The physical demands of Basic Training are no
joke - you’ll need to be in tip-top physical shape to handle the gruelling marches, pass
the difficult physical fitness evaluations, and, of course, survive the notorious
Hell Week at the end. But surviving is much more about your mindset than your physical
fitness - Basic Training is only 20% physical, and 80% mental. So, do you have what it takes
to survive Basic Training? Let’s find out... Basic Training is designed to psychologically
“disassemble the civilian” and turn you into a physically fit, proud and dedicated soldier.
It’s intended to test your ability to handle extreme physical and mental stress while
teaching you the particular rules and customs of your chosen branch of service. Military life
in general is famously routine and hierarchical, and Basic Training is an extreme version
of this - it’s a time to weed out those who can’t adjust to the demands of military
life before resources are wasted on them. A hallmark of Basic Training is that there
is always someone telling you what to do, when to do it, and how to do it right. The
role of your Training Instructors, or T.I.s, and Drill Instructors, or D.I.s, is to adjust your
attitude to the military way of thinking and help you develop self-discipline, sacrifice, loyalty
and obedience. And, unlike in a civilian job, disobedience won’t just get you fired
- it could get you sent to jail. There’s no denying it - Basic Training is tough,
and it’s tough on purpose. So, how can you best prepare yourself to not only survive Basic
Training, but thrive in it? Of course, making sure you’re in the best physical shape possible will
make your Basic Training experience less shocking, and some familiarity with firearms won’t hurt,
either. Take the time to look up the standards for your branch’s physical evaluations and make
sure you can muscle out at least the minimum requirements. Running and boot-camp style workouts
are a great way to get into shape for Basic. Do not expect to get fit at Basic - that’s a major
rookie mistake. Bastic Training is intended to test your limits, so being in top physical shape
before you head to Basic will mean you can focus more on surviving the mental challenges
than on keeping up with the physical ones. Mentally preparing for Basic Training
is probably the harder challenge. No matter how well-prepared you might think
you are, it’s impossible to fully prepare for the mental challenges of Basic Training, since
it’s specifically designed to test your ability to handle unexpected challenges. Taking
some time to learn basic military history, terms and customs before Basic will help you
thrive in the classroom portions of your training. Strong teamwork and leadership skills will also
give you an edge - Basic Training is designed to teach recruits how to work as a team, and focus
on the we instead of the me. But be careful that you don’t stand out too much - being too good
of a leader can put you at risk of being singled out by your D.I. and becoming responsible
for the performance of your whole squad. Basic Training is first and foremost a test
of your discipline. Basic can’t make you more disciplined, but your D.I.s can definitely
make you wish you were! Coming into Basic with an attitude of obedience and discipline will
be easier if you remember that it’s temporary, and it’s not personal - just keep your
head down, focus on the task at hand, and don’t procrastinate, and you
just might make it through unscathed. The last thing you’ll want to do before you
go is make sure you’ve made arrangements for the day-to-day details of being away
from home for months of training. Your contact with the outside world will be
severely limited during Basic Training, and you won’t have the option to
leave to handle any issues that arise, unless you want to quit altogether. Who will
take care of your home, pick up your mail, and make sure your bills are paid while you’re away?
Taking some time to plan for these things will free you up to focus on surviving Basic Training
without worrying about what’s happening at home. You’ll also want to let your friends and family
know how they can contact you, and what the rules are for mail - for example, any gifts or care
packages will likely be confiscated, and anyone writing to you should be careful not to use
any military title that you haven’t yet earned. Now that you know how to
prepare for Basic Training, let’s find out what you can expect
when you arrive. The Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines each have their
own training curriculum to prepare you for the unique demands of each branch. But since
Basic Training is each branch's first opportunity to turn civilians into military personnel, there
are some commonalities in their Basic Training. Physically, all branches will require recruits
to be able to run at least 1.5 miles, complete a minimum number of push-ups, sit-ups and pull-ups,
as well as be able to march long distances carrying a heavy pack. Daily runs or aerobic
workouts will become a part of your routine no matter which branch you choose, alongside endless
drills, like barracks inspections and standing at attention for what might seem like hours, all
designed to test your obedience and discipline. These drills will be your first chance to
witness an instructor go ballistic on recruits, so attention to detail in these areas will be key
in making sure you aren’t the focus of their rage. Any form of Basic Training will also
have a classroom learning component, where you’ll focus on military history, the legal
side of warfare, and the values and customs of each particular branch. Don’t be tempted to think
of this as the “easy” part - there will be exams, and it will be every bit as important to
pass these tests as any of the physical ones. And, of course, no Basic Training would be
complete without extensive weapons training. You’ll learn how to assemble and disassemble your
weapon, how to sight targets at various distances, and spend plenty of time working on your
marksmanship. By the end of Basic Training, you should be so familiar with your service weapon that it will seem like an
extension of your own body. Beyond these similarities, Basic Training
for each branch of the military is unique to the demands and goals of that particular
branch, and you’ll face countless challenges throughout your training to test your
readiness to serve in that branch. The U.S. Army’s 10 week Basic Training course
consists of 3 phases. During the first phase, the Red Phase, you’ll learn the fundamentals
of soldiering, army history and values, and get your first taste of the physical and
mental demands of army life with endless drills, inspections and tactical marches. Once you move
on to the White phase you’ll get training in weapons and marksmanship, as well as navigation
training, which will come in very handy later on. If you make it to the final Blue phase, you’ll
have the chance to get your hands on machine guns, grenades and other advanced weapons.
You’ll also be expected to complete a 10 to 15 kilometer tactical march
with a full pack without complaint. Basic Training for the Navy is only 7 weeks long, but don’t let the shorter duration fool you
- it’s every bit as brutal and demanding as the Army’s 10 week course. On top of classroom
training, tactical marches and endless drills, the early days of Navy Basic Training will
include extensive weapons training on the M16 rifle and 12 gauge shotguns, along with a
uniquely-Naval physical standard - swimming. The hardest part of Basic Training for any
Naval recruit is during week 3, when you will board a ship for the first time. The ship
will be land-bound, but that won’t make it any easier on you as you get some hands-on experience
in the life of a seaman. On top of maintaining your fitness and discipline, you’ll also need to
internalize a whole new set of seafaring customs, memorize ship vocabulary, learn to identify ships
and aircraft, and become skilled in the art of semaphore, or flag signalling to communicate
with other ships. At sea, a ship and her crew must be able to handle any type of situation
with only the resources on board, so you’ll also gain first aid certification and rescue
training. You’ll also need to be prepared for the greatest potential danger on a ship - fire - and
practice fire prevention and firefighting skills. If the Air Force is your calling, you’ll head to
San Antonio, Texas for an 8-week Basic Military Training, or BMT course to find out if you’ve
got what it takes to join the Air Force. Just like with the Navy, the specialized knowledge
required of Air Force service men and women will be the hardest part of Basic Training.
You’ll spend countless hours learning about the law of conflict, mental preparation for
combat, and aerial terminology and operations, all while being subjected
to endless drills, marches, inspections and workouts designed to
push your mind and body to their limits. If nothing you’ve heard so far seems
like that much of a challenge to you, then the Marines might be just the branch for
you. Just to qualify to attend Basic Training, you’ll need to pass an Initial Strength Test - if
you can meet the minimum standards for push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups and running, you’ll earn the
privilege of undergoing an intense 13-week Basic Training experience. On top of the usual
discipline, fitness and classroom training, you’ll also need to pass a daunting
swim qualification and complete combat water survival training. Prepare for endless
hours treading water in miserable conditions. You might think that if you’ve made it this far
in Basic Training, the worst must be behind you, but you couldn’t be more wrong.
Welcome to Hell … Hell Week, that is. Before you can graduate from Basic Training
and earn your place alongside the proven members of your chosen branch of service,
you’ll need to prove yourself in a final, gruelling test of strength,
endurance and mental toughness. If it’s the Army you’re hoping to join,
before you can graduate from Basic Training you’ll have to survive a field training bivouac,
an endurance exercise that will tie all of your training together and test your ability to survive
in the elements with minimal gear and find your way to safety with nothing but an old-fashioned
map and compass. You’ll also have to pass a final Fitness Test and the End of Cycle Test with 212
individual tasks that you must pass to graduate. If you’re drawn to the life of a sailor,
the Navy will submit you to a final test of your seaworthiness. The Battle Stations
Test will incorporate everything you’ve learned in the last few weeks into 12 shipboard
scenarios that must be completed flawlessly. The scariest part of the Navy’s Basic Training,
though, has to be the Confidence Chamber. You and 100 other recruits will line up in a
sealed chamber wearing gas masks, while a tear gas tablet is lit in the room. Then, one by one,
you’ll each remove your mask, throw it in the trash and recite your name and social security
number before being allowed to escape the gas. Only after you’ve passed these gauntlets
will you receive your official Navy ball cap, which tells the world you are no longer a
recruit, but a full-fledged Navy sailor. If you have your eyes on the skies, the
Air Force’s BMT obstacle course will tie together all that you’ve learned
over your training, from tactical skills to marksmanship to assault exercises.
Finally, on the last day of Basic Training, you’ll complete the infamous Airman’s Run, a 2.5
mile run that you’ll do under the watchful eyes of the hundreds of friends and family members who
have come to witness your graduation ceremony. Like the Marines themselves, their version
of Hell Week is in a league of its own. The Crucible is a 54 hour exercise that
recruits must complete on only 8 hours sleep and 2-and-a-half MRE rations, or Meals Ready-to-Eat.
The event starts at 3am with a 6 mile road march, the first of many marches that will total 40 miles
in less than 3 days. Between gruelling marches, recruits will compete in 4 separate 4-hour tests
that might include crossing a precarious rope bridge with gear and ammo, running to firing
stations and engaging pop-up targets with limited rounds, and battling other recruits with
a padded pole-like weapon called a pugil stick, among other obstacles. Finally, totally exhausted
and ravenously hungry, The Crucible ends with another 9 mile march, and at the finish line,
successful recruits immediately receive their Marine Corps insignia and the honor of
being called “Marine” for the first time. Now that you know what it takes
to survive basic training, be sure and share your thoughts in
the comments. Do you think you could survive basic training? Which branch’s basic
training seems the most gruelling to you? If you thought this video was fascinating, be
sure and check out our other videos, like this one called “How To Become a US Army Sniper”, or
perhaps you’ll like this other video instead.
