What Navy boot camp was like for me in the US
Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2019 9:22 pm
I arrived at boot camp in June. I thought it was going to be all “Full Metal Jacket”. What I got was much more mundane. The first week or so in boot camp is called P-days (processing days). You get lots of shots and wait in lots of lines. You also do not have your uniforms yet so everyone runs around in blue Navy sweat suits. Because of this all blue attire you get the nick name of “Smurfs”. Not exactly the elite training I had been thinking of. I don’t remember that much physical activity yet. I do remember lots of yelling, some push up and lots of waiting in lines.
Once you get out P-days you get moved to you barracks and get issued a sea bag with all your uniforms. Now the monotony of boot camp sets in. Each item must be correctly stenciled with you last name and division number. After this each item must be folded perfectly. Including your “skivvie stack” underwear and white t-shirts. If they are not folded and stenciled perfectly. If your uniform is not perfectly pressed. If your boots are not perfectly shined. If you do not know a piece of obscure military knowledge you are getting beat.
Getting beat is not when your boot camp instructors physically beast you. Getting beat means they make you do calisthenics until either you collapse while they yell at you or until they get board or find another recruit to pick on. You do not get to be called a sailor until you graduate boot camp. Until you graduate, they call you recruit and periodically will use your last name.
On top of getting “beat” sometimes several times a day. You have about an hour of division PT every day and about an hour of running a day. You also must march all over a giant base for all types of stupid ass reasons. At first this was way more exercises then I was used to. But after several weeks I was in great shape and would often make jokes with the RDC (Recruit Division Commanders). While I was getting beat to lighten the mood and boost morale. My Chief would tell me “Either you’re going to get stronger or smarter.” I would enthusiastically reply “Yes Chief thank you for educating my mind body and soul.”
You also eat lots of high calorie food in boot camp. It is not great but there is lots of it. I packed on a good 20 lbs. of somewhat lean muscle during boot camp. Taking me from 175/185 ish to 205lbs or so.
All these boot camp shenanigans culminate in a final event called “Battle Stations.” You must run around this giant base and use all the skills you learned in a high stress environment. You are up for 2 days doing all these simulated disaster-like events. They have fire rooms, flood rooms, fake tornado rooms, divers trying to drown you in a giant pool, gun shooting areas. This was by far the coolest most exciting part of boot camp. At the end, if you make it through you finally get your Navy ball cap. All the dick RDC’s call you shipmate and it is a very emotional moment.
Boot camp is very physically and mentally demanding. It is very tedious for a large portion. You must take lots of boring ass classes and do TONS of folding and ironing just right. It does have a few cool exciting moments. Most people will get in better shape. There were zero free weights to use when I went. I want to say the drop out rate when I went was roughly 20%. I’m not sure what it is now.
This is long again. If people are still interested, I will post a part 3 when I went to my training school and started lifting again.
Once you get out P-days you get moved to you barracks and get issued a sea bag with all your uniforms. Now the monotony of boot camp sets in. Each item must be correctly stenciled with you last name and division number. After this each item must be folded perfectly. Including your “skivvie stack” underwear and white t-shirts. If they are not folded and stenciled perfectly. If your uniform is not perfectly pressed. If your boots are not perfectly shined. If you do not know a piece of obscure military knowledge you are getting beat.
Getting beat is not when your boot camp instructors physically beast you. Getting beat means they make you do calisthenics until either you collapse while they yell at you or until they get board or find another recruit to pick on. You do not get to be called a sailor until you graduate boot camp. Until you graduate, they call you recruit and periodically will use your last name.
On top of getting “beat” sometimes several times a day. You have about an hour of division PT every day and about an hour of running a day. You also must march all over a giant base for all types of stupid ass reasons. At first this was way more exercises then I was used to. But after several weeks I was in great shape and would often make jokes with the RDC (Recruit Division Commanders). While I was getting beat to lighten the mood and boost morale. My Chief would tell me “Either you’re going to get stronger or smarter.” I would enthusiastically reply “Yes Chief thank you for educating my mind body and soul.”
You also eat lots of high calorie food in boot camp. It is not great but there is lots of it. I packed on a good 20 lbs. of somewhat lean muscle during boot camp. Taking me from 175/185 ish to 205lbs or so.
All these boot camp shenanigans culminate in a final event called “Battle Stations.” You must run around this giant base and use all the skills you learned in a high stress environment. You are up for 2 days doing all these simulated disaster-like events. They have fire rooms, flood rooms, fake tornado rooms, divers trying to drown you in a giant pool, gun shooting areas. This was by far the coolest most exciting part of boot camp. At the end, if you make it through you finally get your Navy ball cap. All the dick RDC’s call you shipmate and it is a very emotional moment.
Boot camp is very physically and mentally demanding. It is very tedious for a large portion. You must take lots of boring ass classes and do TONS of folding and ironing just right. It does have a few cool exciting moments. Most people will get in better shape. There were zero free weights to use when I went. I want to say the drop out rate when I went was roughly 20%. I’m not sure what it is now.
This is long again. If people are still interested, I will post a part 3 when I went to my training school and started lifting again.