My buddy is going to the Navy and is heading to Great Lakes really soon. He keeps sending me Facebook messages asking me what to expect from boot. I've told him what I know, but it sounds rather cliché and probably not applicable to the nature of Navy boot.

Any ideas for advice to give him?

I know a guy who used to be a bartender at Great Lakes. Real live homosexual. Told me most of the bar staff is a bit on the gay side. That's about all I know.

First thing...learn the Sailor's Creed. He will be reciting it every day, and it looks good on him if he already knows it. Also tell him to read up on all the regulations, he will be tested on it. (Of course he can study there, but the environment isn't exactly your typical library)

Tell him that he better put on his big boy pants and pay attention to EVERY single thing that the RDC tells him. He better be ready to run...alot, and if he smokes he better kick the habit at least two months prior.

- He will not sleep the first two nights (I'm not joking). They have 48 hours to in process every recruit and sleeping diverges from this requirement. I slept standing up at times.

- Drink water, drink water, drink water. They will not punish you for going to the head, it is actually a good sign that you are LISTENING when they tell you to drink water. It will also prevent you from fainting, which happens quite a bit.

-After in processing he will go to medical where they will examine and confirm his exams he went through at MEPS. Then come the dental visits, shots, eye doctor visits, etc. The first week is nothing but "hurry up and wait". A good note is that he cannot be punished with physical requirements until he is fully medically cleared, so during the first week they can only yell at you incessantly and attempt to demoralize you in the worst way possible. This they will do.

I can honestly tell you that you start to lose your sense of humanity at times during the first week. But this helps in getting you to appreciate what you are volunteering to protect.

Once the first week is over, and he is medically cleared, then all hell hell breaks lose the second week because now he will be required to be physically ready to do whatever the RDC is ready to make him do. This is where the running comes in. It might be a good idea for him to practice his 8 counts. If he doesn't know what it is, look it up, they're not fun and he'll have to do them multiple, multiple, multiple times a day. They're similar to burpees. The RDCs are required to ensure that everyone in their division can pass the physical readiness test, so throughout the 8 weeks he will be there, this is what he is training for. If he can already pass it, then great.

After the second week it is all downhill and it actually starts to become fun at times, but I still hated it. A word of advice from my part, get up 30 minutes prior to every morning wake up call. Those thirty minutes will allow him to shave, get his uniform on and make his bunk in the peace. Then when wake up call happens, everyone else scrambles like idiots with RDCs yelling at them while he will be sitting by his bunk studying, ready to go. It's things like this that RDCs love to see. It still amazes me that to this day I was the only one that did this, rude awakenings are not the best way to start your day.

The last week is when he goes through battlestations. Again 48 hours with no sleep, but this time you're having fun simulating a situation where your ship is under attack. Disney actually designed the entire set up and it was a great experience for me.

Oh yes the only good things to volunteer for are mail PO and Ship Staff. Ship Staff was the best thing that ever happened to me. I avoided much of the "punishments" the division experienced because I had to stand watch.

A few notes...yes he will be gassed, he better not quit and the food is AMAZING.

If you have any other questions please fell free to ask me here or PM me.

(12-31-2013 11:33 AM)Pyrizzo Wrote:  First thing...learn the Sailor's Creed. He will be reciting it every day, and it looks good on him if he already knows it. Also tell him to read up on all the regulations, he will be tested on it. (Of course he can study there, but the environment isn't exactly your typical library)

Tell him that he better put on his big boy pants and pay attention to EVERY single thing that the RDC tells him. He better be ready to run...alot, and if he smokes he better kick the habit at least two months prior.

- He will not sleep the first two nights (I'm not joking). They have 48 hours to in process every recruit and sleeping diverges from this requirement. I slept standing up at times.

- Drink water, drink water, drink water. They will not punish you for going to the head, it is actually a good sign that you are LISTENING when they tell you to drink water. It will also prevent you from fainting, which happens quite a bit.

-After in processing he will go to medical where they will examine and confirm his exams he went through at MEPS. Then come the dental visits, shots, eye doctor visits, etc. The first week is nothing but "hurry up and wait". A good note is that he cannot be punished with physical requirements until he is fully medically cleared, so during the first week they can only yell at you incessantly and attempt to demoralize you in the worst way possible. This they will do.

I can honestly tell you that you start to lose your sense of humanity at times during the first week. But this helps in getting you to appreciate what you are volunteering to protect.

Once the first week is over, and he is medically cleared, then all hell hell breaks lose the second week because now he will be required to be physically ready to do whatever the RDC is ready to make him do. This is where the running comes in. It might be a good idea for him to practice his 8 counts. If he doesn't know what it is, look it up, they're not fun and he'll have to do them multiple, multiple, multiple times a day. They're similar to burpees. The RDCs are required to ensure that everyone in their division can pass the physical readiness test, so throughout the 8 weeks he will be there, this is what he is training for. If he can already pass it, then great.

After the second week it is all downhill and it actually starts to become fun at times, but I still hated it. A word of advice from my part, get up 30 minutes prior to every morning wake up call. Those thirty minutes will allow him to shave, get his uniform on and make his bunk in the peace. Then when wake up call happens, everyone else scrambles like idiots with RDCs yelling at them while he will be sitting by his bunk studying, ready to go. It's things like this that RDCs love to see. It still amazes me that to this day I was the only one that did this, rude awakenings are not the best way to start your day.

The last week is when he goes through battlestations. Again 48 hours with no sleep, but this time you're having fun simulating a situation where your ship is under attack. Disney actually designed the entire set up and it was a great experience for me.

Oh yes the only good things to volunteer for are mail PO and Ship Staff. Ship Staff was the best thing that ever happened to me. I avoided much of the "punishments" the division experienced because I had to stand watch.

A few notes...yes he will be gassed, he better not quit and the food is AMAZING.

If you have any other questions please fell free to ask me here or PM me.

Thanks. This is obviously pretty similar to my advice with some good differences.

The big difference I see here is about waking up early. During the first two weeks in Cape May, the CCs hate to see you doing anything outside of what everyone else is doing. They'd love to see you lead everyone to do the same thing, but if I were caught with my own little secret strategy, they'd light into me.

(12-31-2013 02:03 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  Thanks. This is obviously pretty similar to my advice with some good differences.

The big difference I see here is about waking up early. During the first two weeks in Cape May, the CCs hate to see you doing anything outside of what everyone else is doing. They'd love to see you lead everyone to do the same thing, but if I were caught with my own little secret strategy, they'd light into me.

Good stuff, I definitely tried to tell other people to avoid that impression. However, the RPOC didn't like the idea and preferred the idiocy of scrambling around like a bunch of morons in the morning, which is partly why it didn't catch on with others. The RPOC is the "lead" of the division, and is "assigned" the first week. Ours had the intelligence of a doorknob (probably the equivalent of Robs) but I couldn't do anything about it. The RDC's didn't pay no mind if only a few were doing it.

(01-01-2014 08:10 AM)Pyrizzo Wrote:  

(12-31-2013 02:03 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  Thanks. This is obviously pretty similar to my advice with some good differences.

The big difference I see here is about waking up early. During the first two weeks in Cape May, the CCs hate to see you doing anything outside of what everyone else is doing. They'd love to see you lead everyone to do the same thing, but if I were caught with my own little secret strategy, they'd light into me.

Good stuff, I definitely tried to tell other people to avoid that impression. However, the RPOC didn't like the idea and preferred the idiocy of scrambling around like a bunch of morons in the morning, which is partly why it didn't catch on with others. The RPOC is the "lead" of the division, and is "assigned" the first week. Ours had the intelligence of a doorknob (probably the equivalent of Robs) but I couldn't do anything about it. The RDC's didn't pay no mind if only a few were doing it.

Actually, many go into the military because they aren't to bright and it is their only way to get out of the barrio bajo.

(01-01-2014 03:07 PM)RobertN Wrote:  

(01-01-2014 08:10 AM)Pyrizzo Wrote:  

(12-31-2013 02:03 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  Thanks. This is obviously pretty similar to my advice with some good differences.

The big difference I see here is about waking up early. During the first two weeks in Cape May, the CCs hate to see you doing anything outside of what everyone else is doing. They'd love to see you lead everyone to do the same thing, but if I were caught with my own little secret strategy, they'd light into me.

Good stuff, I definitely tried to tell other people to avoid that impression. However, the RPOC didn't like the idea and preferred the idiocy of scrambling around like a bunch of morons in the morning, which is partly why it didn't catch on with others. The RPOC is the "lead" of the division, and is "assigned" the first week. Ours had the intelligence of a doorknob (probably the equivalent of Robs) but I couldn't do anything about it. The RDC's didn't pay no mind if only a few were doing it.

Actually, many go into the military because they aren't to bright and it is their only way to get out of the barrio bajo.

You say that as an insult. The military is supposed to be an opportunity for people, and it is.

(01-01-2014 03:10 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  

(01-01-2014 03:07 PM)RobertN Wrote:  

(01-01-2014 08:10 AM)Pyrizzo Wrote:  

(12-31-2013 02:03 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  Thanks. This is obviously pretty similar to my advice with some good differences.

The big difference I see here is about waking up early. During the first two weeks in Cape May, the CCs hate to see you doing anything outside of what everyone else is doing. They'd love to see you lead everyone to do the same thing, but if I were caught with my own little secret strategy, they'd light into me.

Good stuff, I definitely tried to tell other people to avoid that impression. However, the RPOC didn't like the idea and preferred the idiocy of scrambling around like a bunch of morons in the morning, which is partly why it didn't catch on with others. The RPOC is the "lead" of the division, and is "assigned" the first week. Ours had the intelligence of a doorknob (probably the equivalent of Robs) but I couldn't do anything about it. The RDC's didn't pay no mind if only a few were doing it.

Actually, many go into the military because they aren't to bright and it is their only way to get out of the barrio bajo.

You say that as an insult. The military is supposed to be an opportunity for people, and it is.

I say it as the truth. For many it is their only option- and recruiters definitely take advantage of this. Of course, using Spanish was a little dig at Pyrizzo like he did the same to me.

(01-01-2014 03:12 PM)RobertN Wrote:  

(01-01-2014 03:10 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  

(01-01-2014 03:07 PM)RobertN Wrote:  

(01-01-2014 08:10 AM)Pyrizzo Wrote:  

(12-31-2013 02:03 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  Thanks. This is obviously pretty similar to my advice with some good differences.

The big difference I see here is about waking up early. During the first two weeks in Cape May, the CCs hate to see you doing anything outside of what everyone else is doing. They'd love to see you lead everyone to do the same thing, but if I were caught with my own little secret strategy, they'd light into me.

Good stuff, I definitely tried to tell other people to avoid that impression. However, the RPOC didn't like the idea and preferred the idiocy of scrambling around like a bunch of morons in the morning, which is partly why it didn't catch on with others. The RPOC is the "lead" of the division, and is "assigned" the first week. Ours had the intelligence of a doorknob (probably the equivalent of Robs) but I couldn't do anything about it. The RDC's didn't pay no mind if only a few were doing it.

Actually, many go into the military because they aren't to bright and it is their only way to get out of the barrio bajo.

You say that as an insult. The military is supposed to be an opportunity for people, and it is.

I say it as the truth. For many it is their only option- and recruiters definitely take advantage of this. Of course, using Spanish was a little dig at Pyrizzo like he did the same to me.

Recruiters do take advantage of this, but after you leave that office and get on the bus, your career is up to you and it doesn't matter whether or not the military was your only option.

(01-01-2014 03:12 PM)RobertN Wrote:  

(01-01-2014 03:10 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  

(01-01-2014 03:07 PM)RobertN Wrote:  

(01-01-2014 08:10 AM)Pyrizzo Wrote:  

(12-31-2013 02:03 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  Thanks. This is obviously pretty similar to my advice with some good differences.

The big difference I see here is about waking up early. During the first two weeks in Cape May, the CCs hate to see you doing anything outside of what everyone else is doing. They'd love to see you lead everyone to do the same thing, but if I were caught with my own little secret strategy, they'd light into me.

Good stuff, I definitely tried to tell other people to avoid that impression. However, the RPOC didn't like the idea and preferred the idiocy of scrambling around like a bunch of morons in the morning, which is partly why it didn't catch on with others. The RPOC is the "lead" of the division, and is "assigned" the first week. Ours had the intelligence of a doorknob (probably the equivalent of Robs) but I couldn't do anything about it. The RDC's didn't pay no mind if only a few were doing it.

Actually, many go into the military because they aren't to bright and it is their only way to get out of the barrio bajo.

You say that as an insult. The military is supposed to be an opportunity for people, and it is.

I say it as the truth. For many it is their only option- and recruiters definitely take advantage of this. Of course, using Spanish was a little dig at Pyrizzo like he did the same to me.

Haha, I knew you'd bite. The military wasn't my only option btw, I wanted to serve. I became a reservist so I could maintain my civilian career. When the Navy needs me, I'm there.