Going to Boot Camp? Have questions about what it is like?

[indolence]

Well then post them here. I ship out March 5th and will of course be writing home. In these letters I will include a section which my father will either post here or mail to da Chief do post. If there is anything that any of you would like a take on not from the perspective of someone who has just finished boot but rather someone who is actively going through it just stick it in here and I will try to answer as many of them as I can in my letters home.

[gotum]

hows it going? how hard is the PT? how many miles should you be running prior to entering boot camp? Any tips? Anything that comes to your mind?

[8404]

"How 'hard' is the PT?" It's not hard if you're in shape! If you are not, the following link has Navy fitness training plans to follow:

http://www.navy-prt.com/trainingplan.html

"How many miles should you be running prior to boot camp?" The Navy works off of a 1.5 mile run for it's annual fitness test. Work towards that goal and use the below links for satisfactory run times/scores.

Male PRT Standards: http://www.navy-prt.com/malestandard.html
Female PRT Standards: http://www.navy-prt.com/femalestandard.html

[krash87]

The longest run in boot camp is 20 minutes straight. If you can do that before you go, you should be good to go in boot camp.

[Furios]

If you're in good shape before you go to bootcamp, you'll probably decondition. Sadly : (

[8404]

Furios;

As was the case with my son. He was in the same physical shape as a graduating Marine from Marine Corps boot camp, when he left for RTC. I think the Navy should increase their physical fitness requirements to at least that of the Army.

Just my opinion, but who asked, this is a Navy website.

[Furios]

Its true : (

[Poseidon]

I was just talking to one of my friends the other day who graduated boot about 2 months ago, he's about 5'7" tall and he said he was weighing 175 prior to boot, very fit guy, anyways he lost a total of 30 lbs while at boot. What a shame.

[8404]

Perhaps those 30 lbs were fat.

[Corpsman77Wife]

Poseidon;
My husband was 5"10 and about 175 lbs when he left for boot camp. When he was finished he was about 153 lbs. It is not unusually for them to lose weight. Have you gone to boot camp yet?


I was just talking to one of my friends the other day who graduated boot about 2 months ago, he's about 5'7" tall and he said he was weighing 175 prior to boot, very fit guy, anyways he lost a total of 30 lbs while at boot. What a shame.

[Doc_Stevens]

Combination of the exercise and mass produced food did it for me. I think I lost 25 pounds in RTC.

[Hog Wild]

Does Boot camp get you ready (or in some semblance of readiness) for the vigors of FMTB?

[8404]

RTC, (Navy boot camp) does exercise and conditions you to the point of being able to pass the Navy physical readiness test, PRT.

FMTB takes it a step further and conditions you to Marine Corps standards with the ability to pass their PFT test, (more difficult). You can find out more at the following links:

Recruit Training Command:

http://www.nstc.navy.mil/rtcgl/

FMTB East:

http://www.lejeune.usmc.mil/fmtb/index.shtml

FMTB West:

http://www.cpp.usmc.mil/schools/fmtb/index.asp

[Poseidon]

Sorry i didnt respond to quickly i haven't been on in a while...... I don't think the kid I know that lost 30lbs lost 30lbs of fat, he's a SWWC boy, i don't think he had fat to lose haha. And no i havent gone to boot yet, i feel like my recruiter is just not tryin to get me in, i depped in on aug 30th and my ship date is May 5th, it seems like everyone is deppin in after me and getting an earlier ship date.

[8404]

Getting an earlier ship date for Corpsman? That may be the difference, if not ask to speak to their Chief or officer in charge and ask for an explanation.

I understand about your 'friend', the SWCC boy. Again, Navy boot camp is NOT DESIGNED to condition you for SWCC or Special Ops, rather it is designed to condition you to the point of being able to pass the basic Navy physical readiness test, PRT.

I can understand, my own son was in as good as shape as any Marine Recruit who just completed and graduated Marine boot camp. Probably more so, because of his extensive strength training with weights.

Consequently, he lost muscle mass and some strength when he went to RTC boot camp. This is the exception, because RTC does NOT train you to the degree necessary to maintain that level of fitness of someone who has trained for over 5 years.

So, yeah, he lost 30 lbs. When you can, you just restart your own training regimen.

To answer HogWild's question, yes it does. You only need to be able to pass the Navy's PRT test when you first report in to FMTB. However, FMTB progresses to the point where you WILL be expected to pass the Marine Corps PFT requirements.

Read FMTB East website: http://www.lejeune.usmc.mil/fmtb/Welcome_Aboard.shtml

"Member must be qualified to pass the Physical Fitness Assessment, PFA and is within weight standards prior to transfer per OPNAVINST 6110. Members not within standards upon arrival to FMTB will not start training."

You can google search on OPNAVINST 6110 to see the Navy instruction.

[skalseth]

I was wondering what the dates are that the navy does bootcamp? is it every 9 weeks? or is it on a certian rotating schedule. id like to join in the spring of 2009 ("before all the highschoolers take up alot of the jobs" -per one recruiter) but im not sure what month it will be. thanks
-scott

[8404]

Skalseth:

Did you visit the following link?

Recruit Training Command:

http://www.nstc.navy.mil/rtcgl/

The answer comes from within, seek and you shall find:

http://www.nstc.navy.mil/rtcgl/family/upcominggrad.html

http://www.nstc.navy.mil/rtcgl/family/faq.html

[Maccs]

If boot camp doesn't sleek you up, try 15 months in "I Corps"

Maccs

[this guy]

during boot camp, if you feel that the daily pt is not up to par with your level of working out will you have time to us the on base gyms?

[8404]

during boot camp, if you feel that the daily pt is not up to par with your level of working out will you have time to us the on base gyms?

Lol, I believe your every waking moment will be scheduled with fun filled activites, such as physical training, classroom instruction, studying, marching, swim qualifications and more studying. You won't have the liberty to walk around and do you own thing. You will follow orders and do what you are told to do, by your Recruit Division Commanders, RDC's.

You can read more about your upcoming RTC experience at: http://www.nstc.navy.mil/rtcgl/

[Smith21USN]

Hey! I am fresh out of boot and I must tell you that the PT really isn't all that great. If your looking to get in shape you won't really do it @ boot camp unless you put some extra effort forth. If you already in good condition before I suggest asking Chief Roff or Senior Chief Rhodes if you can PT with Special Ops in the morning. You MUST pass the SEAL PST in order to do this though. 11:30 500m Swim (side or Breast Stroke) 42 push ups in 2:00, 50 sit ups in 2:00 min, 6 pull ups and I'd say close to a 11:00 min mile and half.

After you pass that you wake up @ 4:45 ish every morning go to the combat pool or track and voluntarily get beat. It got me in really good shape, however be ready to be constantly fatigued because you don't get out of divisional pt.

*In order to do this you MUST let them know you are CONTRACTED CORPSMAN and want to STAY CORPSMAN. DO NOT SIGN ANY CONTRACTS or YOU will be in the Special Operations program now.

So if you do that I'm going to tell your right now you better not quit. They are helping you out so never say die, even if your last never quit. You'll earn respect that way, trust me.

Or if your not down for that you will find ways to work out..

[this guy]

thanks, I already passed the naval special operations pst because the other rating I am looking at, besides corpsman,is EOD. so it is good news that no matter which way I go there will be a way to stay in shape through out boot camp, smith thank you very much

[Smith21USN]

Corpsman are the only other rate which Spec War allow to PT with them... You just have to ask them and pass the PST and your good.

[USN_HM_20]

How much do we have to swim?

[Corpsman77]

How much do we have to swim?

When I went through, I swam twice.

Once to pass my swim test and then another to complete "Battle Stations".

[Da-Chief]

Yeah I have to say Navy PT is something to be desired at Boot Camp. Hell you don't even Double time all over the base like we used to.

I call it "WUSS-IF-ICATION"..

Go Navy..

D'oh..

:-)

D/C