Do you remember your first day of basic training?

E 1/48 at Fort Leonard (Lost in the) Wood, MO.

We were going through a "shake down/smoke session" after being picked up from reception. It was raining ICE and the DS told me that this "was fun". I don't remember having any fun.

Oh yes. *Shudders*

No, Sir, the entire first week is a blur to me!

Fond memories of....

I did basic at Ft. Lewis, Washington. Our first day in the barracks the drill sergeant opened the back door and pointed to Mt. Rainier. It was a crystal clear day and the mountain was beautiful. The drill sergeant said to take a good look at it because we won't see it again all summer. He was referencing the "typical rainy weather of the northwest." As it turned out we had an unusually dry summer and we saw the mountain more often than not. I think that may be the only good thing that can be said about my experience at basic training.

I must be the only oddball because I honestly don’t remember much of my first day at all - just bits and pieces of BT altogether.

What I remember was Zero Week. The Army. did not want anything to do with me and I felt the same way. We fell out in the morning, personnel were picked for details (cutting grass at the golf course, working in the Base officers club). Once the details were picked, Top would tell the rest of us to disappear. Then there was the first day of BASIC, all I could think over and over again was, “These people are trying to kill me!”

Sure remember our greeting at San Antonio airport and all of us getting stood into a formation right there a bit of a spectacle for passing civilians. We were leaded onto buses for the trip to Lackland AFB, TX and the Reception center and it was still dark. the processing inside then proceeding outside and standing on the yellow footprints. The trip to the Mess Hall, side step through the line, looking straight ahead, proceed to a table and stand at attention until every seat was filled then sit and consume Your breakfast and be quick about it. Then followed the day of training which was nice after having been on a plane from Boston and up all the previous day also. We were still marching around in civilian clothes that first day and were called "Rainbows" by others that already had their uniform issues. Remember other's there before us would march by and sign cadence songs like, Rainbow, Rainbow don't fee blue, 4 more days and We'll be through" as one example. of course except what We were wearing all the other civilian clothes etc had already been taken from us earlier in the day along with anything they didn't feel We should have with us.

I sure do, 30July79. With all the in your face yelling, us running around like chickens with our heads cutoff getting haircuts, issued clothing, doing paperwork, chow, pushups and other calisthenics, etc.; it took me about 24 hours to realize that the main business of the DI's was to separate those enlistees that showed a propensity to fall apart under the crush of unexpected stress from the rest of us. Even though I had quite a rebellious streak in me, it reminded me of all those years of playing football and baseball with a dad who was always a coach. I knew that I had to STFU, pay attention and do what I was told immediately exactly how I was told. The calisthenics and workout parts were the easiest. I must say that being shaved down to bare metal was extremely unnerving after all those years of long hair, and until that point I had no idea my head was the size of a giant Rottweiler's!

Yes I do, and it wasn't like it is now, some of the recruits now a days would crying for their mommies in side of 2 minutes.