They literally own you for the first 3 weeks and they are always lurking around corners waiting to catch you slacking off. Its more of shock and awe as you’ll find yourself just standing and rotating your head 180 degrees trying to figure out what the hell am I doing here? Each company and batallion has its own standard operating procedure for how to jolt you the most upon arrival but it usually involves sweating. Be prepared to not sit down for quite sometime and god help you if you sit down and fall asleep. One of the first things that is conducted upon you arriving at the company is ensuring that you don’t have any contraband. Things that are legal in the civilian world but things that would distract from training or allow you to hold on to civilian life. Drill Sergeants will make you dump out all of your clothing both military and civilian alike. Socks will be unrolled, pouches will be opened, and your honesty is immediately checked. Cell phones are taped to your charger and have your roster number placed on them. You won’t see that again for quite some time. I’m sure at least one of you reading this is thinking that you’ll be able to keep your cellphone. You probably could get away with it if you didn’t have 50 other guys wanting to call home as well. UCMJ kicks in right away as well so getting caught with contraband in a TRADOC environment is punishable by an Article-15 that can cut your pay/rank and put you on extra duty. Do you really want to do several hours more work a night in basic training?
The most common items that soldiers want to keep with them in BCT are their cigarettes or chew. Every platoon has its smokers/dippers and most can go without but their is always one. Tobacco is taken the most seriously of all contraband unless you have unauthorized weapons. Tobacco will get you hemmed up for the rest of basic training and will put a stain on your career. Repeated offenses will get you kicked out. This will guarantee that you will be ridden harder than all other recruits because if you can’t follow directions like the rest than clearly you need some additional help right? The best thing to do is quit cold turkey before you leave that way by the time you’re leaving reception the withdrawal effects have worn off.
If you have never worn boots before your feet will suffer. It’s advised that you break in the leather anyway you know how. Personally I advise flexing them over and over until it loses some of its stiffness.
Red Phase is where you will also receive your initial issue of equipment. Everything from body armor to canteen cups will be given out here and you sign your name for it. If you lose it you buy it. The most important thing that you’re issued is your assault rifle and that usually happens within the first few days and be prepared to take it everywhere. You’ll learn to have a love hate relationship with it. It’ll go everywhere but to church and the bathroom. Don’t ever leave it behind or unattended.
This is where Drill Sergeants test soldiers by telling them they’ve loosened the leash and they’ve earned privileges. In reality the Drill Sergeants are giving the soldiers enough string to hang themselves with and it happens every single time. It’s almost painful to watch. Recruits will see that the Drill Sergeants are easing off a bit and run with it and at some point the Company finds itself back in Red Phase. This is where soldiers will begin advanced PT known as “combat focus” that involves soldiers exercising in combat boots, pants and body armor. Soldiers will also be exposed to and use various firearms in the Army’s arsenal however some units conduct this during Red Phase. White Phase is also when BRM (Basic Rifle Marksmanship) is started and it is at this time when the Drill Sergeants start to teach rather than yell. One Drill Sergeant summed it up best when he said ‘we don’t want to yell at them while they have a loaded weapon.’ Your first inspection should come around this time as well and this is what typically makes everyone nervous. You’ll either be caught with tobacco products or food items and you’ll pay for it in sweat and blood. If nothing is found then something is manufactured or blown way out of proportion so that you see who is in charge. This may sound ridiculous and it is but White Phase is also where you start to notice that not everything is as black and white as you were told.
Orders may be clear but the orders may be changed by another Drill Sergeant or you think you’ve completed the task but you were not told how to properly do it and therefore you did it wrong. The most notorious mind game they use on soldiers is Family Day. The coveted two days off between basic training and AIT. This is the day where soldiers will get to see their families if they came to your Basic Training post and enjoy a few days of eating crap and not exercising. This is also the day you get your cellphone back. However your chain of command will have you thinking that this privilege can be taken away no matter how much your family paid to come see you. They’ll use your family and cellphone against you by telling you one day that Family Day is a go and the next its not. When you’re already in a tired and emotionally weak state this reversal of information messes with the mind. It works for some and it breaks others to pieces. For many the thought of seeing wives, moms, dad or girlfriends is necessary and the Army agrees but they’re going to make you suffer for it both before and after.
The best way to look at White Phase is you only have one more phase to go until Family Day. Theres plenty more pain to come and they’re not done tinkering with your mind yet but since you’re in phase 2 of 3 for BCT it’s light at the end of the tunnel. By White Phase you will have a good idea of who you love and hate in the platoon and who has contraband. It’s amazing the ingenious ideas that some privates can come up with to hide things in but it almost always never works out. I will say that for those of you who enjoy a cup of coffee, contraband in BCT, hiding MRE coffee packets in your CamelBak and heating it up later in a canteen cup works rather well. The sinks in the latrine get awfully hot. Thankfully for you though White Phase is typically an individual punishment phase unless your platoon is all around horrible.
By the way, in White Phase your first peer evaluation will be handed out. This is where you will anonymously rate everyone in your platoon on a scale of best to worst. You’ll also be able to say who the “dirtbags” are in the platoon and who shouldn’t be there.
This is where things start coming together and recruits start acting like soldiers. This is also the time that you will start doing overnight operations out in the field (bivouac) training. Soldiers will also start ARM (Advanced Rifle Marksmanship) where you’ll learn to move and fire with a battle buddy right beside you and where you’ll learn basic room clearing techniques. You’ll be spending more and more time in full kit which is everything needed to perform combat missions and often means you’ll be carrying your ruck or assault pack to each training location. This is probably the toughest portion of BCT physically and mentally. Since Family Day is at the end of Blue Phase, Basic Training Graduation, the mind games step up a notch. Things will literally change on the hour. Things will also be used to see how quickly the platoon or company turns on each other rather than sucking it up and carrying on. Its confusing, tiring, and it puts everyone on edge. If your platoon falls apart at the seams from the stress then you’re going to have problems. To make things even worse the Platoon Guide (PG) that you’ve likely had from White Phase will probably be removed from his position and the soldiers who were rated the lowest of the platoon during peer evaluations will be placed in that spot. This is usually to put those people back in line as they’re responsible for the platoon and if things are not getting done or looking proper then the blame is placed on his head. Being PG isn’t fun and it tests your leadership and ability to keep people in line all the time. It also keeps you awake more than the rest as you have to fix every problem or go get the Drill Sergeant should a problem severe enough arise. This is why Drill Sergeants pick either the oldest or the person with a stressful job in the civilian world to take that spot.
PT (Physical Training) is taken up a notch in this phase as well because to pass BCT you only need a 50 in all events but once you’re back from Family Day the requirement for AIT goes up to 60. Your PT sessions will be more intense and focus on the core areas of PT; running, push-ups and sit-ups. For those struggling with PT you should know that you will be ridden pretty hard and if you fail a PT test you will be threatened with being held back from Family Day, Graduation, and potentially re-started (I've included a page in this website to help you get in shape before basic training, CLICK HERE). In reality the only one of those options ever used is holding you over. You’ll still be able to graduate but you won’t be able to leave and go to your unit until you pass the PT test or your unit has to push you out as they have another batch of recruits coming in. If your heart is set on wearing a Ranger tab or SF tab then you need to be scoring at least a 250 or higher in Basic Training on the PT test. Remember the PT test is out of 300.
You’ll be training right up until the day before Family Day and I’d be prepared for an inspection. They’ll be looking for things that are contraband and things to smoke you for before you go out and eat candy and see your woman. If they catch you with contraband before Family Day then you will likely be manning the CQ desk and may or may not get family day. Since someone would have to supervise you and they want those days off as well you will likely get at least one day off to spend with your family or by yourself in a hotel. Just remember that when you come back you will be Article-15′d for the contraband.
Here’s a quick list about Family Day,
- It’s guaranteed unless you get in trouble right before the day itself or are being discharged
- You will get your cellphone back
- You “have” to wear PT clothes while in the hotel and Class B’s when outside
- If you want to run to wal-mart and wear whatever in the hotel thats fine but remember your hair is awfully short which is a dead giveaway and UCMJ applies
- Remember that your DS knows all of the hot spots and will be roaming the area outside base
- If you do not show up at the designated time after Family Day then you’re AWOL
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