You'll need casual, comfortable clothing. Also bring white underwear, calf-length athletic socks (also white), a pair of comfortable shoes or running shoes and your eyeglasses. Besides these items, women recruits also need sports bras, regular bras, hair elastics that match your hair color and feminine hygiene items.
Additionally, while the physical fitness requirements for women are lower, the training course itself is designed for males. Since both sexes carry out their training exercises together, there is a lot of pressure on women to perform to the male standards.
Note: All items must fit into the Army FSP Bag or small airline approved “carry on” suitcase or gym bag.
Items to bring:
Personal hygiene kit* Two plain towels (optional) Stationary and stamps (optional)
You're expected to have certain mandatory items and paperwork upon arrival. Most of what you need can fit into a gym bag or small suitcase.
Recruit training can be stressful and hard work. People are going to break down and cry. That's fine: it's the military. You pick yourself up and keep going.
Send a short letter every day rather than a long one each week. Send support: Let your recruit know that you are incredibly proud of them. Family and friends being unsupportive of a recruit's decision to join the military can add unnecessary stress.
Getting That Morning Wake-Up Call
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. When you first arrive, the drill instructors require a lot of noise, yelling and jostling to get everyone out of the rack.
Most men receive a haircut within the first few days and are required to keep it short throughout Basic Training. Women's hair doesn't have to be cut, but it must be neat. It can be short or pulled back in a ponytail, braid, or pinned up.
Often, drill commanders assign when and how long a unit has to shower. For example, you may have 1-2 minutes to squeeze in a quick shower in the morning after PT. Then, more time is generally provided in the evening right before or after “lights out”.
Army Basic Training Red Phase
Red phase is the starting phase and is typically considered the hardest part of training. The entire phase, which is 3 weeks long, is devoted to constant calisthenic exercises, and you will be spending much of your time in the push-up position.
Some of the top industries to work in for military spouses include government and public administration, business support and human resources, and health care and social assistance.
Military Spouses Want To Work
42% of military spouses reported that they are not in the labor force but are looking for employment. Military spouses are often well-educated and highly qualified for a range of careers, but frequent moves make it difficult for them to stay on a consistent career path.
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.
It's going to come very heavy day to day. You're going to work Monday to Saturday and Sunday is that recovery day. And you can attend religious services, look after yourself and do that personal reflection. And then Monday or right back to it.
A letter from home can encourage your recruit during the demands of basic training. If you do send a letter, use a plain piece of paper and an envelope. It's okay to send photos, but don't do things like decorating the envelope – it could cause unwanted attention for your recruit.
Yelling is, by far, the most common corrective action in military basic training.
Drill Instructors/Drill Sergeants don't physically touch recruits. They don't hit or physically assault recruits, ever. They come close, but they never physically hurt or even touch recruits. Another thing that is important is that everything they do is for a purpose, a rehearsed, manufactured, and engineered purpose.
The goal of the drill instructor is not to belittle a recruit so they cannot function, but rather to build that recruit into a successful Soldier. As basic training progresses, the drill instructor will shape the recruit. The yelling will ease and a confident, well-trained Soldier is the result.
Clothing: 2-day supply of casual, comfortable clothing. 1 pair of comfortable shoes. 6 pairs of white, calf-length athletic socks.
All trainees arriving at BMT are issued running shoes. However, if you choose, you will be allowed to wear running shoes brought from home if they are in good, working condition. (To learn more about running shoe requirements for BMT, click here.)