So I did it...

[Booseman]

Congrats and welcome to the club!!!

I can remember the day I was at MEPS, it was April of 1995 and I was 17. I was on the plane to Ft. Benning GA. on the 17th of October 1995, 11 days after my 18th Birthday. It was exciting and terrifying all at the same time. Just remember that you dont have to buy everything at the little shopette while you in-process. If you do you will have to drag it all with you to your training company and it will suck. I still remember laundry detergent flying everywhere and blue tide all over the ground upon the mass exodus from the cattle cars.

Although nowadays they prolly bus you to your training company and gingerly escort you to your bunk. A lot has changed in the almost 18yrs since I stepped off that plane.

Again, thank you for signing that blank check. You are one of the very few that will do so.

A piece of advice while you are in basic. When they tease and razz you about being National Guard and they will, just let them know you are going to be Jody while they are gone.

 

[doc ace]

Congrats and welcome to the club!!!

I can remember the day I was at MEPS, it was April of 1995 and I was 17. I was on the plane to Ft. Benning GA. on the 17th of October 1995, 11 days after my 18th Birthday. It was exciting and terrifying all at the same time. Just remember that you dont have to buy everything at the little shopette while you in-process. If you do you will have to drag it all with you to your training company and it will suck. I still remember laundry detergent flying everywhere and blue tide all over the ground upon the mass exodus from the cattle cars.

Although nowadays they prolly bus you to your training company and gingerly escort you to your bunk. A lot has changed in the almost 18yrs since I stepped off that plane.

Again, thank you for signing that blank check. You are one of the very few that will do so.

A piece of advice while you are in basic. When they tease and razz you about being National Guard and they will, just let them know you are going to be Jody while they are gone.

Sand Hill. /sigh/ I miss it. If you go to Benning, when you are good in Blue Phase, there's a little Jamaican lady that makes you a badass shake if you make over 250 on your PT test before final Red White Blue Phase. Don't be that guy with candy bars and dip (contraband). Take your smokings a like a man when the Drill Sergeant is on you. Corrective training is just extra working out always remember that.

Keep your feet and knees together on the chow hall too!

Doc

 

[Booseman]

Sand Hill. /sigh/ I miss it. If you go to Benning, when you are good in Blue Phase, there's a little Jamaican lady that makes you a badass shake if you make over 250 on your PT test before final Red White Blue Phase. Don't be that guy with candy bars and dip (contraband). Take your smokings a like a man when the Drill Sergeant is on you. Corrective training is just extra working out always remember that.

Keep your feet and knees together on the chow hall too!

Doc

Hell, I was the guy sneaking off to the PX buying dip, cigarettes, candy and soda and selling it to the guys in the barracks. Got caught once and no one ratted me out. Everyone took the smoke session because the pain was worth the reward.

Also, don't have your parents or GF send you a care package with goodies in it. I know back in the day everyone else got to eat your stuff but you. Do your best to be the PT stud and earn the patch, if they still do that. You will then get to eat the goodies in the DFAC. At least back then I did!!! Nowadays I would be on the fat boy program!!!!

 

[doc ace]

Hell, I was the guy sneaking off to the PX buying dip, cigarettes, candy and soda and selling it to the guys in the barracks. Got caught once and no one ratted me out. Everyone took the smoke session because the pain was worth the reward.

Also, don't have your parents or GF send you a care package with goodies in it. I know back in the day everyone else got to eat your stuff but you. Do your best to be the PT stud and earn the patch, if they still do that. You will then get to eat the goodies in the DFAC. At least back then I did!!! Nowadays I would be on the fat boy program!!!!

Yep, make damn sure zero nude pics of the wife/gf and no contraband in the care packages the Drill Sergeants enjoy those fruits of your loved ones' labors. No Sports illustrated swsuit catalog either, they kept mine out of my care package. The freedom came the last week or two of basic, they were acting like actual NCOs and not dickheads.

Booseman as far as the contraband, we had recycles in our platoon ****ing us hard with the fat boy snacks and dip. They didn't care if or when we got smoked, they just wanted to get chaptered out!

 

[charlie12]

A piece of advice while you are in basic. When they tease and razz you about being National Guard and they will, just let them know you are going to be Jody while they are gone.

Jody's got your girl and gone.

I hated cattle cars. They weren't so nice at Ft. Polk 41 yrs ago.

 

[Bayoupiper]

Jody's got your girl and gone.

I hated cattle cars. They weren't so nice at Ft. Polk 41 yrs ago.

Damn Charlie.

Talk about cutting it close!


.

 

[sgt z]

Thanks for your commitment, really consider going regular vs NG, nah you should really consider USMC. Any service will give you a new perspective on things and I respect your willingness to serve (the blank check thing). I was in basic at Ft. Jackson in the early 80's and I think almost everyone was getting high. That was a low period for the Army and the LAARNG, IMHO. I don't regret any of it. You're a pvt you can do nothing wrong! WooooHooo! Have fun.

 

[sportsbud]

Its all so different now, but i am needing to get in shape bad... run run and run some more i need to do... I hope to use the college benifits and get a commision down the road that would be nice... but right now one step at a time....

 

[sportsbud]

Funny story too i almost took my utility knife to MEPS... that would have been bad... I I discovered it and left it in the hotels front desk... And picked it up afterwords...

 

[soontobetwo]

Thank you for your service and commitment. As for the getting in shape preparation, I would not worry about it. Enjoy your freedom now. You are about to pay for it. If you are like me when I was 18 and in descent shape, you will do just fine. They work you into shape at a relatively good pace. Not like when I went to jump school and lost 33% of the class on day one from the pt test. My time in the army infantry was the greatest time as a young man. I did not learn any job skills other than hurry up and wait. But it fueled my patriotism and respect for the Heroes that protect us.. Thanks again for your commitment and god bless!

 

[LSUSMC]

Congratulations on your decision to join

 

[SGT_Kramer]

Good for you! If you need a weapon fixed or something Calibrated in the future chances are you'll get to meet me. The guard today is a different animal then it was in southern comfort. If you don't like something you see change it and learn what right looks like. Don't take the running light either. Hate for you to get hurt because your not in shape. It's easy to happen. Good luck and welcome to the club!

 

[nolaradio]

Well problem is, the roads around were I live, I am likely to get run over... and the only escape is into a deep ditch... so the treadmills are a very good substitute for me... when I can I will get to the Mandeville trails on the lake...

Tammany Trace: http://www.tammanytrace.org/
No need to necessarily go to Mandeville, there's tons of places to park along the trace and get a run in.

 

[rocketsteve]

Congratulations and thank you for choosing to serve your country.