What is life in the enlisted barracks like in the US Army?

PV2 J M — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 13:58:36 -0500

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 13 at 2018 2:02 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 14:02:29 -0500

To put it simply.... Shenanigans.

Response by SPC David Willis made Feb 13 at 2018 2:18 PM

SPC David Willis — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 14:18:01 -0500

Oh god... Ill put it this way. I went to a few frat parties when I came home during my time in service and not once did I feel like I was in over my head when it came to the party life. I could drink more in larger quantities and in a shorter amount of time. I could puke, rally and keep drinking. I could smoke 1-2 packs of cigarettes in that night. My pick up game was stronger and I was almost automatically the alpha male of the party. I had been punched in the face and stabbed in the arm by good friends of mine so college kids were no problem. I will say this though. Your leadership will tell you a lot of things that you don't listen to, its natural. But when they say no women in the barracks trust that their advice is coming from a place that is looking out for you.

Response by SGT Matthew S. made Feb 13 at 2018 2:27 PM

SGT Matthew S. — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 14:27:37 -0500

After Basic/AIT, it depends on exactly where you're at and your unit's command policies. I lived in the barracks in Germany & at Ft Riley; the rooms were dorm style with 1-2 Soldiers in each room (although at Ft Riley it was up to 4 when the unit was over-strengthed).
In Germany, there was a small kitchen on the end of each floor but at Riley your options were no-cook/microwave food (no hotplates allowed) or the chow hall. All the rooms I lived in had a latrine with each room or two rooms would share one. Some, though, had a "common" latrine/shower room in the middle of the building.
As for barracks life, it wasn't bad by any means. PT/personal hygiene/barracks cleaning in the morning, then at night after duty you're pretty well on your own. Several of us would often hang out in someone's room talking; watching movies and/or playing video games. In the States, Soldiers who were over 21 were allowed to drink alcohol (per Command policy).
Yes, there definitely are shenanigans - which is to be expected with young Soldiers and time on their hands.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 13 at 2018 2:54 PM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 14:54:59 -0500

I can assure you far more spacious than their equal in enlisted berthing aboard ship :)

(Sorry to all my "Green" friends...just couldn't pass it up)

In all seriousness though...you're sure to get good answers from RP's current and former active duty Soldiers.

Response by SSG Carlos Madden made Feb 13 at 2018 4:09 PM

SSG Carlos Madden — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 16:09:58 -0500

It really depends on the installation, and the unit you're assigned to. I've been new barracks for extended periods for schooling where you're essentially on lock down. And I've been in unit that's had the MP's called and kicked off post, told never to return by the installation commander. Living in a college dorm was less fun I can tell you that.

Response by SGT Philip Roncari made Feb 13 at 2018 4:10 PM

SGT Philip Roncari — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 16:10:38 -0500

Luckily for you ,far,far better than what young enlisted faced back in the sixties and that's the 1960s not the 1860s as a lot of you young whipper snappers are thinking !

Response by SGT Mark Halmrast made Feb 13 at 2018 4:52 PM

SGT Mark Halmrast — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 16:52:18 -0500

Hard to describe
Don't try to plan for it
Just go

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Feb 13 at 2018 5:35 PM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 17:35:21 -0500

Better than what I had in the '70's.

Response by SGT Tony Clifford made Feb 13 at 2018 6:25 PM

SGT Tony Clifford — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 18:25:54 -0500

It really depends on the unit. Some barracks are absolute shit holes, some are very nice. Some units have a very fun barracks life some don't. If you go to Korea there will be no barracks parties as NCOs will live there too and don't like having to tell you guys to keep quiet on Friday nights at 0030. They'll probably stop parties before they happen.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 13 at 2018 7:24 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 19:24:58 -0500

Great, you'll have the CQ tell you when Lights Out, and when it's First Call. And, you might just get to be the CQ runner all night.

Response by MSG Charles Turner made Feb 13 at 2018 11:21 PM

MSG Charles Turner — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 23:21:58 -0500

I wish I knew as well! In my day, the enlisted Barracks was quite different. At Graphenwor we slept in BAYS! In Garrison we shared smaller rooms but 2 to 6 to a room. We had one Latrine per floor and they were community Showers, Toilets, Urinals. I did not have my Own room until I was Senior Staff Sergeant and then I was told I needed to move off Post so my room could go to a junior enlisted person. My daughters (and son in laws) serve / served in a much different army living situation than i. 2 Pvts to a Room with a kitchenette and serperate latrines! My goodness I was and E8(P) and my bath was only a half bath (in Korea) I had to shower in a multi stall shower.

So I dont know, I think maybe it is too nice at times.

Just my thinking... The Conditions I had, I was grateful for after field training exercises. I wonder if todays soldiers feel the same.

~ole Sarge~

Response by SGT Tom Recupero made Feb 14 at 2018 12:24 PM

SGT Tom Recupero — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 12:24:30 -0500

I couldn’t get a keg so I bought 15 30 racks

Response by SGM Frank Marsh made Feb 14 at 2018 1:26 PM

SGM Frank Marsh — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 13:26:16 -0500

I go back to early 60's in the old WWII barracks with the "mirror floors", so it was a different world....and if I were to go on there would be too many "no shit" paragraphs...LOL

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Feb 14 at 2018 2:59 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 14:59:09 -0500

PV2 J M Rule #1 whenever possible Rack with the Zoomies (Air Force) They Live Very Well "I'm Sorry Petty Officer Nagel You will have to Share a Kitchen with another Service Member" "Lady I'm Used to Sharing a Whole Lot More"

Response by SFC Greg Bruorton made Feb 14 at 2018 3:13 PM

SFC Greg Bruorton — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 15:13:15 -0500

Looking back to the years I lived in the barracks, life was good. The exceptions were in Basic Training at Fort Knox and the early KP wakeups in other assignments. When in Basic it was a bit intolerable because a corporal in the Orderly Room wouldn't show me how to operate a buffer. I had never operated one previously and it was awkward and irritating. I always wanted to meet up later with that corporal but didn't have the opportunity.
I pulled KP throughout my SP4 years, even aboard the U.S.S. Breckenridge en route to Korea in 1962. Quarters were certainly cramped and our main outlet was watching the movies on deck at night.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 14 at 2018 3:23 PM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 15:23:21 -0500

I cant say that i didnt enjoy it or that i have any bad memories of barrack life. Like most thing done in the Army I can say that “I did that and I served it”....

Response by Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 14 at 2018 3:25 PM

Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 15:25:08 -0500

My brother in law always compares it to being in the dorms in college

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 14 at 2018 4:16 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 16:16:06 -0500

Have you seen Animal House... lol

No... not like that. Go, work hard, follow the rules and avoid trouble. It will be a great expereince.

Response by SFC Greg Bruorton made Feb 14 at 2018 4:30 PM

SFC Greg Bruorton — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 16:30:20 -0500

While I was a young buck sergeant living in the barracks at Fort Gordon in 1963 we had a PFC assigned to the boiler room (coal furnace) who took his job to heart. He'd start out each morning wearing a clean, white T-shirt but that was soon changed. Systematically, he'd select only the choicest lumps of coal from the pile and cup them with his T-shirt to the furnace. The guy would do that all day and early evening hours, seldom using a pail and shovel. He loved his job!

Response by Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth made Feb 14 at 2018 4:34 PM

Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 16:34:44 -0500

Embrace the suck...enjoy every minute of it because even if it sucks it will be a time in your life you will look back on with good and bad memories and will define and make you who you will be down the road. You will make lifelong friends as well because you are all going through the same thing.

Response by PVT Raymond Lopez made Feb 14 at 2018 5:59 PM

PVT Raymond Lopez — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 17:59:46 -0500

I never caught any social diseases though I know a few of alleged superiors who did!!

Response by SGT Matthew Sesar made Feb 14 at 2018 6:29 PM

SGT Matthew Sesar — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 18:29:08 -0500

A real good time.

Response by Sgt Dale Briggs made Feb 14 at 2018 8:59 PM

Sgt Dale Briggs — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 20:59:02 -0500

It generally sucks, guys drunk, guys fortune, guys snoring, guys listening to music. After A school I never saw a dorm again , I was attached to 2nd Anglico and we shared rooms 3 to a room up to Cpl, then 2 max to a room as Sgt.