Sometimes Just Knowing Helps a Lot What You Will
Experience Your First Day of Basic Training
In my book, The Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook, I devote
an entire chapter to Day 1 experiences. No matter where you
go to basic training, your Day 1 experience will be virtually
identical to what I describe in my book.
So you have enlisted in the military. Congratulations, you
have answered the highest call of citizenship. Now you get
to go to basic training. First, you will arrive at what's
called the Reception Center. This is not basic training. At
the Reception Center you will spend a few days being fitted
for shoes and boots as well as getting all the necessary shots
and paperwork done. You will be with one group the entire
time at Reception Center. Most, if not all, of the people
you are around these few days, you will never see again. When
you get to your basic training company, you will be assigned
to a new group of recruits.
When you leave the Reception Center you will board a bus,
or cattle car, and begin a short ride to your barracks. During
that bus ride you may or may not be subjected to yelling Drill
Sergeants. If you are, do exactly what they say. This will
be the first time they meet you, so they want to see you intimidated.
Don't act like you don't care, put an attentive look on your
face and be alert. If you try to act like Joe Cool, they will
single you out and make you wish you were back at home.
When the bus stops, get off the bus (don't be the last one
off!) and listen very carefully to their instructions. I hate
to break your spirits, but here is what is going to happen
next: your going to fail. That's right, you are going to fail
no matter how good you perform whatever task they give you.
For example, they might ask you to line up in alphabetical
order with 200 other recruits in 3 minutes (that's 48 seconds
Drill Sergeant time). If you are capable of lining up properly
in alphabetical order with 200 strangers that fast, then more
power to you. But I guarantee you all 200 of you aren't going
to be able to do that task. If one of you fails, then you
all fail. Don't be upset. What the Drill Sergeants are trying
to do is transform you from a civilian and build you up into
a member of the most powerful military in the history of civilization.
That doesn't come easy in the few short weeks they have.
You will have to perform countless exercises that you have
never seen before (unless you read my book). At night, you
will be very exhausted and second-guess your reasons for joining
the military. Please keep the big picture in mind.
Take basic training day-by-day. I can't stress that enough.
At the end of your first day of basic training you will not
feel like yourself. All of a sudden, you have no friends to
call, no relatives to turn to and no TV to watch if you get
too stressed out. This all pales in comparison to graduation
day. You will be extremely confident and ready to take on
the world on graduation day. Remember, employers love to see
military personnel apply for jobs. They know that completing
basic training takes discipline and hard work, not to mention
the ability to deal with a stressful environment.
SGT Michael Volkin is the author of The Ultimate Basic Training
Guidebook, available in both paperback and e-book format at
www.ultimatebasictrainingguidebook.com.
