Also, if you are curious why we weren't allowed to do some of these things. "We hadn't earned the right to do _____" - My Drill Sergeants. For example I didn't include this but we were not allowed to talk for the first few days. Yes, I just said talk. Period. That may just have been a thing my company did but we couldn't talk.
We had to communicate through other means like raising eyebrows and hand and arm signals lol Of course we literally whispered in the bathroom but that's it.
My battalion in particular lost the right to bathroom stall doors. On the talking part, the only reason some of us were allowed to talk very quietly during weapons maintainance time was to help one guy learn English. Even that was rare. Also we were required to carry around a pen or pencil and paper at all times. You can communicate that way
There's a whole website dedicated to things people were ordered to do in basic. Sweeping the water off a sidewalk in a rain storm. Running up to any pigeon that lands and saluting it. Mr T cutting down a small forest (true story, pretty damn funny), etc.
Miss BT. I did 9 years of Army before the BS such as the stress card. Those who are new just listen to your DS and obey all orders. It'll make life a little easier in red phase and a whole lot easier in blue phase. Have to earn your DS trust.
I found U.S. Army basic training, Ft Sill, OK, June 1991-Aug 1991, fairly easy, and I had fun, but be in your best physical shape before leaving for basic training!
"PRIVATE! Why are you BREATHING?!?!?!? Don't blink, I didn't give you the command TO BLINK!!! Why are you so red private? You can breath now privates."
Speaking of never being well rested in Basic; I accidentally slept through my watch one night...and got away with it! 😳 I woke up ~5 min before the next guy's shift, and no TI's decided to "visit" us that night, thank God.
Matt Ward Yep, lucky AF!! I made up for it later though; I was on watch and a couple senior TI's from other flights came a'knockin. I handled all the inspection procedures flawlessly, and earned a grudging compliment from my TI. 🙂
You’ve heard of someone going into the bathroom to catch a few puffs but you probably haven’t heard of someone going to into the bathroom to catch a few pull ups
You left out another VERY important thing. WE WERE NOT allowed to WALK anywhere, we had to RUN ( at a jog, in other words you had to hustle) everywhere that we went if you were caught WALKING you were in DEEP "S"
Soldiers are trained to be "fighting Sheeples", absolutely Many people mistakenly take "soldier" for WARRIOR. A warrior is a different animal altogether. however because BOTH go to war, sometimes the SAME war, folks that are NOT in the know will make that mistake Also, many warriors are introduced and trained in basic weapons and murder at the soldier level.
James Clark Funny story about that topic. One of my uncles retired from the Navy as a Chief, and his last station was as an instructor at Great Lakes, IL. He was a real hard-ass about regulations, even challenging officers about wearing the wrong uniform in the wrong areas of the base, etc. Whenever he saw young sailors slouching, hands in pockets, walking on the grass, etc., he made sure they heard from him. Anyhoo, he drove a very distinctive car, a gold Camaro he and my cousins restored, that everyone recognized. One day, my aunt was driving his car with one of my cousins riding shotgun. He remarked after riding past an area young sailors frequented, "It's amazing how quickly these guys straightened up and got their hands out their pockets whenever you drive past in this car."
Sorry, put handkerchiefs one in each pocket. When you forget and put your hands in your pocket, and get caught, pull the handkercief out and say yes Drill Sergeant, Private (your name ) was retrieving a handkerchief. It might work, but the best bet is to not do it.
So, when i left basic, and got into the "real Army", I was shocked. The NCO's and Officers were really chilled out. They said things like "Hey man, hows it going?" And they joked around with me like i was their best friend. And even when i went to parade rest for each of the Sergeants, and even a few First Sergeants they just told me to relax or stop as soon as i went to parade rest, or even at ease, and continued to just chat with me or tell me whats up. The real army is a bit more relaxed, just do the right thing, be somewhere the right time, right uniform, and you're set. Although let me add that i hear Polk is hell, and I'm glad I'm not there.
@@michaelgarlinghouse1291 it also sucks because you also get tasked out to help damn near every other units’ rotation so it essentially becomes your rotation. Then you get to do your own rotation.
Add the fact that BCT is no where the difficulty level compared to someone like you or I(Ft. Jackson 1998) who went through basic in the 90s. Granted even when we went it was nothing like the 60s to 80s BCT... minus being allowed to smoke and dip during the 60s to 80s in basic. But my husband was a DS from 2010 to 2012 at Ft. Jackson and I was floored over how much easier things are.
Every bit of it, look at it like this, the first few weeks are a weeding out period, you learn what's up, and those that can't cut it are washed out by then, after that things back off a little. Great Lakes Illinois, 1984
@@Fear_the_Doughnut: Is it true that even some of the most "Physically Fit" people wash-out of Basic Training? Some veterans have told me that the biggest reason people wash out is because the mental aspects of those 2-3 weeks scare them into culture-shock.
attackmaster555 Prone is on your stomach and supine is on your back. If you ever have occasion to need to remember prone vs supine ~ prone positioning leaves you "more vulnerable" because you're face down & supine leaves you face up with your "spine down" to ground.
Same for me. the whole company had 10 min total to eat but you had to eat in shifts why the others covered you. But I thing the world part is they turned off the hot water all together. Ice cold showers every day/shaving
@@amwelch0424 That's a horrible definition, you're alot more vulnerable on your back. what the heck are you going to shoot on your back? There not hard words to remember, lol.
Nope in BCT and AIT you always ALWAYS have to have a battle buddy no matter what I had a drill sergeant where if he found you alone he'd make you lay down and pretend to be dead and make 2 of your battle buddies drag you back to your platoon area 😂
I had never heard of a "Battle Buddy" until my baby brother and sister said it but I'm 22 and 24 years older than they are and did BCT in 1974 on Ft. Jackson.
DoNot Need my wife went to basic at age 32 so she was VERY independent plus she's an ONLY child so she said the worst thing was NOT ever being able to be alone! She HATED the battle buddy system after a while, she understood the logic BUT truly said it was the most annoying thing
Air Force basic was very similar we didn't have the battle buddy though. Definitely couldn't sit AT ALL on anything except you had a chair in your locker area. Also no talking during meals. I once got yelled at during lunch for smiling and looking around. Good times.
Marine Boot camp was like that too except that we didn't have chairs in our barracks except for the ones inside the DI hut. We'd always sit on the floor in front of our bunks to read our "knowledge", shine our boots, or whatever. We were, however, allowed to sit in chairs whenever we had classroom time and in the bleachers if there were any but most of the time was on the floor or ground.
Only two weeks left till I ship out. I graduate Friday and I’m so excited to start this new chapter in my life, especially as a US Army soldier. Thank you so much Matt for making me feel more confident about going into the Army. All your videos really have helped me a lot though this last year of high school for me
My dad had to burry a piece of crap and do a 21 gun salute for it when he went through basic training the hole was six feet long and deep and a rifle length in width the reason they did that was because a stupid person took a crap on the grass. This happened a little over twenty years ago so no one cared about anything and life was great.
Lol one guy had to do the same thing except he forgot his rifle in the woods so he ran out of formation to get it while we were at the front leaning rest position. They then did with someones rifle 21 gun salute and played the song as they buried his rifle and they handed him a pncho folded as a flag.
My Grandfather in boot camp at the start of WWII didn't field dress his cigarette butt correctly, and was told to dig a hole as described above, and bury it, then dig it out to dispose of it correctly. Maybe not true but you can never tell with those Army folk.
I'd imagine not letting you go to sleep early, is all part of the training. A way to make sure you can function on a set number of hours sleep. Sleep deprivation is also a tool to prepare you. Imagine being a in a foxhole and nothing is happening. You expected the enemy to have been there by then, but they weren't. Eventually, you start to relax and soon you are drifting off and that's when the attack happens. So, I think controlling your sleep is part of the training.
@@willie_mccoy Yes, but we were trading steaks and ribs for cases of c rations. Most were not that bad. It was a nice change from regular chow. We couldn't go over to their side. But they were always quite welcome on our side of the base.
Same Here, 80 percent of my BCT platoon, Also ended up in AIT together, same MOS Group, so many from the first day at 30th AG to grad. day from AIT, the Army birthday 2007, & "I still miss them all."
Wow, basic training is so different from when I went in 1973. No "battle buddies", no crap about sitting on something (I spent a LOT of time in basic taking tests and we sat on chairs - same for the mess hall), no sitting at attention in the mess hall when eating. Seems to be a new army nowadays. The main rules I remember learning in basic: never go outside "uncovered" (must wear a cap or helmet of some sort), no hands in pockets (why provide pockets on pants if you can't use them? lol), no walking (we had to run everywhere). I'm sure there was more, but 1973 was a long time ago.
Mr. Ward, I want to thank you for your video tips. I'm 28 yrs old and I'm looking to join the Army within the year. Thanks again for the great tips! You have my sub.
I’m leaving for basic in 6 days and I really appreciate these videos. Thank you. I’ve been excited but yet very nervous. So I really appreciate you taking the time to make these videos.
Just work hard and do what your told to do, and what ever you do DON"T piss off the DI or your life will be hell. Once you get out of basic and get to your duty station things will be a lot more laid back. I was in 1966-67 and was a radioteletype crypto specialist and got to work with the British forces along the East German border and really enjoyed my time in the Army. If Vietnam wasn't going on I probably would have stayed in but they wouldn't guarantee me anything if I reenlisted . Good Luck and God Bless!
Battle buddy concept to me took quite a while to get used to. I'm extremely comfortable being by myself and to realize that I'm going to have to be around someone 100% of the time was overwhelming at first I really hated it but after a little while these guys became my best friends through all the punishments and dirt we ate together. It was a beautiful experience. At one point the guys in my platoon felt like my brothers man. Black, white, Hispanic everyone was in there man it was an amazing experience I honestly do recommend it to anyone. You will meet some of your best friends and thanks to social media you will likely be able to stay in contact with them. To those that are about endeer BCT, go in there with a positive attitude and a willingness to learn. Become absorbed in the system and your battle buddies they will help push you through it all. When you feel like you are at your limit you will have no choice but to push through it and it feels so nice to know that everyone around you is going through the exact same so incase you were wondering how you will push through it all that's your answer. Your battle buddies will help keeping pushing through basic training and your trust in them will drastically improve.
I know this is an old video, but I’m blown away that you had extra energy to do extra pt. I wasn’t out of shape and I got all I could handle daylight to dark
Did basic back in 87, do they still do roving guard where you walked around the company at night with a battle buddy with a road guard vest and flashlight?
@@genericasianperson6405 lucky lol they made us do our fire guard based on the 30 ish people we had in each bay. Instead of it being a platoon thing the 30 of us in the bay had to change every dam night it was hell lol
@@georgemaxwell3467 Yeah, we still do Fireguard. At Benning, one dude manned a desk near the DS door that had a list of how many weapons and personnel we had in the bay while the roving guard walked around the bay with his headlamp.
Also as you continue this analogy the reason why they would tell you to get as much sleep and keep you up until it is time to go to sleep to my understanding is because the enemy is never sleep. The enemy will wait until you go to sleep to sneak up on you and put you permanently to sleep. It is a training exercise to be diligent and watchful even at X it may appear to be calm. As my life experience this is true you could be done with all of your choice I have completed all of your responsibilities and as soon as you begin to untie your boots a fight breaks out and the enemy is trying to kick the door in. The enemy will not wait for you to put your boots back on to take your feet away. It is also a exercise of self-control and discipline. Many people would take this as punishment or being unfair. Ask my life experience growing up as a kid with a stepdad who woke me up violently every morning for 15 years I understand why it is important to stay vigilant even when things appear to be calm for just a moment. Never underestimate what your opponent will do or when they will come. Always be ready to meet them even if you're half sleep. I'd rather be half awake and fight them to get a good night sleep then to be half sleep and never wake up. This is my understanding. As harsh as it is it is important life lesson. Thank you for this video.
It's all u bro, u have brought us all in and keep us coming back. You are going to be a great officer and in what ever else you do in life! Thank you and keep up the great work!
Haha I'm sitting at the airport getting ready to fly to St. Louis then take a bus to Fort Lost In The Woods haha. Love the videos man! I finish basic in 10 weeks so I'll let you know if your videos helped me, thanks
hey thanks for all your videos... ive been talking to my recruiter and training on my own for the recon marines! and your videos totally help me not get discouraged trying to join
Much shorter video: "What you *are* allowed to do" - "Exactly what you are told, when you are told, the way you are told" :) The exact details are always going to vary, but the point is, especially at the beginning, is that they are trying to test your ability to function and follow orders under stress. In the real world, stress might be "the enemy is shooting at you", but in basic they use slightly less lethal ways of inducing stress. Some of it is simple basic military decorum that will continue to apply after basic, but a lot of the more arbitrary stuff is just there in basic to weed out those that can't handle it. Better to find out in a controlled situation than later on when it might cost someone's life.
I went to Ft. Benning. We didn't get in trouble for sitting on the bunk to put or boots socks on etc. We had to make sure we didn't mess up the bed though, when we got up though. Most of the time we would just sit on our footlockers, to do those tasks to not mess up the bed. And we sat on bleachers and such. Some of this stuff i've never heard of like the talking to each other. As long as instructions were not being given, at that time. They encouraged us, communication was key if you missed instructions you get it from your battle buddy, if you don't understand what your doing your battle buddy gets you squared away. I guess it really depends on your DS. I loved mine, was a great DS retired right after my class.
no taking food from the mess, you must sleep on your bed, they tell you to iron the bdu's when that removes the special stuff they put in the fabric so you try to get them dried without wrinkles., we never had any extra time in basic till our one weekend leave and late in we had a couple sundays free till 12. be prepared to scrub the loos with tooth brushes and when cleaning make sure to do the top edges of doors and windows to white glove clean.... they will be suprized spot checked ours was by a general. dont bother bringing a bunch of crap with you just bring what is on the list given to you. less is more till done with training practice everything you can before going.for me ait was like going from kindergarten to jr college. sounds like things are slightly different now. no matter what listen to the drills oh and do not have your mother send you a ginormous cookie in a pizza box with the words perishable written in red. you will be the most popular person on bivouac(where I was) but oh i paid hell for getting it. for the record i did not ask her to send it to me she just did for my 19th birthday.
1) nope we couldn't sit on our bunks ever. They were for sleeping, Period. 2) PT was a group thing. During the day we could do push-ups or whatever on our own wherever as long as nothing else was going on that directly effected you. 3) Talking while eating was a good way to get told you were done eating. In fact 1 person who said 1 word got my entire platoon excused from our lunch. lol. 4) Being alone was never an option ever. The only "solitude" I had was while sitting on the toilet. 5) As soon as we could sleep - meaning as soon as the DS's were gone and we had 'quiet time" we slept. We sneaked in naps in the laundry room, anywhere we could lol. no NAPS, but as soon as I could lay in my bed, I was out as fast as I could. I never once got smoked while 11x training. Fort Benning GA. Was the only guy in my platoon who could wear a watch too.
Basic has changed so much. I did my basic at Fort Ord, California before shipping off to Vietnam. 40 guys in one large room, no separate rooms. Bunk beds with thin mattress, no women, and drill sergeants that would beat the crap out of you. Had a fellow who continuously dropped out of running. D.I. Ordered me to fix bayonet and run behind him. If he looked like he was going to quit, I was to jab him in the ass! Seems barbaric now, but we were made of tougher stock back then. Wounded twice, was told to “suck it up, it’s only a flesh wound”. My unit was 7th Cav, 1st Cav Div.
Basic training Ft. McClellan Al. July-Sept. 1984 B-1. No talking in the Dining Facility other than to say 'yes' or 'no' to the servers. But no 'sitting at attention'...we slouched over and shoveled it in as fast a as possible...we 'sang' for our supper a few times...no pullups were required but you would often have to do some pushups for something anyway. After meals we couldn't be 'dropped' for something like 30 minutes. and you got to sit down. Our company 'sit spot' was under some pine trees on railroad ties...usually with a light rain falling and 95+ heat.
I did my BCT in the Mid Seventies at the end of the Vietnam Era. I remember after AIT when I arrived at the 21st Replacement Detachment in Germany, we arrived after Evening Chow so I walked down the Block to KFC to get something to eat. It was so unreal being able to go out with no DI yelling and screaming at me. The morning at Breakfast it was so unreal to walk in to the Mess Hall and not have to stand at attention, then parade rest, and attention before moving one step forward. The first I was told by a fellow Soldier that it was not Basic Training anymore so to knock that shit off. I walked up to the line and was asked if I wanted an omelet which freaked me out because all it ever was, was two eggs and two slices of bacon and to move out. I stood there in awe as mu ham and cheese omelet was being made and I was able to talk in line with no DI yelling at me to drop and to give them 25. At the NCO Academy it was a repeat of Basic Training all over again which was a Big Shock. Here I was a Sergeant but was being treated as a Basic Trainee all over again. It was 30 days of Misery I could not wait to be over. At Army Recruiters Course it was all NCO's and we were treated as such. It was all E-5, E-6, and a few E-7 there to become Army Recruiters. It was no being treated like a Basic Training Trainee all over again. The hard part was being NCO's surrounded by AIT Trainees there for AIT at Ft. Ben Harrison. All of the AIT Trainees would jump out of our way as we approached shouting, "Make Way". It was a weird experience being surrounded by so many AIT Trainees. A Army Buddy reenlisted and changed his MOS from Air Defense Artillery to an MP. He had to go to Fort McClellan for AIT. Because he was a Sergeant E-5 he had his own room on the first floor and was not with the AIT Trainees except when going to class. He marched to class behind the DI and not in formation with the AIT Trainees. he said it was really weird because he was an NCO and could not fraternize with the Privates so he was all alone during AIT. Upon graduation he was reclassified to MOS 95B20. Things were much different back then from how it is today.
I went through Navy Boot Camp and almost everything was the same for us. The only difference I remember though was there was pretty much zero down time. This was back when the Navy still wore the dungarees (basically the prison or janitor outfit) and you had to iron those and basically the equivalent of class Bs. If you were waiting on an ironing board, you were reading your recruit book that had everything you needed to know to pass the 3 written tests while there (Basically the book that has all the order of a sentry, chain of command, etc.). If you weren't cleaning your barracks, doing laundry or reading, the RDCs (Navy drill sergeant equivalent) were giving a class on something or telling stories about what to expect when you get to the fleet.
Man, we didn't even have battle buddies back in my day. It's been 3+ decades, but memory serves that we needed to go on pass in groups (the one or two times we were given the opportunity) and that was the only requirement. I'm glad I missed that battle buddy stuff -- sounds like it would royally suck!
Matt, I am from Slovenia and I am watching your videos for almost a year now. I have always found an answers to my questions about the military by watching your videos. You have become one of my favourite UA-camrs! Greetings from Slovenia, Tom
6 років тому+1
If you don't mind me asking, what questions are you looking for? Are you looking to join the American military? Or are you looking to apply these questions to your own nation's military?
I would love to join the American military, because in America, military is much more respected and appriciated then here in Slovenia. But ofcourse this is not possible and thats why I spend most of the time watching videos about US military because I find it very interesting and most of the military content on UA-cam is about American military :D
+Matt Ward You are correct about what you can't do in Basic. When I was in Ft.Sill we couldn't sit on the bunks,we couldn't talk in the mess hall unless you had KP & depending on who the DS is on duty for it.
I went to Ft. Benning in early February of 2011 for OSUT. We lived in barricks that looks like a trailer house. We were allowed to run up and down the hill and use the pull up bars right next to our barricks but we had to have 10 others with us and it would have to be between 20:00-21:00 so we may sacrifice our shower and down time if we did work out. Most of us excercised inside the barricks. We were allowed to sleep if we were in the barricks at 20:00 as long as we were done with everything. I think it all depends on the Drill Sergeants ours were somewhat relaxed because most of them were going to different schools like Airborne and Air Assualt at the end of OSUT.
Great video man, i just got back from BCT not long ago and now I’m at AIT, this video brought back memories lol glade to see your channel is still going strong! I gotta catch up with everything i missed so far
These are pretty accurate vids even tho I've been out since the late 80s. For you folks just going in, it will be the best experience you will have short of having a child. That being said, your goal for the next few years is that elusive DD214. Good luck
Hi Matt, the great thing about assigned sleep time is that at any given time during that sleep time you can, and most likely will, be awakened to do an activity for any amount of time that will take away your sleep time. Get used to the possibility of sleep deprivation and extra physical activity at any given time.
C-258 INF, Ft. Benning. I graduated April 20th. Your videos really calmed my nerves before I shipped, thank you for that. Lol unfortunately it was a lot worse than I expected. Anyone shipping out, good luck if you are in C-258!
That extra time in the afternoon was, wait for it!!!!! studying oh and also preparing your uniform for the next day. Back in my day, you had to spit shine your boots and that time in the afternoon was ideal.
Do Not Say.... "SORRY DS" lmao also go to wiccan church on sundays if you want sleep. Do not take condiments from the Defac... in other words ( dont get caught) lol. Oh man the list goes on.
So what do you say instead? Or do you just not say anything? Won't that get the ds pissed off? (Asking from experience with my father. Everytime I would just stand there quietly he would scream at me bloody murder. So yeah.)
I just got out of marine bootcamp. We did firewatch EVERY night. At least 1 hour sometimes 2 and there was always at least 3 recruits awake during the night. You were lucky to go 2 nights straight without fire watch
I leave in 3 weeks for Fort Benning, Georgia. 19D cavalry scout. thank you for the tips and advice I've gotten to learn over the course of time leutenient ward. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Im on the bus rn going to the first baracks beforee basic and cool to see u also went for 19D im going rn so if u have any tips just reply to this if u want ofc
I'll never forget my first morning at Sand Hill. Our reception group was standing outside the chow hall (it wasn't open yet) the only light was the red blinker on the cell tower a mile away, and the only sound was mosquitos buzzing and tree frogs chirping.
Damn, I don’t remember anything you mentioned. The only place I went with friends was the bar or when we got our off post pass into town to party. We never had battle buddies, guess that’s something new also. Damn guess times changed.
You’re my hero! Because of you, I hope to achieve so much more than previous in my life. Btw, that shirt is so cool. I’m going to get that shirt so I can be just like you. What kind of jeans do you wear? I bet cool jeans. I imagine us wearing the same jeans and shirt and it not being awkward because we are so cool and the people would think it’s no big deal because they would think I was your twin.
I am currently trying to lose over 100 pounds to join the army, while posting progress on my channel. I would love to see a video of maybe stories you have personally seen or heard of people losing a lot of weight to join. Also any advice? Thanks! Great videos btw.
In navy we could talk but only to the people in front of us....and during training if we were on the bleachers whoever was our drill Sargent's assistant was would let us ask questions but it had to be strictly about navy until closer to graduation
I've been to Army basic and this battle buddy thing is a new concept. This did not exist previously. Sitting at attention while eating? That is new too, or it was unit specific to you.
Every once in a while somebody would disappear on one of the FOBs in the sandbox so they made the "battle buddy" thing. I'm sure there's more reasons than that, but that's what we were always told. BCT training was the only place it was taken seriously and in Iraq and Afghanistan soldiers still disappeared on the FOBs. meanwhile the militarys employing local nation's on the FOBs and they have no clue how people magically disappear. And then the stupidest military slang term happened, calling your buddy you deployed with "battle". Drills said it all the fucking time. Cringy AF
Battle Buddy thing has been in basic for a while. I graduated in 2003 and it was in full effect then. We had soldiers running off FOBs quite often in Iraq in 2005/2006. After that a lot of units adopted the Battle Buddy thing on FOB's in Iraq. Im not sure about Afghanistan, but I would assume it was/still is the same story.
In the Army (mid-1990’s) BCT, I got “lost in the mountain woods during winter and was in misery”. Basic obviously has changed over the years because we never, ever had any spare time or energy to do extra working out, sleeping, ect. (The only exception might be on Sundays.). They kept us physically and mentally drained 24/7. Timed cold showers, every evening; boot, BDU, and correspondence checks every evening; then lights out. Some surprising things to me where: - The complete shutout from any form of media... no news, no news papers, no radio news... complete lack of outside knowledge. Blackout.
I guess times have changed...we used to call it a "mess hall" instead of Di-Fac and a bathroom was called a "Latrine" even though it was in the barracks. Beds were called "bunks".
I fell out laughing one day and GNF's he asked a trainee was he on cheap drug's? I laughed so hard I think I broke a rib. The DS looked at me and just walked away. No one got in trouble. Best day ever in Basic.
Girl Scouts of CT uses Battle Buddies, but we call it the Buddy System. At Camp Laurel, the only GSofCT resident camp, we have to take a buddy if we're going to the bathroom in the dead of night. It could be anywhere from 23:30 to 3:40, you have to wake up a buddy to leave your tent or cabin (the youngest girls, 2nd to 4th grade, and the horseback riding unit have cabins. The rest are units of platform tents)
Also, you didn’t ha e to do 100% fire guard because some guy was sitting on his bunk. That was already in the plans long before you got there and probably repeated every cycle. They just needed to find an excuse to make it seem like it was because someone messed up. This goes to show, one person not following the rules can be costly to their entire platoon. In BCT it’s fire guard duty, in theater its lives.
following the theme of "things drill instructors (I think you call them drill sergeants in the army?) tell you to do/not do but don't give you a reason even though there's a good reason", not sitting on your bunk is the same reason you don't just chill in your bed at home. it makes it harder to fall asleep when you actually do lay down, where as if you get your brain to associate a place with sleeping, you'll typically pass right out almost as a reflex.
Much of what Matt has said is largely situational, and not always the case. I will say that the more acquainted your platoon is with your drill sergeants, the more they will learn to trust you if your platoon proves themselves worthy of trust. My platoon had earned that trust over and over, but the stupidity of others forced us to go from white phase to red phase, then blue phase to red phase, so on and so on. But normally, by the time you reach white phase and especially in blue phase, the restrictions become more lax and you're given more freedom in how things go about. Sounds like Matt had some shitty experiences that aren't usually the norm; my platoon got punished with 100% fire guard for a few nights, but for 4 weeks? Over the top and ridiculous. And not being able to sit down while at chow? Also ridiculous. In blue phase, I remember we were allowed to take naps, and there were even some people sneaking into rival platoons' bays to cause trouble and shit. We could technically get in our beds at 20:00 if we took care of everything else, because the drill sergeants themselves would prefer to go home early, and we'd just relax on our bunks and get ready for sleep, before lights out at 21:00. While we weren't normally allowed to sit on our bunks and almost always sat on the floor instead, the "punishment" for one soldier being on his bunk wasn't really what Matt describes; someone would just get chewed out or picked on, or maybe punished lightly, but nothing to stress about. After all, there were a thousand other ways to get the shit smoked out of you, and since my platoon was full of hard-asses, they were dumb enough to challenge the drill sergeants on who would break first, the platoon, or the drill sergeants' sanity....Often it was their sanity that broke first...
I was in the army years ago and there’s always something to do. That’s why you’re not allowed to sleep when you want. It’s also about breaking down the individual to bring it up as a team so when there was nothing to do, everything was ready for the next morning we were forced to read the army soldiers book.
Just the heads up. Lots of people say the Jackson is easy, but in my battalion only my company had it easy. So there is always the chance you get the worst company at Jackson, or the easiest.
No there are going to be females bays at your companies and males are not allowed in them, and I am a fueler and we had musicians and tech guys and all sorts of mos's.
On my take on how this video is produced and described basic training is also a way of active combat on day one going forward. To my understanding the reason why a drill sergeant would tell you to be quiet and have you sit for hours being quiet is the SharePoint that if enemy is close they could be in your proximity of at least five meters or less. Any noise other than natural environment could give off your position. You must be quiet so you do not give off your position or sacrifice your platoon because you chose to talk or make unnecessary noise when the enemy is close enough to stab you in the neck. This is very informative. Thank you.
![देवउठनी एकादशी व्रत कथा | Dev uthani Ekadashi Vrat Katha 12Nov 2024 | with [JANAKNANDNI]|| #ekadashi](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/BvpmsVuUins/mqdefault.jpg)
Also, if you are curious why we weren't allowed to do some of these things. "We hadn't earned the right to do _____" - My Drill Sergeants. For example I didn't include this but we were not allowed to talk for the first few days. Yes, I just said talk. Period. That may just have been a thing my company did but we couldn't talk.
We had to communicate through other means like raising eyebrows and hand and arm signals lol Of course we literally whispered in the bathroom but that's it.
My battalion in particular lost the right to bathroom stall doors. On the talking part, the only reason some of us were allowed to talk very quietly during weapons maintainance time was to help one guy learn English. Even that was rare. Also we were required to carry around a pen or pencil and paper at all times. You can communicate that way
When I was at ft Benning, my platoon talked all the time, no matter what. We never cared if we got fucked up for it. It was an awesome experience :|
not allowed to gamble either but it still got done
what is the youngest age I can go to boot camp
I spit on the ground when I was in basic one time and my DS made me pick it up and put it in my pocket 😂😂
Duke City Aquariums I am crying 😂😂😂😭😭😭
😭😭😭😭
Omg did you laugh???? 😂 that's hilarious
There's a whole website dedicated to things people were ordered to do in basic. Sweeping the water off a sidewalk in a rain storm. Running up to any pigeon that lands and saluting it. Mr T cutting down a small forest (true story, pretty damn funny), etc.
That's called gear adrift
More things you can't do in basic:
Anything correctly
Please your DS
Avoid getting smoked
You mind explaining what is, getting smoked
Chris Cary getting bitched at by a drill instructor
@@Jmusickk thanks. for some reason I thought it meant physically wore out way passed exhaustion
@@chriscary282 that's what it means not just bitched at its it's a bit of both
Too true!
All you people going to basic here soon, it's all mental, it's easy and sometimes fun. You will have some great memories. Embrace the suck
Hayden eller ohh ive got such great memories in basic but i would never go back
Miss BT. I did 9 years of Army before the BS such as the stress card. Those who are new just listen to your DS and obey all orders. It'll make life a little easier in red phase and a whole lot easier in blue phase. Have to earn your DS trust.
I found U.S. Army basic training, Ft Sill, OK, June 1991-Aug 1991, fairly easy, and I had fun, but be in your best physical shape before leaving for basic training!
*succ
I go up October 7th. I’m not sure what exactly to expect, I just hope I make it through.
"PRIVATE! Why are you BREATHING?!?!?!? Don't blink, I didn't give you the command TO BLINK!!! Why are you so red private? You can breath now privates."
Private why aren't you breathing anymore? Private why don't you have a pulse?
Private!!! Why are u so red!!!! I said bluuuuuuuuuee privaaaat blueeeeeee!!!!!!!
I thought drill Sargents would want recruits breathing? I’m so confused?
Speaking of never being well rested in Basic; I accidentally slept through my watch one night...and got away with it! 😳 I woke up ~5 min before the next guy's shift, and no TI's decided to "visit" us that night, thank God.
Hahahaha you got luckyy
Matt Ward Yep, lucky AF!! I made up for it later though; I was on watch and a couple senior TI's from other flights came a'knockin. I handled all the inspection procedures flawlessly, and earned a grudging compliment from my TI. 🙂
I actually slept while sitting upright on a foot locker , the Drill Sgt snuck up on me and yelled "FIRE"
What is TI? I am Greek I don't know all types of phrases and acronyms.
farmakoxeris Technical Instructor - it’s what the USAF calls their Drill Sergeants.
You’ve heard of someone going into the bathroom to catch a few puffs but you probably haven’t heard of someone going to into the bathroom to catch a few pull ups
definitely went to the bathroom to catch a few yanks
Its because Matt Ward is a beast
If there's a bar someone will use it.
You left out another VERY important thing. WE WERE NOT allowed to WALK anywhere, we had to RUN ( at a jog, in other words you had to hustle) everywhere that we went if you were caught WALKING you were in DEEP "S"
ardentabacist stupid rules for robot-sheep people.
Soldiers are trained to be "fighting Sheeples", absolutely
Many people mistakenly take "soldier" for WARRIOR.
A warrior is a different animal altogether. however because BOTH go to war, sometimes the SAME war, folks that are NOT in the know will make that mistake
Also, many warriors are introduced and trained in basic weapons and murder at the soldier level.
"quick, fast, and in a hurry"
That’s not too surprising. It’s like that with any competitive sports team anyway
@@ardentabacist (especially in former times) a brave or experienced soldier or fighter.
Me : exists
Drill sergeant: 😡what was that?
also can't put your hands in your pockets. I was caught a few times on this.
Very true but that's like a military wide thing. It's frowned upon to put your hands in your pockets
At meps they wont let you put your hands in your pockets... Not even wearing a uniform
James Clark Funny story about that topic. One of my uncles retired from the Navy as a Chief, and his last station was as an instructor at Great Lakes, IL. He was a real hard-ass about regulations, even challenging officers about wearing the wrong uniform in the wrong areas of the base, etc. Whenever he saw young sailors slouching, hands in pockets, walking on the grass, etc., he made sure they heard from him. Anyhoo, he drove a very distinctive car, a gold Camaro he and my cousins restored, that everyone recognized. One day, my aunt was driving his car with one of my cousins riding shotgun. He remarked after riding past an area young sailors frequented, "It's amazing how quickly these guys straightened up and got their hands out their pockets whenever you drive past in this car."
What you need to do is take the handkercheifm
Sorry, put handkerchiefs one in each pocket. When you forget and put your hands in your pocket, and get caught, pull the handkercief out and say yes Drill Sergeant, Private (your name ) was retrieving a handkerchief. It might work, but the best bet is to not do it.
So, when i left basic, and got into the "real Army", I was shocked. The NCO's and Officers were really chilled out. They said things like "Hey man, hows it going?" And they joked around with me like i was their best friend. And even when i went to parade rest for each of the Sergeants, and even a few First Sergeants they just told me to relax or stop as soon as i went to parade rest, or even at ease, and continued to just chat with me or tell me whats up. The real army is a bit more relaxed, just do the right thing, be somewhere the right time, right uniform, and you're set.
Although let me add that i hear Polk is hell, and I'm glad I'm not there.
Matt Dex yea it’s much more relaxed than it is in basic unless you run into that one asshole Staff Sergeant.
Polk? As in Fort Polk Louisiana?
You're not a mikeburnfire fan, are ya? Just asking for a friend :P
I’m stationed at Polk currently and it only sucks if you don’t have a vehicle
@@michaelgarlinghouse1291 it also sucks because you also get tasked out to help damn near every other units’ rotation so it essentially becomes your rotation. Then you get to do your own rotation.
What? I’m not allowed to be on my phone? My recruiter said I could! He said I could keep my hair too!
parks yeah right
+Noah Frye hahaha good one
Ye he also said your dad can do it for you to
But you can play PUBG
🙄🙄🙄
Easy tip for inactivity, read and memorize the soldier handbook. This what my battlebuddy and i did.
Basic training is all mental. The sooner that is realized the easier basic training will be. Ft Knox bct 1998.
Add the fact that BCT is no where the difficulty level compared to someone like you or I(Ft. Jackson 1998) who went through basic in the 90s. Granted even when we went it was nothing like the 60s to 80s BCT... minus being allowed to smoke and dip during the 60s to 80s in basic. But my husband was a DS from 2010 to 2012 at Ft. Jackson and I was floored over how much easier things are.
Marquise Calhoun I was there around this time last year, funny enough 20 years apart but it was a life changing experience
Every bit of it, look at it like this, the first few weeks are a weeding out period, you learn what's up, and those that can't cut it are washed out by then, after that things back off a little. Great Lakes Illinois, 1984
@@Fear_the_Doughnut: Is it true that even some of the most "Physically Fit" people wash-out of Basic Training?
Some veterans have told me that the biggest reason people wash out is because the mental aspects of those 2-3 weeks scare them into culture-shock.
@@marythompson6282 was there in 2006 bravo company 4th platoon and it was a joke and AIT at fort Lewis was even worse.
they made us eat while lay in the prone with ACH(helmet) on chin strap buckled in case we were “shot at”
Stomach or Back?
attackmaster555 Prone is on your stomach and supine is on your back.
If you ever have occasion to need to remember prone vs supine ~ prone positioning leaves you "more vulnerable" because you're face down & supine leaves you face up with your "spine down" to ground.
Same for me. the whole company had 10 min total to eat but you had to eat in shifts why the others covered you. But I thing the world part is they turned off the hot water all together. Ice cold showers every day/shaving
@@amwelch0424 That's a horrible definition, you're alot more vulnerable on your back. what the heck are you going to shoot on your back? There not hard words to remember, lol.
“Buddy, want go to bathroom?”
I thought it’s a girls thing.😂
lol
Nope in BCT and AIT you always ALWAYS have to have a battle buddy no matter what I had a drill sergeant where if he found you alone he'd make you lay down and pretend to be dead and make 2 of your battle buddies drag you back to your platoon area 😂
I had never heard of a "Battle Buddy" until my baby brother and sister said it but I'm 22 and 24 years older than they are and did BCT in 1974 on Ft. Jackson.
DoNot Need my wife went to basic at age 32 so she was VERY independent plus she's an ONLY child so she said the worst thing was NOT ever being able to be alone! She HATED the battle buddy system after a while, she understood the logic BUT truly said it was the most annoying thing
@@laurensammons7550 honestly that would be pretty fun
In the field, we ate UPU in the prone position because “the enemy could see us if we sat up”
Romans Tactical yep, and one person was wearing his ACH so we all had to put them on too
Romans Tactical I always hated doing that, especially in y’all grass, I always got grasshoppers and ants all in food.
Maddie Sails *tall grass lol
theyankeekiller93 dude your user and profile pic made my day
@@Covey7342 so..dessert?
Air Force basic was very similar we didn't have the battle buddy though. Definitely couldn't sit AT ALL on anything except you had a chair in your locker area. Also no talking during meals. I once got yelled at during lunch for smiling and looking around. Good times.
Marine Boot camp was like that too except that we didn't have chairs in our barracks except for the ones inside the DI hut. We'd always sit on the floor in front of our bunks to read our "knowledge", shine our boots, or whatever. We were, however, allowed to sit in chairs whenever we had classroom time and in the bleachers if there were any but most of the time was on the floor or ground.
What about your wingman?
Do not miss the wingman policy... I appreciate my privacy and personal space when I'm doing my own thing a lot more now.
Only two weeks left till I ship out. I graduate Friday and I’m so excited to start this new chapter in my life, especially as a US Army soldier. Thank you so much Matt for making me feel more confident about going into the Army. All your videos really have helped me a lot though this last year of high school for me
me too
Gabriel Suarez same here , fort jackson
Joaquin Nuokus same man. Mos 91B
Gabriel Suarez maybe i’ll see you there 25U
Hey, Same here!
“Food taste better with my heels together”
karimu Walker "I'm a greedy private"
karimu Walker bro 😂
Knuckles to knuckles, thumbs to chest.. makes my dinks taste the best.
Bowl, bowl, bowl, bring your bowl to the food.
Sing my song trainee
You wake up in the night and hear grunting and breathing coming from the head. "Oh its just Matt doing pull ups again."
you sure about that? 🤨
My dad had to burry a piece of crap and do a 21 gun salute for it when he went through basic training the hole was six feet long and deep and a rifle length in width the reason they did that was because a stupid person took a crap on the grass. This happened a little over twenty years ago so no one cared about anything and life was great.
Lol one guy had to do the same thing except he forgot his rifle in the woods so he ran out of formation to get it while we were at the front leaning rest position. They then did with someones rifle 21 gun salute and played the song as they buried his rifle and they handed him a pncho folded as a flag.
My Grandfather in boot camp at the start of WWII didn't field dress his cigarette butt correctly, and was told to dig a hole as described above, and bury it, then dig it out to dispose of it correctly. Maybe not true but you can never tell with those Army folk.
@Yi Gotti Only thing that is bullshit here is the idea that you have a functioning brain between your ears.
I remember my DS smoked us for buying the wrong beer at the bowling alley during the first week of red phase!
jesus... what year was this XD
What. Man basic sounds fun for you.
Smoked for buying beer and then smoked for buying bud light
I'd imagine not letting you go to sleep early, is all part of the training. A way to make sure you can function on a set number of hours sleep. Sleep deprivation is also a tool to prepare you. Imagine being a in a foxhole and nothing is happening. You expected the enemy to have been there by then, but they weren't. Eventually, you start to relax and soon you are drifting off and that's when the attack happens. So, I think controlling your sleep is part of the training.
No sneaking into the female barracks to get some tail 😂
GunXMetal37 darn
I did that once. Turns out its a bad idea to sneak onto an army base as a civilian and try to get there tail.
Why would you want to?
The original Jackal :/ idk lol
GunXMetal37 you’ll for sure get chaptered 😂
I heard in basic training you're not allowed to play fortnight
It's sad but true...
Nicholas Seamans lmaoooooo
They tested out PUBG during one cycle but 99% of the recruits bitched more than usual and 1% couldn’t stop showboating.
The only game good enough for the military is Quake 3
New basic training is fortnight
That why i went air force. I visted an army base first. Lesson learned.
@@willie_mccoy
Yes, but we were trading steaks and ribs for cases of c rations. Most were not that bad. It was a nice change from regular chow. We couldn't go over to their side. But they were always quite welcome on our side of the base.
I missed the friends i made in basic.
Same Here, 80 percent of my BCT platoon, Also ended up in AIT together, same MOS Group, so many from the first day at 30th AG to grad. day from AIT, the Army birthday 2007, & "I still miss them all."
Wow, basic training is so different from when I went in 1973. No "battle buddies", no crap about sitting on something (I spent a LOT of time in basic taking tests and we sat on chairs - same for the mess hall), no sitting at attention in the mess hall when eating. Seems to be a new army nowadays. The main rules I remember learning in basic: never go outside "uncovered" (must wear a cap or helmet of some sort), no hands in pockets (why provide pockets on pants if you can't use them? lol), no walking (we had to run everywhere). I'm sure there was more, but 1973 was a long time ago.
Mr. Ward, I want to thank you for your video tips. I'm 28 yrs old and I'm looking to join the Army within the year. Thanks again for the great tips! You have my sub.
I’m leaving for basic in 6 days and I really appreciate these videos. Thank you. I’ve been excited but yet very nervous. So I really appreciate you taking the time to make these videos.
How would it go?
Did you survive?
Just work hard and do what your told to do, and what ever you do DON"T piss off the DI or your life will be hell. Once you get out of basic and get to your duty station things will be a lot more laid back. I was in 1966-67 and was a radioteletype crypto specialist and got to work with the British forces along the East German border and really enjoyed my time in the Army. If Vietnam wasn't going on I probably would have stayed in but they wouldn't guarantee me anything if I reenlisted . Good Luck and God Bless!
Battle buddy concept to me took quite a while to get used to. I'm extremely comfortable being by myself and to realize that I'm going to have to be around someone 100% of the time was overwhelming at first I really hated it but after a little while these guys became my best friends through all the punishments and dirt we ate together. It was a beautiful experience.
At one point the guys in my platoon felt like my brothers man. Black, white, Hispanic everyone was in there man it was an amazing experience I honestly do recommend it to anyone. You will meet some of your best friends and thanks to social media you will likely be able to stay in contact with them.
To those that are about endeer BCT, go in there with a positive attitude and a willingness to learn. Become absorbed in the system and your battle buddies they will help push you through it all.
When you feel like you are at your limit you will have no choice but to push through it and it feels so nice to know that everyone around you is going through the exact same so incase you were wondering how you will push through it all that's your answer. Your battle buddies will help keeping pushing through basic training and your trust in them will drastically improve.
I did AF BMT and these were pretty much the same rules. Obviously army basic is harder, but it looks like the basic rules are the same.
Good to know! Thats where I'm going
I know this is an old video, but I’m blown away that you had extra energy to do extra pt. I wasn’t out of shape and I got all I could handle daylight to dark
Great video as always brother! All the best!
Satan✔
Fire guard is a given even if no one gets in trouble. Literally every single platoon has fireguard
Baby Bunch facts lol when I was in we always had an hour of fire guard each night I’ve never herd of every 1 to 4 days lol
Did basic back in 87, do they still do roving guard where you walked around the company at night with a battle buddy with a road guard vest and flashlight?
@@jaliel0007 we had 60 people per platoon in basics fireguard was about every three days for two people per hour
@@genericasianperson6405 lucky lol they made us do our fire guard based on the 30 ish people we had in each bay. Instead of it being a platoon thing the 30 of us in the bay had to change every dam night it was hell lol
@@georgemaxwell3467 Yeah, we still do Fireguard. At Benning, one dude manned a desk near the DS door that had a list of how many weapons and personnel we had in the bay while the roving guard walked around the bay with his headlamp.
Finally done with meps!!! Shipping out July 30 fort Jackson
Gowasu I ship the same day to Benning
Gowasu I ship the same day to Sill haha
Where y'all shipping from
RexGaming SC...you??
KS . I can't wait to be down south again lol
Also as you continue this analogy the reason why they would tell you to get as much sleep and keep you up until it is time to go to sleep to my understanding is because the enemy is never sleep. The enemy will wait until you go to sleep to sneak up on you and put you permanently to sleep. It is a training exercise to be diligent and watchful even at X it may appear to be calm. As my life experience this is true you could be done with all of your choice I have completed all of your responsibilities and as soon as you begin to untie your boots a fight breaks out and the enemy is trying to kick the door in. The enemy will not wait for you to put your boots back on to take your feet away. It is also a exercise of self-control and discipline. Many people would take this as punishment or being unfair. Ask my life experience growing up as a kid with a stepdad who woke me up violently every morning for 15 years I understand why it is important to stay vigilant even when things appear to be calm for just a moment. Never underestimate what your opponent will do or when they will come. Always be ready to meet them even if you're half sleep. I'd rather be half awake and fight them to get a good night sleep then to be half sleep and never wake up. This is my understanding. As harsh as it is it is important life lesson. Thank you for this video.
When your "enemy" has been training on amphetamines.
@@bobbybeausoleigh7778 😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆EXACTLY ...I MEAN WTF?Too much
It's all u bro, u have brought us all in and keep us coming back. You are going to be a great officer and in what ever else you do in life! Thank you and keep up the great work!
Appreciate that man!
Appreciate u bro!
Haha I'm sitting at the airport getting ready to fly to St. Louis then take a bus to Fort Lost In The Woods haha. Love the videos man! I finish basic in 10 weeks so I'll let you know if your videos helped me, thanks
Midwest Boys hey if your in delt 1-48 2 platoon tell Schwass kling and lane that fox says hi 😂😂
Midwest Boys I went to ft Leonard Wood and it was some of the best memories. You will have to deal with reception and that was so boring.
When i was in americorps nccc they flew from phoenix to st louis and from there to ft leonard wood. Our project was in salem.
Midwest Boys 12N been in for 2 years loved that places I did my basic and AIT there
Bravo 3-10 was dope. i miss DS Nuoffer
hey thanks for all your videos... ive been talking to my recruiter and training on my own for the recon marines! and your videos totally help me not get discouraged trying to join
Much shorter video: "What you *are* allowed to do" - "Exactly what you are told, when you are told, the way you are told" :) The exact details are always going to vary, but the point is, especially at the beginning, is that they are trying to test your ability to function and follow orders under stress. In the real world, stress might be "the enemy is shooting at you", but in basic they use slightly less lethal ways of inducing stress. Some of it is simple basic military decorum that will continue to apply after basic, but a lot of the more arbitrary stuff is just there in basic to weed out those that can't handle it. Better to find out in a controlled situation than later on when it might cost someone's life.
I went to Ft. Benning. We didn't get in trouble for sitting on the bunk to put or boots socks on etc. We had to make sure we didn't mess up the bed though, when we got up though. Most of the time we would just sit on our footlockers, to do those tasks to not mess up the bed. And we sat on bleachers and such. Some of this stuff i've never heard of like the talking to each other. As long as instructions were not being given, at that time. They encouraged us, communication was key if you missed instructions you get it from your battle buddy, if you don't understand what your doing your battle buddy gets you squared away. I guess it really depends on your DS. I loved mine, was a great DS retired right after my class.
no taking food from the mess, you must sleep on your bed, they tell you to iron the bdu's when that removes the special stuff they put in the fabric so you try to get them dried without wrinkles., we never had any extra time in basic till our one weekend leave and late in we had a couple sundays free till 12. be prepared to scrub the loos with tooth brushes and when cleaning make sure to do the top edges of doors and windows to white glove clean.... they will be suprized spot checked ours was by a general.
dont bother bringing a bunch of crap with you just bring what is on the list given to you. less is more till done with training
practice everything you can before going.for me ait was like going from kindergarten to jr college. sounds like things are slightly different now. no matter what listen to the drills oh and do not have your mother send you a ginormous cookie in a pizza box with the words perishable written in red. you will be the most popular person on bivouac(where I was) but oh i paid hell for getting it. for the record i did not ask her to send it to me she just did for my 19th birthday.
Haha I thought the word "perishable" was on the cookie in red icing haha
What, were you in trouble with your drill instructors?
1) nope we couldn't sit on our bunks ever. They were for sleeping, Period.
2) PT was a group thing. During the day we could do push-ups or whatever on our own wherever as long as nothing else was going on that directly effected you.
3) Talking while eating was a good way to get told you were done eating. In fact 1 person who said 1 word got my entire platoon excused from our lunch. lol.
4) Being alone was never an option ever. The only "solitude" I had was while sitting on the toilet.
5) As soon as we could sleep - meaning as soon as the DS's were gone and we had 'quiet time" we slept. We sneaked in naps in the laundry room, anywhere we could lol. no NAPS, but as soon as I could lay in my bed, I was out as fast as I could. I never once got smoked while 11x training. Fort Benning GA. Was the only guy in my platoon who could wear a watch too.
I am an E-2 and just shipped to fort Jackson South Carolina today, I'm watching this on the way there, see your videos in a couple months
Basic has changed so much. I did my basic at Fort Ord, California before shipping off to Vietnam. 40 guys in one large room, no separate rooms. Bunk beds with thin mattress, no women, and drill sergeants that would beat the crap out of you. Had a fellow who continuously dropped out of running. D.I. Ordered me to fix bayonet and run behind him. If he looked like he was going to quit, I was to jab him in the ass! Seems barbaric now, but we were made of tougher stock back then. Wounded twice, was told to “suck it up, it’s only a flesh wound”. My unit was 7th Cav, 1st Cav Div.
Besides the Drill Sergeants physically attacking you it was the same when I was in infantry school
Craig Smith thanks for your service
@Ben Jay it's in Monterey, California
@Samuel Sweetmann I just had high impact training at fort Polk
Craig Smith thank you for your service, I got love for the Cav! Legends
Basic training Ft. McClellan Al. July-Sept. 1984 B-1. No talking in the Dining Facility other than to say 'yes' or 'no' to the servers. But no 'sitting at attention'...we slouched over and shoveled it in as fast a as possible...we 'sang' for our supper a few times...no pullups were required but you would often have to do some pushups for something anyway. After meals we couldn't be 'dropped' for something like 30 minutes. and you got to sit down. Our company 'sit spot' was under some pine trees on railroad ties...usually with a light rain falling and 95+ heat.
I did my BCT in the Mid Seventies at the end of the Vietnam Era. I remember after AIT when I arrived at the 21st Replacement Detachment in Germany, we arrived after Evening Chow so I walked down the Block to KFC to get something to eat. It was so unreal being able to go out with no DI yelling and screaming at me.
The morning at Breakfast it was so unreal to walk in to the Mess Hall and not have to stand at attention, then parade rest, and attention before moving one step forward. The first I was told by a fellow Soldier that it was not Basic Training anymore so to knock that shit off. I walked up to the line and was asked if I wanted an omelet which freaked me out because all it ever was, was two eggs and two slices of bacon and to move out. I stood there in awe as mu ham and cheese omelet was being made and I was able to talk in line with no DI yelling at me to drop and to give them 25.
At the NCO Academy it was a repeat of Basic Training all over again which was a Big Shock. Here I was a Sergeant but was being treated as a Basic Trainee all over again. It was 30 days of Misery I could not wait to be over.
At Army Recruiters Course it was all NCO's and we were treated as such. It was all E-5, E-6, and a few E-7 there to become Army Recruiters. It was no being treated like a Basic Training Trainee all over again. The hard part was being NCO's surrounded by AIT Trainees there for AIT at Ft. Ben Harrison. All of the AIT Trainees would jump out of our way as we approached shouting, "Make Way". It was a weird experience being surrounded by so many AIT Trainees.
A Army Buddy reenlisted and changed his MOS from Air Defense Artillery to an MP. He had to go to Fort McClellan for AIT. Because he was a Sergeant E-5 he had his own room on the first floor and was not with the AIT Trainees except when going to class. He marched to class behind the DI and not in formation with the AIT Trainees. he said it was really weird because he was an NCO and could not fraternize with the Privates so he was all alone during AIT. Upon graduation he was reclassified to MOS 95B20.
Things were much different back then from how it is today.
I went through Navy Boot Camp and almost everything was the same for us. The only difference I remember though was there was pretty much zero down time. This was back when the Navy still wore the dungarees (basically the prison or janitor outfit) and you had to iron those and basically the equivalent of class Bs. If you were waiting on an ironing board, you were reading your recruit book that had everything you needed to know to pass the 3 written tests while there (Basically the book that has all the order of a sentry, chain of command, etc.).
If you weren't cleaning your barracks, doing laundry or reading, the RDCs (Navy drill sergeant equivalent) were giving a class on something or telling stories about what to expect when you get to the fleet.
Man, we didn't even have battle buddies back in my day. It's been 3+ decades, but memory serves that we needed to go on pass in groups (the one or two times we were given the opportunity) and that was the only requirement. I'm glad I missed that battle buddy stuff -- sounds like it would royally suck!
Matt, I am from Slovenia and I am watching your videos for almost a year now. I have always found an answers to my questions about the military by watching your videos. You have become one of my favourite UA-camrs!
Greetings from Slovenia,
Tom
If you don't mind me asking, what questions are you looking for? Are you looking to join the American military? Or are you looking to apply these questions to your own nation's military?
I would love to join the American military, because in America, military is much more respected and appriciated then here in Slovenia. But ofcourse this is not possible and thats why I spend most of the time watching videos about US military because I find it very interesting and most of the military content on UA-cam is about American military :D
Nice to see everybody excited/nervous about shipping out. I was in your same position last year. #ArmyReservist #42A
+Matt Ward
You are correct about what you can't do in Basic. When I was in Ft.Sill we couldn't sit on the bunks,we couldn't talk in the mess hall unless you had KP & depending on who the DS is on duty for it.
I went to Ft. Benning in early February of 2011 for OSUT. We lived in barricks that looks like a trailer house. We were allowed to run up and down the hill and use the pull up bars right next to our barricks but we had to have 10 others with us and it would have to be between 20:00-21:00 so we may sacrifice our shower and down time if we did work out. Most of us excercised inside the barricks. We were allowed to sleep if we were in the barricks at 20:00 as long as we were done with everything. I think it all depends on the Drill Sergeants ours were somewhat relaxed because most of them were going to different schools like Airborne and Air Assualt at the end of OSUT.
Great video man, i just got back from BCT not long ago and now I’m at AIT, this video brought back memories lol glade to see your channel is still going strong! I gotta catch up with everything i missed so far
These are pretty accurate vids even tho I've been out since the late 80s. For you folks just going in, it will be the best experience you will have short of having a child. That being said, your goal for the next few years is that elusive DD214. Good luck
Hi Matt, the great thing about assigned sleep time is that at any given time during that sleep time you can, and most likely will, be awakened to do an activity for any amount of time that will take away your sleep time. Get used to the possibility of sleep deprivation and extra physical activity at any given time.
Thankyou so much for the help. I am much less stressed about basic training now. I really appreciate your videos, sir.
Hey you should put your officer frame to your right shoulder man that way we can see it .
Thank you for your service
C-258 INF, Ft. Benning. I graduated April 20th. Your videos really calmed my nerves before I shipped, thank you for that. Lol unfortunately it was a lot worse than I expected. Anyone shipping out, good luck if you are in C-258!
Alex Scaffo we were in osut the same time bro! F-258
E-258 brothas
Accidentally filled my cup to almost full
No one:
Drill sergeant: You don’t got chocolate Milk where you’re from, spill one drop trainee
That extra time in the afternoon was, wait for it!!!!! studying oh and also preparing your uniform for the next day. Back in my day, you had to spit shine your boots and that time in the afternoon was ideal.
Do Not Say....
"SORRY DS" lmao also go to wiccan church on sundays if you want sleep. Do not take condiments from the Defac... in other words ( dont get caught) lol.
Oh man the list goes on.
So what do you say instead? Or do you just not say anything? Won't that get the ds pissed off? (Asking from experience with my father. Everytime I would just stand there quietly he would scream at me bloody murder. So yeah.)
@@ihatethisusernameupdate just say yes drill sergeant. Never thank them either.
Wicca church? I went through ft. Benning and they didn't have Wicca church.
I've watched so many of your videos. I really love them! But that intro song always catches me off guard haha
“Move with a purpose trainee”
no trainee or recruits in the army lol soldier or battle thats it no ds calls anyone a recruit.
CtheDead209 it’s trainee now, it used to be privates but their called trainees
I just got out of marine bootcamp. We did firewatch EVERY night. At least 1 hour sometimes 2 and there was always at least 3 recruits awake during the night. You were lucky to go 2 nights straight without fire watch
I like the 49ers sign. My dad was the Commander of the USAF ROTC program across the hall from the Army ROTC in Kennedy. Great memories from UNCC.
I leave in 3 weeks for Fort Benning, Georgia. 19D cavalry scout. thank you for the tips and advice I've gotten to learn over the course of time leutenient ward. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Im on the bus rn going to the first baracks beforee basic and cool to see u also went for 19D im going rn so if u have any tips just reply to this if u want ofc
The battle buddy thing is true and once you finish basic you feel weird going anywhere by yourself for a while
If you need extra PT in basic then; 1) the army got soft 2) you picked a POG ass MOS
I'll never forget my first morning at Sand Hill. Our reception group was standing outside the chow hall (it wasn't open yet) the only light was the red blinker on the cell tower a mile away, and the only sound was mosquitos buzzing and tree frogs chirping.
Thanks for the insights man! Leaving July 30th
Damn, I don’t remember anything you mentioned. The only place I went with friends was the bar or when we got our off post pass into town to party. We never had battle buddies, guess that’s something new also. Damn guess times changed.
Who the hell wants to do extra work out while you're in basic training
Everyone does extra work because someone was fucking up.
toby hockenbury he means voluntarily. Of course everyone has to do extra work when someone messes up it’s all a team effort
Sir No Sir!
I would, and will, I love running and really want to get down to 5 min/mile(s)
Dank Beast going to try extra work to keep up my shape
You’re my hero! Because of you, I hope to achieve so much more than previous in my life. Btw, that shirt is so cool. I’m going to get that shirt so I can be just like you. What kind of jeans do you wear? I bet cool jeans. I imagine us wearing the same jeans and shirt and it not being awkward because we are so cool and the people would think it’s no big deal because they would think I was your twin.
I am currently trying to lose over 100 pounds to join the army, while posting progress on my channel. I would love to see a video of maybe stories you have personally seen or heard of people losing a lot of weight to join. Also any advice? Thanks! Great videos btw.
In navy we could talk but only to the people in front of us....and during training if we were on the bleachers whoever was our drill Sargent's assistant was would let us ask questions but it had to be strictly about navy until closer to graduation
Only 1 hour?? I went to benning and for 4 weeks we had a 12 man fire guard every hour...
Thanks, Matt bro I love your videos cause u don't sugar-coat the military, and all your videos u keep it real
He said “Periodtt” 😂💯
Thank you for your service happy Veterans day Hooah!! 😁🇺🇸
I've been to Army basic and this battle buddy thing is a new concept. This did not exist previously. Sitting at attention while eating? That is new too, or it was unit specific to you.
If you went recently then it was unique to you. If you joined a while ago then yeah it may be new but it’s how it is now
Every once in a while somebody would disappear on one of the FOBs in the sandbox so they made the "battle buddy" thing. I'm sure there's more reasons than that, but that's what we were always told. BCT training was the only place it was taken seriously and in Iraq and Afghanistan soldiers still disappeared on the FOBs. meanwhile the militarys employing local nation's on the FOBs and they have no clue how people magically disappear. And then the stupidest military slang term happened, calling your buddy you deployed with "battle". Drills said it all the fucking time. Cringy AF
Battle Buddy thing has been in basic for a while. I graduated in 2003 and it was in full effect then. We had soldiers running off FOBs quite often in Iraq in 2005/2006. After that a lot of units adopted the Battle Buddy thing on FOB's in Iraq. Im not sure about Afghanistan, but I would assume it was/still is the same story.
I went to basic at Fort Leonard Wood in 1993 and battle buddies were common to all units in BCT
We had battle buddies in 1997 I promise.
In the Army (mid-1990’s) BCT, I got “lost in the mountain woods during winter and was in misery”. Basic obviously has changed over the years because we never, ever had any spare time or energy to do extra working out, sleeping, ect. (The only exception might be on Sundays.). They kept us physically and mentally drained 24/7. Timed cold showers, every evening; boot, BDU, and correspondence checks every evening; then lights out. Some surprising things to me where:
- The complete shutout from any form of media... no news, no news papers, no radio news... complete lack of outside knowledge. Blackout.
Thanks for the warning.
We made a remix of someone saying "I Will Not Talk In The Chow Hall" and it was honestly pretty fire...
Me watching this when I literally leave in seven days
I guess times have changed...we used to call it a "mess hall" instead of Di-Fac and a bathroom was called a "Latrine" even though it was in the barracks. Beds were called "bunks".
One of the hardest things that you never want to do is laugh. DSs love it when you laugh, it gives them an excise to smoke your bags.
I fell out laughing one day and GNF's he asked a trainee was he on cheap drug's? I laughed so hard I think I broke a rib. The DS looked at me and just walked away. No one got in trouble. Best day ever in Basic.
Girl Scouts of CT uses Battle Buddies, but we call it the Buddy System. At Camp Laurel, the only GSofCT resident camp, we have to take a buddy if we're going to the bathroom in the dead of night. It could be anywhere from 23:30 to 3:40, you have to wake up a buddy to leave your tent or cabin (the youngest girls, 2nd to 4th grade, and the horseback riding unit have cabins. The rest are units of platform tents)
Also, you didn’t ha e to do 100% fire guard because some guy was sitting on his bunk. That was already in the plans long before you got there and probably repeated every cycle. They just needed to find an excuse to make it seem like it was because someone messed up. This goes to show, one person not following the rules can be costly to their entire platoon. In BCT it’s fire guard duty, in theater its lives.
This is because one person fucks up in a combat zone or isn't paying attention their battle buddies could die
following the theme of "things drill instructors (I think you call them drill sergeants in the army?) tell you to do/not do but don't give you a reason even though there's a good reason", not sitting on your bunk is the same reason you don't just chill in your bed at home. it makes it harder to fall asleep when you actually do lay down, where as if you get your brain to associate a place with sleeping, you'll typically pass right out almost as a reflex.
i could fall asleep anywhere any time by the end
Much of what Matt has said is largely situational, and not always the case. I will say that the more acquainted your platoon is with your drill sergeants, the more they will learn to trust you if your platoon proves themselves worthy of trust. My platoon had earned that trust over and over, but the stupidity of others forced us to go from white phase to red phase, then blue phase to red phase, so on and so on. But normally, by the time you reach white phase and especially in blue phase, the restrictions become more lax and you're given more freedom in how things go about. Sounds like Matt had some shitty experiences that aren't usually the norm; my platoon got punished with 100% fire guard for a few nights, but for 4 weeks? Over the top and ridiculous. And not being able to sit down while at chow? Also ridiculous. In blue phase, I remember we were allowed to take naps, and there were even some people sneaking into rival platoons' bays to cause trouble and shit. We could technically get in our beds at 20:00 if we took care of everything else, because the drill sergeants themselves would prefer to go home early, and we'd just relax on our bunks and get ready for sleep, before lights out at 21:00.
While we weren't normally allowed to sit on our bunks and almost always sat on the floor instead, the "punishment" for one soldier being on his bunk wasn't really what Matt describes; someone would just get chewed out or picked on, or maybe punished lightly, but nothing to stress about. After all, there were a thousand other ways to get the shit smoked out of you, and since my platoon was full of hard-asses, they were dumb enough to challenge the drill sergeants on who would break first, the platoon, or the drill sergeants' sanity....Often it was their sanity that broke first...
I was in the army years ago and there’s always something to do. That’s why you’re not allowed to sleep when you want. It’s also about breaking down the individual to bring it up as a team so when there was nothing to do, everything was ready for the next morning we were forced to read the army soldiers book.
Leaving June 5th (next week) great vids thank you
where are you going?
Leaving June 5th too to Fort Jackson
Just the heads up. Lots of people say the Jackson is easy, but in my battalion only my company had it easy. So there is always the chance you get the worst company at Jackson, or the easiest.
Gabriel Brokaw Are the companies random or broken up by specific MOS (gender obviously as well)
No there are going to be females bays at your companies and males are not allowed in them, and I am a fueler and we had musicians and tech guys and all sorts of mos's.
On my take on how this video is produced and described basic training is also a way of active combat on day one going forward. To my understanding the reason why a drill sergeant would tell you to be quiet and have you sit for hours being quiet is the SharePoint that if enemy is close they could be in your proximity of at least five meters or less. Any noise other than natural environment could give off your position. You must be quiet so you do not give off your position or sacrifice your platoon because you chose to talk or make unnecessary noise when the enemy is close enough to stab you in the neck. This is very informative. Thank you.
I ship out June 10th! 31 Bravo. And I just got engaged!
bad move, she gonna cheat
On sundays at basic we got to do PT if we wanted to. Pullup bars dip bars, run around the BN building.
Leave for training to benning in August 11x OSUT baby
Idriss Nasry Aug 13th
??
E Yank no 7 buddy
Prepare for hell
19d?