What Is Basic Training Like?

Basic training is the training and instruction that new military personnel must go through when they enter the military. Basic training is the process of changing civilian people into soldiers. The period of training is used to condition the new soldiers and remove certain aspects of their individual character and replace it with a unit existence. Basic training includes physical fitness development, uniform care, and learning military courtesy, tradition and history.

The first basic training activity involves the soldiers receiving uniforms, hair cuts and shots. The soldiers will wait in a holding area for several days or weeks until enough new soldiers have arrived and then this unit will begin the actual basic training together as a unit.

Soldiers waiting for their units to amass for basic training have a limited amount of time to spend in phone conversations during this time. There will be some very basic drilling, but the actual drilling does not begin until basic training begins. The soldiers are taught some of the basic military expectations while they are waiting in the holding areas, including how to stand in line and how to fold clothes.

Once the basic training begins, the soldiers will be kept quite busy. They will sleep little, learn to march, eat food that is not very appealing, learn how to fold clothing and make beds, stand at attention, spend time being taught in a classroom setting, and learn the importance of functioning as a unit with their fellow soldiers.

Basic training is a high percentage of psychological shaping of the soldiers. The goal is to make certain that the soldiers will be prepared to follow instructions without question and will be reliable in stressful situations. The soldiers are taught to follow all orders and are expected not to do anything that will place the unit in danger.

Sundays are days that are comparatively light in activities. Mail is passed out on Sundays also and soldiers are given one five-minute personal phone call each week on Sundays.

Basic training also involves marksmanship training, obstacle courses, grenade throwing and learning to shoot different kinds of weapons. Soldiers will be expected to memorize facts about each weapon and will be tested on their knowledge.

At the end of the basic training, soldiers will be tested in a field exercise where they must demonstrate their hands-on knowledge and abilities. After passing this, the soldiers will prepare for a graduation ceremony and will graduate into full-fledged soldier status.