Where in the world do I begin? These last 2 months have been INSANE. I've kept a journal of most of the things that have happened to me during my time there, but it's packed away in my sea bag at the moment and buried too deep in my things to dig out. I was just going to post all the stuff I wrote down in a huge spoiler, but that's going to take too long to type out.
I had liberty the last 2 days and got to spend time with my sister and mother. We went to see the Avengers (which was amazing btw) then went to six flags in Chicago the 2nd day. I had to wake up at midnight tonight and get on the bus to the airport at around 0100. Now I feel spoiled as hell. The USO area in the Chicago O'hare airport is so awesome. There's tons of foods and sweets here, an X BOX, and lazy boys to sleep in while we wait for our flight. I'm on one of the computers right now typing out all of this since my flight doesn't leave for 2 more hours (been here about 2 hours already).
Seriously what a trip. I am so glad to be out of that hell hole. I've done more mountain climbers and 8 counts than I can remember lol. I don't have my journal with me, but I'll give some of the highlights I can remember off the top of my head.
Spoiler
- Pdays were the worst time in boot camp (the first 2 weeks) where you're going through medical and dental getting all of your examinations done and going through uniform issue. The first night you're in boot camp you don't sleep at all.
- The food is pretty good and really healthy.
- The 5th or 6th day the ambulance had to be called already because someone was having chest pains which turned out to be caused by extreme stress. This same guy ended up getting sent home about 2 weeks later because he couldn't handle what was going on.
- When we did our swim test, someone dislocated his shoulder when going off of the 10 foot diving board. We were told the pencil dive in and he flailed his arms out when he jumped. Amazingly he still finished his swim, but ultimately had to go home about a week later because his shoulder was not healing properly.
- The infamous peanut butter shot HURTS. You guys have no idea. It's like a charlie horse on steroids. The peanut butter shot is when they shoot penecillin in your ass cheek and the pain stays there for 3-4 days. It's very hard to sleep lol.
- A bunch of people got caught by FQA (aka the "popos" stands for Field Quality Assurance) for talking in the peeway. We got IT'd (intensive training, a form of punishment) for around 3 hours for it. One of the hardest IT sessions I had while in boot camp.
- Passed my PFA with an 11:40 mile and a half, 85 push-ups, and 80 sit-ups.
- While we were out doing something, our RDC (Recruit Division Commander, aka drill sergeant) went through all of our racks and threw everything on the floor. Then he called over the intercom "All available RDCs come to compartment E-02" and we got IT'd to hell. 6 RDCs came up and basically beat the fk out of us for an hour and a half. Lots and lots of yelling lol.
- I didn't have to do the gas chamber because I was SIQ (sick in quarters) the day they went. 101 degree fever, diahrrea (spelling?), and throwing up. I normally would have to make it up, but me and the yeoman (paperwork dude) are cool and he gave me the gas chamber stamp anyways. It sucks because I did want to go and I heard from the rest of my division that it was pretty fun.
- Battlestations was pretty cool, but I'm not allowed to say much about it. I had to sign a paper stating I wouldn't release information on what is contained inside of battlestations. Basically, what it is is a simulation of dangers aboard a ship. Once you pass battlestations you're officially a sailor instead of a recruit and given your NAVY ballcap. It's a 12 hour thing and you're up that entire night. I had watch the night before and the night after battlestations so I was beat the fk up for 3 days running on like 9 hours of sleep total through all 3 days.
- The morning after graduation was pretty funny. Our plan of the day said Reveille was at 0500 so everybody was up and ready at that time getting ready for that day's liberty at 0700. Our RDC (we had 3 of them for our division) came in asking "Why is everybody up so early?", and we said "Because Rev is at 0500 petty officer". So he says "No it's not", walks up to the plan of the day, crosses out 0500, and wrote 0600 right above it. "See, Rev is at 0600". rofl that was pretty hilarious.
way way more happened than this, and most of it is in my journal, but I'm too lazy to go digging through my sea bag for it. Plus, there's no way I'm going to be able to close it back up. It's completely full and I was barely able to lock it.
Some of boot camp was fun but fk that place. I hope I never go back rofl. I have so so much to catch up on. If anyone can give me any info on big events in the last 2 months that I've missed that would be great. I need to read 2 months worth of manga when I get my computer back .
Sounds light. We don't have that much on swimming and stuff because everyone goes through infantry first (your's seem like Navy-based) but otherwise doesn't seem like much.
Wanna to know what they give some of my friends for IT (in your definition that is)?
Spoiler
200 push ups, 250 crunches, 120 sets of 8 hand claps (arms outstretched and above your head, a.k.a. Buddha clap), and 120 sets of 8 "twinkle stars" (stretch out both arms in front of you, and open/close your fingers). Then their IC was still in a bad mood, and gave them another 120 pumping and 150 crunches.
Spoiler
Trust me, the pumping and the crunches are really easy compared to the Buddha clap and twinkle stars.
I'm glad I wasn't in that company, but it's not funny when I'm (my entire company) supposed to be cleaning my rifle right beside them and not look at them while they get punished. (I hate firing blanks)
But it's an experience when we man up. It's worth it. So congrats on completing your camp.
Oh our food SUCKS. And btw it's spelt as penicillin.
Bootcamp is insanely easy. I often don't understand why people break down and cry and get all panicky. It's literally easy as pie. I never got a PB shot, just a pomegranate ton of other ones.
way way more happened than this, and most of it is in my journal, but I'm too lazy to go digging through my sea bag for it. Plus, there's no way I'm going to be able to close it back up. It's completely full and I was barely able to lock it.
It officially becomes a diary when it has a lock on it. Nancy.
Congraulations! I know of a few people who tried out Boot Camp and failed miserably. I know it must of been tough, But its more amazing that you succeeded! Hope everything goes well with the Navy!
I made it to A-school yesterday and now I have no idea what to do with all of this freedom. This place is friggin awesome. I have a room to myself which is pretty lucky. There's so much stuff here. I still need to get ahold of a laptop though since mine is at home. I'm not allowed a personal vehicle for like 2 months so I have to take a cab everywhere and I hear they charge ridiculous amounts. By ridiculous I mean $20 for 2 miles and another $20 to get back. I wanted to buy a PSVita to play with on my libery but the NEX doesn't sell them . The food here is really good too. I was told the galley here at NNPTC won galley of the year a couple years ago. Still trying to feel my way around everything though.
Where's a good place to order a laptop? I was going to buy one at the NEX but they were horrible. I want something the cheapest computer that can run Skyrim on ultra settings. The only way I'm able to type this now are at the computers they have for free use in the liberty lounge.
Originally Posted by Dystopiq
Bootcamp is insanely easy. I often don't understand why people break down and cry and get all panicky. It's literally easy as pie. I never got a PB shot, just a pomegranate ton of other ones.
US Army here, 82nd Airborne Division.
I'm not sure which boot camp you went to, but it couldn't have been anything like the one I went to. Females had it crazy easy for sure, but an hour and a half of PT followed by 2 hours of IT running on 4 hours of sleep is definitely not easy.
Where's a good place to order a laptop? I was going to buy one at the NEX but they were horrible. I want something the cheapest computer that can run Skyrim on ultra settings. The only way I'm able to type this now are at the computers they have for free use in the liberty lounge.
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That depends, What kind of budget are you looking at?
I'm not sure which boot camp you went to, but it couldn't have been anything like the one I went to. Females had it crazy easy for sure, but an hour and a half of PT followed by 2 hours of IT running on 4 hours of sleep is definitely not easy.
I did Army Basic training. In the summer. In South Carolina.
I did Army Basic training. In the summer. In South Carolina.
The Nuke A-school is in charleston, SC (where I'm at right now) built in the middle of a damn swamp. There's mosquitos like crazy and crocodiles here. I know a lot of people who went through great lakes boot camp had it easy because their RDCs did not like to IT, but our RDC worked with the SWCC and loved to PT and IT. We would work out for at least 3-4 hours every day, 7 days a week. To put it into perspective how much we worked out, at the beginning of boot camp we had 25 failures on the PFA, 2 weeks later, we had no failures.
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