Posted on Jan 23, 2020
I am 35 and just enlisted. What can I expect?
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Basic Combat Training (BCT)
15T: UH-60 Helicopter Repairer
Guidance
Advice
Drill Sergeant
Basic Combat Training (BCT) 15T: UH-60 Helicopter Repairer Guidance Advice Drill Sergeant
Edited 6 y ago
Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 87
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Start running, now! Don't stop! Should you get tired of running, do chin ups and push ups. When you get tired of that, go back to running. Forget sleep. You don't have time. I was 23 when I enlisted. I had finished college and law school while working full time. Didn't have time for playing games. I spent a whole year at Infantry School, BCT, AIT, and Infantry OCS. I never really caught up with the young'uns and, as 1SG Frank Boynton mentioned, no one gave me a break. If anything, they pushed me harder. Sure, I had an advantage in emotional maturity and academics, but the physical part was brutal. Now, stop reading and start running!
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SSG Sharon Fields
PO1 Joe Shapona - really PTSD counselors in basic? What they he’ll have they done to my Army?
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PO1 Joe Shapona
SSG Sharon Fields - To be fair I heard this from a SFC who just retired. But the "Time out" chits are seemingly real.
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PO2 Gerry Tandberg
Wow! I enlisted in the Navy one month before my 18th birthday. Physically, the Navy was a breeze. However, it was a mental challenge even for us 18-20 year olds. There was about a 25% washout rate back in the early 1960's. I could not imagine anyone at age 35 dealing with being called every degrading name not defined in Websters Dictionary, then add having joined either the Army or Marine Corp with the additional physical stamina required. My nephew enlisted in the Army at about age 33. He was too set in his ways even as s street brawler, ending up sick, and washing out of Army Basic. Stay healthy and physical fit and pretend you're 18 and can take the 10 weeks of the BS thrown at you in Basic. I have a good friend who applied and was eventually accepted into the California Highway Patrol Academy in Sacramento. He had a degree in Theology and his nickname was Preach. He was 35 years old, and at the max age limit, as well as being the oldest person in his class. He had applied two years prior, and then got the call telling him he'd been accepted. He was married and his wife was pregnant at the time. He said the physical requirements were brutal, but the emotional challenges were equally challenging. Weapons training, driving skills, running-running-running, weekly tests to qualify and pass, and the list goes on and on for 28 weeks. That's longer than any military Boot or Basic training. About 20-40% cadets wash out. He passed and is now in his second year as a California Patrolman (CHP). You can do it.
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Sgt Neil Foster
PO1 Joe Shapona - When was on Active Duty (70s and 80s) rumors of "stress cards" for trainees ran rampant.
In my current job, I occasionally teach groups of Airmen and Sailors. In one class one Airman mentioned the "stress cards". I asked him if there were stress cards when he went through basic. He said "No Way"!
That's when I told him about that rumor had been circulating since AT LEAST the mid 1980s. I did tell him something that happened to one guy in my flight that is most likely not happening these days.
When we first arrived at out squadron (at 'zero dark thirty') after our TI "greeted" us, showed us how t stand at attention to stand at attention, yell "Sir, yes sir" loud enough for him to hear, and pickup up our bags quickly enough, it was time to go up into the barracks..
When we were in the day room he asked a few airmen some questions. One poor soul answered "Yeah". we saw the red move up out TI's face like a thermometer. The conversation went like this:
TI: WHAT THE F**K DID YOU JUST SAY?
Airman: Sir, I meant to say Sir, yes sir.
TI: BULLSH*T, YOU SAID YEAH. I HATE THAT F**KING WORD. Where the f**k are you from, boy?
Airman: Sir, Ohio, sir!
TI: Do you know me?
Airman: Sir, no sir!
TI: Does your mamma know me?
Airman: Sir, no sir!
TI: Does your daddy know me?
Airman: Sir, no sir!
TI: THEN WHY THE F**K DID YOU COME ALL THE WAY FROM OHIO JUST TO PISS ME THE F**K OFF?
The TI grabbed his shirt collar and said "COME WITH ME, LADIES!"
We all went into the latrine and the TI told the airman to kneel over the toilet and said "YOU WILL SIT HERE AND SAY YEAH, THEN FLUSH IT DOWN THE TOILET UNTIL THERE'S NOT ANOTHER F**KING YEAH LEFT IN YOU, BOY. DO YOU F**ING UNDERSTAND ME?"
The airman said "SIR, YES SIR!" For the next few minutes we heard "YEAH <flush>, YEAH <flush>, YEAH <flush>, YEAH <flush>.
The TI said "DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE YEAHS LEFT IN YOU, BOY?"
The airman replied "SIR, NO SIR!"
The TI said "Good, on your feet." Then he turned to us and said "Let this be a lesson to you, ladies!"
My USAF students had their jaws wide open and admitted that would never happen today.
I responded by saying "Well, we were scared sh*tless, but it worked... nobody ever said yeah again for the next six weeks"
In my current job, I occasionally teach groups of Airmen and Sailors. In one class one Airman mentioned the "stress cards". I asked him if there were stress cards when he went through basic. He said "No Way"!
That's when I told him about that rumor had been circulating since AT LEAST the mid 1980s. I did tell him something that happened to one guy in my flight that is most likely not happening these days.
When we first arrived at out squadron (at 'zero dark thirty') after our TI "greeted" us, showed us how t stand at attention to stand at attention, yell "Sir, yes sir" loud enough for him to hear, and pickup up our bags quickly enough, it was time to go up into the barracks..
When we were in the day room he asked a few airmen some questions. One poor soul answered "Yeah". we saw the red move up out TI's face like a thermometer. The conversation went like this:
TI: WHAT THE F**K DID YOU JUST SAY?
Airman: Sir, I meant to say Sir, yes sir.
TI: BULLSH*T, YOU SAID YEAH. I HATE THAT F**KING WORD. Where the f**k are you from, boy?
Airman: Sir, Ohio, sir!
TI: Do you know me?
Airman: Sir, no sir!
TI: Does your mamma know me?
Airman: Sir, no sir!
TI: Does your daddy know me?
Airman: Sir, no sir!
TI: THEN WHY THE F**K DID YOU COME ALL THE WAY FROM OHIO JUST TO PISS ME THE F**K OFF?
The TI grabbed his shirt collar and said "COME WITH ME, LADIES!"
We all went into the latrine and the TI told the airman to kneel over the toilet and said "YOU WILL SIT HERE AND SAY YEAH, THEN FLUSH IT DOWN THE TOILET UNTIL THERE'S NOT ANOTHER F**KING YEAH LEFT IN YOU, BOY. DO YOU F**ING UNDERSTAND ME?"
The airman said "SIR, YES SIR!" For the next few minutes we heard "YEAH <flush>, YEAH <flush>, YEAH <flush>, YEAH <flush>.
The TI said "DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE YEAHS LEFT IN YOU, BOY?"
The airman replied "SIR, NO SIR!"
The TI said "Good, on your feet." Then he turned to us and said "Let this be a lesson to you, ladies!"
My USAF students had their jaws wide open and admitted that would never happen today.
I responded by saying "Well, we were scared sh*tless, but it worked... nobody ever said yeah again for the next six weeks"
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Damn. You’re going to hate it. Physically you’re going to be sore the entire time. You’re going to be older than most the drill sergeants and other enlisted and officers in your company. Drills are not going to give you a break. You have 2 months before you leave for basic. Start your physical routine like you are Sylvester Stallone in Rocky. Good luck but it’s going to be a hard row to go for you. Be mentally prepared for the challenge and prepares to face it every day.
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SFC James (Jim) R Brown
SFC Jim Brown (Ret) Attended Basic Airborne School just four (4) months shy of 40 years old for the third time. I can tell you run, run, run, pullups, pullups, sit ups, sit ups, and then do them all over again. Have heart, never quit. Be the last one down (if you get a break), be the first up when break is over. Never falter. Put a lot of time and effort prior to attending. I did and that all paid off. I was used as an example to the younger troops. The respect you gain from the Drills, (Black Hats) will make your effort more than worth while. Most rewarding thing I ever did.
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SP5 Lucke Delacruz, BSN, RN
I was 32 when I enlisted and I concentrated on improving my PT. At the end, I even beat those 18-20 year old youngster in 2 mile run
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PVT Rocky Susshine
WW1 Vet. told me just before I bought the train to Ft. Benning Ga.Basic Training. Don't volunteer for nothing. At Benning. A DI Stated. When being fired on by machine gun. Charge the position.I questioned the DI at the time. He repeated the same. I never seen anyone charge automatic fire.
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PVT Rocky Susshine
Be in shape before beginning Basic Training. You won't have much of an issue. Chin ups were my weekness.
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Suspended Profile
Don’t be the entitled old dude who gripes about how entitled the young trainees are.
Start running, get that core tight, and prepare to be in a way different tier of resilience compared to your peers.
As in, your life problems are likely vastly more complex than their life problems. So, put on that big brother hat, get your body right, and show them that “old man” strength.
Good luck!!
Start running, get that core tight, and prepare to be in a way different tier of resilience compared to your peers.
As in, your life problems are likely vastly more complex than their life problems. So, put on that big brother hat, get your body right, and show them that “old man” strength.
Good luck!!
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Who are we kidding, simply put, you can do it for sure - we did it but keeping up with those damn youngsters damn near killed us. 10 years from now you'll be 45.. Hell I retired at 45 with 26 years in AND it damn near kill me keeping up with those youngsters. AGAIN you can do it!
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I went through OSUT twice in my life once at 18 for 19D and again at 34 for my current MOS 12B. There has been a lot of good advice given within this thread so some recaps that will be beneficial to you
1. Check your ego at the door. You will be older than almost every person there, including the NCO's and CoC. They do not care about who you were before you got there, they are only interested in making you a soldier. Pay close attention and learn as much as you can, these are some of the most professional NCO's you will ever work with.
2. All the young ones will be looking at your for leadership, be the leader you would want leading you. be humble and be honest.
3. Your body can and will do more than your mind will allow it to, shut that shit down and push through
4. You need to be able to meet the PT standards for the 18-21 years old range. You will be training with this age group and they will expect you to keep up. No on likes a shit bag that says "I can meet the standard for my age"
5. If you are working out now, double and triple your effort. I made it a point to be able to hit 75 pts. per event before I even left the second time. Run, run and run some more. at our age the biggest factor when it comes to falling behind is endurance. I would start incorporating HIIT training into your routine twice a week. The new ACFT is no joke and there is no age groups.
6. Most of all, and this is probably the most important, remember it is only temporary and that it is 90% mental 8% physical and 2% luck!
When I went through a second time they knew I was prior service. There was a little more expected of me and I was humbled that they trusted me to be the soldier I got to be. However I served with a few other older guys (mid 30's) that were absolute bags of shit because they thought somehow there age should have gotten them special treatment... trust me you do not want special treatment while at BCT.
With that said, I had the time of my life... both times and would go through it all again if need be.
Best of luck to you!!
1. Check your ego at the door. You will be older than almost every person there, including the NCO's and CoC. They do not care about who you were before you got there, they are only interested in making you a soldier. Pay close attention and learn as much as you can, these are some of the most professional NCO's you will ever work with.
2. All the young ones will be looking at your for leadership, be the leader you would want leading you. be humble and be honest.
3. Your body can and will do more than your mind will allow it to, shut that shit down and push through
4. You need to be able to meet the PT standards for the 18-21 years old range. You will be training with this age group and they will expect you to keep up. No on likes a shit bag that says "I can meet the standard for my age"
5. If you are working out now, double and triple your effort. I made it a point to be able to hit 75 pts. per event before I even left the second time. Run, run and run some more. at our age the biggest factor when it comes to falling behind is endurance. I would start incorporating HIIT training into your routine twice a week. The new ACFT is no joke and there is no age groups.
6. Most of all, and this is probably the most important, remember it is only temporary and that it is 90% mental 8% physical and 2% luck!
When I went through a second time they knew I was prior service. There was a little more expected of me and I was humbled that they trusted me to be the soldier I got to be. However I served with a few other older guys (mid 30's) that were absolute bags of shit because they thought somehow there age should have gotten them special treatment... trust me you do not want special treatment while at BCT.
With that said, I had the time of my life... both times and would go through it all again if need be.
Best of luck to you!!
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harassment! When I was a drill sergeant, we valued the more "mature" privates, but the first two weeks we were pretty tough on them. I recall calling one dude a failure in life so he started his fallback plan. I say this because this is what I experienced as a Drill Sergeant. Again we did take care of these dudes. Also, the younger kids are gonna drive you crazy because you are much older and you aren't in the mood to play those reindeer games. So you'll be the "old man" of the platoon. Also, don't be surprised to have some young bucks who will challenge you, especially if you correct them.
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SGT (Join to see) I am one those poor SOBs that has done BCT twice. First at 18 years old and then 31 years old. It will be tough for you but not impossible. Your first diagnostic APFT will be an eye opener for you. I bet you aren't as out of shape as you think. At 35 years old with a 50/50/50 standard you are looking at 26 P/U, 34 S/U, and a 18:48 2 mile. If you cannot get that done by the 2nd week of BCT I would be shocked. (or if I were you ashamed.) Everyone here has given you great advice. Start exercising now so its one less thing to worry about.
Good Luck and Enjoy the experience.
Good Luck and Enjoy the experience.
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SGT (Join to see)
I can do the run and pushups but I can’t to the sit-ups. Should I continue planking to build my core?
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SGT (Join to see)
SGT (Join to see) - Yes, stretching is important. Last think you want to do is pull a hamstring or worse.
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SGT (Join to see)
SGT (Join to see) - Doing more sit-ups is the key to doing more sit-ups. Do sit-ups everyday and keep trying to do more repetitions. Sure you can do planks and whatever but do not stop doing sit-ups.
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SPC (Join to see)
SGT (Join to see) how is BCT the second time around, looks like i get the privilage of doing it again as well, im thinking ill turn 30 while there. i gave the army my 18th bday (BCT #1), my 21st ( deploeyed to Iraq), and looks like my 30th too. aint that something lol
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The advice you’ve been getting is good, do what you can to prepare physically. It’s a good idea to get a jump on being prepared in that area. One thing I haven’t seen much of are comments about the atmosphere. You’re not just there for physical training. The aspect of becoming a soldier is huge. D&C, weapons training, and the entire host of soldier skills matter. Listen to the drills. (When they say left face, make a left face, not right.) Don’t be frustrated at hurry up and wait. It’s part of the program. There’s a lot of training, and you’ll likely be glad you did it. I decided to give Basic a try when I was 31, just for the experience of it. Each time I looked left and right I saw recruits that were just as tired as I was. I wouldn’t trade my experience for anything. Wound up doing 22 years and (mostly) enjoyed it. Best of luck to you. Make your dreams come true.
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Run, the gym and the track should be your life until you ship. The better shape you're in the better off you'll be.
Understand you'll likely be the oldest one there, get used to the old man jokes, don't let them bug you.
At your age you may not get another chance so if you even think about quitting, don't. Push through, it's only temporary, you can make it.
Two rules:
1. Don't sweat the small stuff
2. It's all small stuff
Understand you'll likely be the oldest one there, get used to the old man jokes, don't let them bug you.
At your age you may not get another chance so if you even think about quitting, don't. Push through, it's only temporary, you can make it.
Two rules:
1. Don't sweat the small stuff
2. It's all small stuff
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“Just keep breathing” is your new mantra.
Doing PT…”breathe”.
Dealing with shithead, spoiled, untested teenagers…”breathe”.
Mass punishment…”breathe”.
Doing PT…”breathe”.
Dealing with shithead, spoiled, untested teenagers…”breathe”.
Mass punishment…”breathe”.
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SGT (Join to see)
I actually learned a new breathing technique for running and I was able to run twice and far as I could before it really helped slow deep belly breaths.
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SGT Brandon Culpepper
Not just for your physical health but your mental health. You’ll be setting a pretty good example for the kids who are getting out on their own for the first time. Make every rep count. Airborne. SGT (Join to see)
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