Posted on May 8, 2017
Jordan Durland
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I was given a list by my recruiter but it was very vague, so I asked him myself and he was little to no more help.

What all do I bring exactly? And do I bring more than one pair of clothes? I don't know how soon we get issued our uniforms. I leave in a month. Any help would be appreciated.
Posted in these groups: Basic training logo Basic Training
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TSgt Joe C.
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I'm not sure what branch of service you are going into, but for Air Force basic, I didn't bring a whole lot. We were issued uniforms fairly quickly. I'd recommend extra under clothes and what not. Toiletries too. You can bring your cell phone but be aware, it will be taken away when you get to basic. I can't speak for the other services.
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1SG Vet Technician
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If I was able to go back in time and do it again, one thing I would have done is to set up a savings account that requires a second owner to access and withdraw from (like parents). I would then set up an automatic payment from my paycheck to that account for some percentage (25-30%).

You will be provided with a place to live and food to eat. (Even if you hate the food and eat on your own dime somewhere else, you will still avoid paying rent). There is no reason why you should miss a small portion of your pay that is sent to a savings account. When you decide to leave the service, you will have a nice savings in place.

Obviously check with your bank on particulars such as how to get to the money if one of the co-signers is incapacitated, and any other legal matters. But eventually this will become out-of-sight, out-of-mind.
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SGT Dave Tracy
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It might be easier to tell you what NOT to bring:
Any type of video gaming system.
Any weapons.
Anything sharp.
Candy.
Energy Drinks.
Tobacco.

And lastly, don't bring:
A bad attitude.
A big ego.

Good luck.
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SGT Rick Toole
SGT Rick Toole
8 y
And don't hide in your wall locker and drink the Brasso or Drano. If you do hide in your wall locker and drink the Brasso or Drano, Drink enough to finish the job so you don't get recycled and get bunked next to someone who has to deal with your shit...
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SGT Rick Toole
SGT Rick Toole
8 y
SGT Rick Toole - BTW 10/97 Bco 2/58Inf House of Pain...
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SPC Recovery Vehicle Operator
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The most helpful thing I brought was a set of locks with a key instead of the turn dial. Then I put the keys around my dog tags. It made life a little easier. Specially when they want to play games with changing uniform every 2 minutes
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SPC William Weedman
SPC William Weedman
6 y
Buy a good lock, like a Master lock, don’t buy a “Walmart special” I did, second week of basic a quick slap on the lock did not lock it...an empty wall locker, screaming session followed by a smoke session and rebuilding my locker 1 item and 10 pushups at a time later, next time we went to the PX for toiletries I bought a Master lock that I used for the rest of my time.
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PV2 Nodal Network Systems Operators/Maintainer
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Ignore the list given by recruiters you will be made to repurchase most of not all of it anyway it's a waste of your time and money bring the clothes you wear on your way there your cell phone (if they ever give you a chance to call home) and maybe some stationery type items ie pen note pad marker
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Cpl Ernest Thom
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Before I answer I must ask the others. Cell phones? Watches? Wallets? WTF!?!? It's backs training, NOT summer camp!

That said, take yourself, the clothes on your back, your will to train and fight! Ears open, mouth shut!!!! DON'T DO ANYTHING until you are told to do it! Good
Luck to you! BTW, it' ARMY basic, so if you've been to band camp you'll do fine! Oh and the sharpie is a good idea! In Marine Corps Boot Camp we don't and won't have a thieving problem. That gets weeded out on day 1!!
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MSgt Dollar Bill Rutledge
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When I left for basic way back in 1974, I took the clothes I was wearing and tooth paste and brush and a bar of soap. I don’t remember my recruiter giving me a list.
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SGT Marc Riordan
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Don't bring anything! You can get everything you need once you get there.
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PO3 Christopher Jonah Nelson
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Take your orders and legal documents. Don't show up naked. Everything else you need you'll get there.
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SGT Rick Toole
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I brought a grocery bag with 2 pair of clean underwear. Done...
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SFC Christopher Taggart
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Your body and a positive attitude! The rest will happen.
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SFC Glenn Kozak
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Locks
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PO3 Andrew Kelly
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I will tell you what I was told by my recruiter, who was a fairly good source of advice so i may have been lucky on that score.
Pack a small shaving kit, just the basics. A change of underwear and perhaps something to read in transit. Once you get there you will be too busy to worry about much of anything else. In processing is fairly intense and fast paced. (BTW if you do not have your SS# number memorized prior to in-processing you will have done so by the time it is over)
Like others have said once your first day is over everything you bring will be gathered and locked away until you leave. If you plan to write home a lot a good move is to buy some prepostaged envelopes and have your folks or a friend send them to you as soon as you have an address, by the time they get to you you will have your locker set up and have a place to store them.
Another thing to remember is that when you finish and they hand you back your belongings you will have pretty well packed your seabag/dufflebag and you will have to find room for those items. Things may have changed since my day but we went directly from boot to our next station so whatever we took to boot went with us to school and as such had to fit in our bag.
As a side note packing your bag is an art form and experience will teach you all the tricks to maximizing your storage potential but you will only have learned the basics of that art in boot.
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MSgt Client Systems
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You can bring what you want.but it will be taken if not needed while in basic training.kind of like going to jail,but you volunteered for the military.they will issue what you need. And I'm not saying the military is like jail,or am I lol. Just kidding. They will give you what you bring at the end of boot camp.
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SPC Mr E
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Shower shoes, towel, tooth brush & tooth paste would be #1. If you floss bring floss. Pack super light, your gonna get issued all the gear you need. Leave all your civilian possessions secured at home. If u bring phone it'll get taken and locked until your done. Don't bring anything you care about pretty much. Pictures etc leave it at home, you'll see it again.
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Shane Harnett
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The crazy thing to me with the US Military is they don’t give a dedicated list to new recruits. In the Australian Military you are given a list of required gear and paperwork to bring and told do not bring anything not on that list. Recruiting here seems very disorganized in comparison.
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Sgt Dale Briggs
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All you need is your paperwork and you. Everything you need they give you, so don’t bring more than a few bucks, no possessions at all, get a fresh haircut, clean shirt and jeans, that’s it. Nothing more required.
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SPC James Tallakson
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Literally only take the paperwork they gave you. You'll have to carry everything you bring plus everything you get issued and it's a pain in the ass. Save yourself the trouble
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PFC Healthcare Specialist (Combat Medic)
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What kind of shoes should we wear to basic? Should we just wear our running shoes to basic to save room or can we just pack our running shoes? Why being running shoes if they make us get new running shoes when we get there?
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SPC William Weedman
SPC William Weedman
6 y
The PX carries what are considered appropriate running shoes, you might have a favorite pair that will provide no support for the 20+ miles you will run your first few weeks. My running shoes were broken in inside of one day and after basic and AIT were very well worn. I ended up replacing them at my first duty station with a similar pair I bought on post (Korea was in the 1980s a huge knock off market in the shopping areas, in price and quality)
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CPO Mark Robinson
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When I went to bootcamp in '79 they had us put all our personal effects in a box at this warehouse where we would pick it back up after we graduate. I simply threw all my clothes in the trash.
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