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I used to hear boot camp breaks you down, then builds you up. Well, I know from going through Navy bootcamp, this was a bunch of BULL. They break you down, and they continue breaking you down, over and over (at least in my case). They wanted us to hate it, and regret it. The RDC I had tortured us to the bitter end. When I look at pictures of us in the bootcamp book (comparable to a high school year book) I can see how I literally aged permaturely. My body has never been the same; damaged cartilege in my knees and ankles. Another guy I kept in touch with ended up needed a double knee replacement; he blamed it on boot camp, who knows.
One interesting thing happened when I was in A-school though, this guy he was either a commander or a captain, and he called the whole unit down into the lounge area of the BEQ (Navy for "barracks") and he wasn't yelling at us. Actually, he was speaking in a moderate tone. He told us of various things we could do on base (Great Lakes,IL), advising us of the gym, and other recreational areas. Also, advised us of the train schedule going into Chicago and to go out and do things. He also said that when in the galley (Navy for "mess hall") that we are allowed to "talk". He said, boot camp is OVER stop acting like you're still there. People used to walk around with this "dead look" on their faces; no emotion.
I enlisted in the Air Force in 1966 only because it was that or be drafted and sent to Vietnam to shoot at people I didn't know. So I didn't *change* my mind about the military; I never wanted in, before, during or after.
However, I thought I was a pretty cool guy going in... until that first night when I did something I wasn't supposed to do. When that TI grabbed me by the shirt, pushed me up against the wall and commenced shouting at me, nose to nose, I thought I was going to dirty my drawers!
I got back at him before the end of boot camp, however. I was called to the commander's office and grilled on things he'd done -- like hit me. He was ejected the next day.
After boot camp it was like any other job except that you knew you couldn't get fed up with it and quit.
I enlisted in 2/65 in the US Army Reserves. It was really before Vietnam hit the fan. I had a job in the NY Telephone Co and had a great girlfriend.(Later my wife)I was 21 and had my own car. Why would I want to get drafted and 2 yrs be away from that. We had a draft and It was going to be soon. So in I went. I got through Basic with no problem. Had some laughs , had some tears. 8 weeks at Fort Dix, NJ. It was in May thru early July. Weather was pretty good. It was, for me, "just passing through" for the next 6 months, including school at Fort Gordon, GA. It's all how you have your mind set. I knew it was going to end shortly, not like some guys who were really screwed up by going in for 3 years or getting drafted for 2 years. for the most part, they were not happy campers. I spent the next 9 years in a Sig Unit at Fort Tilden, NY. Got out as a E-6. 3 years later I re-enlisted in the NYANG at Westhampton Beach, NY. For the next 14 years, I had a blast. I traveled to Europe, seeing Germany, Spain for a few summer camps. Great unit. Now I'm on retired pay and loving it even more when I look at my Direct Deposit account in the bank.
For me, Basic Training was the 'cutting of the umbilical cord '. It was good trainning for the future. Today, I can usually tell if a person has been thru Basic Training, young or older. It's the way a person carries hisself or handels situations in life. I strongly feel that all young men , from age of 18 should go thru a 8 weeks course of a type of Basic period. Make a man out of them instead of some of these azzholes I see on TV or U-tube, being jerks, wearing baggy pants,earings thru their noses and generally acting out in dumb ways. They have no idea what awaits them down the road. They're in for a shock!!
H*ll no, I would have taken that hypothetical ticket home and shoved it up their @ss. I left for bootcamp thinking it was going to be really hard...the hardest thing I'd ever done in my life. After I'd been there two or three days, I determined how very boring it actually was, and being a little disappointed that it hadn't been harder. I should've seen that as a precursor of things to come... I thought STG (sonar tech) was supposed to be a difficult job. So why is it so easy...?
I thought several times "what the hell have I gotten myself into", but never wanted to quit. I needed those schools they promised me more than anything, it wasn't looking good back in Milwaukee. There were days when I was waking up at 3 in the morning to take a shower and go on watch in the cold while it was raining carrying a old as M-14 i wanted to get out and quit after doing that for 5 months stright after 9-11 every 3 days 13 hours of M-14 watch.
yup, since I was drafted (into the Navy) I would have left and returned to my good paying job.
In retrospect, my 2 years were spent at Naval Air staions(Moffitt and Whidby Island and the last 3 months was spent as an A-6 plane captain out on "the line"
not bad duty for a 2 year draftee.
The thing that made bootcamp bearable was knowing the other 80 guys in my company were as "green and dumb" as I was.
A relative of mine thought that being in the military would be lots of fun and a great way to get some skills and be far from his boring home town in North Dakota. He was 18 when he went to boot camp and thought he was a tough guy who could take anything.
Within a few days of boot camp he determined he made the biggest mistake in his life. If he had started this new job at a civilan employer, he would have told his boss (the DI) to take this job and shove it. But as a new recruit in the Army they would not let him quit.
He was shocked by the large number of fellow soldiers who seemed so cocky and sure of them selves on the first day who were crying all the time once boot camp got started and things got really tough.
What was your feelings about the Arms Forces during your first few weeks of Boot Camp, and would you have quit and gone home if it was easy to do?
I went in (draftee, Army) January 1968. Right after Tet, first of the three largest callups in the history of the country. Basic at Ft. Leonard Wood (Fort Lost-in-the-Woods) Missouri. Middle of winter, 17 below up on that mountain at one point. I considered not going, trust me. It came down to one thing; if I had not gone someone else would have gone in my place. You hear that sort of thing from the guys who saw combat all the time. I couldn't live with that on my soul.
It was a time of self-discovery, not all good. I learned that I was much tougher than I thought. I learned that while I might not be the best at something I might not be the worst either. I learned to keep my mouth shut. I learned that "Sir, I don't know" is an acceptable answer in many cases. I learned you lead by example. I learned that anyone can be forced to do anything, if enough pressure is applied. That's the part about "breaking". I saw guys who were all "gung ho" before that point go AWOL after. It does change you. Mostly I don't think about it now.
I am going to speak for my husband of 40 years,,I think I qualify..He was fresh out of high school and was low on self esteem. He tried college, but was not ready and without telling anyone but his buddy whom he enlisted with, what he was doing. This was 1965.....His dad hit the roof and his brother told him he was stupid. Well, off to Camp Pendelton he went. He loved it! He reupped in boot camp. The military made him the man he is today. After he got back from Vietnam in 68, he had self worth and confidence that he had never had before. We met, He went on to college, got his degree and then decided to join the navy. He entered as an ensign, was an intelligence officer, and retired a few years ago as Captain. Imagine how he felt going back to Camp Pendleton and walking the base as a Captain. He was proud and it was an extremely poignant moment for both of us.
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