During basic training, it is imperative that their full focus and attention is on their training. For this reason, family visitation is generally not allowed during training until the graduation ceremony.
During the 7.5 weeks while your loved one is at BMT, he/she will be authorized to use his/her cell phone or pay phones to make outgoing calls to family members. Trainees are encouraged to maintain their cell phone service while at BMT and to bring a calling card.
You cannot receive phone calls at BCT, but you are required to call your family within 72 hours of your arrival. Your family can use the Red Cross or the IADT Coordinator for emergencies, and they can send mail and care packages. However, there are no visits permitted during BCT until Graduation Day.
You'll get an 8 hour pass with your family and you can spend that time with them on or off the installation. BUT you will NEED to report back after 8 hours. After that, your family will leave and you'll finish up.
You will be able to move with your spouse when they are done with basic training and school. When you join the service, you have to leave your family behind until you complete your basic training and schools. After that, your family will be able to join you on your duty assignments.
If you enroll in boot camp, expect to be on duty seven days a week, though you might get several hours of personal time on Sunday since it's a day with lighter responsibilities.
At the end of the duty day, the drill instructor will enter the barracks, call out names and pass out mail. You're then usually granted about one hour of free time to read your mail. If you read fast, you may even have a few extra minutes to write a quick letter back.
Army recruits keep their phones shut off and in a locker. The Army will allow some cell phone use during AIT, which is after Basic Training.
How often do service members see their families? All active-duty Service branches offer 30 days of paid vacation per year during which service members may spend time with their families or plan other Rest and Relaxation (R&R).
In basic training, you take group showers. There's no way out of communal showers. They're required. Everyone in your barracks will enter the shower room assigned to your barracks when commanded.
Typically, on Family Day, Graduating Soldiers are granted a one day, on-post pass for the afternoon. During this time, visitors may leave post and re-enter. However, your soldier cannot go off-post with you and must remain on the installation in accordance with the guidance given by their unit.
Pocketknives, firearms, ammunition, fireworks, clubs, batons, brass knuckles, straight razors, ice picks and so on are not allowed. Tobacco products and lighters. Cigarettes, cigars, pipes, tobacco, chewing tobacco, disposable lighters and lighter fluid will be confiscated when you arrive at basic training.
Sleeping arrangements during Basic Training may differ depending on where you're at. Generally, you'll either bunk in a bay containing about 40 people or in a small room with three to six others. You can expect to get between seven and eight hours of sleep.
Soldiers are not given the opportunity to go home after basic training as most AIT school check-ins are required the day after basic training graduation. AIT schools Phase IV is usually three weeks long. It focuses on training soldiers in the values of the Army, and also starts a focus on their specific MOS skills.
Getting That Morning Wake-Up Call
In military basic training, there's no such thing as sleeping in. You'll get up at 5 a.m. every single day. Waking up in the morning is an adjustment process that's the same for every single basic training class.
Unless you have a verified family emergency (death or serious injury/illness of an immediate family member), you're not allowed to take leave during basic training. If you joined the Navy or Air Force, you're not usually allowed to take leave until you finish your military job training.
You'll get a lot of chances to make friends at boot camp. Keep an open mind, respect others, and be kind. Last but not least, remember that you're not alone and that both your fellow recruits and instructors are there to support you.
Recruits are allowed to have pictures of their loved ones, in fact, they may be allowed to hang one or two on the outside of their locker [The details of this are definitely subject to the opinions of each Drill Sergeant]. Include a photo from of home, family, friends, or motivational photos or quotes.
The Army is the only branch of the military that honors the Holiday Block Leave for all recruits who are in basic training. This allows the drill sergeants and instructors to have a break during Christmas and prepare to come back for the New Year ready to train.
Drill instructors call it “frog voice” — that raspy effect they develop from yelling commands to recruits, yelling at recruits and, sometimes, just yelling. Yelling for hours and days and weeks on end. Yelling so much that, sometimes, all that comes out is a croak. Or a whisper-scream.
Crying during USMC boot camp is not uncommon and may occur due to the stress of training. However, recruits are expected to quickly regain composure and continue with their training, as showing prolonged emotional vulnerability may result in disciplinary action or dismissal from the program.
Basic Training for Women in the US Army is an exciting and challenging experience that is designed to prepare women for a rewarding career in the military. Basic training is the foundation of a soldier's career, and it is where women learn the essential skills and knowledge needed to serve their country.