Less than one year after my 18th birthday I found myself on a rugged, smelly "yellow dog" school bus on the way to United States Army Basic Training. The strangers sitting around me, each with their head down in green duffle bags like myself, came from every corner of the country. Opposite perspectives and opinions were soon to clash under the stress of relentless drill sergeants and strict, heavily monitored schedules. Like most, I was excited for what was ahead but anxiously awaited if "the rumors" were true. The following 11 weeks shaped the way I viewed life outside of the gates. Apart from the hardened discipline and military training, below are some noteworthy takeaways.
(Shoutout to Echo Company, thanks for the memories, ya chumps.)
1. The "secret" contraband trade.
I once saw a grown man pay $50 for a bag of Skittles. Fifty. Dollars. We had gone about 8 weeks without any kind of sweet snack and our menu options at every meal were limited. Through a lucky MRE (Meal-Ready-To-Eat), a soldier auctioned off this little red bag at a range to a desperate soul who couldn't contain his sugar cravings any longer. Snacks of all sorts made their way around like this, "secretly" and sometimes coming with a hefty cost.
2. Thick skin.
If you're an old school grunt reading this, BCT has been modified, it's the truth. The barracks no longer resemble scenes from Forrest Grump and Jarhead, but nonetheless, I can guarantee everyone who graduates has very, very thick skin. Much like hungry sharks, drill sergeants sniffed out the weak, the tiniest drop of fear being their fresh blood. Every mistake was put on a pedestal for the company to see and you learned, fast, that without thick skin you were a small fish awaiting your demise.
3. Lightspeed meal eating.
Every meal, whether in the cafeteria or field, was hawk-eyed by the relentless cadre. Taste became obsolete as we quickly adjusted to minorly chew and swallow hard. To this day, I have trouble taking my time and I'd be willing to bet anyone who completed this training would say the same thing.
4. Getting in shape is just a matter repetition.
I'm not sure how many miles we ran at basic training, but it was enough to give me some mighty shin splints that lasted weeks. Sprints, pull-ups, push-ups, weird yoga stretches, you name it, we did it. Every day at 5 a.m. sharp we were expected to be up and headed outside to the freezing cold with only track shorts and a thin t-shirt for warmth. Getting in shape is just a matter of repetition. I saw the biggest of men and women drop 15-20 pounds all with the help of a little cadence and early morning motivation in the form of an angry drill sergeant.
5. There will always be "that guy."
Ah yes, "that guy." If you've been to BCT I bet you just thought of him. There is and will always be one private with the audacity to speak out against a drill sergeant. This and the reluctance to follow orders got the entire platoon into a smoking session (a disciplinary event where recruits are forced to exercise). "That guy," I hope you're out there doing well, thanks for those extra 1000 push-ups, bud.
6. Opposite viewpoints can (have to) get along.
Like mentioned before, I was forced to live with 60+ recruits in an area roughly the size of two/three basketball courts. The limited space brought out the best and worst in each person. Cliques formed and sometimes a fistfight sparked from the pettiest of things. With this being said though, no recruit makes it to graduation without the help of his/her fellow soldier. The team picks each other up and with or without the assistance of our drill sergeants, we always found a way to get along.
7. Living like a caveman.
"Give us your phones, iPods, iPads, laptops and anything else you shrimps have that's electronic," they said. And we did. BCT means resorting to snail mail to communicate with the outside world. No Facebook, sports updates or music—caveman style. As we learned to let go, the social networks we relied upon were each other, and that was ok. We survived (thumbs up).
8. "Jody" is real.
To the person who hasn't been to BCT, let me explain "Jody." Jody is a mysterious (in some cases) person, male or female, who preys upon a recruit's partner while they are away to serve the country. Rumors about Jody spread, some refusing to admit their counterparts would do such a thing, but as time moved along more stories spread, and sadly, some discover through pen and paper that Jody is, indeed, real.
9. "Gomer Pyle" is also real.
Gomer Pyle is a character from the movie "Full Metal Jacket." Mr. Pyle is a private who we all meet at BCT. He can't seem to get anything right, from marching to rifle qualifications, and we all feel sorry for him as the drill sergeants pounce at the chance to blast his mistakes aloud. Gomer Pyle from my company in BCT graduated and is doing well. His presence in every company is without fail and it's alright, we all grew to love him.
10. Family doesn't always have to be blood-related.
Eleven weeks isn't much time to get to know someone when you're surrounded by distractions from our busy lives. Strip external factors away and you're fast pressed to rely on those around you, those in direct relation. Strangers become friends, friends into brothers/sisters. Without you, Echo Battery, I would have been miserable and I want you to know that if called into war, I'd choose you any day. In one of the strangest ways possible, BCT taught me that family isn't always blood-related, but sometimes, that's perfectly fine.
