Originally Posted by Haasino
As a Fleet Returnee, you'll avoid most/all of the backlog and watches that recruits from RTC deal with. You'll start Week 1 with INDOC, which will be classroom as well as a PRT and Class II swim test. If you don't pass the swim test or PRT (Which requires 100% perfect form on push-ups and sit-ups), you'll go on Swim or PT Hold until you do. From there, you'll jump into the next available class and start Week 2, which is "Hell Week". I'm told the cirriculum has shifted slightly toward the easy side... but as of Feb/Mar 2013, this is what it looked like:
Thursday was "Shock & Awe" day - we did 2 stress-sets, followed by a 3mi formation run, followed by a 3rd stress-set... all the while there were about 15 instructors ranging from PO2s to Marine SSgts and Senior Chiefs screaming at you and telling you you're a piece of shit, that you should just DOR (Drop On Request), that they're not gonna let you graduate anyway, etc. They're just trying to weed out the weak ones, and it worked on 2 candidates. This is also the day they make their judgments on whether or not they want to see you graduate in 3 weeks... if they don't like you, you'll become their Pvt. Pyle and they'll do what they can to make sure you don't make it to graduation. The key is to show determination... watch the instructor leading the PT and, when one walks past you, look at them and sound off loud and proud... they seemed to swarm the ones who were quiet, struggling, or afraid to make eye-contact.
Friday was a 5mi formation run at about an 8min/mi pace... we noticed the attitude from our instructors went from demeaning, to motivating now that "shock & awe" was over. Then, after lunch, we went to the pool and did our WS-3 and WS-4, which was 2min tread/5min float in swimsuit, then again in flightsuit and boots. After that we did a 15min endurance swim in flightsuit and boots.
Monday we went down to the seawall and did the equivalent of 3 stress-sets, with 200m sprints between... then the WS-5 after lunch, which was 2min tread/6min float in flightsuit, boots, gloves, and vest. After that we did a 20min endurance swim in flightsuit and boots.
Tuesday we went to the Aircrew track and did 3 stress-sets, with 2 laps in-between which were timed... then the WS-6 after lunch, which was 2min tread/7min float in flightsuit, boots, gloves, vest, and helmet. After that we did a 25min endurance swim in flightsuit and boots.
Wednesday we did another 2 stress-sets, followed by a slightly slower 4mi formation run... then the WS-7 after lunch, which was jumping off the tower in flightsuit and boots, and swimming submerged for ~25m without any part of your body breaking the surface. Then we did some synchronized swimming where they taught us how to flail our arms and swim through burning surface oil/debris.
Thursday we watched a few episodes of "The Pacific" with the graduating class, while everyone shock & awed the new class outside... then the WS-8 after lunch, which was a 100m swim in flightsuit, boots, gloves, vest, and helmet... followed by demonstration of the 4 ways to use your clothes as a flotation device.
Friday wrapped-up Hell Week with the 1mi confidence swim in the morning, followed by liberty at 1100... easy day. Most annoying part of the mile swim was fighting boredom, and getting kicked by other people in your lane.
Week 3 is "Disney Week" because you do the low-pressure chamber, the helo dunker, parachute training, and low light/night vision training.
Week 4 is another PRT where you have to score at least a Good in every category, then flight gear issue, CPR training, and graduation.
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