do remember this one female (who won the PT award her cycle) who did the 2 mile in just under 12 minutes, just over 100 sit-ups and push-ups..let's see, I don't think she hit 100 there. We did have a few males who broke the 10 minute mark for the run. We had one guy do 120 situps and over 100 pushups..can't remember his runtime. I'd say in the thousands of recruits I saw, maybe 6 or so were this stellar in all areas of the test..only one a female promotion before basic Posted by amy on 7/11/2002, 12:11 pm 167.211.190.2 I am currently training for my pt test to get my e-2 rank i allready passed the part regarding rank structure and medical i am afraid that by mid august i will not be ready to do the 2 mile i can get my e-3 by recruiting 1 person on top of that do you know if i get two people to join can that get my e-2 for me in case I am not 2 mile run ready? Or can I compensate for my running by being able to excell in push ups and situps Re: promotion before basic Posted by RT on 7/12/2002, 8:32 am , in reply to "promotion before basic" 204.32.144.91 I'm not sure what the rules are regarding how many people you recruit vs. what rank you achieve. I can say that the PT test is looked at as a whole, that means run, pushups and situps..can't be done piecemeal. So I would say to get credit for the PT test, you have to do all three events to get one score. Transfers to diff. bases Posted by Nikki on 7/11/2002, 12:50 pm 65.138.133.229 I talked to a recruiter about going in as a reservist while my husband is active. Everything that he told me sounded fine except for this...I bought up a scenario of my husband being stationed somewhere else. Since we live together, I would be moving with him (i will only be a reservist). This is what the recruiter told me. I can go to my CO and get a transfer to a local reserve unit in whatever state that my husband might get deployed to. He says that all I need to do is show a copy of my husbands orders and that I would get orders to be transfered to another unit. Does this exist? I have never heard of this, so can someone tell me if this is possible and should i get it in writing? Re: Transfers to diff. bases Posted by RT on 7/12/2002, 8:36 am , in reply to "Transfers to diff. bases" 204.32.144.91 I think this is something you can try to do when your husband gets reassigned, but as anything, I don't think there are guarantees. If for example, there is no reserve unit in your new area with a slot for your MOS, or let's say all their slots are filled (even if they have your MOS), then what are you supposed to do? Also, would you be willing to travel long distances to hook-up with a reserve unit in the new state? I suggest going to one of the other boards above. You might get better feedback there. Re: Transfers to diff. bases Posted by jing on 7/12/2002, 12:17 pm , in reply to "Transfers to diff. bases" 24.60.208.62 I recently joined the USAR and told my recruiter that I was planning on moving in the next couple of years. He told me that wouldn't be a problem. RT is right though, there might not be a job available for you and you might have to travel a long distance to get to a Reserve unit that has your MOS. Have you considered joining the National Guard in your state? That is also an option. You can transfer between states. The other thing is that since they split their resources across the state rather than the entire country, they tend to have a wider variety of job openings in a local area. Either way, both the NG and the USAR told me that it would be okay for me to move if I wanted to. I chose a pretty flexible MOS, 63B light wheel vehicle mechanic so I could probably get a job in another unit. If you were forced to move because of your husband's station, I'm pretty sure that would apply to you. I need the truth Posted by Concerned on 7/12/2002, 9:57 am 24.198.69.95 I enlisted in April and ship out in October. After AIT training, what is the likelihood of getting deployed over to the middle east. I'm sort of freaking out about it. I'm in the reserves and I'm female, I'm just concerned.. the not knowing is killing me. Can someone be straight with me and tell it like it is? Re: I need the truth Posted by Mike C on 7/12/2002, 10:30 am , in reply to "I need the truth" 32.100.98.178 Hi. Unfortunately, this is the business you have chosen. Being in the Reserves means that there is always a chance that you will be deployed for some real world situation, but you must remember that usually active units will always be deployed first. I'm a reservist also and I've never deployed anywhere in the ten years I've been in, so you never know. Also, if by chance you do get deployed, try to remember that as a woman and a reservist, you will be well behind the FLOT (forward line own troops). Try to remember that the last time people were deployed in bulk to the Middle East most soldiers (to include combat troops) never fired their weapons or were fired at by an enemy. I hope this alleviates some of you concern. After all, the chance that you get deployed is pretty small, but the chance is always gonna be there, so try not to let it worry you too much. Bye! housing Posted by todd on 7/12/2002, 1:26 pm 205.188.192.182 i am getting ready to leave for basic and i was just wondering...after i am done with all of my training and i come home after my training, and i marry my girlfriend, when we are ready to move to my station will the army help me find housing even if i dont want to live on base? Re: housing Posted by RT on 7/13/2002, 11:55 am , in reply to "housing" 204.33.116.13 If you are married and your wife accompanies you to your new duty station, then you will be eligible for family housing. A few posts you can move into on-post housing right away..most have waiting lists from 1-6 months. If the post does not require you to move into on-post housing right away, you will get paperwork allowing you to move off-post. Most posts have housing offices that will assist you in finding something (depending on your rank, zip code and years in service you get a housing allowance that usually covers most of what you would pay for rent or a mortgage). You can go out on your own too, just make sure if you rent something, make sure you get a military clause in your contract (ie if you get orders to move you can be released from your contract w/out penalty). Re: housing Posted by Mike C. on 7/13/2002, 1:12 pm , in reply to "housing" 65.161.170.87 That other person gave you quite sound advice. The Army has people whose whole job is to help you find somewhere to live when you arrive at your new duty station. Wait times for on post housing are different on every post I've ever lived at. Here at Ft. Hood we had to wait 11 months for on post housing, but we had an off post house in 2 days. In Berlin, I had post housing in 2 days. In Baumholder we had post housing in one month, so as you can see it is all different. What that other person said about having a clause in your contract that protects you if you get on post housing or orders to another duty station is absolutely key. It is a vital protection that will save you what can become thousands of dollars in the event you have to move unexpectedly, or get the chance to get into better quarters on your base. If your contract doesn't have such a clause, walk away. Around an Army base there is always another person willing to rent you a place with that little clause. You can bring your contract by your base housing office or legal affairs office for them to look at before you sign anything just to be safe. Don't worry about things though, because there will be all kinds of people there to help ( base housing, your chain of command, etc). Good luck getting a good duty station! Graduation Posted by Mary on 7/13/2002, 12:24 pm 209.252.197.33 I just received a letter from the Army notifying us of our soldier's graduation date. I am so disappointed to learn that Family Day will be held the same day as Graduation! What a bummer. This means that we will not get to spend as much time with our soldier as we thought. Also found out there will be no "off post" pass for that day, only an "on post" pass. I was under the impression that Family Day was the day BEFORE Graduation?! I guess we have to take whatever we can get. Re: Graduation Posted by lisa on 7/13/2002, 9:07 pm , in reply to "Graduation" 205.188.192.32 that really sucks. where is your son at for basic and when did he leave? (just incase it is at the same place that my boyfriend is at) Re: Graduation Posted by Mary on 7/13/2002, 9:19 pm , in reply to "Re: Graduation" 209.252.197.80 lisa- he's at Ft. Knox, he started May 22(ship date) But the good news is, he called today (twice!) and I found out we will get to spend the next day with him, til 9:00 P.M. So we are really looking forward to seeing him, to say the least!How long does your boyfriend have? Re: Graduation Posted by RT on 7/14/2002, 7:02 am , in reply to "Re: Graduation" 204.32.145.172 Every post will be a bit different. I see that Ft Knox is very restrictive (as opposed to Ft Leonard Wood)! It's great though that you get to spend the next day with him...most other posts don't have that unless the soldier also has AIT at the same place. Have fun! Hardest thing during basic Posted by Dan on 7/13/2002, 8:45 pm 216.148.246.134 For all those who visit this board who have been through basic combat training, what, in your opinion, is the most difficult thing during BCT, all things considered? Re: Hardest thing during basic Posted by Robb on 7/14/2002, 12:17 am , in reply to "Hardest thing during basic" 66.188.147.103 without a doubt being away from my wife. I know a lot of guys who weren't as close to their families thought that the gas chamber was the worst, or waiting in reception for so long was bad, or the eagle run (5 mile run @ 8 minute pace), or the 15 mile march on FTX. (btw only infantry "gets" to do half of those things, there's other milestones for other MOSes) I can tell you though, nothing will make you prouder then thinking back to the times when it was really hard and knowing you proved up to the challenge. Re: Hardest thing during basic Posted by Mike C. on 7/14/2002, 5:16 pm , in reply to "Re: Hardest thing during basic" 32.100.98.55 I agree about the longing for family, but I think the worst was just the mental games Drill Sgts would play with us. Like destroying the barracks and then giving us 15 minutes to fix everything, or at least in my case not letting us see a news paper and then telling us that we were going to war immediately after AIT. (They even told us that the class before us was already at war and had taken 60% casualties. Cute huh?). Another one was the time the drills supposedly caught someone up after lights out and had us out in the sawdust pit every 15 minutes from 12:00 until 4:00am to dog us until someone confessed. What was funny was the fact that they made it up and every time someone would confess, we got dogged some more because the drill sgt's knew he was lying. There is something to be said about sleep deprivation! At least that's the way it was at Ft. Benning. It was a special kind of hell for all my sins before my arrival there. I can smile about it now, but it wasn't so funny then. Ft. Jackson and Basic in general Posted by Ivy on 7/14/2002, 11:36 am 66.119.34.39 I'm leaving for Fort Jackson July 30. I heard they call it Relaxin Jackson. Has anyone been there for basic? I know it won't be easy, but I hear it's not as bad as others. Can someone tell me firsthand? Re: couple more things, lol Posted by lisa on 7/14/2002, 6:53 pm , in reply to "couple more things, lol" 64.12.96.168 i dont know if this may help you or not. my boyfriend left for basic on the 1st. and before he left he was told that it is one of the most easiest bases for basic training. although it will still be hard. about the push ups and sit ups. he had to do 43 push ups in 2 min. and 53 push ups in 2 min. i think he had to have the mile done in 9 something. he was promoted the week before he left and was and e3 when he went in. as for the age limit on graduation, i dont know. and the perms i dont know. i dont know about the cameras but you might want to take a phone card with you. also be prepared, he had orders yesterday (saturday the 13th) to call his parents and tell them that he cant call for 3 weeks (the toughest of them all)i hope this gave you some insight on the whole basic thing. good luck to you. Re: couple more things, lol Posted by RT on 7/15/2002, 7:49 am , in reply to "Re: couple more things, lol" 204.32.145.66 Your whole family is allowed at graduation! It is a BIG milestone in your life! Your parents will get sent some info well before the "big day", so tell them to look-out for that. Most BT posts don't allow any cameras, although I've seen some that allow you to keep them in your wallocker..most only let you get it out of your personal belongings (that were locked away at the beg of BT) towards graduation. As far as the hair, time is limited during BT. You'll be able to go get regular haircuts (you'll be marched to the beauty shop), but you can imagine, there is no time for perms. Depending on your company, you may be allowed more time towards the end of BT, in prep for graduation, but be prepared to come up with other ideas for your hair. The push-ups, sit-ups and 1 mile run time required..I don't have them in my head, different for each gender and the numbers elude me right now!..go to the Resources Page and go down to the Fitness Training Unit (FTU)..there is a link right by reception, and you'll find the answers there. getting rank as a reservist Posted by rochelle on 7/14/2002, 3:12 pm 65.151.224.222 I have joined the army reserves and leave for Ft. Leonard Wood in Nov. My question is as a reservist, how do u make rank? I know that active duty go up on boards, get points and are evaluated to get their rank. How does it work in the reserves? Whats the highest rank that you can get on a 4 yr contract? Re: getting rank as a reservist Posted by Mike C. on 7/14/2002, 4:29 pm , in reply to "getting rank as a reservist" 32.100.98.138 The rank system is the same for a reservist as it is for active duty. There are really no differences. In four years if you apply yourself you can realisticly make E-5 and even possibly make your E-6. I made E-5 in four years in the reserve. I did it by going to college, volunteering for every kind of training school you could imagine, by doing correspondence courses and being ready when a slot for PLDC came open. I started studying for my E-5 board as a PFC. I also used my drill time wisely and never tried to get out of any work that needed to be done. I also made sure my chain of command knew that I was gunning for that next promotion by always being on time, doing my job right the first time, and always having a correspondence course with me. Another good tip is to never complain when you're given a job to do. No leader likes that. You can do it if you just apply yourself. Good luck and work hard! license and license plates? Posted by lisa on 7/14/2002, 7:05 pm 64.12.96.107 my boyfriend and i are getting married when he comes home after ait and i am moving to fort bragg with him. since i am a spouse will i have to get my license for that state and get new license plates. please help! i really dont want to go through that process all over again. Re: license and license plates? Posted by RT on 7/15/2002, 7:53 am , in reply to "license and license plates?" 204.32.145.66 That's one neat thing about the military...you can basically pick any state for your "home state" (and pay taxes there..or in some states, no state income taxes). All you have to do is show an intent to live there. So in short, yes you may keep your driver's license and car license there...you just have to keep on the ball about renewals through the mail..easy to forget when you don't live there! Any links Posted by Dani on 7/14/2002, 8:21 pm 65.151.223.231 Does anyone know of any websites that arew dedicated to talking about BT and what its like? What about sites with pictures of people in basic? Or any sites with BT stories? In a nutshell, im looking for anything that has to do with BT. Any help is appreciated. The Resources Page has BT soldier diaries, etc... Posted by RT on 7/15/2002, 7:55 am , in reply to "Any links" 204.32.145.66 Please do check the Resources page at this site. I have a few diaries of recruits posted there...I believe one even has photos... There are MANY other BT-related resources there also! Exam Posted by Jill on 7/14/2002, 9:41 pm 64.12.96.107 I am going down to MEPS this week and I am a little nervous about my physical. I was wondering if anyone could give me a "heads-up" now, or if anyone has any tips for me. Thanks,Jill Re: Exam Posted by Romulusguy on 7/15/2002, 2:51 am , in reply to "Exam" 4.60.34.185 Hey there Jill...I went down to the MEPS down in LA, and boy was THAT a lon day. I was there from 5am till about 3:30pm. Prepare to stand in LINE and be bored to tears.I dunno how much help I will be to you since I am assuming you are female, and I am male. THe pee test, for me, was easy. I just drank loads of water beforehand. Hearing and Eye exams are pretty self explanitory. Just remember to say SIR and MAM to the people in charge.The worst part of the entire thing was when they stuck me for blood...but in ALL HONESTY, the guy who did it was great, and I didnt feel a thing. Its all in the head.Good luck-Romulusguy Re: Exam Posted by RT on 7/15/2002, 7:57 am , in reply to "Re: Exam" 204.32.145.66 I suggest though that you don't call everyone in charge Sir or Mam! You do not call enlisted soldiers that or they could pounce on you! Reserve that for officers....good time to get familiar with the basic rank structure (see the Resources Page for the link). Re: Exam Posted by Mike C. on 7/15/2002, 10:17 am , in reply to "Re: Exam" 65.161.170.82 Just remember to bring a good book to read during those times you have to sit around and wait. Prepare yourself ahead of time to expect a long boring day. The MEPS personnel are professionals, so don't worry about the medical part of it. At worst, you'll have to stand in a line at some point in your bra and panties for the weigh-in, and at best, you might meet some nice people while you are all sitting around waiting. Some places will let you use a walkman, but some won't so talk to your recruiter before hand that way you don't bring something with you that you won't even be able to use. Also, bring some change for the soda or snack machines just in case you want more than just the water fountain. Good luck! Oh! When it comes time to see the counselor don't let yourself be steered into a job you don't want. If they can't give you the job you want then and there don't be afraid to tell them no thanks. You can always come back when the job you want is available. Your physical is good for 2 years, so don't let yourself be pressed into anything. (most won't do that, but some do, so be careful) Re: Exam Posted by kristine on 7/15/2002, 1:55 pm , in reply to "Re: Exam" 67.97.110.146 for me i guess the worst part would have to be the part where u r in ur panties and bra just dont wear really reveiling undergarments LOL get a good nights rest and dont do nething the night before with a guy if u know what i mean it can get u in trouble in more ways then one when i went for my physical there was a girl that got kicked out so please be carefull email me if u have ne ?s i will be glad to help Re: Exam Posted by Romulusguy on 7/15/2002, 3:43 pm , in reply to "Re: Exam" 4.60.34.185 Oh, and another thing...do NOT wear a thong or anything like that. Some girls had to wear the underware that they had in reserve for such situations, and thast kinda of gross. ANd I disagree about the SIR and MAM part. THey specificly TOLD us to say that, and anyone who didnt was treated like horse crap. I said MAM and SIR to everyone, and was fine the whole time. Anyone who didnt say that got "special treatment" and were berated infront of everyone else. Maybe thats JUST how they do it in LA, but I suggest on the side of caution to pay attention and see if they require you to say MAM or SIR. Thats one thing you need to do right away is PAY ATTENTION. Lots of people in there (Lots of kids too) just didnt listen, and didnt do what they were told.Good luck-Romulusguy Just for girls Posted by Ivy on 7/15/2002, 10:48 am 66.119.34.39 I was replying to a message and realized that there isn't very much from a female's point of view, so I decided to offer my 2 cents (for all it's worth). I hope this helps some of the girls that may be a little shakey. First of all, sexual harrassment and anything like that is a BIG DEAL in the Army right now, so don't get worried about that. A lot of people ask about the physical at MEPS also, so let me tell you not to wear a thong. Yes, you have to stand in a room with a bunch of other girls in bra and underwear, so if you're bashful, get over it. You do some really strange stuff half-naked. The doctor does look to make sure you're reeeeaaaally a girl lol. Now, when I went, there was a girl on her period and she was all upset that she had to do it. They made us put on a paper gown with nothing underneath, and she didn't want to take her underwear off for obvious reasons. If she would have left, she wouldn't have been able to come back, so we all talked her into just getting it over with. I know how she felt, though. If you're on your period or supposed to be and you really can't possible handle it, then try to go another day, but it really isn't the end of the world so it's better to just get it over with. Also, about the counselors that help you choose your MOS. Try to have an idea about what you want to do first, because then it doesn't have to be long and drawn out. Bargain with them, because remember that they want you as bad as you want them, so make it worth it. Ummmm, I think that's it. Just wanted to add a couple pointers!! Hope it helped!!! Good luck. (no subject) Posted by amy on 7/15/2002, 11:00 am 167.211.190.2 I have very long hair and even though i know i dont have to cut it i want to so i dont have to deal with the hasle how short does it have to go and does it have to be tied back ? Re: (no subject) Posted by Ivy on 7/15/2002, 5:00 pm , in reply to "(no subject)" 64.0.99.233 I don't really have long hair, but I know that is has to be able to be short enough to be tied in a bun but it also has to stay out of your face in basic. So if it is too long, they'll cut it, but if it is at that length where it can't be tied, clipped, anything, it'll go in your face. That's about all I know. Re: Long Hair Posted by RT on 7/16/2002, 7:58 am , in reply to "Re: (no subject)" 204.33.116.191 If you have long hair, yes you will ALWAYS have to braid it up (a bun is too thick and would impair the wear of your headgear). It's a real pain..literally, I had females who had terrible headaches cause of their hair (especially the pressure of their braid from the Kevlar helmet). If you're used to braiding it now and can make it lie reasonably flat, then do that, if not, get it cut. It doesn't have to be supershort, a bob will suffice as long as it is above your collar. I always told the females, your hair will grow back...it's not worth the headache to always have to braid it and deal with the issues of getting your headgear to fit right! what about short hair Posted by jing on 7/16/2002, 1:23 pm , in reply to "Re: Long Hair" 140.186.154.13 I have my hair really short, less than half an inch all around. I really prefer it to be even shorter, shaved pretty close, less than 1/4 an inch. I checked the new regulations and it said that women cannot have parts of their scalp shaved except for the neck line. Can you clarify what this means? Can I shave my head as long as I don't go all the way to the scalp? Re: what about short hair Posted by RT on 7/17/2002, 8:46 am , in reply to "what about short hair" 207.95.96.228 Yes, women are not allowed to have shaved heads! A 1/4 of an inch is pretty short. I'd say, cut it like that before you leave and it should be okay when you start basic. As far as the neckline, that means where your hair ends and you have skin (around the bottom), you can have it cut close (ie shaved) there (just like the guys) but the rest of your hair cannot be shaved. hey RT got a ? for ya Posted by kristine on 7/18/2002, 9:23 am , in reply to "Re: what about short hair" 67.97.109.63 so what would happen to u if u shaved ur head because u didnt know about the rule- i didnt do it but i know someone who hasi would suggest to any girl- cut your hair cause it does grow back xpecially if u r going during the warm parts of the yearalso while ur at basic can u buy a pair of scissors and let another girl trim ur hair off ur collar? or do u have to go and get it done? Re: hey RT got a ? for ya Posted by RT on 7/18/2002, 5:30 pm , in reply to "hey RT got a ? for ya" 68.64.25.134 No, you're not allowed to cut your own hair..gotta go to the beauty shop for women, barber for men. If you shave your head, you'll be given a hard time by the cadre..will probably get a verbal warning (and lots of flak) but that's about it for a newbie who hasn't started BT yet. (don't get tired of me) Posted by Ivy on 7/16/2002, 10:26 am 67.243.39.17 Don't get tired of me, I just have a bunch of questions and want to be as prepared as possible for basic!!! Not to mention, I'm sooo excited! Anyway, I have been going on a bunch of sites about basic and stuff and I never see anyone with my MOS of 98XL, which is a linguist. I heard that sometimes intelligence get grouped together in basic and I wanted to know if that was true. Do different groups get treated a little differently? Also, I have a date to start my AIT at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey for Nov.11, and my date for basic is supposed to start around Aug.9, so I was counting and realized that I may end up with almost a month between AIT and basic, so can I do hometown recruiting for two weeks even though I haven't finished AIT? And my mother lives in Australia, so would they let me go there? And I know about all the sites to go to to see about MOS's, but mine isn't really explained well on any. Does anyone really know exactly what I'll be doing after AIT? Last, I am in the DEP, and we had functions where we would do some drill and ceremony practices...if I show that I am proficient in drill and ceremony and the general orders, and all the other memorizations, will I be picked on more or will I be able to be a leader? And I kinda forgot what the rest order is, I know there is a certain order that you have to go down in rest positions and I kinda forgot lol. Okay, last question forreal : has anyone been to DLI in Monterey or heard firsthand? Because I know it is a year long, so they may not be as strict and I also heard that is was beautiful there. Sorry about all the questions, but I was kinda wondering. Oh and can I get my hair braided before I leave, since I can't get a perma and my hair would be wiiiild? Thank you so so much!!! Re: (don't get tired of me) Posted by RT on 7/17/2002, 8:25 am , in reply to "(don't get tired of me)" 207.95.96.228 Yes, lots of questions! No, you don't see a lot of linguists (at least we didn't in the past..maybe a bit more these days). Where you go to basic and then in what training company, all has to do with when you sign up and when you arrive at your BT post. We never did this at Ft Wood, I imagine the other posts didn't either, as far as I know (ie combining certain MOSs). Because you have an MOS with less frequent AIT dates, be careful that you stay on your time schedule during BT (don't get injured, or get behind..it may screw up your AIT date..I know this is sometimes out of a soldier's control but keep that in mind). With recruits in your case, yes we would allow them to go on leave back home..never had a case with one wanting to go overseas, not sure what the regulations are there. I would think it's just fine to do Hometown Recruiting in that timeframe. As far as the rest position you are asking about..do you mean when you are doing the push-ups or sit-ups? There are two authorized rest positions during the push-ups. Both your hands and feet must remain on the ground and you can't touch the ground with your middle. YOu can either sag or put your body in a V-shape with your butt in the air. For the sit-up, the only rest position is in the "up" position..can't rest lying down. It will be a HUGE plus that you know things beforehand. If you are proficient AND motivated, yes you will find yourself in platoon leadership positions (yes, most times just a gopher)..but, it will give you confidence to lead a squad or platoon (ie stand in front and give commands under the drills' direction), as well as to keep your squad or platoon informed of what uniform to wear, what time to be in formation, checking to make sure everyone's canteen is full, etc... I can't tell you much about your MOS, but I can say that you will love Monterey! Your school is hard work and Monterey is an expensive area, but you will have a blast!! As far as the hair, I believe the new wear and appearance of the AR 670-1 uniform regulation change just came out and they changed it to allow braids for women. See link below: Link: http://www.dtic.mil/armylink/news/Jun2002/a20020627uniform.html Re: (don't get tired of me) Posted by Mike C. on 7/17/2002, 11:06 am , in reply to "Re: (don't get tired of me)" 32.100.98.88 Hi. All I can say about DLI is that it is beautiful. It is in my oppinion the nicest post in the Army. It is a very demanding school with a good amount of responsibility placed on the individual with regards to studying, etc. Study hard, because they cut you no slack there. My friend just graduated their farsi program there and he said it was pretty tough. He tends to understate things, so it must be really tough. At basic, you will probably be put in a leadership position because you have that bit of experience over the average recruit. In AIT, forget it. My friend told me that most people in his class were E-4 or E-5. That's unusual for an AIT. I envy your choice in an MOS. I would love to learn to speak something other than German, or high school Spanish. As far as braids are concerned, everything is in AR 670-1 that that other person told you about. In my wife's unit women can have braids, but they can't be over your collar. (short braids I guess) You can find that AR at www.usapa.army.milGood luck with whatever language you've chosen. previous service Posted by amy on 7/16/2002, 10:57 am 167.211.190.2 my brother was previous service but had to leave early due to his fathers death on a hard ship discharge he is trying to reenlist now he filled out his paper work and turned it in but the recruiter handling his stuff kept leaving things out and filling out papers incorrectly now it has been almost two months and he still has not heard back what should he do? Also what is the likelyhood of not getting your promised station of choice after basic? Also to do your coorespondences on line do you just log on and do them or do you have to go get set up some where fist ? Re: previous service Posted by RT on 7/17/2002, 8:37 am , in reply to "previous service" 207.95.96.228 Sometimes there can be paperwork snags. I suggest that your brother makes an appt with the recruiting station commander (an officer) to find out what's going on (after he talks to his recruiter again first). If a duty station was promised in his contract, that is a pretty good guarantee that he will go there, barring some kind of disaster...I have never seen anyone not go to their station of choice (that is ONLY if it's in the contract or else forget it, I don't care what they tell you). I would ask the recruiter about the correspondence online. I assume you are talking about the Army Correspondence Course Program. They do have a website, see below (page down to the bottom of the page): Link: http://www.atsc.army.mil/accp/aipd.htm Re: previous service Posted by Mike C. on 7/17/2002, 9:36 am , in reply to "Re: previous service" 32.100.98.88 Hi. Two quick things. First, your brother had to submit a waiver to re-enlist in the Army. Waivers can take months to go through the process. Six months is not uncommon, but it pays to ask questions. His recruiter can call and check the status of the waiver. He can check on how far up the chain it has gone and is it being seen by the top person that would have to approve it. Second, correspondence courses can be done anywhere you have access to a computer if you do the ones that are on line only, but you have to have a mailing address for them to send you the paper sub-courses. that website the other person will tell you everything you would need to know about it. Take care. silly question, but maybe not... Posted by AS on 7/16/2002, 1:06 pm 63.225.47.2 I've read we cannot take books to BT. Does that include the Holy Scriptures? Thanks to anyone who can answer this one. Re: silly question, but maybe not... Posted by RT on 7/17/2002, 8:43 am , in reply to "Re: silly question, but maybe not..." 207.95.96.228 Yes, I can confirm that you may keep your Bible if you brought it. Of course you won't be able to take it with you in the day's training (if it's large)..like Robb said, I think a lot of MEPS do give out the little gideon ones..you can use that or if that's not what you want, hopefully you can find a small one somewhere. No you won't have alot of time during the day to read (especially at the beg, you'll have these required sessions to sit and read your soldier's handbook), but you'll have more opportunities later in the cycle. The recruits who had little Bibles were allowed to take them along to training in Ft Wood. Contract Questions Posted by Randal Jarrell on 7/16/2002, 4:04 pm 66.69.193.160 I ship out Spet 17th for OSUT at Benning. In my contract, I got the Airborne Jump School option and my first unit of assignment, which is Vicenza, Italy. Here are my questions: On my paper work, it says that I will spend 10 days in reception. As I understand it, in September I can expect to spend between 20 and 30 days in reception. If I spend more than 10 days, that delays my graduation date from OSUT. The problem is that Jump School is scheduled to start on Jan 21st, 2003. If my graduation is delayed past that point, will my slot in Jump School be lost, or will I be guaranteed the next available slot? As I understand it, all Airborne slots are full. Also... If I get injured during OSUT, and have to recycle a training unit for whatever reason, will I loose my Jump School slot? If I get injured during Jump School, will I be able to recycle, or will I just be dropped from the class, thus forfeiting my first unit assignment with the 173rd ABN BDE in Italy? Thanks! Re: Contract Questions Posted by Robb on 7/17/2002, 4:13 am , in reply to "Contract Questions" 66.188.147.103 i would expect more like 25-35 days at the 30th AG in reception (bring lots of 1$ bills for the powerade machine. No, more. No really, more.) I wouldn't worry about what dates your orders give. Basically, as I understand it (from talking to abn guys), after you graduate osut, you goto an "airborne holdover unit". there you spend 1.5-2 wks and then goto jump school. In my platoon at osut, not only did everyones orders give different "start" and "end" dates for osut, they also said different amounts of weeks of training some guys had 1 wk less or 1 wk more according to thier orders, but everyone who graduated, graduated on the same day. Also, (this is just heresay mind you) i heard that you need 70s to goto airborne (you only need 60s to grad osut) and that people in the airborne holdover with high pt scores get preference. and (more heresay) supposedly if you restart (recycle is air force i think) you have to renegotiate your contract employment (spouse) Posted by lisa on 7/16/2002, 4:25 pm 205.188.196.26 my boyfriend and i will be getting married in feb. which means i will be quitting my job and going with him to fort bragg. will the army help me find a job on or off base since i will be a spouse of one of their soldiers? Re: employment (spouse) Posted by RT on 7/17/2002, 9:01 am , in reply to "employment (spouse)" 207.95.96.228 Every post has an excellent program to assist spouses in finding jobs (as well as helping with interviewing skills, resumes, etc...). Of course, what job you find is directly related to your education level and skills, so if you don't have those, don't expect to get a high-powered job just like that! Oh, and the program is called the Employment Readiness Program and you can find Ft Bragg's at (just cut and paste) http://www.bragg.army.mil/mwr/COMMUNITY/ACS/ACS_Emplred.htm See the link below and also request a Welcome Packet from Ft Bragg if you like: Link: http://www.bragg.army.mil/18abn/ Being horny during BT Posted by Tammy on 7/17/2002, 1:12 am 65.151.225.56 This may sound really weird but Im curious. I leave for BT on next tuesday the 23rd and I am wondering what would happen on the off chance that I got horny and decided to masturbate during basic. Of course, it wouldn't be in plain view and it would be during personnal time, but what would happen if I got caught? Again, I don't mean to weird anyone out, but I kinda need to know. Re: Being horny during BT Posted by RT on 7/17/2002, 9:23 am , in reply to "Being horny during BT" 207.95.96.228 What you do in the bathroom stall (within reason) is your business. You may be given a hard time if you're caught but that's about it. Gotta be discreet about these things. Re: Being horny during BT Posted by mike g. on 7/17/2002, 9:09 pm , in reply to "Re: Being horny during BT" 198.104.0.100 During basic, one trainee had a great line. He said: "It's my dick and my soap. I'll wash it as fast as I want!" Everybody laughed, but it took the edge of a topic everybody thinks about. I was just too tired to think about it most of the time. physical question Posted by Jaime on 7/17/2002, 1:38 pm 66.68.221.127 i have a question will i did my physical on may and i'm shipping off august 13th do they do the same physical they did the first time ? i'm just wondering thanks Re: physical question Posted by Mike C. on 7/17/2002, 6:32 pm , in reply to "physical question" 32.100.98.201 No. They usually just do a short physical. They do a height/weight, urine test, and just check to see if anything has changed since the last physical. As long as you didn't eat your weight in hotdogs, or smoke dope you should be through there nice and quick. (Army quick that is.) Promotion to E-4 before/during BCT Posted by Paddy on 7/17/2002, 4:39 pm 165.124.28.70 I've enlisted in my state's National Guard. I go to BCT in October. I have been given the rank of E-3 because I have over 60 hours college credit. Is there any way that I can make E-4 before or during Basic, similar to the way you can make E-1 to E-2 or E-3 by passing the PT test with flying colors or taking Land-Nav classes etc. Thanks for all the great posts, I've learned a lot from this board over the last few weeks. Keep up the good work. Paddy. Re: Promotion to E-4 before/during BCT Posted by Mike C. on 7/17/2002, 6:41 pm , in reply to "Promotion to E-4 before/during BCT" 32.100.98.201 Most states (mine included) will not allow a recruit to get their E-4 prior to basic unless they have their 4 year degree. Check with your unit retention NCO, or recruiter to be sure of what your states regs are. My friend had over 60 hours of college and got 3 people to enlist with him and he was only advanced to E-3. Some of that stuff is different in every state, so check with your recruiter to be safe. Re: Promotion to E-4 before/during BCT Posted by Mike C. on 7/17/2002, 6:52 pm , in reply to "Re: Promotion to E-4 before/during BCT" 32.100.98.201 I almost forgot. In Basic training, unit commanders are authorized to advance something like 20 percent of their company to a higher grade. There is a chance that if you arrive at basic as a PFC and excel while you are there you can be promoted. Make sure you have something in writing from your company commander that lets your basic commander know that he is not against you getting promoted. I know that sounds weird, but the active reg is that he can't promote a reservist or guardsman without the permission of the reserve or guard commander. This is usually in the form of a memo. see ya.

				This page was last updated on: July 26, 2002