I’m leaving for 19D OSUT on the 4th of November. What advice do you have for me?

PVT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 22:12:12 -0400

I’m leaving to OSUT at benning for Cav scout on the 4th of November any specific advice that you guys can give me? Whether you are Cav scout or not just any particular advice such as hydration tips and how to help prevent blisters

Response by SFC Ralph E Kelley made Oct 30 at 2019 10:27 PM

SFC Ralph E Kelley — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 22:27:26 -0400

Drink the water - you've been told how.
It will get cold - wear loose and in layers.
Get some moleskin.
Buddy checks for frostbite. White guys reddish skinpatches/Black guys grayish skinpatches (kinda hard for their skin to turn red).
Check for immersion foot - keep foot powder and extra socks.
Good Luck, Keep your sense of humor and don't quit.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 30 at 2019 11:10 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 23:10:27 -0400

Keep a good attitude;
Stay motivated, and motivate your peers;
Figure out how to read the daily training schedule, review it nightly, and use it to prep equipment and gear, identify any shortages or issues the night before and report them to your DS for a solution;
Have everyone work as a team, especially that asshole who never has thsirbahit ready, always tries to get out of work, and is an otherwise whiner.
Use all idol time to go over commonskills, get weapons assembly/disassembly competitions going and other related skills.
Take notes, write lessons learned.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 30 at 2019 11:52 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 23:52:03 -0400

Ill give you something a platoon sergeant told us once, and it really applies to your whole career.

Do what you're told,
Do what you're told,
Damn it, do what you're told!

Response by SPC Jose Munoz made Oct 31 at 2019 12:09 AM

SPC Jose Munoz — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 00:09:26 -0400

Stay motivated and disciplined even when all hell is breaking loose. The drill sergeants are there to weed out the weak. During your time there, focus only on what you are being told and do it. Lastly, if you think you’re gonna need a boost in your APFT to graduate, volunteer for the road guard vest. You’ll run with the platoon and stop vehicles at intersections, then you have to run all the way up to the front of the platoon after they have all passed safely, and you’ll do this for the duration of the run. I did this and I surpassed the requirement for the Physical Fitness Badge, which is given to you by the company commander, usually a captain. Good luck and take care of your body, breaking something could lead to you being recycled to another platoon in another company that is just starting their basic training. They might fit you in where you left off in other company’s, but unlikely, and you’ll have to start from day zero again. Stay hooah!

Response by SGT Christopher Durham made Oct 31 at 2019 12:57 AM

SGT Christopher Durham — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 00:57:09 -0400

Work as team, pay attention and learn everything you can. Eyes up head down. It was an amazing experience. I was with 1/131st Cav unit for a lil while. Which disband in 2016 I believe .Dress in layers if it’s up north and keep hydrated just cause it’s cold you doesn’t stop dehydration, you don’t think about as much cause your not sweating.

Response by SSG Brian L. made Oct 31 at 2019 4:38 AM

SSG Brian L. — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 04:38:09 -0400

Dont talk in formation... drink water... learn to get along with people who are hard to get along with and work as a team.... dont bag a scumbag and treat the place like high school i.e. every time the DS has their head turned you are doing your own thing and not what was put out.... make sure your boots fit (your feet will most likely experience some kind of pains) maybe go running with no socks in your shoes before you get there to help toughen your feet a little ... do what your told

Response by SGT Joseph Gunderson made Oct 31 at 2019 8:19 AM

SGT Joseph Gunderson — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 08:19:50 -0400

Don't be afraid to ask your fellow soldiers for help. If you are having trouble with PT, ask someone to pace you or something. If you aren't sure of something, ask questions. When it comes to things like the CLS test and whatnot, don't be afraid to ask for clarification or see if someone will study with you. We had a soldier who failed the CLS test while I scored a perfect 100. There's no reason that should happen, but he never spoke up.
It's okay to stand out but make sure it is for the right reasons. Don't be afraid to volunteer; I know we all hate to do extra work, but you might find yourself put in for a promotion waiver or Excellence in Armor or an award before you ever finish OSUT. Those are the kinds of things that set you up for success early in a career.
You're going to run into a bunch of guys--and I guess gals now--who are going to be very different from you in regards to life experience, age, backgrounds, etc. Get that many different people with Type A personalities in close quarters for a long period and there are bound to be some serious brawls. Don't do it. It isn't worth the bullshit.
Keep your wall locker straight, your rack made correctly, your uniform neat, and your ears open. If you're a churchgoer like I was--and everyone eventually becomes because it is a nice reprieve--keep one of your pairs of boots clean for Sundays.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 31 at 2019 9:46 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 09:46:37 -0400

Keep your mouth shut and listen to your drill sergeants.

Response by SPC Erich Guenther made Oct 31 at 2019 10:29 AM

SPC Erich Guenther — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 10:29:34 -0400

Ha-ha hydration. Your actually going to freeze your azz off. Make sure you pay attention to the Cold Weather injury classes. Even in cold weather though hydration is important sometimes it gets to 75 during the day and drops to 40 degrees at night. So also on break you need to layer or remove layers of clothes depending on the outside temperature. Just because it is Southern Georgia does not mean it does not get really cold and you can't get Frostbite. I attended long ago but my cycle ran Aug through December. It was really cold in November and December especially on the back of a truck riding to a range, where you get the wind rushing by. Also, you fall under prolonged exposure to the weather so while your used to walking from a building to your car in like 50-55 degree temperatures in possibly shorts and a polo and that level of clothing does it. Prolonged exposure over a period of 6-7 hours to those temps will get you shivering pretty badly and in danger of hypothermia. You'll learn by experience how to dress but always better to pack for cold weather than not to. They post uniform of the day usually or used to, not sure how they cover it now. But sometimes I snuck a sweater under my Uniform Top and T-Shirt. As long as it is not visible from the outside.......nobody cares and you can always take it off and put it in a leg cargo pocket.

Response by CPL Gary Pifer made Oct 31 at 2019 12:31 PM

CPL Gary Pifer — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 12:31:23 -0400

Forget the school anxiety... learn all the weapons systems... learn all vehicles.. driving and how to do maintenance and battle field repairs.. be around tanks and now everything about them. learn communications gear.. become super strong be able to run fast and walk far... learn to climb and walk walls and roof tops... Learn marksmanship.. minor sniper skills... learn aircraft.. learn calling and spotting Artillery.. drones...aircraft... learn survival and SERE skills... learn our potential enemies..their languages...customs.. language..geography. learn first aid and life saving.. be a strong swimmer.. and learn IED..19D's biggest threat... learn explosives... obtain all manuals and keep as reference... study on the internet... go to a VA hospital and see the disabled Vets..go to the National Cemetery stroll the grounds... Serious MOS...High injury rate... 11B and 19D crippled me... and most of my Scout buddies... IED's got most of them... Always be on guard..and buy the best equipment...

Response by SGT Dave Tracy made Oct 31 at 2019 1:24 PM

SGT Dave Tracy — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 13:24:10 -0400

General tips:
Check you're ego at the door.
Close mouth.
Open ears.
Take nothing personally.
Expect OSUT to suck...embrace the suck.
Don't quit.

As to your specific questions:
They'll issue you a camelbak; fill it frequently. Winter in Georgia won't be as blazing hot as the other 3 seasons, but stay hydrated anyway, because they'll work your ass off.
Blisters can be mitigated by a path of moleskin/Band-Aid, etc; otherwise, what I used to do was wear my black dress socks under my regular socks. Not a guarantee, but I didn't have too many problems.

Good luck.

Response by PFC Joseph Cuschieri made Oct 31 at 2019 3:16 PM

PFC Joseph Cuschieri — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 15:16:38 -0400

Get sleep when you can.
Pay close attention to your instructors.
Pay close attention to detail.
Go balls out in every exercise.
Don't be a broke dick.
Take care of your feet and lungs.
Have integrity in all you do. (Cheaters only cheat themselves and always get caught)
Most of these instructors are going thought family issues associated with the training. Late home every day 20:00 and up at 03:00 to wake your sorry ass at 04:00. Don't try to be their buddy and don't piss them off but be prepared for the mind fuck. Encourage teamwork. Even if the team is wrong, at least you are wrong as a team.
Finally, don't forget to sleep.

Response by CPT Larry Hudson made Nov 1 at 2019 4:58 PM

CPT Larry Hudson — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 16:58:57 -0400

If your not Cavalry your not???

Response by SGT Steven Torstenson made Nov 2 at 2019 9:44 PM

SGT Steven Torstenson — Sat, 02 Nov 2019 21:44:38 -0400

Fort Knox will be freezing the entire time you're there and you won't be indoors much. Embrace it and stay mentally tough. Drink lots of water, stay dry and try to stay warm. You could ice skate when I got off the bus after Christmas 1998. I crawled through the snow for hours one day and at the end of the day I tried to warm my hands by the fire and it hurt like hell and I had to pull my frozen hands away from the heat. Drink water, stay dry, try to stay warm, focus, one day at a time and don't quit.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 6 at 2019 3:52 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 06 Nov 2019 03:52:29 -0500

I wouldn’t normally drop this much knowledge cause most of it should be learned on ones own, however, I’ll tell you in good faith so that maybe focusing less on the dumb shit will help you and your teammates be better than the steaming pile of crap soldiers we’ve been getting.

Biggest Health concern tip: If you start to develop a headache, it’s typically the start of something worse from dehydration. Chug a bunch of water. I find doing strenuous stuff in the heat, this is one of the biggest indicators. Even if it’s a baby headache. Also, if you pee and it kind of stings, or continues to feel as though you might be peeing yourself (extreme end of it) your pee is too concentrated from dehydration. Chug a lot of water and it will go away rather quickly.

Blisters are harder to combat other than the hard work of toughening them up. Get good fitting boots. Don’t let them pawn some shit fitting boots on to you.

Speaking of uniforms, keep one clean and serviceable. When you get to where you are going and get issued every item of clothing, ACTUALLY make sure you are getting everything they have on the paper. After this, on EVERYTHING you receive, put your name on IT ALL. A favorite past time of the DS will be bumble fucking all your equipment, clothes and boots especially so no one knows who’s is who’s. Want a sure fire way to reduce blisters? Keep your boots that you got fitted specifically to your feet. Let everyone else know too, I’ll get into why in a second.

You will be smoked for the smallest things, and for other people’s mistakes. No matter what, it’s part of breaking you down and building you back up. Accept the physical activity as that and don’t be discouraged. You all are a team. CHECK each other! You’re just as fucked up for allowing your buddy to be jacked up as he is being the one messed up. You all do EVERYTHING as a team. That means if one person isn’t doing the exercise, if one person isn’t counting, you all are failing to do so as well. The sooner you start taking responsibility for each other and your teammates fuck ups, the easier your lives will be.

Have a willingness to learn. You can be the biggest dumb ass, but at the end of the day, if you can pass a PT test, shoot decently, and WANT to learn, you’re more valuable to me coming into my unit than some 120 GT score douche bag that is entitled and thinks he knows everything.

That brings me to my last point: don’t be that guy to get done with OSUT and think you’re hot shit. When you get to your new unit, seek to learn more and apply what you know INCLUDING CUSTOMS AND COURTESIES. The NUMBER ONE take away if you get nothing else from this, is that a soldier who does what he is told without fuss and who shows he wants to be there will always climb fast. Especially in the scout world, the dirt bags we get will make the averages semi motivated and respectful soldier look like a saint. Couple that with how desperately we need man power, you’ll climb fast with the right attitude. Just make sure as you climb you improve your knowledge to match. Constantly improve upon yourself. During basic they have a bunch of time for you to be studying. As soon as you get warrior tasks and drills level 1, actually do the studying. It takes about an hour or two to read. You’ll probably need to read it a few times with some classes to supplement, but if you simply understand the basics that it shows you, you’ll be golden.

Response by CSM Eric Olsen made Nov 15 at 2019 7:00 PM

CSM Eric Olsen — Fri, 15 Nov 2019 19:00:37 -0500

As a young Soldier, Do as your boss tells you and always take care of your teammates

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 15 at 2019 7:05 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 15 Nov 2019 19:05:18 -0500

Stay positive and work hard!

Response by SPC Thom Knott made Dec 4 at 2019 10:16 AM

SPC Thom Knott — Wed, 04 Dec 2019 10:16:42 -0500

Enjoy yourself, embrace the suck and give it your all. Prep with long hikes with hills and carrying a 45lb pack on your back. Attitude and respect is everything, both toward your peers and Drill Sargeants. Set the highest standard for yourself and help your buddies.

Response by PFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 15 at 2020 10:33 PM

PFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 22:33:50 -0500

Sneak the good socks from the px, once you get your dress socks wear them inside the long green ones on rucks. Learn to apply moleskin

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 11 at 2020 3:09 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 11 Mar 2020 03:09:53 -0400

Learn your craft. All of it. All weapons, tactics, techniques and procedures. Be a disciplined Soldier. Be a team player and express pride in your unit. Keep in top physical shape. You’ll be fine.

Response by SGT Jeff Harrington made Aug 22 at 2021 1:48 PM

SGT Jeff Harrington — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 13:48:14 -0400

Hang on it will be a fun…lol. I don’t know about advice, I went through