Also remember if the guy next to you is getting his .... chewed for something, DO NOT LAUGH, that will focus attention on you,then its all over
Hey Navy folks! ...
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Amen to that!
If you're cool and know your stuff, then you'll get out like I did: Only time I got in trouble was for bad handwriting on the deck log(!). 90 pushups - ten for each time I made a bad letter "P" or "R".
If you're cool and know your stuff, then you'll get out like I did: Only time I got in trouble was for bad handwriting on the deck log(!). 90 pushups - ten for each time I made a bad letter "P" or "R".
If you think you'll have no trouble learnin' foldin' and rack makin', volunteer early on for Mail Petty Officer. Then you can skip out on the multiple folding/rack making drills to go to the mail room and shoot the sh__ with the guys. Er, I mean pick up the company's mail. 
Some folks seriously need all that practice, though.
Some folks seriously need all that practice, though.
It depends where your A school is. Back in the mid/late 90's NTC Great Lakes (just down the street from boot) enacted some dumb smoking hours. It was total BS and luckily my barracks PO was a smoker so in our building the smoking lamp was always lit. I was there for 2 years counting boot/core school/A school/C school. Things may have changed since then. Most of the BS is gone once you leave the Great Lakes area.
As for boot having experienced it for 2 1/2 times the fundamentals remain the same. (Navy/CG/Mustang school)
Don't be late/last or make a name for yourself.
You will be wrong all the time. Take your "punishment" and move on.
Don't call out your buddies for being wrong. It pisses them off and doesn't help out a damn thing.
Keep your mouth shut.
Be on time.
Be in the correct uniform.
Shave your face every morning. Evenings don't cut it for most.
Your underwear stacks will be tornado'd numerous times. Get used to it and don't get ...... because it happened.
Put forth real effort and again don't be last.
I volunteered for "ship staff" at boot and stood quarterdeck watch a lot. I missed a lot of the "beatings".
It is a head game. "I don't know" is ok in the beginning, but you'd better get tuned up on what to do.
Learn your general orders. You will be tested on them so get an early start to make it easier on yourself.
During the final weeks the team will come together and you will be autonomous. The staff will relax some and you (your division really) will be on your own. Don't get caught f-ing around as there are plenty of staff around to get you busted.
If you are skinny you will gain weight. If you are fat you will loose weight. I was close to being too skinny and gained about 20lbs while there. Midrange folks usually bulked up with muscle.
All evolutions, beatings, and such are timed. It will end eventually and then it is chow or bed time.
---other tidbits of advice---
DO NOT DRINK TO EXCESS IF YOU ARE UNDERAGE. DO NOT DRINK AT THE ANCHOR OR ANY OF THE OTHER PLACES AROUND THE BASE IF UNDERAGE! YOU WILL GET BUSTED!
DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE, EVER!
If you do drink it is best to find a "live ashore" (married folks) and crash at their place. I had a "clique" that I hung out with and we rented tents/sleeping bags/coolers from the MWR place down by the waterfront and went camping all around the area. It was dirt cheap and kept us out of trouble.
DON'T MARRY AN A SCHOOL SWEETHEART JUST FOR THE BENNIES. It just isn't worth it. Play the field. Once you get to your duty station then look for a more permanent mate. Overseas is a good place to meet folks.
By all means go to a "boat". You are in the Navy. See the world! I did 3 years in Japan and went everywhere in the region and then moved to Norfolk and saw most of Europe and the Middle East. Pretty cool stuff!
Guam is really nice duty if you happen to get stationed there.
There are other ways to have fun vice drinking. Do the MWR tours. While in Japan I got scuba certified and went diving in Guam, Saipan, Japan, Thailand, and Australia. People pay huge bucks for the diving adventures that I have been on.
Pick a small ship if you have the option (DDG or smaller). They tend to get better port calls and it is easier to disappear in the crowd. There were usually better local receptions when we were with the battle group (carrier et al), but it wasn't worth the hassle of having squids all over the place tearing crap up.
Get an education while you are active.
Once you leave boot things will go back to normal and you can be a human again. It will be a culture shock no doubt, but it all ends and you go to A/C school and work normal hours (for the most part) after that.
And finally just have fun. Stick it out for 20 if you can and retire. Don't settle for E7 (Chief) as I have seen numerous times. Make the most out of it while you are in as the Navy will "kick" you out to civilian life after some time and you will need something to show for it. 50% of E7 (Chief) pay at 20 years isn't crap ($2207.70 pre taxes as of 2015 charts). Being a Chief is cool and all, but shouldn't be a terminal rank IMO. Set your sights higher. Many doors will open for you if you have an Associate's or Bachelor's degree. Officers make good money and being one isn't that ....ty as some people make them out to be.
Do the best that you can at your job to get good evals and learn as much as you can. Get 3M, DC, and warfare qualified as soon as possible (if shipboard).
Thats all I got for now. I left the Navy in 07. I was in a rate that was underway all the time and my family was more important to me so I made the choice to switch branches. Since then I promoted from E-5 (went from E6 to E5 during the branch switch) to Chief, went to college full time while getting Chief pay, and got selected for a Commission. I don't think the Navy will send an enlisted person off to school for two years to finish an undergrad degree, but I could be wrong.
As for boot having experienced it for 2 1/2 times the fundamentals remain the same. (Navy/CG/Mustang school)
Don't be late/last or make a name for yourself.
You will be wrong all the time. Take your "punishment" and move on.
Don't call out your buddies for being wrong. It pisses them off and doesn't help out a damn thing.
Keep your mouth shut.
Be on time.
Be in the correct uniform.
Shave your face every morning. Evenings don't cut it for most.
Your underwear stacks will be tornado'd numerous times. Get used to it and don't get ...... because it happened.
Put forth real effort and again don't be last.
I volunteered for "ship staff" at boot and stood quarterdeck watch a lot. I missed a lot of the "beatings".
It is a head game. "I don't know" is ok in the beginning, but you'd better get tuned up on what to do.
Learn your general orders. You will be tested on them so get an early start to make it easier on yourself.
During the final weeks the team will come together and you will be autonomous. The staff will relax some and you (your division really) will be on your own. Don't get caught f-ing around as there are plenty of staff around to get you busted.
If you are skinny you will gain weight. If you are fat you will loose weight. I was close to being too skinny and gained about 20lbs while there. Midrange folks usually bulked up with muscle.
All evolutions, beatings, and such are timed. It will end eventually and then it is chow or bed time.
---other tidbits of advice---
DO NOT DRINK TO EXCESS IF YOU ARE UNDERAGE. DO NOT DRINK AT THE ANCHOR OR ANY OF THE OTHER PLACES AROUND THE BASE IF UNDERAGE! YOU WILL GET BUSTED!
DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE, EVER!
If you do drink it is best to find a "live ashore" (married folks) and crash at their place. I had a "clique" that I hung out with and we rented tents/sleeping bags/coolers from the MWR place down by the waterfront and went camping all around the area. It was dirt cheap and kept us out of trouble.
DON'T MARRY AN A SCHOOL SWEETHEART JUST FOR THE BENNIES. It just isn't worth it. Play the field. Once you get to your duty station then look for a more permanent mate. Overseas is a good place to meet folks.
By all means go to a "boat". You are in the Navy. See the world! I did 3 years in Japan and went everywhere in the region and then moved to Norfolk and saw most of Europe and the Middle East. Pretty cool stuff!
Guam is really nice duty if you happen to get stationed there.
There are other ways to have fun vice drinking. Do the MWR tours. While in Japan I got scuba certified and went diving in Guam, Saipan, Japan, Thailand, and Australia. People pay huge bucks for the diving adventures that I have been on.
Pick a small ship if you have the option (DDG or smaller). They tend to get better port calls and it is easier to disappear in the crowd. There were usually better local receptions when we were with the battle group (carrier et al), but it wasn't worth the hassle of having squids all over the place tearing crap up.
Get an education while you are active.
Once you leave boot things will go back to normal and you can be a human again. It will be a culture shock no doubt, but it all ends and you go to A/C school and work normal hours (for the most part) after that.
And finally just have fun. Stick it out for 20 if you can and retire. Don't settle for E7 (Chief) as I have seen numerous times. Make the most out of it while you are in as the Navy will "kick" you out to civilian life after some time and you will need something to show for it. 50% of E7 (Chief) pay at 20 years isn't crap ($2207.70 pre taxes as of 2015 charts). Being a Chief is cool and all, but shouldn't be a terminal rank IMO. Set your sights higher. Many doors will open for you if you have an Associate's or Bachelor's degree. Officers make good money and being one isn't that ....ty as some people make them out to be.
Do the best that you can at your job to get good evals and learn as much as you can. Get 3M, DC, and warfare qualified as soon as possible (if shipboard).
Thats all I got for now. I left the Navy in 07. I was in a rate that was underway all the time and my family was more important to me so I made the choice to switch branches. Since then I promoted from E-5 (went from E6 to E5 during the branch switch) to Chief, went to college full time while getting Chief pay, and got selected for a Commission. I don't think the Navy will send an enlisted person off to school for two years to finish an undergrad degree, but I could be wrong.
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Sure they will. What used to be the Seaman to Admiral Program is now called STA-21. They pay you full pay and benefits to go to college full time to get your degree with a commission waiting at the end. There is also the Medical Enlisted Commissioning Program and a few others. Heck, you can even be selected to take a "sabbatical" for a year or two to go to school full time or take care of your family, keep your time in rank and pick back up where you left off career wise when you return.
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