Just a short list of what you should bring to bootcamp -

[asailorswife]

Originally Posted by Craig

Do not bring originals. Only copies. If they needed the originals then the recruiter would have asked for them. You don't want the originals at boot camp....

I second that. Tim told them if they needed originals, they could wait on them or just go out and get them. He was fine, and actually, we're some of the only people I know that didn't have ANY pay issues while he was in boot/a-school.

[Beau.B]

Sorry to be redundant, but even my social security card should be a copy? I was under the impression I would at least have to bring that as an original.

[LT Guppy]

Originally Posted by Beau.B

Sorry to be redundant, but even my social security card should be a copy? I was under the impression I would at least have to bring that as an original.

My husband took his original social security card and mailed it back with no issues.

[CTNDepper]

Originally Posted by Guppy2010

My husband took his original social security card and mailed it back with no issues.

That's what I'm wondering, even if I took originals (my recruiter told me originals) wouldn't I be able to just ship them back home in The Box? They wouldn't need them after the first couple days right?

[LT Guppy]

Not necessarily in "the box" (you will pack that pretty much right away), but yes, you'll have a chance to mail everything home. Just make sure someone at home knows to be looking for the envelope.

[SailorShan]

New here...so Im getting things started..got the major hurdles out of the way and now I am scheduled to take my ASVAB on Jan 12th. Not so nervous this time around...took it 4 years ago. Im ready to enlist, im excited. My concerns are the haircutting..how bad is it in BC? I have naturally curly hair, so the shorter it is...the more like a puff ball its going to end up being..haha! Also, Ive seen photos of recruits in bc and some are a lil on the heavier side...im just trying to figure out why I am having such a difficult time enlisting...do my recruiters think im just trying to blow smoke and waste their time? Not my plan....I want to enlist. So...any study tips for the ASVAB, i know its basic knowledge. Any tips on weightloss? ANd any tips in general to a 26 year old who is going to enlist....thanks all! Nice to meet those of you who reply<3

[tomahawk777]

SailorShan,

I wish you all my luck losing weight. I'm 23 and just enlisted 20111130 for the nuclear field. The ASVAB was hard for me, and I'm a good test taker and have a college degree in teaching engineering. There were a lot of mechanical questions, like a picture of gears (which way does gear 4 turn if gear 1 is going clockwise) and odd questions that give you a bunch of broken apart shapes that you need to figure out fit together into the final shape on answer A,B,C, or D. I used 3 pages of paper to work on math problems. When I took the test I finished the test (and personality test) approx 40 minutes after the last person finished there's - about 30 minutes after the 2 hr test window. The test admins at MEPS didn't give me any problems for taking so long. BTW, they made me take a 120-question personality type test after the ASVAB. It was horrible because my brain felt cooked already and now I had to pick from only two ridiculous choices, 120 times before I got to eat lunch. Talk about a bummer I didn't see coming! AND I never knew the outcome of the dang test. What was that even for?

A few months ago I had a local enlisted recruiter not keep his word on a time to sit and talk with him, so I went to another recruiter, which worked out a lot better I think. Maybe shopping around recruiters is your best bet? Note: there's a ton of paperwork, copying, and faxing involved before you get to MEPS. Have your original and SIGNED high school and college diplomas/transcripts, birth certificate, license, social security card, etc.

I was at the maximum weight for my height the day before MEPS, so my bro & I did some drastic stuff. I worked out in many layers of shirts/sweats (at home and at the gym) and then stayed in the clothes, wrapping me in a sleeping bag and many blankets to "bake" me for a loooong time to lose water weight. I didn't eat anything the day & half before and during MEPS and drank almost no water. I didn't eat breakfast at the hotel before MEPS and took the ASVAB and all the medical tests on an empty stomach and dehydrated, BUT I was 4 1/2 pounds under the limit and felt so happy. I DO NOT recommend this strategy (which is used by some high school wrestlers to get into a certain weight class quickly) unless it is a desperate situation like mine. Note: the medical technician that weighed my batch of guys (all cold in underwear only) was really nice and actually let a chunky guy who measured too big around the waist, & a super skinny guy 12 pounds too light, continue through MEPS with a verbal warning to be fit for ship date. I don't know how common this is, but it makes me think I would've been fine around max weight that day at MEPS.

I've lost 50 pounds since May 2011 by changing my eating habits and running on the road/elliptical/treadmill semi-frequently. Keeping track of minutes/mile helped. You must run at least 6.67 mph to make the mile and half requirement in the 12min 30sec requirement, so run on a treadmill at least at 7 mph for as long as you can. The BIGGEST hurdle was food. I learned that I was eating too big portion sizes and too much fatty extras, like ranch dressing, extra cheese, mayo, etc. I learned a little from Weight Watchers, like eat all the mustard you want on a sandwich, just add some salt&pepper & maybe vinegar/oil instead of "lite mayo," and just eat healthier and smaller portions and less often. I've learned that I won't starve to death before the next meal, even though my stomach tells my head I will. It's lying! My stomach has actually shrunk due to eating less so I feel full with less food than I used to eat. Eating at restaurants is kinda bad because you can feel obligated to finish your huge plate. Cut out all pop and candy. Diet pop is a lie because the aspartame sweetener will prevent you from losing waist fat (it was really hard for me to stop drinking so much Coke Zero, but I did it for the Navy!) My mom put a big piece of paper on the fridge that read "NAVY OR SWEETS" in huge font. That really helped remind me not to raid the fridge anymore. It's still hanging up and still helping me stay focused. Try joining a local gym/YMCA? I did and it has been helpful.

Keep up the good work. You will make mistakes but that's okay. Give it your best. Don't be discouraged. Think about all the people who are happy for you for following your dreams. Watch Navy documentaries/programs or books on the Navy to keep yourself motivated. Make navydep.com your homepage and keep current on discussions. The more it's in-your-face the easier it will be. Out of sight, out of mind, right? My recruiter wants me to be at least 10 pounds below maximum so when I ship there's no way I'll be too heavy.

One more thing, watch the Recruit Training Command (bootcamp) videos on this site, they'll tell you a lot!

Hope I've helped,
Tom