Favorite bootcamp memory?

[Porquemada]

Don't know what you're missing.  It changes a person, it really does. 

I went through two different bootcamps around twenty years ago and I'm starting to think, for better or worse, the "change" doesn't ever go away.

[Porquemada]

My memory is actually no memory,

Ft. Jackson SC.  '88.  October.  World Series.  Kirk Gibson's home run, didn't see it , still haven't.  But people were still talking about it 8 weeks later. 

Luckily I got to miss the 51-7 beatdown put on us by Miami.

[beachhawg]

Thanks right it was TMO.  I was a 3PO31 (Cop).  We where the ones running at 4 in the morning while you guys were coming back from the clubs.......j/k.  You ever hit-up the Skylark?

Wow, forgot about the Skylark.  I went to Dental Asst training at Sheppard, cold as hell marching to school in the winter, wind blowing 50 miles an hour, -10 degrees, in TX at that.
I remember my first day after basic, the long ride to Sheppard, and the bowling alley that had all the phones lined up.  You could talk and pay when you were done.  Oh, and pitchers of beer!

[hawgrunner]

The first morning, waking up, like, WTH have i done?

Agreed!!

[hawgrunner]

Bootcamp - San Diego
A School  - San Diego
C School - San Diego
USS FOX CG-33 - San Diego
Been out for 21 years still in San Diego

[mj4president]

30th AG at Ft.Benning. God that place haunts me

[Airforcehawg]

At lackland our brother flight had a chow runner that was middle eastern descent. I remember we were eating and he goes up to the "Snake Pit" to ask for permission to enter or whatever they had to do. He goes up in a heavy Middle eastern drawl and says "Sir, flight 208 is hungry please feed us" Man I my eyes got huge because I knew what was about to happen. The TI's didn't disappoint...man they tore into that dude for a good 10min.

I had a couple of guys in my tech school that were in that flight, and I brought that story up. They told me the first night they were there the TI made them go into the Bathroom to shave because a lot of them had facial hair. So they all go to shave and hurry back to the day room. They said Ole boy comes back in there with his face shaved except his giant Caterpillar mustache. The TI goes nuts, and tells him to go back in there and shave his face. Minute or two goes by and the kid comes back in with cuts on his face from shaving, but STILL HAS THE MUSTACH. TI goes nuclear and tells him to go shave again and if he comes back into that dayroom with a hair on his face, he was going to have him recycled back to MEPS. Few minutes go by kid comes back in there this time the mustache is gone along with his eyebrows

You guys that went to Basic between 00'-03', 07-08' pretty good chance I was one of your weapons instructors down there at the range.

[H&D]

At lackland our brother flight had a chow runner that was middle eastern descent. I remember we were eating and he goes up to the "Snake Pit" to ask for permission to enter or whatever they had to do. He goes up in a heavy Middle eastern drawl and says "Sir, flight 208 is hungry please feed us" Man I my eyes got huge because I knew what was about to happen. The TI's didn't disappoint...man they tore into that dude for a good 10min.

I had a couple of guys in my tech school that were in that flight, and I brought that story up. They told me the first night they were there the TI made them go into the Bathroom to shave because a lot of them had facial hair. So they all go to shave and hurry back to the day room. They said Ole boy comes back in there with his face shaved except his giant Caterpillar mustache. The TI goes nuts, and tells him to go back in there and shave his face. Minute or two goes by and the kid comes back in with cuts on his face from shaving, but STILL HAS THE MUSTACH. TI goes nuclear and tells him to go shave again and if he comes back into that dayroom with a hair on his face, he was going to have him recycled back to MEPS. Few minutes go by kid comes back in there this time the mustache is gone along with his eyebrows

You guys that went to Basic between 00'-03', 07-08' pretty good chance I was one of your weapons instructors down there at the range.

I was at Basic in Jan-Feb 00', and at SF tech school from Mar-June 00'.  Did you do any range duties for the cops?  We had a girl on our team from Boston, she shot perfect on M16 and M9, she was crying a couple hours before we shot, she said the first time she ever held a gun was during basic and she was terrified.

[RAZORROUGE]

mcrd san diego 1025 a co. 1995, standing by the runway pointing at planes screming freedom bird sir :razorback:

[H&D]

mcrd san diego 1025 a co. 1995, standing by the runway pointing at planes screming freedom bird sir :razorback:

We kinda did the same thing at Tech School, anytime we seen a plane we yelled "FREEDOM".  Only problem was I was in the Air Force and plans were taking off every 10 minutes.

[hawgrunner]

mcrd san diego 1025 a co. 1995, standing by the runway pointing at planes screming freedom bird sir :razorback:

What time of year. Summer, Winter?

[PennaHog]

As a Drill Sergeant, having my Battlebuddy lock me in a Privates unlocked wallocker and waiting for the poor unsuspecting private to come back......

Actually made one fill his shorts on one occasion.   Always a crowd favorite.

[razorbacker231]

As a Drill Sergeant, having my Battlebuddy lock me in a Privates unlocked wallocker and waiting for the poor unsuspecting private to come back......

Actually made one fill his shorts on one occasion.   Always a crowd favorite.

LOL that is solid gold.

i wasn't going to chime in on this thread, but after reading baily and rock's response, i would have to agree with what they said.  the waking up the first morning thing...

[RAZORROUGE]

What time of year. Summer, Winter?

hadnt checked this one in a while summer

[1CavHog]

I was a skinny 150 lb private and was always hungry, I would try and get on KP because we would put food down our pants and it would stop where our pants were tucked in our boots. Then we would go wolf it down in the porta johns during our short bathroom breaks. Also one time coming back from a range they put three of us in the back of a flatbed F150 with all the mermites and I think I ate 7 veal patties on the ride back to the CO AO.

[netteltonhog]

January 1986.  I got on a plane in Dallas wearing a short sleeved shirt.  ( it was 80 degrees)  Flew from Dallas to Houston to Atlanta to Louisville, Ky.  It took 13 hours. This was my first sign that I didn't know what I was getting into. Getting off the plane in Kentucky the wind was blowing from the Northwest at about 40 miles per hour.  The second sign of things to come.  Standing in line waiting to board a bus to take us to the promised land, aka Ft. Knox it started to snow.  When we finally arrived at the reception center at 2 am it was snowing sideways and 20 degrees.  The Army in its infinite wisdom gave us ponchos for warmth and stood us outside for 3 hours.  Third sign. Approaching hypothermia and frostbite around 5 am they led us to the chow hall.  Absolutely the worst food ever prepared by man.  Dogs wouldn't eat it. Soon thereafter we were marched to the barber shop to get our heads shaved.  Which we had to pay for ourselves.  Finally we were introduced to our Drill instructors around 10 am and the realization that life as I had known was forever gone. 

[1CavHog]

January 1986.  I got on a plane in Dallas wearing a short sleeved shirt.  ( it was 80 degrees)  Flew from Dallas to Houston to Atlanta to Louisville, Ky.  It took 13 hours. This was my first sign that I didn't know what I was getting into. Getting off the plane in Kentucky the wind was blowing from the Northwest at about 40 miles per hour.  The second sign of things to come.  Standing in line waiting to board a bus to take us to the promised land, aka Ft. Knox it started to snow.  When we finally arrived at the reception center at 2 am it was snowing sideways and 20 degrees.  The Army in its infinite wisdom gave us ponchos for warmth and stood us outside for 3 hours.  Third sign. Approaching hypothermia and frostbite around 5 am they led us to the chow hall.  Absolutely the worst food ever prepared by man.  Dogs wouldn't eat it. Soon thereafter we were marched to the barber shop to get our heads shaved.  Which we had to pay for ourselves.  Finally we were introduced to our Drill instructors around 10 am and the realization that life as I had known was forever gone. 

Yeah paying for my own haircut pissed me off.

[Albert Einswine]

Yeah paying for my own haircut pissed me off.

I thought it was kinda funny, myself.  I'd been paying for my own haircuts anyway and I figured it was pretty dang cheap.

We had a guy in our basic flight from California who'd wrecked a motorcycle and wasn't wearing a helmet and he had a huge road rash scab (about the size of a tennis ball) on the back of his head that was about 1/4 inch thick that the hair had grown through.  The barber had to clip right up to it and get what he could off the top of it, but the kid looked like he had a festering tumor on the back of his head for weeks until it all finally healed and fell out. 

[kodiakisland]

11B training at Ft Benning in '88.  Basic and AIT were at the same place and not a lot different.  Have some funny memories but what stands out are the simple pleasures.  Mail call.  5 minute call home on Sundays.  5 minute naps under your bunk with your fingers stuck in the springs to look like your fixing the blanket.  10-15 minute naps in the cattle cars when we were lucky to ride instead of walk.  How hot any female looked after several weeks of not seeing a single female.  Getting that blue rope upon graduation.  I'm no longer able to wear it on my uniform but I still have that first one.

[Arctic Hog]

Oh God, let me see.  3709 BMTS, Lackland AFB 14 Jul 81 - 26 Aug 81, hot as hell. 

SSgt Hollis & SrA Deck scaring the crap out of me daily.  They were decent guys by the time I graduated.

The guy in the bunk next to me was a Vietnamese refugee.  His name was Phouc Yu Do; you can guess the pronunciation!

Finally taking that first crap after what must have been a week.

We went on a day trip into San Antonio around the fifth week to see boxing matches.  That was pretty cool.

I remember hearing "Crazy Train" by Ozzy and "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins on the radio all the time.

The bus ride from Lackland to Keesler for tech school.

Not a favorite, but certainly a lasting, memory was my girlfriend in Hot Springs breaking up with me via a "Dear John" letter.  Thanks Christine...

[hawgrunner]

Not a favorite, but certainly a lasting, memory was my girlfriend in Hot Springs breaking up with me via a "Dear John" letter.  Thanks Christine...

That happened to me after bootcamp. But the redhead girl I got today... 

[1CavHog]

The Dear John letters and phone calls were rampant. I remember every Sunday we got a 5 minute call home as long as you had passed your PT test and not got in any trouble and we used to take bets on who was the next guy in our platoon to find out he was single. I didn't have a girlfriend at the time but it definetely made an impression on me. 7 months after BCT when we were mobilized for Iraq the first thing I did was dump my girlfriend before she could do it to me while I was overseas.

[LivingLegends]

mcrd san diego 1025 a co. 1995, standing by the runway pointing at planes screming freedom bird sir :razorback:

I was there in the winter of 95.  MCRD San Diego platoon 3077 I co. In the first week of second phase I remember our drill instructor told everyone to NEVER volunteer for anything, ever.  10min later our SR. came out and asked for 6 motivated recruits (we were shinning our boots).  And wouldn't you know 10-15 recruits raised there hands.  The DI's took them out to the pit made them roll around in the sand.  The DI's came back in and got everyone else so we could watch.  It was glorious.  Right before they were done the recruits had to roll face first in the sand, cup their hands around their face's, and blow as hard as they could.....It may have been the funniest thing I've ever seen on this earth.   I feel bad that more people couldn't have watched.

[gohogsgo1234]

AF- Lackland.  This was bac in 89.  Patel I think his name was.  He wanted to see if his iron was still hot so he stuck it to the side of his face.  Yeah it was still hot.  Best burn tatoo I have ever seen.  Needless to say he faced the snake pit the next morning.  They recycled him that day back about a month.  I also went to tech school with John Gotti's nephew....   

[fritolayhog]

I ran an OSUT unit for a long while, and I've seen every sort of angle recruits use to try to get out.  By that I mean, every single unit we ever formed would have at least 10 guys try to find a way to get out of the Army.  They'd linger on sick call, drink Drano, cut their wrists...everything you can think of.

But the best ever was this guy who started acting a little crazy in the first week.  This guy was a physical specimen.  Huge, and way strong, but he could run well.  Pretty rare combination, and we were thinking he'd be a good one, but he started doing all sorts of strange crap.  He'd black his eyes with shoe polish before formation.  Stuffed his fricking ear full of peanut butter in the mess hall one day...said it "felt good."  Out of the blue during a training exercise he'd yell out something like, "Hipteehoorahmothersuckerrag"...and start laughing.  Now, we figured he was scamming, and ignored all of this crap, but about a week in he starts riding his motorcycle.  By this I mean, every time we'd form them up, this cat would sling his leg up over an imaginary motorcycle, kick start it, and ride it to his place in formation.  Every time we release to barracks, he'd do the same thing in reverse.  He rode that damn thing to the showers. 

I asked the top sergeant to sit him down, and when top came back he says, "that motherFranker's nuts.  Cut him."  So, we did. 

I heard later that he rode that motorcycle right to the front gate of Ft. Leonard Wood, meticulously put down the kick stand and shut it off, and looked to the MP at the gate.  "You can have it, I don't need it anymore."

That guy cracks me up every time I think about him.   

[rclsmith]

Went thru USMC OCS as both a candidate (1982) and as a platoon commander (1992).  Favorite memory both times is is seeing Quantico VA in my rear view mirror!

However, do have one funny story.  Driving on base as a candidate, headed for OCS, head up my ass, worried, and pulled over for speeding.  MP takes one look at my midshipman ID card, asks "Are your here for OCS?"  When I said yes, he said "You are in enough trouble already, I'm not going to make it any worse.  Just slow down."

[hogman]

Lackland 2004. I was doing a detail outside of the OTS building as a slick sleeve. Raking leaves if I remember right... There were a bunch of Officer recruits joking and smoking a few hundred yards from me (not doing what they were supposed to be doing). I looked up and a Lt. Col was right up in my face. After saluting, he asked me how long the recruits had been over there screwin around. I told him roughly 15-20 minutes. He took his hat off, put it on my head and told me to go over there and smoke them. It was great fun! And, I didn't have to rake for the rest of the day. The Officer recruits took care of it for me.

[H&D]

Anyone else have the fun of finding a single cigarette butt buried a roughly football sized field? That was fun.

Bear crawled a 300X300 yard field for two hours looking for the "Keys to the Deuce-n-Half", the five of us that had been through driving school realized they don't have keys, but we all understood that bring that point up to the PI wouldn't have ended well.  I could barely pick my arms up to eat dinner that night.   

[RazorWeevil]

This didn't occur in basic, but when newbies reported to their jobs in Air Transportation we'd tell them that the pilots needed a flight line air sample to see if they could fly that particular day.  So, we'd send them out with a empty mason jar.  We'd crack up watching them wave the mason jar around on the flight line trying to get a good air sample.  It was classic. 

We'd also send them on a wild goose chase for a pallet stretcher, which of course did not exist. 

[H&D]

This didn't occur in basic, but when newbies reported to their jobs in Air Transportation we'd tell them that the pilots needed a flight line air sample to see if they could fly that particular day.  So, we'd send them out with a empty mason jar.  We'd crack up watching them wave the mason jar around on the flight line trying to get a good air sample.  It was classic. 

We'd also send them on a wild goose chase for a pallet stretcher, which of course did not exist. 

We would do the air sample thing with our new cops out on the firing ranges at Eglin, we would tell them it was to grade the level of lead in the air.  It usually involved the ER and them ending up in a hospital gown thinking they had lead poisoning.  Good Times. 

It never failed that during the morning FOD walk a young cop would ask what the Crew Chiefs were doing.  We would tell them a pilot lost the keys to a jet and since they were the lowest ranking they had to get out of the car and help look.  All the flight lines guys knew what was going on and would play along. I can say I never fell for that one, my Dad worked the flight line and I knew what they were doing so I called BS when they tried it on me.

[LivingLegends]

This didn't occur in basic, but when newbies reported to their jobs in Air Transportation we'd tell them that the pilots needed a flight line air sample to see if they could fly that particular day.  So, we'd send them out with a empty mason jar.  We'd crack up watching them wave the mason jar around on the flight line trying to get a good air sample.  It was classic. 

We'd also send them on a wild goose chase for a pallet stretcher, which of course did not exist. 

When I was a private my SGT. told me to go down the hall to S2 and get the Bravo Alpha 11's from the Butterbar Lieutenant... The big ones..... They all had a good laugh at me asking for the Big Balls....Pretty good if you ask me.

[Semper Hogelis]

MCRD San Diego as well 1984 (1097)  We went to the pit 200 times in three months. Before chow, after chow, before class, after class, before chow, etc..... you get it.  We did win best PT Platoon. Averaged 280 across the board.
ITS Camp Pen 1985,
GTMO 85-86,
Camp Lejuene 86-88,
Med Float 87,
Bridgeport, Ca
Porta Rico
etc.......

[webbgem]

My best memory was when it was over.  Basic Training was the worst 10 week 4 day period of my life.  On the other hand, the 12 weeks of OCS was a great time! 

[hogginbama]

Fort Bliss, TX, 1987. They don't do basic there any longer, and I can only imagine why. Best memory was the 24 hour pass to Juarez the weekend before graduation. Drills told us no alcohol, so what do we do? We find the closest bar around and spend our money on 25 cent shots of tequila. Talk about some drunk fools. One cat ran from one end of the bay to the other, out the back door and took a flying leap off of the steps thinking he could fly.

[hawg23]

Least favorite....sharing a shelter half with a soldier nicknamed "chubs"

[CusefaninAR]

Oh God, let me see.  3709 BMTS, Lackland AFB 14 Jul 81 - 26 Aug 81, hot as hell. 

Finally taking that first crap after what must have been a week.

The bus ride from Lackland to Keesler for tech school.

Wow!  Same memories, almost 6 years to the day later.  3723 BMTS at Lackland, 3403 at Keesler.
The hot as hell statement certainly applied.  I remember praying they would raise the blue (or black) flag so we could get out of the damn heat.  San Antonio climate was a big change for us northerners. 

[kitarae]

2005, Fort Jackson, SC

many, many memories, but my favorite had to be when we were woken up at like 2AM and told to get in formation outside. The DS's then took the males into one room inside and the females into another. We were told another female (the third one) had gone AWOL. All of us had been smoked for hours over the first two because "we didn't try to stop her." So we're all thinking, great, here's another 3 hours of smoking. But, our DS's did our accountability check and said, you know what privates? Go to sleep. We were like. WTH.. and quickly went back upstairs and to bed.

The next morning during PT formation, all the females looked like absolute hell. So I asked, WTH happened? They had been smoked for the entire 3 hours and were given a 5 minute water break before we marched to PT.

I laughed.

Also, on Sundays, cramming myself into my wall-locker to get extra sleep while people were at church/cleaning. Paying my battle to wake me up in case a DS was looking for me. Like someone said before, laying under the bunk "adjusting" the sheets. Never getting my wall-locker thrashed due to it being unlocked. Getting smoked for an hour due to my battle saying "thank you" to a DS.

Ah.. I miss it. It had lots of ** moments, but I liked BCT. Should have gone active.

[justanotherdisappointedfn]

fort dix summer 1988

Got caught in a dumpster having sex with a female recruit by the biggest azzhole of a DI ever born. No punishment at all, he called it a fourth of july gift

[H&D]

fort dix summer 1988

Got caught in a dumpster having sex with a female recruit by the biggest azzhole of a DI ever born. No punishment at all, he called it a fourth of july gift

Sounds like a good guy to me..............

[justanotherdisappointedfn]

no he wasnt, the reprieve was a giant shock.

Well, not true. He was a good guy, just sadistic about his job

[AirForceHog]

Wow, forgot about the Skylark.  I went to Dental Asst training at Sheppard, cold as hell marching to school in the winter, wind blowing 50 miles an hour, -10 degrees, in TX at that.
I remember my first day after basic, the long ride to Sheppard, and the bowling alley that had all the phones lined up.  You could talk and pay when you were done.  Oh, and pitchers of beer!

The wind is still blowing here at Sheppard. If any of you guys have been through here 2005-present then I might have seen you.

[Rodhawg]

January 1986.  I got on a plane in Dallas wearing a short sleeved shirt.  ( it was 80 degrees)  Flew from Dallas to Houston to Atlanta to Louisville, Ky.  It took 13 hours. This was my first sign that I didn't know what I was getting into. Getting off the plane in Kentucky the wind was blowing from the Northwest at about 40 miles per hour.  The second sign of things to come.  Standing in line waiting to board a bus to take us to the promised land, aka Ft. Knox it started to snow.  When we finally arrived at the reception center at 2 am it was snowing sideways and 20 degrees.  The Army in its infinite wisdom gave us ponchos for warmth and stood us outside for 3 hours.  Third sign. Approaching hypothermia and frostbite around 5 am they led us to the chow hall.  Absolutely the worst food ever prepared by man.  Dogs wouldn't eat it. Soon thereafter we were marched to the barber shop to get our heads shaved.  Which we had to pay for ourselves.  Finally we were introduced to our Drill instructors around 10 am and the realization that life as I had known was forever gone. 

I got there in Nov. a couple of months before you, you are right life was good, nothing like OSUT training, 16 weeks with the same Drill Sgts..WOOHOO!!!!

[HawgWild]

The first morning, waking up, like, WTH have i done?

Ditto, Fort Campbell Kentucky, February 1971. Running around the parade ground in the early, early morning pitch dark, no sign of the sun rise.

Yeah paying for my own haircut pissed me off.

You want your sideburns trainee? Yes sir. Hold out your hand!

[Johnny America]

2001, Army. We were taking a shower in the way too small for 4 guys-4 man shower. I let the nastiest fart of my life rip. The water magnified the smell and 2 guys actually vomited. Great memory for me!

[nlrwildcat1]

Ah the old 4 head shower makes me realize why I don't miss the army lol

[Smitty86]

Ft. Jackson, SC -November 1986 - January 1987

My wife (GF then) would send me Copenhagen in a zip-lock bag and folded up in a letter. All the guys who smoked and were jonesing for some niccotine wanted to try some. Nothing funnier than some big city boys turning green. Once while going through CT training, I had a dip of Copenhagen while we were outside going through drills. My next station was in the barracks for gas mask drills, so I ended up having to swallow the whole dip before I got caught. I didn't turn green, but I did a better job of planning when I would get a dip from that point on.

[Jeff "hogfanintx" Anderson]

Ft. Jackson, SC -November 1986 - January 1987

My wife (GF then) would send me Copenhagen in a zip-lock bag and folded up in a letter. All the guys who smoked and were jonesing for some niccotine wanted to try some. Nothing funnier than some big city boys turning green. Once while going through CT training, I had a dip of Copenhagen while we were outside going through drills. My next station was in the barracks for gas mask drills, so I ended up having to swallow the whole dip before I got caught. I didn't turn green, but I did a better job of planning when I would get a dip from that point on.

Wow old reply for me.  No I never served or went into any boot camp.  Actually if asked to serve I would.  Just hand me my automatic and put me out there.  Before everyone starts with how quickly I would die without proper training.  That I do have.

[Jeff "hogfanintx" Anderson]

Sorry smitty didn't mean to quote you there.

[Groundpounder]

I was at MCRD San Diego and was in MRP (medical rehab plt). I was bilateral (right and left) tibia fracures which resulted in me being there for 6 *** mths. Anyway there was this shitbag kit that got caught stealing the DIs peanutbutter when cleaning their office. The DI shoved his hand in the PB and filled the recruits mouth. Then made the recruit call home (his mom) and tell her that he was a thieving, disgusting fatbody. It was pretty funny, especially considering that he was a thieving, disgusting fatbody. Iv only told this story to maybe two civilians and they thought it was terrible.....civilians will never understand. 

[Jeff "hogfanintx" Anderson]

I was at MCRD San Diego and was in MRP (medical rehab plt). I was bilateral (right and left) tibia fracures which resulted in me being there for 6 *** mths. Anyway there was this shitbag kit that got caught stealing the DIs peanutbutter when cleaning their office. The DI shoved his hand in the PB and filled the recruits mouth. Then made the recruit call home (his mom) and tell her that he was a thieving, disgusting fatbody. It was pretty funny, especially considering that he was a thieving, disgusting fatbody. Iv only told this story to maybe two civilians and they thought it was terrible.....civilians will never understand. 

You are correct I never will understand.