Things you should expect when you enlist in Army Boot Camp.
Homesickness. You may be Rambo at heart, but everyone has loved ones and friends, and its normal to miss them when you are away suddenly. Bring a few small wallet sized pictures of your loved ones and take long a notebook. There will be times when you are able to write, and between having pictures and writing it will seem less lonely. Long Days, Short Nights. The nice thing about boot camp is there is never a dull moment; your DI or Drill Instructor will have nearly every single moment of your day AND night planned. Before you arrive you should practice getting up very early (like 4am) and stay up for long periods with no sleep (say perhaps a couple of thirty hour stretches). During the first week especially you may get little sleep, and it helps to get used to the feeling. Making Mistakes and Screwing Up. Everyone fails at boot camp. If you are not failing, you are not giving it your all. The tasks are designed to make people fail some of the time, its part of the team building experience. Learning to accept and deal with failure is part of the training, and part of learning to solve problems.
Getting Sick. While not everyone gets sick in Basic Combat Training, it is a common occurrence. From getting a head cold to sore throats, you will not be at your tiptop physical best in boot camp. Your body will be stressed, it’s cramped, it’s crowded, and you’re in close conditions with other people. If one person gets a cold, it spreads like wildfire. You can help prevent getting sick by drinking lots of water, and wash your hands before you eat. Carry a wet nap with you in your pocket to wash your hands when you eat in the field. Plan for the Worst. Boot camp is one mission where you can and will be disciplined for someone else’s mistake or transgression. You cannot anticipate every negative thing, so do not be upset or alarmed when something you were not planning on occurs.
Drama. Everything in Boot camp is a big deal, and if it is not, it’s made into one. Stress. Boot camp is all about stress, and it needs to be something you are ready for. Deployment. Every group has one guy that raises his hand and says: “My recruiter says after Basic Combat Training I can go home and you will call me if you need me,†Wrong. Everyone entering Active Duty will be deployed, or sent to school.
