This is just a little something to help Future Soldiers get ready for their basic training experience and their career in the Army. First of all, let me start by saying joining the Army is a great thing; not only do you get to serve your country, but you will also gain experience in every aspect of life to include leadership and discipline.
Most Future Soldiers don’t realize this, but you should be in contact with your recruiter at least once a week - especially after you have gone to MEPS. This way you can keep him or her informed of everything that is going on with you. You will stay informed on current information from your recruiter this way as well.
If you are going in as an E1 or E2, the FSTS/Basic Training Task List will allow you to be promoted one grade before you ship out to training. There are 11 training modules for you to complete; things like your General Orders, Military Time, rank structure and the Phonetic Alphabet. Once you pass all of that, take your completion certificate to your recruiter so he or she can get you promoted.
Even if you are not overweight, you should always work to make sure your weight remains within the requirements. If you are close to your weight limit, make sure you work on your PT to get your weight down. You don’t want to go through your entire Army career needing to be taped.
Get with your recruiter to see if he or she has Future Soldier PT. If they have it, participate in it as often as your schedule allows, it will only make you better. If they don’t do Future Soldier PT, ask them to make you a PT plan that will allow you to get in better shape so you can pass the 1-1-1 PT test with no sweat.
If you have any medical issues (anything that caused you to go see a doctor or go to the emergency room) that has happened between the time you have gone to MEPS and now, make sure your recruiter is aware of them. Some things that may seem minor may turn out to be something that will prevent you from shipping.
Just like medical issues, law violations are just as serious. Anything where you had to talk to a police officer, a lawyer, or if you had to go to court, needs to be brought to the attention of your recruiter as soon as possible. Make sure your recruiter is aware of ANY ticket that is unpaid.
If you do not have a bank account, now is a good time to get one. Make sure it is a bank that has branches nationwide and NOT just a local bank. You will need to access your money no matter where you are stationed and a local bank may not have that capability. Your recruiter will give you the form to get direct deposit set up at your bank; this will allow your check to go straight to your bank account and be automatically deposited without hassle.
Make sure you have the addresses and phone numbers for all your friends and family members. Once you get to training, you will need to write them so they will know you made it there safely. While you are in reception, you will probably be able to use the phones, but as soon as your Drill Sergeant comes to pick you and the rest of your platoon up, phone usage will be very limited and your primary means of communication will be the U.S. Postal Service.
As with anything else that you will do in life, you need to have a positive mental attitude about what you are doing in the Army. If you have a bad mental attitude, you will have a very hard time in the Army. If you have a positive mental attitude, you will have great experiences throughout your entire career in the Army.
(Ret.) Drill Sergeant Jones
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