Preparing for Navy Bootcamp
What can I do to prepare myself physically?
Navy boot camp is designed to get you physically and mentally prepared to serve in the armed forces. Many people enter boot camp that are not in shape, and make the process a little harder on themselves. While it is possible to make it through boot camp even if you come in out of shape, it will make it easier on you if you can at least do the basic requirements: push-ups, sit-ups and 1.5 mile run. Physical Fitness will become a part of your every day life once you join the Navy. If you want to get a head start on getting in top shape, start working out ahead of time and look up the fitness requirements for your age group to make sure you will pass the Physical Fitness Test when the time comes.
Navy Physical Fitness Standards
- NAVADMIN 178-15
Physical Fitness Requirements. You must meet these in order to pass boot camp.
How Can I Mentally prepare Myself for Boot Camp?
I felt like the hardest part of boot camp was dealing with the people. While you are in training, you will barely get any sleep, you will spend most days being yelled at and marched around, you will eat, sleep, and shit on someone else's schedule and you will be treated like the red-headed stepchild. The best way to mentally prepare yourself is to remember that boot camp is not the Navy. It is just something you have to endure in order to earn your place as a Navy sailor. Remember that the struggles they put you through, are all set in place to prepare you for life as a sailor. A lot of the things they make you do will seem stupid and unnecessary but do them, and do your best at it.
What Can I Bring With Me?
There are a few things that you have to bring with you.
1.Photo ID
2.Birth Certificate
Anything else is subject to being packed up and shipped back to your home address. When I went to boot camp, Everything I had with me, including the clothes I came in where shipped back home. Things may have changed since I went through in 2012, for example we weren't allowed to keep our cell phones.
What Are Some Challenges I Can Expect to Face?
The first challenges will be lack of sleep and being yelled at. I personally do not get scared by people yelling in my face, it makes me more angry than anything. But everyone reacts to it differently, whether it scares you, angers you or you find it funny that is the first challenge you will be faced with. As for lack of sleep, we didn't go to sleep the first day they kept us up all night and into the next day doing stuff, getting our uniforms, getting drug tested and being processed in.
Another challenge is time management. You will have no say in it! You will literally eat, sleep and shit on command. Your time is very strictly scheduled. You have a set time to get up, set time to sleep, set time to eat and when you aren't marching, working out,studying, taking tests or working on your uniforms you will be standing at attention on the toe line ( you will get to know that very well), Forget about being an adult and making your own decisions,you will do what your told when your told and how your told!
Homesickness is one of the things that many struggle with. You are separated from your friends and family, and cant contact them as much as you would like to. You are stressed 24/7 surrounded by people you don't know and may or may not like. Contact with family just like everything else is scheduled. I only talked to my family twice during the 8 weeks I was gone, and both conversations where about 5 minutes each. Get used to staying in contact through writing letters!
