Customer Reviews

The Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook: Tips, Tricks, and Tactics for Surviving Boot Camp

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I always felt that my basic training experience back in 1965 would have been much better had I known something about what I was going to endure. Now, modern day Army recruits have at their finger tips, "The Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook" for surviving "boot camp"; and this is no exaggeration! Author Sgt. Michael Volkin has done a very creditable job of capturing all the needed information to survive basic training.

He gives you insights and how and why things happen and what you can do ahead of time to prepare yourself for that experience. I guarantee that if you follow his advice as outlined in his book that basic training will be much easier physically and emotionally for you. The keys from his many words of wisdom are to be prepared and to expect the unexpected.

This book is an absolute must for new basic trainees. It can make all the difference between failing mentally or physically and successfully enduring the training. Good photos illustrate physical exercises that will prepare you for the physical needs of basic. The guidebook also gives a good overview of what you should expect to happen from the time you arrive at your basic training facility and reception to graduation week. It takes you step by step through the whole program of training. More importantly, he gives the recruit some good personal advice on how to keep a low profile and stay out of trouble with your "Drill Instructors".

For those of us "old school" Army veterans from Nam or before --it is interesting to note that your DI can no longer physically hit you and kick you or punch you. Gone are the good old days of brutal and unrestrained Army training; but it still doesn't mean that it is any easier to complete. There are those physical elements of running and push-ups and sit-ups that will always continue to challenge new recruits.

Sgt. Volkin has broken his book into logical chapters that are both easy to read and understand. If you are going into the Army you will find this book even more helpful if you get your hands on a copy and read it prior to reporting. It will give you an edge over others. Your confidence will also be enhanced because you will actually be ahead of the game and will know more than the average recruit.

The man has it dead on about what to expect in basic training, boot camp, or whatever your particular service calls it. His description of how you will be treated by the drill sergeants is completely accurate. His recommendations for getting into shape first is a good idea, it will save you pain later on.

Now I've got to put in a few words of my own. ==The basic rules of how you will be treated in basic can be traced down from the training program developed by the Greeks to teach people how to fight in their phalanx. The training works because the raw material, young men, hasn't changed all that much. (Yes, it also works for women.) Yes, the details change -- there wasn't much training in machine guns before the time of Christ -- but the screaming drill sergeants were there then.

This book starts with getting to your basic training unit. Before that you will have reported to a reception station. You will probably arrive at the reception station about 3 in the morning, they want you tired, somewhat disoriented, pliable so that you acclimated to the screaming quickly. The stay at the reception station is horrible. You know no one, you have no idea what is happening, where you are going, it's chaos. It's actually semi-organized, just relax as much as you can and go with the flow. The book says you will get lots of sleep and be well fed. I didn't find it so. It was worse than basic.

The training in basic, physical, mental, and technical is carefully designed to take in almost any body and convert them to a soldier. It works, almost no one flunks out. Some have a harder time than others in any of the three areas, but 99% of the recruits make it, it's designed that way.

If a year or so later you on run into your drill sergeant, chances are he won't remember you. You were only one of the thousands he trained. You can probably buy him a beer and find out that he's really a pretty nice guy. It was all a show.

Sgt. Volkin has written an excellent primer for what can truly seem like a mystery: What will I need to succeed in military boot camp? Sgt. Volkin does a great job of laying out the basics, from getting the form right on push-ups and sit-ups, to tips on avoiding too much extra attention from Drill Sergeants. This is a great place to begin for those about to go off to Ft. Jackson or Ft. Benning for the summer.

The book does have its limitations. It is written very much for the recent high school grad who is going to basic and then straight into the infantry and Iraq. As someone who doesn't fit that mold (I am tagged for OCS in the National Guard after boot camp), I found some of the material unhelpful.

However, that does not in any way limit the usefulness of the book. After all, Volkin has written the book for most people who go into boot camp, e.g. 18 year old recent high school grads.

The return on your investment is well worth the small price to pay for this book. I highly recommend it.

People thought I was crazy when, at 31, I decided to enlist in the Army and after trying to run a mile, so did I. I was not in great shape, but this book really helped me out. It is packed full of valuable information, but it is the training program that really makes it something truly special. If you are thinking about enlisting, this is the only book for you.

Having been in the military before, I was sceptical that this book would cover real tips and tricks (I've read many that just only give generalizations and the very basics).
While it may be more geared towards the Army/Marine branches, it is valuable to all candidates entering the military.
If your going in the military, or know someone who is, this is a must-read! It will give you a practical heads-up and put you ahead of the game.
Enjoy.

I'm also getting ready for Army Basic Training, so I picked this book up. It's got a lot of really good info, but there are a few errors. Here's some excerpts that I found questionable:

p. 5 "Why did you join the military?" Asked the Drill Sergeant.
This is your answer: "I joined because I love my country, sir!"

The recruit in this example has just comitted two cardinal sins: he has referred to himself in the first person and called his Drill Sergeant "sir". This is a great way to get smoked.

Another problem:

p. 89 Phonetic Alphabet

E=Easy F=Fox

These may have been true when Sgt. Volkin went through Basic, but now E is designated by Echo and F is designated by Foxtrot.

These may seem like minor errors, but from my understanding, they can lead to a lot of pushups. Any recruit reading this book needs to have at least one more source from which to gather information.

One final thing: Sgt. Volkin claims that new recruits only spend about three days in the Reception Battallion. This may be true in the Marines, but in the Army, the average is more like seven to fourteen days (some spend as much as three weeks there, I hope to God I won't be one of them).

As a former officer in the U. S. Army, history buff, author, and professional indexer, I want to highly recommend that every new or potential recruit, as well as relative (parent, aunt, uncle, grandparent, etc.) get a copy of this book and read it cover to cover. I had the pleasure of indexing this book. It was not long so it was an easy job. But it is rich in amazing insight and fully of suggestions that will help everyone before, during, and after basic training. The specific exercise program and charts at the back designed to get the new recruit from "civilian fit" to "military fit" (and there is a BIG DIFFERENCE) is worth triple the cost of the book.

The military has changed a lot since I was in the service-but basic training has not. It is hard-very hard. It is demanding. They break you down from a civilian and rebuild you into a soldier. This scares the hell out of a lot of people. But knowing what to expect, what to do before you go in, what to arrange, what to take and not take, what your weeks will entail, how to do things faster, smarter, and better than the next recruit-all without attracting negative attention-is something I would have killed for 30 years ago. You don't need to commit a crime to do better; all you need is a copy of this book. But you must read it, and then you must LIVE IT.

Buy a copy for yourself, and then buy another for your mom or dad so they can understand what you will be going through and have a better appreciation of your sacrifice to your country. You will be a proud American soldier when you graduate from basic training. This book will help ease that journey-a right of passage you will be forever after happy you made. It is also an achievement no one in the world can ever take away from you.

This is a good resource for information about basic training. Like the author, prior to finding this book, I searched everywhere for information. And, like him, I found a few blogs where people recorded what they could remember of their personal experiences, but that was about it. This is the first example I have found of a source that has input from many people, gathered over a serious amount of time. After reading it, I definitely learned things I did not know after months of searching, and I found answers to some specific questions I had. This was well worth the money. You will not regret purchasing it.

I am joining the military and this book has been a lot of help. Anyone who is planning on joining a branch of the military should really purchase this book.

This is perfect for anyone thinking of going in any branch of the military. If you want to do well in BCT you need this book.

Everything is explained simply, it's easy to understand and is packed full of tips to help learn very important details so you won't be the one dragging behind your squad. I'm so happy with this book I bought one @ Amazon and one from the Author's site in PDF format so I could start learning the same day. The copy from Amazon will go with me to BCT.