Marine leaders want every male recruit arriving at boot camp to train alongside women in the same company, putting an end to the longstanding tradition of separating trainees by gender
, according to newly released plans to make both of the service’s recruit depots coed.
Are guys and girls together during basic training?
Basic Combat Training Overview
The remainder of BCT consists of three phases, which the Army describes on its BCT website. During training
women live together in their own barracks, but attend class and carry out training exercises alongside men
.
Even with coed training, women in the Navy wouldn’t be fully integrated
. Women can fill 83 percent of the Navy’s jobs but still are not allowed to serve on combat ships or to fly combat aircraft. Congress last year repealed the law banning women from flying fighter planes in the Navy and Air Force.
Do females have to cut their hair for basic training?
Except for the Navy, women do not have to get their hair cut
. However, when in uniform (which is all the time in basic training), women must wear their hair in such a way that the hair does not protrude past the bottom of the collar, and is not below the eyebrows.
Hitting the Sack: Lights Out
In all the branches’ basic training programs, bedtime is usually
2100, or 9 p.m.
, except during times of special events, such as night exercises. In basic training, lights out means go to sleep. It does not mean talk to your buddies, study or write a letter home.
The first three weeks of Navy Boot Camp are clearly the toughest (physically, and stressfully)
. Get through the first three weeks, and you’ll almost assuredly graduate. As with Army and Air Force Basic Training, during the first couple of weeks, you’ll find that no one can seem to do anything right.
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. Too many recruits I speak to think that it is impossible to fail basic training.
Hair will be no more than 2 inches in bulk,
4 inches in length
and not to extend below the eyebrows when headgear is removed or show underneath when headwear is worn. Bulk is defined as the distance that the mass of hair protrudes from the scalp.
For women,
hairstyles shall not be outrageously multicolored or faddish, to include shaved portions of the scalp (other than the neckline)
, or have designs cut or braided into the hair. Hair coloring must look natural and complement the individual.
Additionally,
you won’t have access to caffeine
, protein shakes, etc. before exercising in boot camp. Try to wean yourself off of these luxuries long before leaving for Navy boot camp. Before you even start basic training, you must be able to perform to the physical standards as set below.
Navy recruits who fail to meet the requirement will have 48 hours to retest
. If they fail a second time, they will be sent home. They may be able to reapply with a waiver from Navy Recruiting Command.
There are no cell phones allowed in Basic Training
. This is a consistent rule for all of the military branches: Do not expect your service member to be able to call you, text you, or receive your messages when they are in Basic Training.
Can you quit boot camp?
After you arrive at boot camp, your fate still isn’t sealed. Even though you’re now on active duty,
Army command can let you go without penalty during your first 180 days of service
. The official term for this is entry-level separation. Boot camp is the best time because the Army has just started training you.
Across Branches of the Military
The Navy, Army, and Marines have recruits drop out at roughly the same rate as each other,
between 11 and 14 percent annually
. Contrary to what many think, the goal of officers in basic training isn’t just to push recruits to drop out.
Will I Be Paid in Boot Camp?
Yes, your pay starts the day you get to boot camp
. Most new enlisted Sailors start out at the E-1 pay grade, but there are exceptions. You may also be eligible for additional bonuses and allowances.
Sleep During Training
U.S. Military Academy cadets sleep
fewer than five hours during the week
and are woken up several times during the night for training. Even on the weekends, when they’re encouraged to sleep more, they still get fewer than seven hours.
Calling Home From Navy Boot Camp
Since you can’t always be at home, it is recommended that you enable call forwarding.
At some point in the first few weeks, probably when you least expect it, your recruit will call home
. He or she will most likely sound tired, sick, and depressed.
Seaman Recruit
, previously known as Seaman Third Class, is the entry-level rank in the United States Navy.
What does this mean? A.
Your recruit has have been removed from training for either medical or legal reasons, or failure to meet Navy standards
. The majority of these personnel are awaiting their administrative discharge from the Navy. Those who are being processed for separation will be retained at Ship 5.
Soldiers are prohibited from willfully mutilating the body or any body parts in any manner
, including tongue bifurcation (splitting of the tongue), or ear gauging (enlarging holes in the ear lobes greater than 1.6 mm).
The wear of a single braid, French braid, or a single ponytail in Service, Working, and PT uniforms is authorized
. The initial accessory for the ponytail will not be visible when facing forward.
Female hair colors are allowed to only resemble a natural hair color
(blonde, brunette, brown, black, red, gray). Strands that are dyed with unnatural colors are not authorized. Like men, the Navy recognizes unique hair textures like curls and waves. They still must minimize scalp exposure.
