Joining the IDF in two days, need your help

[MicroBalrog]

As I just said, I'm about to be drafted into the Israel Defense Force in 2 days.

Basic Training will take 1 month.

How do I survive the psychological pressure of BT?

 

[Salpalinja]

You will do just fine. I have been drafted myself and know what I am talking about. First, in conscript based army there are so many "levels" in draftees that A.) they will select the most fit in group A and then B and so on. Or they will most likely train you in a group af many levels so the pace is not going to be that fast (the weakest link slows everybody else down).

You propably know stuf that nobody else knows, and you are not so smart in some others. Just don't illustrate yourself as "I know everything" kind of guy.

That's how I got through my 11 months

 

[Kharn]

Keep your mouth shut when the instructors ask stuff like 'Who owns a motorcycle?' or 'who's been to college?' They're normally looking for people to 'volunteer' for fun duties like scrubbing the latrine when they do that.

Dont be the first guy or the last guy when doing things, go for the middle in everything so you dont invite extra attention (maybe be first on occasion, but definitely dont be last).

Kharn

 

[Greg L]

You'll be fine.

You are already most of the way there. You know going in that it will be over in a month, just keep putting one foot in front of the other for that time period. The DI's (drill instructor) job is to tear you all down as individuals and remold you into a team. So expect to be treated like dirt for a while until the rest of your group gets with the program. Remember that it is all a mental game and that they will be looking for anything to pick on you about (in the tearing down stage). Just go do whatever they tell you to without complaining or questioning & they'll move on to the guy next to you who is complaining and give him their loving attention. Chances are extremely good that they aren't allowed to kill you (too much paperwork ), so knowing that have fun doing the stuff that they want you to. You can either be miserable for a month or you can put up with the petty things and find something to enjoy about it. Either way in a month it will be over.

Have fun.

Greg

 

[Deadman]

Keep your mouth shut when the instructors ask stuff like 'Who owns a motorcycle?'

Bwahaha. Seen that one before, the resident motorcycle enthusiast couldn't wait to put his hand up... tool....


As for advice Micro (from someone who spent 7 weeks in basic training for the Australian Army) , be the shadow/grey man. Ie don't draw attention to yourself, just do what needs to be done well enough.
Pay attention.
Work as a team member.
Remember its only 1 month, once you get past the first few days and you get into the routine of basic training it's not that bad....

 

[Khornet]

I learned the hard way

in Uncle Sam's Navy: there are certain things they want to see. Make sure they see them, and you'll have a remarkable degree of freedom.

At one point I was a junior medical officer, working about 100 hr-120 hr/week, exhausted, burnt out, pissed off....and it showed. In my face, in my uniform, in my bearing. And I was ridden hard, up before the XO more than a few times, until a kindly officer took me aside and gave me that advice. I began straightenng up, sharp uniform, good posture, all the litlle nit-picking trivial things tha military puts so much stock in. Seemed silly and petty to me, but they loved it. Inside of 4 months I was the Poster Boy, the doc selected to see the USMC 2-star when he came for a physical, etc...and without one bit of sucking up, just paying attention.

And the funny thing....I became proud of being sharply turned out, and my attitude improved, and I began enjoying military life more, and they gave me much more latitude in my actions, and when there was a conflict, they backed me up.

So go with it, don't fight it, try to be a good soldier and all will be well. And you'll be proud of it.

 

[BowStreetRunner]

good luck micro,
i am starting law school right now myself
::Sigh:::
goodbye freedom
BSR

 

[Leatherneck]

Micro, just keep one thought foremost in your mind.....





>They aren't allowed to kill me <

TC
TFL Survivor

 

[Sean Smith]

I had the privelige of being assigned as an assistant drill sergeant during the summer before my junior year at West Point for about 2 months. Here is my take on it:

Probably the most important thing is to not take it personally. Take every ???-chewing to heart and you will implode in a week. Drill instructors apply psychological pressure to see if you can cope with what is, compared to combat, minor levels of stress. They also have very little time to train the newbies in a bunch of potentially life-saving tasks, so they don't have the time to play nice. Do what you are told as well as possible, shut the hell up, and you will be fine. Generally speaking, if you are having trouble but try really hard and don't have an attitude, a good drill will help you make it through. If you are a wiseass, you will be turned into hamburger.

One important thing to remember too is that actual military service is almost nothing like basic training.

 

[Quartus]

all the litlle nit-picking trivial things tha military puts so much stock in. Seemed silly and petty to me, but they loved it.

And the funny thing....I became proud of being sharply turned out, and my attitude improved, and I began enjoying military life more,

Hmmm. Any chance those "itlle nit-picking trivial things" were actually very important in military and real life? Could it be they knew what they were doing?

Nah. Just coincidence....



Micro, here are some rules for you:

1. Eyes and ears open
2. Mouth shut.
3. Give it all you've got - slacking does NOT improve life.
4. Never volunteer
5. Don't be stupid about never volunteering. If you follow rules 1 and 2, you'll know when to volunteer.
   [/list=1]
   
   (I got on some great work details that way. Like cleaning machine guns and then being trucked back to camp when everyone else was doing a 12 mile fast march. I listened. I overheard. I knew. )

 

[Autolite]

All good advice ...

However, "Keep Mouth Shut" should be your number ONE rule. It can save you alot of heartache. Say as little as possible to as few people as possible as seldom as possible. (This rule works good in real life too). Like the others said, it's just a head game. Good luck and have fun ...

 

[Ebbtide]

Try to blend in as mentioned earlier and try to become as motivated as you can to love what you are doing. Make it interesting for yourself and try to be the best recruit you can be. The time will go faster and what you learn may end up saving your life some day. Don't open your mouth unless you are told to do so. Make some new friends, enjoy the month of adventure, and PAY ATTENTION TO DETAILS.

Oh, make sure you get good fitting boots and bring some band-aids if you can.

Good Luck,

ehenz

 

[Quartus]

However, "Keep Mouth Shut" should be your number ONE rule.

Agreed, FordParts! I got that out of order!!

 

[BrokenPaw]

Something that Khornet said reminded me of something that my father always used to tell me[0]:
"If you want to be enthusiastic, act enthusiastic." Your body and mind are in a sort of feedback loop, so attitude begets behaviour, which begets attitude, and so on. Khornet said that once he began to act as if he cared about the nitnoid details (uniform turnout, posture, and so on) he actually began to care about them, and that led to a better overall attitude.

Use that. Someone who has a good attitude about being there will get less abuse from the instructors than someone who has a bad attitude about being there.

Now, grasshopper, you are ready.

-BP

[0] My ghod, I'm starting to quote my dad's homilies...

 

[DadOfThree]

I agree with Quartus,
If you honestly try to do everything that the instructors tell you to do, the way they tell you to do it, it will be smooth sailing. There will be a lot of screw ups going through that will try to short cut everything and get over on the DIs. The DIs have seen it all and know all the shortcuts. They will spend the majority of the time hammering on the guys who are trying to get over on them. Good luck.
PS: The worst part for me was enduring mass punishment for somebody else's screw up.

 

[kannonfyre]

Basic training's only a month for you? Do you get to go home during the weekends or is it 4 weeks of pure residential REGIMENTATION?

When I was drafted into my country's army, the training programme for my assigned MOS was 3 months of boot camp (worst time of my entire life) followed by 1 month of technical school and 3 weeks of reserve infantry training.

Relax my friend, 1 month will fly by compared to 3. Also, mental toughness counts for more than physical brawn. Good luck!

 

[bogie]

From what I've seen, IDF basic is NOTHING like US basic... We had an israeli immigrant in my basic training company, who, I guess, figured that he could get a decent job in the army and slack through life... From what he described, our stuff was a LOT tougher than what they'd done...

He was not a happy soul.

 

[Quartus]

On the flip side, bogie, we had a former member of the German Army go through Basic with us. He laughed at us.


I remember early on the Drills trying to break him down a little. They had him on his back with feet and hands straight up, balancing a pine cone on each. After an hour or so they got tired of watching him smile, so they told him to get up. He bounced all four pine cones into the air, did a martial arts style leap to his feet, and caught all 4 pine cones. Still smiling.


The never messed with him after that. I mean, what was the point?


Unreal.

 

[Waitone]

Look for the humor. there is humor is everything that will happen to you. Just don't smile.

Don't volunteer.

Shut up.

Do it all with enthusiasm.

Remember, they can kill you but they can't eat you.<snicker>

 

[4v50 Gary]

"You'll be sorrrrrrrry!"

My apologies, but that's something that is traditionally jeered at every new recruit who first enters into an American boot camp. It unnerves the recruits and makes them uncertain about what fate has in store for them.

Half of boot camp is a mind trip to break down the individual and rebuild him as a member of the team. The advice given above by our members is pretty sound stuff. Take your DI seriously and do your best and keep us in your thoughts when you find spare Uzis & Galils that are laying about unintended. Opps! No. Leave them alone.

BTW, when you graduate, perhaps you can start the, "You be sorry!" tradition for the IDF.

 

[chaim]

Ah, about to enter military training.

My time at Ft. Jackson SC was 8 weeks of pure, unadulterated He double l.

The Drill Sergeants were like demons. They lived to see you in pain. Even the biggest baddest of the trainees broke down crying at least once. We only had one guy die though. The Drill Sergeants take every chance to take you into a room to beat the living pulp out of you. You go on 20 mile forced marches everyday.

OK, really? Yeah it is tough. Parts of it are no fun at all. Parts of it, I loved!

Do what you are told. Try not to make a mistake, but when you do don't worry too much (everyone will make a mistake or ten). The Drill Sergeants are trying to break you down. They are good at sizing people up pretty fast and they will do what they have to do for each person.

Everyone says not to volunteer and not to be noticed. From what I remember it doesn't really matter. They will size you up pretty quickly so a better way of putting it is don't be noticed for the wrong things. Do your job, pay attention and pick things up as fast as you can, have a good attitude, don't worry so much about not being first (though if you are first too much you will get extra duties which will eat into your already limited time- we had about 45 min of "free time" a day to do laundry, iron clothing, wash ourselves, shave, polish boots, study and write letters).

Always remember that your trainers are people too. One thing I noticed with Drill Sergeants and former Drill Sergeants who I met in other settings, most are some of the nicest, coolest guys you'd ever want to meet. They are mostly a good breed who are the kind of guy you'd just love to sit down and have a beer with. Most of them start to show that side of themselves by the end of training (there are some who are bonafide jerks but most are great guys and start showing their real selves towards the end- when you start to deserve it).

At the beginning of basic we HATED our drill sergeants, by the end we loved most of them and would lay down our lives for them.

Also, keep in mind that everything they are doing is for your benefit- they are not some kind of power hungry sadistic freak. They are trying to cram info and responses into your head in a very short period of time. Some are just military socialization, but some is stuff that may very well mean life or death depending on how well they do their jobs. An easy drill sergeant is NOT doing you any favors.

 

[chaim]

Oh yeah, someone else's post reminded me:

Whatever you do, DO NOT LAUGH AT WHAT THE DRILL SERGEANTS SAY!!! In the beginning anyway.

That sounds like a no-brainer now. You probably can't even imagine that they would be funny. However, some of the stuff they say is pretty darn funny. Some would make good stand up comedians. I think they are trying to get a smile. But if you do, they tear into you.

Later, they may start joking around occasionally and aren't trying to trip you up. At first when that starts you have trouble determining if it is a trick, but you catch on pretty quickly as to when it is ok to smile and respond to the joking and when it isn't.

 

[AZTOY]

My time at Ft. Jackson SC was 8 weeks of pure, unadulterated He double l

I leave for Fort Jackson on Sept 10

 

[RustyHammer]

When I went to boot camp (US Navy), the unwritten rule was something like: "If you can "shine", shine. If you can't, BLEND!"

We have several friends who have made it through IDF basic training and several are still on active and in the reserves. If these guys (and gals) can make it through, you can too.

Go U.S.A. -- Go ISRAEL

 

[Destructo6]

In a lot of cases, looking like you know what you're doing is the same as actually knowing.

This relates to the uniform question in that if you look good and have good military bearing, people will assume you're a good soldier and will tend to give you less crap and greater opportunity. If you're a fake, they'll figure it out soon or later, probably. If you're indeed a good soldier, you'll probably be rewarded.