whats basic training like?

Basic training for the Infantry is completely different from any other MOS in the Army. It's actually hard and demanding, just like the Marine Infantry.

So, what is the Infantry like? Well, when you arrive at reception bat. and Ft. Benning, you will get yelled at to get off the bus. You will go single file into the main office and get your little white book, and a canteen. Sit around listen to some broke dick private.

Once the great fun thier is done (3-4 days), the real fun begins. A pretty easy 1 mile march to your barracks (or farther depending where in sandhill it is).

Once there, you all get lined up 4 rows deep and they call out names for platoons. You then run from your spot and grab your duffle in a huge pile and run to your platoon.

Then you meet your Drill Sergeants. You might get dropped for the first time, have to lift and hold your duffle. Just dont grunt and moan like a woman.

After that, you pretty much go to around 10, wake up for morning PT (time varies by platoon), we woke up at 4am each morning. PT, change, eat chow, go train, pt, eat chow, pt, train, pt, eat chow, pt, shower (if your lucky), sleep, pray you dont get fireguard.

First 2 weeks is generally "Total Control", a Drill Sgt. goes EVERYHWERE with you, after that, its a platoon leader, usually elected.

You do marches, the last one is the best, I'll leave that as a surprise.

When basic is over, you get to goto... oh wait, you dont go nowhere. You get to do even more PT, but you get to do all the cool hooah **** in AIT. PT, PT, PT, Train, PT PT PT, Eat chow. Repeat.

Airborne is like AIT except you get weekends off, and PT harder.

Ranger School, once pasted RIP is hellacious PT with serious mind (for the lack of a better word) f*cking.

Just expect the worse, and suck it up.

Want any more info, PM me.

HEheh... yep, sub has it right.

Look back at it, basic really isn't that bad as long as you do exactly as your told, stay motivated, and expect to get dropped, all is well! Most Drill Sgt's like motivated recruits.

Exact requirements for sniper school.
E-3 Promotable (generaly E-4 and above).
MOS 11B, 11M, 18 Series (No exceptions)
Qualify Expert with M16
Score 70 or better in each of the three PT events (They test you the first day as part of in processing)
Score at least a 110 on the GT portion of the asvaab
Vision correctible to 20/20
Not colorblind
Duty slotted in a sniper position
Pass psyche evaluation (this one isn't stricktly enforced all the time)

I believe thats about it.

MEL

Army Infantry Basic, as I said before, not the same as the other Basic MOS'es out there.

The first week is classroom, PT in class room = fun. Dont fall asleep! There you learn all the first aid you will learn, you learn Chain of command, all that good bull.

Second week is something else, I forget, perhaps it was land nav. I forgot if we were still on TC or not. Land Nav in georgia winter + rain + 5 hours = suck. Dont kill any of the birds, they are endangered.

Then its BRM, I Dont think they are allowed to smoke you as much during this time, but afterwards, hah! March here, march there, learn grenade throwing, 3-5 second rush, ftx. etc. But inbetween doing all of this, you do PT, you get dropped, your platoon has one dumbass, and he is constantly getting everyone dropped.

Be that of a ghost in Basic, just another face the Drill Sgt. cant recognize amongst the 100 in the company. And push yourself to be the best. It will suck, you will want to go home, call home, write home, but you cant call home, you wont have time to write, and if you go home, well, thats not a good thing

Suck it up, drive on. Basic will be over before you know it. The real training starts at your unit, and specialty schools.

Find and read the book MAGOT published sometime in the late 70s, I forget who wrote it. Its about Viet Nam, but has a graphic and fairly accurate description of Marine boot Camp that last approximately 200-250 pages (the one exception is that now the DI's are ont permitted to physically beat their baby Jars). When I was in the USMC, this was the one book that I directed people to who asked the same question you are asking.

Let me say this. Pretty good physical condition is not good enough.

If you are in good to great condition the only thing you have to worry about is keeping your mouth shut and doing what you are told as fast as you possibly can (it will not be good enough, but it keeps you out of most of the hot water that people walk into).

Good to great at least to the USMC is 15-20 pull ups from a hanging start and no jerking; 80-100 situps in 2 minutes feet anchored butt never leaves the ground - run 3 miles in 18 to 20 minutes - in tennis shoes. The closer you are to 20+, 100+, and 18 minutes the better.

If you can do that, then you will never worry about the physical conditioning - which will put you ahead of 90% of the people in your platoon.

(I joined right after I graduated high school and had wrestled and played baseball my senior year - I was in Great condition)