Can you believe it? Civilian "Boot Camps" are springing up all over the place. Folks are paying hundreds of dollars for the privilege of having someone yell at them while they do pushups, sit-ups, and run an obstacle course. Not quite the same thing as real military boot camp, however --at the end of a couple of hours, they get to go home and shower. By the time they are working on their first cup of carrot juice and granola bar, the real military recruit is several hours into his/her day -- with several more hours to go.
Currently, over 40 percent of those who enlist in the military do not make it through the first four years. A significant portion of these do not even make it through boot camp. For many, this is because of unrealistic expectations. The military (and especially Boot Camp) is not what they thought it would be. Sometimes recruiters do too good a job of selling the military as just another occupation. Then, once the recruit wakes up at 0300 with a drill instructor screaming in their face, they say to themselves "Whoa! Where's the 'Condos' and the 'gourmet food?' Where's the NCO Club, and the Gym, and the discount PX items? Where's the job I was told about?"
In this multi-part article, we'll examine military basic training. We'll discuss what it is, where it is, what you can expect, what you should bring, how you should act, and some basic tips on surviving 6 to 12 weeks of "Hell."
No comments:
Post a Comment