Now that I'm finished with boot camp, I can look back and say "that was easy." And really, it was. The hardest part for me was being separated from loved ones and not being able to do the things I enjoy.
I'm not saying I loved it and would be happy to go through it again. I won't lie to you - it sucked. Recruits are completey blocked from the outside world except for bits of news you receive in letters from home. The first couple of weeks are the worst. The RDC's (recruit division commanders) will yell a lot and make you feel really stupid. However, they're not allowed to hit you and most of them don't swear much. It's just starts out tough to get you accustomed to military lifestyle. It eases up after the first two weeks and you find yourself in a routine. Be ready for a lot of down time and waiting around. Always remember the military motto: "Hurry up and wait!"
Here are some specifics on what you actually do in boot camp. They recently built a lot of new "ships" (living quarters). Hopefully you are lucky enough to end up in one. The old ships do not have air conditioning and they smell funny. Everyone asks about the food. It's not bad, but it's not great. You eat three meals a day which are always welcome no matter what's on the menu. You quickly find that the meals break up the day and the galley staff are probably the only smiling faces you'll see for a while. Things become more interesting and you even have some fun toward the end of basic. And I'm sure everyone would agree that the best part of boot camp is Liberty Weekend once you're finished. I highly recommend going into Chicago and especially Navy Pier. We received lots of praise while walking along the pier - plus it's a blast.
