Just got out of bootcamp now at a school
 

If you have any questions feel free to ask. Im a pact fn.

Are you male or female? What toiletries did they provide you ? Where are you going to A school at ?

Im male but they provide pritty much the same products and im at greatlakes for a school

What a-school? I'm a GM and my a-school will be there also

Congrats on graduating. Were you ever asked about Warrant Officers when it came to rank and recognition?

Great lakes a school

Never for an inspection. There was one or two (at most) questions on the exams about warrant officers, but that's about it. I wouldn't stress over studying them. When you get into real Navy, just be able to distinguish warrant officers from enlisted so you know who to salute and call sir/ma'am.

Thanks!

Congratulations! How hard is bootcamp?

Honestly boot camp is easy. Personally, the first two weeks were hard just because of the change of environment. But after that it was all routine. Wake up early, follow instructions and attention to details, oh and be physically prepare for some pt beat down. Hehe :p But one very important thing be prepare to fold and fold and some more folding >.<

I'm 176lbs and my max weight is 181 I think. I'm trying my best to stay out of the max weight by running almost every day. I've been told that you have to be under 10lbs to not get taped. I also been told that as long as you are under the weight, whether or not you are under 10lbs, you wont get taped. Which is true? Is getting taped that big of a deal? I'm working on getting in shape before basic and I run 20+ miles a week, and would hate to think they wont let me join just because I'm over weight in their standards but I believe I can do PT just as good if not better than everyone else there.

I'm just a bit paranoid thinking that just because I'm near the max weight standards, that they wont allow me to join.

Online BMI calculators aren't that much of a help since when I use them, I apparently have 26.3% BMI but when I was at MEPS I had about 24% and I weighed more then.

I've been told as long as your under max weight. by at least a pound it doesn't matter u won't get tapped. I am too working towards my max eight . 2 pounds to go! but more like 3 so i don't get tapped.

What's A school been like for you on a day to day basis? Is it mostly schooling? Do you get to leave for any extended periods of time? How much studying/testing do you have to do to keep up?

Whats that first test like that we take for e2?

Yeah I'm wondering this as well...


A girl who just graduated boot camp came into the recruiting station while I was there and she said she was never offered the advancement test(s). I'm getting a little worried because my recruiter says he doesn't have a PQS to give me?

PQS is in the back of the start guide

Okay you don't take a test to advance to E-2 or E-3 you do have to take a test to get to E-4 though and above. And those tests are based on your rate. Like for me I'm an AE so whatever test i have to take will be based on AE knowledge.

He/she is talking about the written test and physical test you have to pass to get to E-2 while at basic. There is nothing about E-3 they are asking, and E-4 is completely out there.

Correct, and yes, I am a he.

Yeah I was talking about the E2 advancement test in boot camp. I forgot about the PQS in the back of the START guide....I need to work on that. So since its not really multiple choice, but rather "explain this, that, etc," do I just do that--explain and demonstrate and recite all the things that it asks for to my recruiter and have him sign off on it for me?

It's drawn off of the start guide. It will be a little bit of everything. You will have plenty of time to study before you take the test. Most people pass the test but fail the pfa because you aren't well rested, and lack of sleep is still a new hurdle. If you're lucky enough to spend two weeks in p-hold, your pre-bootcamp workout routine will be for nothing, as you will lose mass, run slower, etc. You don't exercise until you clear medical.

Yes, but the recruiter also has to fill out the paper work in your files in the office. If you show up with just the START guide, it wont count for anything. Its based off the same way you have referrals. Just bringing people to the office wont help you, the recruiter has to sign off on them in your folder.

I saw my recruiter sign off on those papers in my folder so I am content.

As an E3, am I more likely than an E1 or an E2, to get selected by the RDC to be the RPOC or something?

Basically the only difference is you get paid more per push-up.

For the advancement test in boot camp for E-1 to E-2 do you have to have everything signed off by your recruiter in the back of the start guide on top of passing the written and physical tests in boot camp or you just have to really worry about the written and physical tests?

How much free time did you get after graduation?

They don't care about the back of your start guide. You just take the test and then if you pass your first pfa, you are good.

As for time after grad, it depends on where your A school is. I believe the first part of you school as a mineman is in GL. So you will graduate, get a little time with family (15-20 min) then head back to the compartment to get your crap. Then you will wait on a bus to the TSC side of the base. You will check in there and probably be out to your family around 1400-1600. You will have liberty until 2200. Then you will have liberty from 0600 until 2200 everyday for the rest of the weekend. (If you are lucky, you will graduate on a holiday weekend, so will get a lot of time with your family. I graduated on Thanksgiving, which was really nice.)

Thanks for the info. I honestly can't find much of anything about Mineman aside from the job sheet on About.com.

at a school what do you do? are you aloud to go out and site see wherever your located? are you aloud to have your phone with you? what is it like?

Your A School will depend on what your job is.
In A-School you "phase up" and earn privileges (such as weekend or evening liberty to go out in town).
You can have your cell phone and personal laptop in A-School, but not during class.

can you get tats once you get liberty and can leave base?

It depends on which A-School you're at. But generally its easier to wait until you're at your command.

In Great Lakes, yes, you can get tattoos while on liberty, but you are supposed to route a chit first. Not too sure about MA A school in Texas though.