Armed Forces

[Chevy4life1985]

Hello everyone. I currently am going through the process of joining the Worlds' Greatest Military. I was just wondering who on these forums are in the armed forces and any things I should know/do before I go to BMT.

[carrrnuttt]

Former USAF regular here.

Just keep in mind that BMT is a mind-fucking. The physical aspect of it will take care of itself. It's your mind they are trying to break/mold.

They will purposely keep you on the edge of stress, to see how you can handle it. If you keep your wits about you, and learn to be the quickest to say "How high!?", when your drill instructor says "Jump!", you'll be fine. Part of the 'test' is to see how you follow orders. You do this well enough, you'll be the one giving them soon enough.

The way you stand out is by being consistent, prompt, and disciplined.

[fredjacksonsan]

Keep your shit together and do what you're supposed to do when you're supposed to do it, and you'll be watching while they yell at someone else.

[Chevy4life1985]

Did you serve fred?

[fredjacksonsan]

I went through Army basic training, but got out due to an injury. So I never got to "my unit", but have thrown grenades, fired machine guns and yes, got yelled at.

[ci5ic]

I've never served or even seriously considdered joining the service (much to my dad's chagrin), but I've heard alot of stories. Basically, from what I understand is it's all a mind-fuck.

If you're bald, and they tell you to comb your hair, do it... No, it doesn't make sense, but they break you down and shape you mentally so that you follow orders without question and without hesitation, regardless of what YOU think about the order. Some people would say that it's wrong for the government to program you like that, but I would say it's 100% necessary in order to have a functioning military.

[Chevy4life1985]

Originally Posted by ci5ic

I've never served or even seriously considdered joining the service (much to my dad's chagrin), but I've heard alot of stories. Basically, from what I understand is it's all a mind-fuck.

If you're bald, and they tell you to comb your hair, do it... No, it doesn't make sense, but they break you down and shape you mentally so that you follow orders without question and without hesitation, regardless of what YOU think about the order. Some people would say that it's wrong for the government to program you like that, but I would say it's 100% necessary in order to have a functioning military.

Im not worried. I listen to orders without question or hesitation as is. I do it at work and at home. Im just trying to be the most prepared person I can be. You know what im saying?

[chucksnee]

I don't think the Air Force BMT is any where close to the Army Basic. From what i've heard. You still get messed with and so on but just not to hte extent.

Being in the Army now for 18 years i've heard stories and worked with MANY Airforce people and there is a considerable differnce in the 2.

Like the joke goes,

Marines walking through the swamp, says DAMN i love this $hit. Army Ranger walking thru the dead bodies says DAMN i live this $hit, Navy guy on a 6 month Carrier rotation says I love this $shit and the Airforce guy says Dman the cable is out.

Not to funny, but it gets the point across.

[carrrnuttt]

Originally Posted by chucksnee

I don't think the Air Force BMT is any where close to the Army Basic. From what i've heard. You still get messed with and so on but just not to hte extent.

Being in the Army now for 18 years i've heard stories and worked with MANY Airforce people and there is a considerable differnce in the 2.

Like the joke goes,

Marines walking through the swamp, says DAMN i love this $hit. Army Ranger walking thru the dead bodies says DAMN i live this $hit, Navy guy on a 6 month Carrier rotation says I love this $shit and the Airforce guy says Dman the cable is out.

Not to funny, but it gets the point across.

It's a stereotype, since the most recognizable USAF jobs are out on the flightline, or in the hangar, away from the shit. A little-known fact is that the AF has the most exclusive, and hardest-to-get-into SF force in the AF with the Pararescue boys, and to a lesser extent, the Combat Control guys. My father-in-law was a Vietnam Marine, and there was a Combat Controller he knew that his sole job was to get dropped alone behind enemy territory every few weeks or so, to get constant mapping of the enemy's positions, and changes in fortifications. A lot of in-combat rescues have been attributed to the Marines, that was actually conducted by the PJ's - they don't like being publicized as a crew, and The Corp is a nameless entity, so it stays that way.

All the services have their cushy office jobs, and all the services have their people that get into the muck.

Learn more about it here: http://www.specialtactics.com/pararescue.shtml

And since they're usually rescuing, or retrieving people, good and bad, in places we weren't supposed to be in the 1st place, bodies aren't usually claimed: http://members.aol.com/MIAkid1971/Rescue.html

All I know is though I was not a PJ, I tried out for them, and those knucklenuts that make it deserve my utmost respect, as do all servicemembers, and it is not our fault that the USAF has decided to treat their enlisted like humans.

BTW, I went to what you'd call AIT, and us wing-wipers call "Tech-School", at an Army base (Fort Belvoir, VA), training with, and living in the same barracks as Squids and Jarheads, surrounded by barracks full of Grunts. I remember we used to team up (Navy, Marines, USAF), to whoop the Army boys up in paintball in the Virginia woods.

[Toksin]

Hmmm

It's interesting that they teach following orders to the letter (some say mindlessly) but do they also teach and encourage initiative?

[Broke_as_****]

Originally Posted by Toksin

Hmmm

It's interesting that they teach following orders to the letter (some say mindlessly) but do they also teach and encourage initiative?

Very much so, at least in the Army. A lot of the enlisteds field training (or virtually all of the training really) centers around leadership and the role of the small group leaders to take control.

[chucksnee]

Originally Posted by carrrnuttt

It's a stereotype, since the most recognizable USAF jobs are out on the flightline, or in the hangar, away from the shit. A little-known fact is that the AF has the most exclusive, and hardest-to-get-into SF force in the AF with the Pararescue boys, and to a lesser extent, the Combat Control guys. My father-in-law was a Vietnam Marine, and there was a Combat Controller he knew that his sole job was to get dropped alone behind enemy territory every few weeks or so, to get constant mapping of the enemy's positions, and changes in fortifications. A lot of in-combat rescues have been attributed to the Marines, that was actually conducted by the PJ's - they don't like being publicized as a crew, and The Corp is a nameless entity, so it stays that way.

All the services have their cushy office jobs, and all the services have their people that get into the muck.

Learn more about it here: http://www.specialtactics.com/pararescue.shtml

And since they're usually rescuing, or retrieving people, good and bad, in places we weren't supposed to be in the 1st place, bodies aren't usually claimed: http://members.aol.com/MIAkid1971/Rescue.html

All I know is though I was not a PJ, I tried out for them, and those knucklenuts that make it deserve my utmost respect, as do all servicemembers, and it is not our fault that the USAF has decided to treat their enlisted like humans.

BTW, I went to what you'd call AIT, and us wing-wipers call "Tech-School", at an Army base (Fort Belvoir, VA), training with, and living in the same barracks as Squids and Jarheads, surrounded by barracks full of Grunts. I remember we used to team up (Navy, Marines, USAF), to whoop the Army boys up in paintball in the Virginia woods.

First we are not talking about SF in anyway. He is talking about going thru BMT, not SF training or anything like that. As for who has the hardest, meanest, most useful traing in rescuing is NOT the AF or the Army or the Marines. It is a toss up between the Navy seals, Delta force and the sugarboys (not a joke on the name either) out of Virgina.

And lets not forget about the Rangers in the Army 120 days of HELL. no sleep up for days at a time. When i went through PLDC (to become an NCO) we had Rangers with us and there stories were amazing, like when they were sleep deprived and on a mission they would take a dip of what ever and instead of wiping there hands on there clothes they would rub it in there eyes to keep them open.

I'm not going to say who is the best and who is not, i KNOW i don't want to be them.

As for the cushy jobs yes every service has them, it's just more noticable in the airforce.

As for beating our butts in paintball, it does not surprise me. We are nothing but a bunch of fat B@stards now a days in the Army.

[Chevy4life1985]

Originally Posted by chucksnee

First we are not talking about SF in anyway. He is talking about going thru BMT, not SF training or anything like that. As for who has the hardest, meanest, most useful traing in rescuing is NOT the AF or the Army or the Marines. It is a toss up between the Navy seals, Delta force and the sugarboys (not a joke on the name either) out of Virgina.

And lets not forget about the Rangers in the Army 120 days of HELL. no sleep up for days at a time. When i went through PLDC (to become an NCO) we had Rangers with us and there stories were amazing, like when they were sleep deprived and on a mission they would take a dip of what ever and instead of wiping there hands on there clothes they would rub it in there eyes to keep them open.

I'm not going to say who is the best and who is not, i KNOW i don't want to be them.

As for the cushy jobs yes every service has them, it's just more noticable in the airforce.

As for beating our butts in paintball, it does not surprise me. We are nothing but a bunch of fat B@stards now a days in the Army.

UM most of those jobs you just described. Most are considered SF. Rangers = Best of the Best Army, Seals = best of the best Navy etc. In the AF BMT is a lot different than it was say 5 years ago. They have what the call Warrior Week. Basically its a week of deployment. You live in tents, sleep on cots, eat those prepared meal things, sleep deprived the entire week (usualy 2-5 hours a night of sleep). It also goes into M-16 training, buddy care (wounded airmen), etc.

[Chevy4life1985]

And dont turn this into a argument. I was just curious. WE ALL SERVE THIS COUNTRY and that should be the only thing that matters. Who cares about whos better or whos worse. I had a buddy who was in the army the went into the air force. He liked BMT so he went through AF BMT. He told me the AF BMT is mentally more challenging and the Army BMT was more physically challenging. Not facts just his opinion.

[chucksnee]

Originally Posted by Chevy4life1985

And dont turn this into a argument. I was just curious. WE ALL SERVE THIS COUNTRY and that should be the only thing that matters. Who cares about whos better or whos worse. I had a buddy who was in the army the went into the air force. He liked BMT so he went through AF BMT. He told me the AF BMT is mentally more challenging and the Army BMT was more physically challenging. Not facts just his opinion.

I'm not trying to start a fight, like youand your friend i'm stating opinion. I was talking about what you should expect in your BMT and carrnut starts talking about how the SF in the AF is one of the most demanding jobs. I never stated anything about that until after his reply.


As for SF (for your knowledge) is not all the same, Rangers are not considered SF they are Rangers, Special Forces is a specific unit, they wear green berets, Rangers now wear tan (used to be black).

And i agree with you, WE ALL FIGHT together. Have fun in the Military no matter what branch you are in. I have loved my 18 years in and would not change a thing (except my EX wife). I gained knowledge evey where i have been. I have learned alot from all branches.