What Were The Conditions In The Military Camps?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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What were conditions like in military camps?

Soldiers were cramped into camps that weren’t meant to hold that many people

. They also had little shelter and/or clothing. How did the war change life on the home front?

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What were the camp conditions for soldiers?

Verdant pastures became a muddy mess in no time under the feet of thousands of soldiers and horses. With little understanding of sanitation, camps were notoriously nasty abodes;

lice were rampant

, and dysentery, often caused by impure drinking water, killed more men than enemy bullets.

What were conditions like in Civil war army camps?

Despite such diversions, much time was still left for exposure to the noncombatant foes of poor shelter,

unhealthy food, and a lack of hygiene

, resulting in waves of sickness and disease. After the first months of the war, the shelter half, or “dog tent,” became the most practical means of overnight shelter.

What happens in an army camp?

Army boot camp is

the introduction to Army service, tactics and how to become a soldier

. During basic training, you will learn teamwork and discipline, including proper attire and grooming standards. You will learn weapons handling, rappelling and marching along with the seven core Army values and the Soldier Creed.

What did soldiers do to pass the time and break the routine while in camp?


Reading

was a popular way to pass the time. Soldiers read letters, newspapers, novels, the Bible, and any other printed material they could find. … When they had no reading matter they wrote it themselves, sometimes even publishing their own camp or hospital newspapers.

What was it like being a soldier in ww2?

In most,

sailors

lived and worked in cramped conditions, often sleeping in bunks stacked in rooms housing dozens of sailors. Senior officers received small rooms of their own. Sixty-thousand American sailors lost their lives in the war. During World War II the Air Force was still a branch of the U.S. Army.

What was a common problem among the soldiers?


Depression and post-traumatic stress disorder

(aka PTSD, an anxiety disorder that follows experiencing a traumatic event) are the most common mental health problems faced by returning troops.

Did Civil War soldiers have toilet paper?


Civil war soldiers used leaves, grass, twigs, corncobs, and books to make toilet paper

.

What did Civil War uniforms look like?

Confederate uniforms were

gray kepi, jacket and trousers

. As these weathered and faded, they took on a light brownish appearance, which gave rise to the nickname “Butternuts” for Southern soldiers. “Butternut” brown clothing may also have been the result of dyes used for simple, homespun uniforms.

What were Civil War sleeping quarters like?

Tentless soldiers, often Confederate troops, would make

open-air beds by piling straw or leaves between two logs

. Soldiers built crude huts for winter quarters. Some dug “gopher holes” into hillsides or ravines to stay warm. HyGiene: Soldiers were supposed to bathe weekly and wash their face and hands daily.

What happens in boot camp?

Boot camp workouts can vary, depending on their focus. … One boot camp workout might

stress body weight exercises

(calisthenics) while another stresses military-style drills. In most cases, you can expect to do calisthenics — such as pullups, pushups, squats, lunges and crunches — as well as drills and sprints.

Is Boot Camp 7 days a week?


Yes it is 7 days a week

. There are no days ‘off’ at basic. There will be at least one instructor overseeing you even on weekends.

Can you fail basic training?



Yes, it is possible to fail basic training

. You could go through the trouble of leaving your home, job, family and friends and come back a failure. In fact, this happens to about 15% of recruits who join the military every year.

What were conditions like for soldiers in ww1?

Trench life involved

long periods of boredom mixed with brief periods of terror

. The threat of death kept soldiers constantly on edge, while poor living conditions and a lack of sleep wore away at their health and stamina.

What were conditions like in the Civil War?

Not only did soldiers face the possibility of getting killed in battle, their daily lives were full of hardships. They had to

deal with hunger, bad weather, poor clothing

, and even boredom between battles. Soldiers were woken at dawn to begin their day.

What were the worst conditions soldiers in WWI went through?

Disease and ‘shell shock’ were rampant in the trenches.

With soldiers fighting in close proximity in the trenches, usually in unsanitary conditions, infectious diseases such as

dysentery, cholera and typhoid fever

were common and spread rapidly.

Is anyone still alive from World War 2?

Reports from the Department of Veterans Affairs say

about 240,300 World War II veterans are still alive in 2021

. They’re generally in their 90s, and about 245 die each day, according to the VA. … Linc Harner, 95, served during World War II and entered the Army at Fort Dix, N.J. on April 7, 1943.

What happens to soldiers with PTSD?

You may experience extreme emotional and physical reactions to reminders of the trauma such as

panic attacks

, uncontrollable shaking, and heart palpitations. Extreme avoidance of things that remind you of the traumatic event, including people, places, thoughts, or situations you associate with the bad memories.

Does Shell Shock still exist?

Shell shock is a term originally coined in 1915 by Charles Myers to describe soldiers who were involuntarily shivering, crying, fearful, and had constant intrusions of memory. It is

not a term used in psychiatric practice today but remains in everyday use

.

How do soldiers feel during war?

Soldiers are genuinely torn by the feelings of war —

they desire raw revenge at times

, though they wish they wanted a nobler justice; they feel pride and patriotism tinged with shame, complicity, betrayal and guilt. … For instance, before their first deployment, soldiers worry about killing another human being.

What do veterans struggle with?

Health and Well-Being. Some veterans suffer combat-related injuries, including mental health issues such as

post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and traumatic brain injury

. Quality health care is critical as veterans return to their communities.

Can you get kicked out of the army for depression?

According to the Department of Defense, you’re disqualified from serving in the U.S.

military if you have a current diagnosis or a history of most mental disorders

.

How do soldiers use the bathroom during war?

Probably most often

during a fire fight

, their pants. Otherwise, they would dig a small, trench, or a CAT hole, and use that.

How did Civil War soldiers use the bathroom?

The bath room had

a cast iron tray with hot and cold water pipes running above

. … Many hospitals had to pump water from rivers, creeks, or ponds and then discharge their waste water into holding tanks, cesspools, or even the supply from whence is came.

Did Civil War soldiers have repeating rifles?

The

Spencer repeating rifle was adopted by the Union Army

, especially by the cavalry, during the American Civil War but did not replace the standard issue muzzle-loading rifled muskets in use at the time. … The Spencer carbine was a shorter and lighter version designed for the cavalry.

Who wore red during the Civil War?


Garibaldi Guard

: The 39th New York Volunteer Infantry was another Union unit that was inspired by international style, wearing puffy red shirts like those worn by Italian soldier who fought under Giuseppe Garibaldi.

What did Civil War soldiers do for fun?

Soldiers played all kinds of Civil War card games, they made

distinctive chess pieces

, played checkers, backgammon, dominoes, they read newspapers, books and played horseshoes. They also played whole team sports such as baseball and a very early often-brutal version of football.

How did Civil War soldiers stay warm?

Civil War winters were particularly trying and monotonous for the armies. …

Winter huts

were built by the armies out of the surrounding materials including: trees, mud, leaves, and soldiers’ canvases. These huts usually included a chimney, which kept the small space warm, but some were more effectively built than others.

What were homes like during the Civil War?

American homes in the Civil War period varied tremendously. In the North, there were the

pre-existing frame and brick houses

, while a few Southern families lived in grand plantation houses. Out west, the prairies saw fewer log cabins and more sod houses.

What did Civil War soldiers eat?

Union soldiers were fed

pork or beef

, usually salted and boiled to extend the shelf life, coffee, sugar, salt, vinegar, and sometimes dried fruits and vegetables if they were in season. Hard tack, a type of biscuit made from unleavened flour and water, was commonly used to stave off hunger on both sides.

Why did the Confederates choose GREY?

At the time of the American Civil War, the usefulness of camouflage was not generally recognized. Gray was chosen for Confederate uniforms

because gray dye could be made relatively cheaply and it was the standard uniform color of the various State Militias

.

How do you get kicked out of boot camp?

One way to be sent home from boot camp is

to repeatedly fail the physical tests

. Boot camp makes large physical demands of recruits, and those who are unable to complete the basic physical tasks are more likely to be sent home.

Can you quit the army?


There is no way to simply quit the military once you are on active duty

. You are contractually, and perhaps morally, obligated to see your commitment through. However, you could be discharged from duty early if you are physically or psychologically unable to perform your duties.

What happens if I fail boot camp?

In the U.S.,

the military will pay for the failed recruit to return to the city from which they enlisted

. They will usually be sent to a separations unit following a few briefings, where they may be held for some time while doing maintenance and cleaning duties as well as standard chow and muster routines.

Do you get Sundays off in Basic Training?


No it is not true

. During BCT you do get a “break” on Sunday just long enough to go to church and do laundry. However, you cannot take a weekend pass during BCT. Depending on your DS in AIT and what phase you’re in, you may be able to go off-post during AIT.

Do you lose weight at boot camp?

WEIGHT LOSS

Another obvious benefit of boot camp classes — they’re a great option if you’re trying to lose weight. Porcari’s study found that participants burned an

average of 7.8 calories every 10 minutes

— pretty close to traditional spin classes, which, according to the study, burn 9.8 calories per minute.

What clothes do you sleep in at Basic Training?

Once you’re wearing a uniform ALL of your civilian clothes and unauthorized possessions are taken away and locked up until you graduate. While you’re there you’ll sleep in

your issued underwear or PT uniform

. (When I went to BMT they didn’t issue PT uniforms. It was just plain GI underwear for sleeping.)

Can you bring a Bible to bootcamp?


Yes

, you can send a bible to your recruit in boot camp. This military bible is a small size and can be customized with your loved-ones name in gold on the front cover.

Is the Navy hard?

Getting to the Navy

Getting into the Navy is not an easy task. Aside from medical and physical standards, there are height and weight standards, criminal standards, as well as academic standards. The Navy requires a ​ minimum ASVAB score of 35 to enlist in the regular Navy.

Does the army give you a phone?


Most adult members of our society carry a cell phone these days

, and post-basic military recruits are generally no exception. … Other military services may or may not allow cell phone use during their basic training programs.

Why did soldiers get lice?

Fortunately for the lice population, if not for their hosts,

conditions of trench warfare

proved ideal for their rapid spread. Of the three types of lice – head, pubic and body – the latter was far and away the most common. Lice could only thrive in warm conditions – which was provided by body heat and clothing.

What did the trenches smell like?

Some men disappeared into the mud because it was so thick. The trenches had a horrible smell. … They could smell

cordite

, the lingering odour of poison gas, rotting sandbags, stagnant mud, cigarette smoke, and cooking food.

What did the army do to try and stop the soldiers getting lice?

Men in the trenches killed lice by ‘chatting’ – crushing them between finger nails – or

burning them out with cigarette ends and candles

.

Timothy Chehowski
Author
Timothy Chehowski
Timothy Chehowski is a travel writer and photographer with over 10 years of experience exploring the world. He has visited over 50 countries and has a passion for discovering off-the-beaten-path destinations and hidden gems. Juan's writing and photography have been featured in various travel publications.