Sea Stories: Bootcamp - First night

Why the fuck did I sign up for this? Is what most people say once they get to Great lakes Michigan where US Navy bootcamp is held. Especially if they were idiots who decided to go in winter.

On a warm July day, I flew from Albany, NY to Great lakes, MI, put onto a bus, arrived at bootcamp facility, and hurried into a big staging area with a couple hundred kids. A lot of them probably never been away from home and on their own based on the scared looking faces. Thats when a pock-marked faced Senior Chief comes up to me and asked if I played any sports. I told him I played football and baseball. I'd purposedly joined my High school football team my senior to condition my body for everything that we might have to do.

After being selected, you're ushered into another hall filled with pay phones and told to call your folks, let them know you're alive, and then hang up. At this point kids are already crying, babies, and I overheard one tell his folks he changed his mind, LMAO!! Then you file into a line, walk down a long hallway where you'll pick up your new uniform items. That includes everything from shirts, pants to the dreaded tighty-whitties. Once that is all done you walk to the barber, even if you don't need a cut which i didn't, just so everyone is charged the same amount basically; because yes, you're paying for all this initially.

Its at this point you're finally escorted to your barracks, meet your bunkmate, and then get taught how to properly make a bed before you can finally get some sleep. Surprise, its not going to be enough :)

Follow along to read more on Bootcamp series or later on when I actually joined the Fleet where my journey gets crazy.