Do you remember your first day of basic training?

I'll never forget arriving at Ft Benning around midnight, no sleep for about 48 hours and standing in lines for days. It was so cold in the breezeway at 30th AG and I had no jacket in January. Someone next to me talked in the DFAC and I got kicked out. Those were great times. Lol

Yes it was September 11 1995 when I first stood on the yellow footprints at MCRD San Diego. Never before and not since have I witnessed such a magnificent display of organized chaos, wouldn't change a thing though. Would have been nice to attend Army basic to get the experience that my Soldiers had.

I remember having to hold our bags in our arms. We weren't allowed to use the straps or anything. You just wrapped your arms around whatever bags you had and held it to your chest. Which wasn't so bad, but there was this one guy who decided to travel with a big suitcase that had wheels on it..... and yes, they made him hold that up while we were standing in line just waiting.

I'll never forget my first day. I'm not including reception, I'm talking about the first day. the DS's at Ft Benning were intimidating to say the least, but the training they gave us instilled in me the building blocks of what 'right looks like'. I'm grateful for where I went for basic, and I'm especially grateful for having the DS's I had.

CPT Jacob Swartout, I do remember my first day of basic training, and it was a little over 39 years ago. The last leg of my trip from home (upstate NY) to Fort Polk (basic training site) was by bus, and at the last bus station there were several troops who had failed out of BCT, telling us that we'd never make it. I remember it being extremely hot and humid (end of June 1975). That night we were put up in our WWII barracks, and then the next day was actually day #1. Something that stands out for me is that we had a formation, where we dumped everything we brought with us on the ground. The drill sergeants came through, confiscated contraband, and told us to pack up most of our things to be placed in storage.

It may not have been the first day, but soon after that, they rushed us through uniform issue. It was HOT! And everyone was sweating a lot. In classic fashion, at the end of the hurried uniform issue, we were told to get into our Class A uniform for official BCT photos. Many people had sweat lines on their shirt collars in their photos. I was one of the many who did.

Another part of either that day or soon after that stands out was the immunizations line. Those "air-gun" syringes were popular then. We got our shot records and were put in lines to get our various shots. One fellow near me moved when the medic pulled the air gun trigger. It ripped his arm, which started bleeding quite a lot. I don't remember the exact number of shots I got that day, but I do remember that it was quite a few.

Looking back on it now, these are good memories. At the time, I was kinda scared.

I do. Got into San Antonio late. They must have woken up this TI just to mess with me. I was standing in line to turn in my dependent ID card. He comes across the room with my ID in his hand got in my face (his 6'2" vs my 6'6") and asked "you think you're special cause daddy is a SMSgt!?!?"

I stood there at attention, looked him dead in the eyes and said...yes.
LOL he about had a fit.


2nd funniest story - was an element leader, TI from another flight decided it was pick on the big guy day. He pulls me out of formation and commences to chew out my stomach. This guy was barely 5' in his boots. I tried so hard not to laugh. His smokey bear hat kept hitting me and made me chuckle harder.

That was an amazing day. Fort Benning, summer of 2007. The hottest summer in ten years. I wouldn't trade that sweat storm for anything.

I got there ~0400, and they let us bed down at 0500. At 0530, they woke up back up and many of us had fire guard duty that night. It had been a long time since I'd stayed up that long.

Grew up with a DI for a father, so it wasn't so scary, it was more exhausting, and I kept telling myself, "Keep you mouth shut... this isn't home!"

I remember crossing over those track in Fort Sill and all hell breaking lose. Those drill sergeant went wild on us lol.