Army Basic Training: Privacy

Privacy

I seem to get a lot of questions on privacy and what the bathroom (latrine) situation will be like. In a nutshell, you won't have a lot of privacy at all. All day you'll be surrounded by other recruits and drill sergeants. Really, the only time alone you will get will be on the toilet! The latrines look just like public restrooms. You'll have toilets with stalls and doors (no this is not like
Full Metal Jacket). You'll have a row or two of sinks with mirrors. The showers will be one big room with many shower heads. If you're lucky, there will be benches to sit on while getting undressed. When not running around in your BDUs, you'll be wearing your Army sweats. In gender integrated posts, you'll wear your sweats to the latrine, shower and then get dressed. Most showering is done after PT in the morning. Two words..hurry up. You may have 3-5 minutes in the shower and usually two recruits will share a showerhead so that people can get through faster.

No, the rooms do not have doors, to discourage any things you're not supposed to be doing (especially both gender barracks). Some posts do have curtains between rooms, accomodations will vary. All posts have bunks. It's not unusual to walk through the barracks at night and to hear new recruits crying or whimpering in their bunks, particularly in the first few weeks while their stress levels are still high. This is normal and nothing to be ashamed of (I'm talking males and females). Better to cry there than in front of a drill sergeant:-))

As mentioned before, if you are running an errand for a drill sergeant or whatever you may be doing away from the company, you will always take your battle buddy with you. This is just a safety issue.

Back to the barracks. Some barracks will have washers and dryers in the latrines, others will have separate laundry rooms, usually on the first floor. Space is usually limited. I usually see the most "fights" concerning washer/dryer space. This is one area where you really have to work together, and it's not unusual for a squad or you and your battle buddy to do laundry together. You'll be doing it more than a few times a week. Most folks send their BDUs and larger items to Quartermaster laundry to get laundered (2-3x a week). Stuff such as underwear and PT uniforms are mostly washed by you.

The drill sergeants will have their offices in the barracks, which are locked up at night and when not in use. Each barracks has a CQ office. This is where a drill sergeant will set up shop every night to keep an eye on all of you. I know some drills who used to love sneaking around with their socks on. The drill will have two soldiers to help him too. Every night after lights out (usually at 8:30pm), two of you of the same gender will roam the barracks. You'll do this for an hour, and then the next shift will start (you go wake up the next person). The shifts for each night are always posted, and it goes until wake-up the next morning. This is what's called fireguard. In the old days in the WWI-II barracks, you really were watching out for fires, especially with the wood burning stoves in the barracks. Now it is more a matter of making sure everyone is in their bunks, that no strangers are in the barracks and a test of self-discipline.

When you are off doing classes or ranges, there are always latrine facilities. On some of the ranges you will always find Port-a-potties, a new experience for many new troops. Always carry a little bit of toilet paper with you, just in case you go in one and don't find any.

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	Privacy I seem to get a lot of questions on privacy and what the bathroom (latrine) situation will be like. In a nutshell, you won't have a lot of privacy at all. All day you'll be surrounded by other recruits and drill sergeants. Really, the only time alone you will get will be on the toilet! The latrines look just like public restrooms. You'll have toilets with stalls and doors (no this is not like Full Metal Jacket). You'll have a row or two of sinks with mirrors. The showers will be one big room with many shower heads. If you're lucky, there will be benches to sit on while getting undressed. When not running around in your BDUs, you'll be wearing your Army sweats. In gender integrated posts, you'll wear your sweats to the latrine, shower and then get dressed. Most showering is done after PT in the morning. Two words..hurry up. You may have 3-5 minutes in the shower and usually two recruits will share a showerhead so that people can get through faster. No, the rooms do not have doors, to discourage any things you're not supposed to be doing (especially both gender barracks). Some posts do have curtains between rooms, accomodations will vary. All posts have bunks. It's not unusual to walk through the barracks at night and to hear new recruits crying or whimpering in their bunks, particularly in the first few weeks while their stress levels are still high. This is normal and nothing to be ashamed of (I'm talking males and females). Better to cry there than in front of a drill sergeant:-)) As mentioned before, if you are running an errand for a drill sergeant or whatever you may be doing away from the company, you will always take your battle buddy with you. This is just a safety issue. Back to the barracks. Some barracks will have washers and dryers in the latrines, others will have separate laundry rooms, usually on the first floor. Space is usually limited. I usually see the most "fights" concerning washer/dryer space. This is one area where you really have to work together, and it's not unusual for a squad or you and your battle buddy to do laundry together. You'll be doing it more than a few times a week. Most folks send their BDUs and larger items to Quartermaster laundry to get laundered (2-3x a week). Stuff such as underwear and PT uniforms are mostly washed by you. The drill sergeants will have their offices in the barracks, which are locked up at night and when not in use. Each barracks has a CQ office. This is where a drill sergeant will set up shop every night to keep an eye on all of you. I know some drills who used to love sneaking around with their socks on. The drill will have two soldiers to help him too. Every night after lights out (usually at 8:30pm), two of you of the same gender will roam the barracks. You'll do this for an hour, and then the next shift will start (you go wake up the next person). The shifts for each night are always posted, and it goes until wake-up the next morning. This is what's called fireguard. In the old days in the WWI-II barracks, you really were watching out for fires, especially with the wood burning stoves in the barracks. Now it is more a matter of making sure everyone is in their bunks, that no strangers are in the barracks and a test of self-discipline. When you are off doing classes or ranges, there are always latrine facilities. On some of the ranges you will always find Port-a-potties, a new experience for many new troops. Always carry a little bit of toilet paper with you, just in case you go in one and don't find any. Back to Army Basic Training Homepage