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So can you vape during bootcamp?

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frazz

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The trick is, not going to the exchange the day you get out to get that pack of smokes you have not really been missing that much for the last 8 weeks. But you will find that most do, and pick right back up where they left off. I know I did!

GL,

Chief

I second this comment. I went through basic in 1988. The last day of basic traning, after graduation is kinda a "free" day. I went to the movies, to one of the on post food stands, and right to the PX for some cigarettes. I had not had one for 2 months and it didn't really bother me that much. My mind was more focused on staying out of trouble and not having to do more pushups...lol. Had that first cig on the last day... tasted horrible.. but it didn't stop me from picking up a bad habit again.

I second some of the other comments too.. they strip you of everything when you get there. My recruitment sergeant gave me a list of things to bring to basic training... even those items were stripped from me!
 

frazz

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Wow how times have changed.. Did my BCT at Ft Dix, and that's when I took up all by bad habits. Guess the smoking lamp is permanently out...

GI beans, GI gravy, Gee I wish I joined the Navy....

What year did you go? I went through dix as well... no smoking for me. Class of 88.
 

Sgt.Estrada

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Sep 5, 2011
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I remember back in 86 MCRD last two weeks of boot our fire watch got caught smoking during his watch He advised our instructor that he was trying to learn how to smoke . Well DI Cordova instructed him alright he put half the pack in my buddies mouth and lit them all up then placed the barracks waist basket over his head then proceeded to give him love taps while giving the smoking if you gottem order, man that boy looked like upside down volcano so Im pretty sure smoking in boot or any basic training in all of our country's armed services smoking is a no go its a scuttle .... when you get there

Semper Fi:2cool:
 

GIMike

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Are those even real? Heard about them, but just couldn't imagine having a "stress card" lol. I could imagine a smack to the mouth though!

1098594045.jpg


I don't think they're actually real though ;)
 

Capt Scott

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Aug 17, 2010
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Hi ya-

I went through boot camp in the early 80's and everybody smoked. I did not smoke at the time, so while the Drill Sergeants and Privates smoked and joked (The only time where the DS's were not mean or punching us) I would just shine my boots and read my warrior tasks book. Personally, I think boot camp is way tougher then it used to be.


Scott
 

DarthVper

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May 26, 2011
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I'll throw in my 2 cents here.

No, you can't vape in boot camp. You can't have any personal belongings, aside from family photos, letters from home, and the like. Your first day at boot camp you strip down naked, put on your new pt uniform, and mail your belongings home. You have a shoebox sized locked drawer for your important items (which will be issued to you) that is randomly and regularly searched.

So no. The purpose of bootcamp is to tear you down and build you back up. It's an intentionally hostile and degrading environment, where you have no control over what you do or how to think. There is no opportunity for privacy and you have no rights. This goes on non stop for 2 months give or take.

Now off topic a little.
I was a pack a day smoker for close to ten years when I joined. Not once did I crave a cigarette once I got there, you just don't have the luxury of the time to. Once I got out I kept smoke free for over 2 years, then had a breakdown where I was smoking black and milds, got really sick after a few weeks of doing that, and turned to vaping as a solution back around April this year. I've not even thought about going back.
 

andyman97

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Ok I was a Drill Sergeant a short while ago. Just came off the trail. If you think you get anything personal on basic you're wrong. You get some family pics, your wallet, and something religious. That's it. Get over yourself, its not about you, you're ARMY property or government property at that point. We own you. So leave that stuff at home, get your big boy/girl pants and suck it up for 10 - 16 weeks depending on branch of service. Just my 2 cents. By the way get at parade rest when you post. Lol.
LMFAO. I remember in basic when my DS would tell us that when he got home, his son better yell, "at ease," and his wife better be standing at parade rest. Good times. This was before the kinder, gentler Army. The stories I hear from other NCO's who've come off the trail recently, I don't think I'd want to do it now, I'd have loved to do it in the environment I was in oh so long ago.
 
I went through in 97 and pretty much everything except your running shoes, a couple pairs of socks, a shaving kit, and a bible went in to an amnesty box never to be seen again. You were allowed to keep one pair of civies for after you graduated A.I.T. Absolutely no nicotine products of any kind, they even confiscated mouthwash and aftershave that contained alcohol. Some of the guys were able to sneak in some snuff which was quickly discovered during our first health and welfare inspection, followed by the issuance of the first negative counseling statements and a nice after hours "smoke" session. Ahhhh, the good old days of group punishment, how can I forget?
My younger brother left for basic on Wednesday and I should be getting a call from him here soon. I'll ask what the regs are now. But I would be very very surprised if anything has changed. What blew my mind was that he was allowed to take his cell phone. When I was in, the big thing in basic was total information control. You didn't know what the hell was happening in the outside world the entire time you were there.
 

PVPuff&Stuff

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All that careful observation from the staff at NTC didn't stop us from opening our mail late at night.

Best night was when your buddy had fire watch. Couple blinks at your rack from the red flashlight and you knew it was time. Sneak into the bathroom, shower area where the vents are.

He opens his mail, couple others open theirs.

Enough tobacco, a rolling paper and a couple matchtips. Passing around an undersized tobacco jay between half a dozen people. Ah, good times.

Or so I heard.
 

PeeWee

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Nov 22, 2010
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Went through basic training 3 years ago and they strip everything from you.. so sorry its a no like stated many times. I joined when i was 28 and was a 14 year smoker, it can be difficult. One of the worst parts was watching the drill instructors smoke right in front of everyone... I did how every smoke my little heart out on family day and almost got sick...

If you got through boot camp and quit smoking for the 10 weeks, do not do what I did and start back up. If you feel the need to smoke after you graduate, please just VAPE!! You wont regret it!
 

DummyMe

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I got to smoke in Navy Boot Camp in the early 70's. Not very often mind you. But we had a few smoke breaks. Our Company Commander was never seen without a smoke dangling from his lips. If he saw you craving in the least. he'd blow smoke in your face. If you really wanted a smoke break, your whole company had to do everything perfectly & everyone had to do really well on any test mental or physical. We were "lucky" someone got injured on the obsticle course & it was shut down for a few months for an investigation. (Sorry that anyone hurt, really. But, it was great, no obsticle course.)
 

cskent

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I wasn't a smoker when I signed up. I did basic at Ft. Jackson back in '79 and it was "smoke'em if you got'em" several times a day. If you smoked you didn't get called on to police the area or do other little odd jobs so I started smoking to avoid them. Thank you very much. I smoked for over 32 years because of my laziness at the time.

With the current anti-smoking attitude our society has, and the narrowmindedness of the military, I can't see how vaping could possibly be viewed as acceptabe during basic nowadays.
 
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BrotherFrankie

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i was a drill cprl at fort benning in 80. i remember the newbs (first day in) comming in and being made to throw out their cigs in a big metal trash can... then after we wreaked havoc on them, berated them, scared the poop out of them, we took the can to the orderly room and divided the smokes with all the drill srgts.... (we were allowed to smoke when I went thru boot..infact it seemed to be the right thing to do... i remember smoking during 10 mile brigade runs...LOL I was a grunt at Ft Riley Big Red 1)
 

Cadaoryn

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In the corps you get naked and they give you what youll have for the next few months except a wallet, and jewelry. And as far as i know DIs wouldn't smoke in front of their recruits to demonstrate leadership by example. If you're forced to go 3 months without nicotine, then dont pick up any nicotine afterward.
 
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