| This article ranks the top 10 things you should expect | | | | by saying the wrong thing. |
| when departing for boot camp. Below are the: Top | | | | 6. Expect friendship and enemies. Upon graduating |
| 10 Things to Expect When Preparing for Boot Camp | | | | basic training, it will be scary how well you know your |
| Top 10 Things to Expect When Preparing for Boot | | | | fellow recruits. Most of them you will like, but I |
| Camp | | | | guarantee you there will always be one or two you |
| 10. Expect to get sick. It's inevitable. Just about | | | | wish you never met. You will need to rely on your |
| everyone gets sick at basic training. Whether it's a | | | | fellow recruits often in basic training, so be as polite |
| head cold or a sore throat, you will most likely not be | | | | and helpful as you can. |
| at your physical best in boot camp. Basic training is | | | | 5. Expect long days and short nights. Your Drill |
| too crowded and too fast paced for your body to | | | | Sergeant will have every second of every day |
| get enough rest. Your body will be stressed for a | | | | planned. Expect long days with little sleep. Prepare for |
| long period of time, thus causing your immune | | | | this circumstance before you leave for basic training. |
| system to break down. A common illness is a sore | | | | Spend the week before you depart for basic training |
| throat. The Drill Sergeants relentlessly have recruits | | | | waking up early (about 4:30am). I know it sounds like |
| yell everything at the top of their lungs, which | | | | a lot of work, but if your not a morning person this |
| aggravates the tonsils. To reduce your chances of | | | | exercise will help tremendously. |
| getting sick, drink lots of water and always wash | | | | 4. Expect stress. I touched upon this subject in |
| your hands before you eat. Often you will be eating | | | | number 7. Your body will be under physical and |
| in the field, so always carry a wet nap in your | | | | mental stress the entire duration of basic training. To |
| pocket. | | | | combat this stress I suggest you prepare for basic |
| 9. Expect homesickness Everyone at basic training is | | | | training. It's amazing how much you can actually learn |
| missing his or her loved ones. Keep reminding yourself | | | | about basic training before ever seeing a Drill |
| basic training is only a couple months long. Bring a | | | | Sergeant. |
| few wallet-sized pictures with you and a notebook. | | | | 3. Expect mistakes and failures. Let me tell you this |
| To ease the homesickness, write letters often and | | | | right now, you will fail. If you don't personally fail a |
| encourage letters in return. | | | | task, your fellow recruit will and that means you fail |
| 8. Expect the worse. Every year Company A gave a | | | | too. Always try your hardest but don't be upset at |
| $500 bonus to each of their employees. Jerry never | | | | someone because they aren't as fast or as smart as |
| expected any bonus and Randy counted on that | | | | you. Everyone has his or her strengths and |
| $500 bonus as a part of his salary. This year, | | | | weaknesses. Basic training is designed for you to |
| Company A had an unprofitable year so they gave | | | | know what failing feels like so you can form trust in |
| their employees $250 each. Jerry was very excited | | | | your fellow recruits. |
| and Randy was very upset. The point of this story is | | | | 2. Expect the unexpected. Strange things happen at |
| that Jerry expected the worse, which was no bonus, | | | | basic training. Some recruits can't handle the stress, |
| so he was happier in the end. Basic training is the | | | | some recruits try to get away with too much, and |
| same way. Maybe you will be awarded a 2-hour pass, | | | | some recruits just like negative attention. Whatever |
| so you can go see a movie. Don't count on using that | | | | the case, be prepared to wake up in the middle of |
| pass until you're at the movies, chances are your Drill | | | | the night and do push-ups in the mud because a Drill |
| Sergeants will revoke that pass because of someone | | | | Sergeant found a candy bar in someone's locker. It's |
| else's poor performance. | | | | going to happen. The night before graduation, a |
| 7. Expect drama. The Drill Sergeants will make a big | | | | fellow recruit put shaving cream in my battle buddies |
| deal about everything. You need to be punctual, fast, | | | | mouth as a joke. It wasn't so funny 20 minutes later |
| efficient, etc. To add to that drama you will be | | | | when all 200 recruits were doing push ups in the |
| surrounded by scores of stressed recruits. Some of | | | | snow at 3:30 in the morning. |
| these recruits won't deal with the stress well. | | | | 1. Expect to be deployed. What do you think the |
| Observe how your fellow recruits deal with stress, | | | | military is training you for? Have a nice day. |
| you don't want to push one of them over the edge | | | | |