Best advice for basic training?

Learn the rank structure from E1 to General till you can say it in your sleep. Practice and workout for physical fitness more than you ever have before working up to a 70 lb backpack with boots running a minimum of 4 weeks before you go. Read all the information available on the website for Ft Benning and follow it to the letter. If you are going from a different climate, be prepared to do less physically and mentally. Do not bring contraband or extraneous items not on the list you are given to bring. Make sure you have access to funds through a checking or savings account. Learn to stand at attention, staring straight ahead and not making any faces or movements when being yelled at. Learn to salute properly - your local units can help you there or a Veteran in the area if no active or reserve around. Learn to yell Yes Drill SGT at the top of your lungs - loudly in other words. Learn about the Army as much as possible to include who is who right now to include Presidents and their cabinet members. Run, run, run a bit more each week than the week before until you can exceed the time limit for your age group to meet Army Standards, not just basic standards. Do push ups, sit ups and pull ups increasing them weekly until you can exceed the Army Standards, not just basic standards. In other words, build up your strength, endurance, mental capacity and body. Learn to live with and believe in honesty, integrity, loyalty, self-less service, courage, etc. Make sure you believe in and exhibit those. Go to a unit nearby, whether reserve or active, and ask to speak to the 1SG for some guidance and speak to the new troops who have recently completed their basic and AITs. Take their guidance to heart and do the best you can. Follow orders immediately, do not hesitate, do not say Uh, Oh or Well. Say Yes Drill SGT, No Drill SGT until it is automatically ingrained in you. Learn to keep your area clean at all times. Have someone show you how to roll your towels, t-shirts, etc. to fit in your locker and be neat for inspections. Learn how to make your bed so a quarter bounces off the cover. Learn how to do more with less sleep and more physical and emotional challenges presented to you. If you don't know the answer to something say so, but also state, I will get back to you with the answer. Find the answer and get back to them with it. Be honest above all else, a team player and help to make a cohesive unit with your fellow Soldiers.

I know this is my second post here PVT (Join to see) , but I wanted to add.... Never consider yourself a lowly Soldier. Soldiers, are the most important thing in our Army.

Get ready for a culture shock. You will be yelled for every little thing - don't take it personally. The drill sergeant is trying to remove the civilian out of you and build up the soldier. There will be the Know-It-Alls, the PT-Studs, Ass-Clowns, and Show-Offs; just be true to yourself and you will make it through. Life will suck royally. It isn't supposed to be a walk in the park. If it was, anyone could walk off the streets and do this. But at the same time, it is only 9 weeks. You're getting an incredible amount of training that not everyone gets to have, pretty much free room and board, your meals made for you, free benefits, and get paid on top of it all. Always remember that it could be worse. And most of all, if you look around and see someone struggling, help that person out. Even if it is the worse soldier in the platoon, help that person out. You would be surprised how helping someone out will go a long way even if it is just one little thing.

"Lowly" is not in our dictionary, when you join you're that 1% brotherhood. But from experience, I'll say 2 thing. Physicial and Mentally Fit.

But the rest is...
Practice waking up 0400.
Practice Push up, Sit up and Running(Look up Army Fitness test Requirement).
Learn Ranks Structure.

You will be scared, You will be homesick, you will grow up, and you will learn alot. You will make mistakes but as long as you learn from them thats the important thing. The experience is different for everyone. For me it was all of the things I said. dont keep your head down, Stand out, push yourself everytime you want to give up or it is too hard. Most importantly try to have fun there is no other place on the planet where you are going to do the stuff you get to do in Basic. Its a life changing experience so leave all the expectations at home and take it one day at a time.

Search yourself as to why "I" want to join?! Why do I want to serve my country?! Can't be just about college money, a job, or a bonus! U join to make a difference, to stand up for what is right! To soldier!!!! I new I was going to be in the Army since I was 7 years old! Been serving for 21 years! I do it because I am a patriot! I love the red, white, and blue! I serve for those who have stood beside me in the snow and rain in the Baltic, the snow, rain, and sand of OEF, and the 130 degree sand in OIF! I serve because it has been my calling!!!!!!

"Lowly"? No such service member exists! ALL members who serve with honor are important and have their role to play. Someone has to make all the hairbrained ideas the SNCO's and Officers come up with work somehow!

Best advice I could give for both your military and civilian life/career is this: Treat everyone you encounter with respect and dignity. You may one day become the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs or even SecDef. Never forget you were once that newest soldier/sailor/airman/marine.

Try to learn all you can about everything moving around you. Just because you might be a admin troop doesn't mean you shouldn't bother with learning how to change the oil in the HMMWV (for example). The more skills you can gather, the more valuable you become.

Along those lines, strive to further your civilian education but never forget you are a Soldier first. No one, and I mean NO ONE likes to pick up the extra slack because some jackwagon skips out on his/her duties because they overloaded on college classes.

Lastly (and probably the most important) is to always put forth your best effort regardless of the task at hand. I had Airmen working for me who weren't the greatest at a task but they poured 100% of their heart and soul into getting the job done. I had more respect and appreciated their efforts much more than I did the troop who just breezed through and half-assed everything.

Best of luck to you. Keep the positive attitude you've shown here and you should have a successful and rewarding career.

There is no such animal as a "lowly" soldier. We all have to earn our stripes the same way you are going to earn yours. The best advice I ever got when I started out as a young Private came from my first section chief. He told me in my initial counseling, "Do what you are told, Do what you are told, and Do what you are told". You are on the path of being an infantryman so I know you will run into the hard ass NCO. Never take anything he says personally. That man is only looking to build you into a well-oiled fighting machine. I am a retired Artilleryman so I know from experience what combat arms leaders are like. Basic training will be one big blur being you will be so tired from the early mornings and late nights. Expect to exercise like you've never exercised before. When you are done with your training you will be a different man. You will carry with you a sense of pride that will not compare to any other time in your life. When you get to your first duty station pay attention to what your leaders are telling you and pay attention to your peers. Some of them will try to set you up for failure, don't let them. If you are to be successful then you need to listen to your leadership, mainly your squad leader. Always ask questions, always strive to learn everything you can about your job, and stay out of trouble. Don't paint a target on your back.

welcome to the army.we don't have the same name but we are all brothers. you will make the best friends of your life in the army.

When I joined in 2000 my dad, a 24 year Marine, told me two things

1. Listen to everything and never anticipate
2. What you learn here will forever be who you are. Its a clean slate and a beginning of the rest of your life.

I learned to learn fast, think quick on my feet, and remember that pain only last as long as you allow it too.
Looking back now, basic was the easiest of my career, but in the moment everything seems hard. My father wanted to teach me everything he knew so I could be prepared, but I refused and said I wanted to learn it for myself. That was a good idea as I saw many new recruits belittled and yelled at for thinking they knew everything. I learned the Army way, not the Marine way, nothing wrong with the Marine way, just I wanted to learn and not expect anything to get the full experience.

My advice....Be who you are and stand up for what you believe. If you feel your a leader, then lead, if you feel your not, then don't try to...Give it your all and in the end you'll look back and be happy with your choices.