I enlisted in the United States Army yesterday.

[The Blue Knight]

I got 11X, which is your basic combat infantry. Going to try to be a paratrooper. First station is Europe, but if I go Airborne, I'll end up in Fort Bragg or Italy. Either works for me.

I leave June 13, 2005 for Fort Benning Georgia...2 weeks after I graduate from high school.

Can anyone tell me anything about Benning besides it's going to be hotter than hell?

[phillybri]

1. Good man...Best of luck to you!

Don't take any shit from anyone!

[Lavender Brown]

2. Best of luck to you, Blue Knight!

:) and congratulations on graduating as well.

[Bog Frog]

3. Well done.

I agree w/ Philly -- don't let anyone give you any shit.

[DarkPhenyx]

4. And remember.

Duck.

[neuvocat]

5. Benning is tough to be at in general.

Just be sure to sign up for the college fund.

[TX-RAT]

6. Congrats

101 Airborne 69-72
You'll love jump school.

[Lefta Dissenter]

7. I wish you the best

and I hope that you have a long and safe career.

Good Luck, and thanks for being willing to serve our country.

[Commendatori]

8. Remember that the first week of Basic is hell for a reason

They're just trying to scare you into shape. Do not react, do not show emotion, do as you're told and NEVER volunteer for anything.

Also, tell your friends and family not to send you cookies or other food while you're at Basic, and no heavy packages.

Leave the condoms at home, too.

[boobooday]

9. I wish you luck!

There will probably be mosquitoes in Georgia too . . .

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[TN al]

10. Airborne airborne airboooooorne...

...ranger ranger rangerrrrr
their home is Benning Georgia
the land that God forgoooot

[The Blue Knight]

11. Thanks guys, it means a lot.

And yea, they said something about if I wanted to I could try Ranger. I may try that.

[Book Lover]

13. My nephew did

According to him, Ranger training was very challenging but very rewarding. And he hated the weather - thought it was hotter and muggier than Florida, where he mostly grew up.

Best of luck to you.

[Wickerman]

46. Good luck Mr. Knight

and I appreciate your willingnes to serve. You're a good man. May you stay out of harm's way.

[Doctor Smith]

12. Georgia's not as hot as Iraq.

So enjoy the cool weather while you can.

[Bonhomme Richard]

14. Good luck and thanks n/t

[jonnyblitz]

15. good luck

and keep us posted about how you are doing if/when you are able to. :hi:

[GreenPartyVoter]

16. Good luck :^D

[Gildor Inglorion]

17. HOT it will be...

I had basic training there in June & July. Oh, mama! But guess what? I astonished myself by being able to take anything they threw my way. You can, too. Good luck, and God bless you. (P.S.: Try to avoid the hookers in Phenix City, Alabama!)

[ewagner]

18. Good luck

and congrats on trying for airborne....

be safe.

[ET Awful]

19. Basic Combat Infantry would be 11B

Are you sure you know what you signed up for? :)

11B is combat infantry
11C is mortars (if I remember correctly)
11H is TOW/anti-armor

I forget the rest :)

As far as Benning goes . . . when you finally get some leave between Basic and AIT, stay out of the "massage parlors" in Columbus.

[jukes]

25. ET A

i guess they changed the nomenclature. i had all 3 11 series MOS, but the 11 hotel was b/s; they just needed to fill the slot; never got the training, but never saw an NVA tank either! :7

[ET Awful]

32. I was actually 11H-E9 . . .

which is a mechanized MOS. Used the M901 ITV before it was replaced by the Bradley.

I only remember they were 11B because we used to call them 11Boo when we'd scare the piss out of them by firing simulator rounds from right behind their foxholes :)

[jukes]

47. you're a bad boy!

shame on you! why is it always the grunts that get eft w/?





:spank:

[jmowreader]

40. 11M is Bradleys

And 11Z is senior infantry NCO.

It sounds like they are issuing final MOS once they get them to Benning. This way they don't have to worry about doing all of the paperwork to slide a guy from 11H to 11C if he's a better mortar baseplate carrier than he is a TOW gunner.

[Insider]

20. outstanding, BK

keep your head down
keep your chin up
keep your homemade cookies to yourself

getting a bonus?
college fund?

hooah, blue knight.

[radwriter0555]

21. Good heavens, WHY? I can't imagine anyone with a mind of their own

doing anything more rash, irrational and stupid, than to sign up under a fascist like bush.

They will send you anywhere they damn well please, including Iraq and Iran when that comes under fire.

No offense, don't mean to be a buzz kill, but you may have just signed your own death warrant.

If you want to 'serve your country' sign up for the sheriff's, local police department; the FBI, Secret Service, heck even the CIA.

But the ARMY?

Not a smart move darlin. No offense.

[m-jean03]

31. I know, it makes me want to cry.

I don't know why anyone would do this right now, either. :cry:

[Enraged_Ape]

44. Some kids have no choice in this farked-up economy, unfortunately.

I've had several friends in the 82nd Airborne. The only advice I can give, and the advice THEY would give, is threefold:

1) Keep your head down.
2) Keep your damn head down.
3) Keep your goddamn head down.

Best of luck to you, my friend. Come back safe, Mr. Blue Knight, and tell us of your adventures.

[TrogL]

22. A few tips

• keep your socks dry
  
• break your boots in quick
  
• keep your leather shined
  
• put a condom over the muzzle of your rifle if they'll let you
  
• make sure your breach is clear - look twice
  
• never trust what anybody else says about your firearm
  
• the armourer is your friend
  
• all rounds are live, even blanks and duds
  

[jukes]

23. best of luck, B/K

i went heat prostrate @ ft. gordon, GA; lugging an 81mm mortar up a sand hill in infantry school, back in '67. that was after 8 weeks of intensive physical training. and it was only may.

i only know benning from jump school.

in basic, they're going to psych you out, physically exhaust you, & harass hell out of you to break you down & turn you into a robot. if you're an athlete, & don't overtly resent authority, you'll do basic fine. i was a f/up smartass; i dry shaved, in formation, EVERY day for the 1st 2 weeks of basic, & the DI "stropped" my razor on the sand painted steel helmet i was wearing. there's a lot of sleep deprivation. i 1ce fell asleep packed into a "cattle-car", but the squash of bodies held me up.

START RUNNING NOW, as far as you can, every other day. you'll be doing up to 4 mile runs, in boots & steel helmet, w/ a rifle @ "port arms" every day before long. don't bother with sprints: army "doubletime, march" is a rhythmic jog. pushups/chinups on the days you don't run. DO those pushups. i mean it. you will need 10 chins, minimum, in jump school.

infantry school is better, still tough, but you'll be used to the exertion & there's less harassment; they consider you a "soldier" then.

jump school is a holy mother. run before b'fast; don't bother to eat 'cause you'll lose it later. PT. drills in the towers (35' slide down an incline cable in a jump harness. watch your crotch. that part is fun, like carny rides) then brutal physical training, LITERALLY hose you down to cool you off, then have you practice low-crawls through sand/sawdust pits so you're wet, dirty & gritty for the rest of the day. more PT (physical training), more hoses. DO NOT open your canteen w/o asking permission, even if you can't talk. MORE harassment, because you have to be a "special breed" to be a paratrooper.

next morning you'll fall out w/ spit shined boots. you'll have 2 pair, but they never dry out. i did jump school in july, you'll be in late fall, i think.

2nd week isn't as bad, but still worse than basic. 250' tower drops, but real freefall, no cables like in amusement parx. they pull you up, make you wait & think about it, then cut you loose.

3rd week is ok, mostly your qualifying jumps from a real plane, you'll never remember anything else about the 3rd week.

you'll hate yourself for this, but that will pass. hope this shit is over by then, because if it isn't, you'll likely be a bullet stop. those army contracts are slippery, & they'll send you into a combat zone if they want to. besides, you may be so brainwashed you'll volunteer. i was.


DO NOT listen to the pep-talks about special forces. 1. it breaks your contract so they can send you anywhere. 2. you're a liberal & you'll end up hating yourself for what you do. 3. they're nothing but CIA gofers, & the 1's i met were pussies.

edit: ranger training is tough, but waycool. not as "political" as special forces.

[Colin Ex]

24. Not my thing, but

I wish you the best.

Don't get yourself fucked up, man.

-C

[ACK]

26. Best of luck man I grew up in Ga

Can get 105 in the shade in August and the humidity is sooo thick you can cut it with a knife.

Just get ready.

Its near Alabama so you are very close to Hell.

You can take college classes at Troy State University and yes stay out of the massage parlors.

If you are up North and you get in a dispute with a local remember Southern boys don't talk shit. If they say they are going to kick your ass be ready to duck a pool que or a beer bottle but don't worry there is a high almost religious respect for the military.

_

[Liberal Classic]

27. Have fun in boot!

I'll wish you good luck too. :)

[The Blue Knight]

28. Thanks again guys! Also another point...

"Are you sure you know what you signed up for?"

Yes. 11X is your infantry. At infantry school, you choose either 11B or 11C. 11H was mechanized and I don't think we can choose that anymore.


Thanks again for all the pointers and well-wishes guys. Makes me proud to be a DUer.

[XNASA]

29. Outstanding. Good Luck, Soldier.

Do us proud.

[ElectroPrincess]

30. Outstanding!

A little valuable advice: When you attend Airborne School, Ft. Benning, GA, please be sure to start stretching as soon as you fall out first thing in the AM (at least 10-15 min before formation)... good stretching exercises on your own. (especially focus on the hamstrings). Plus - also drink TONS of WATER at every opportunity to stave off heat exhaustion throughout the day.

Why? Many of the people who "fall out" of the morning runs at Airborne School do so because of pulled muscles. I don't think they've changed the schedule, therefore, morning runs are the first activity of the day. Being "loose" for a hot, humid and long morning run makes all the difference in the world.

Best of wishes for doing well at Airborne. Please come back to DU when you're have a break and/or score leave to tell us all about your experiences. Airborne! All the way and then some!

May God Bless You and keep you safe. :-)

On Edit: Your question Re: Fort Benning. Yes, double that hot and humid with a vengence. It's a disciplined Army Base. But you know the drill ... keep your self squared away and all's ok with the world. One not of caution, be careful going with buddies to the sh*t hole town called Phoenix City. Make sure you know the other soldier going (driving). Why? You don't want to have to save somebody from a drunken brawl. And finally, please consider only drinking one or two beers tops, i.e., always being in control of your judgement. Sorry to act like a Mom, but there's a lot of bad temptations "out there." <warm smile>

[leftofthedial]

33. congratulations

Benning IS hell.

[FlashHarry]

34. God speed and good luck.

Non carborundum illegitimi. I know it's faux latin, but the sentiment remains.

[Solly Mack]

35. It's hotter than hell. Close to bigger cities...not that you'll get

too much of a chance to see them for quite a while.(Atlanta, Macon)

On the Alabama line..as Benning sits in 2 states and 3, maybe 4, counties.

Best Mexican restaurant close by is in Alabama...go out stone gate and turn left...straight into Phenix City. The restaurant is on the left.

Lots of things to do on post...to include camp grounds and lake retreats. Not that you'll be taking advantage of those things while in BT/AIT/Jump school

It's a pretty post if you like pine trees and oak trees (I do). Lots of history on the post they never advertise...like the slave docks. Follow 10th mtn around to the DRMO (lots of out buildings and the vet clinic nearby)....you'll see a sign directing you to the slave docks.

[slutticus]

36. The humidity......

....

Good luck with basic!

[Justitia]

37. Always Remember This

That your compatriots here on DU are fighting for the lives of our soldiers and your brothers-in-arms, precisely because of our respect and pride in your service.

Our soldiers should only be utilized in efforts of the highest moral purpose - it is our duty as civilians to NEVER GIVE UP in making certain the highest levels of gov't are held accountable to those sent out in our name.

We MUST speak out on behalf of those that cannot, it is our Democratic responsibility.

I will never be silent - it is the least I can do for our soldiers and the sacrifices of their families.

Godspeed and safe return!

[MrsMatt]

38. Congratulations and

thank you in advance for your service to our country. It takes a great deal of courage to enter the service during these troubled times. I'm sure you will be a credit to us all. Best of luck - you'll be in my thoughts and prayers.

[Redneck Socialist]

39. Good luck

Be safe and thank you.

[galadrium]

41. Thanks for serving!

[qwertyMike]

42. Congratulations!

Another post you'll never see on Freepville<

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

43. Final proof you're not a freeper!

Congrats, Godspeed, and keep your mouth shut and your eyes open. Play their game but remember who you are at all times!

And don't forget to duck! :toast:

[EstimatedProphet]

45. Yes, this area is hot.

Hope you like religion too.

[BlondieK143]

48. Good luck!

Hope everything works out well for you! :hug:

[MIScott87]

49. Good Luck!

Here's to Kerry being Commander-in-Chief!

:thumbsup:

[NightTrain]

50. I only hope you'll go into the Army under President Kerry.

Good luck to you, my friend!

[Taverner]

51. Good luck! Be Safe!