Tips and Tricks

Haasino · 05-02-2014, 03:08 PM

I'd concur with the 2 socks advice... best thing to do is wear a pair of your white socks underneath your black boot socks, that was advice given by a 1st Class Corpsman at medical and helped prevent athlete's foot, in addition to blister prevention. Most of us also stopped wearing the cotton underwear after about week 2... you're always going to be wearing your PT shorts under your NWU trousers... even in winter, that gets hot. This type of thing should never be attempted until you get a feel for your RDC's and how much you can get away with.

Knowing your START guide can also have benefits beyond getting advanced from E-1 to E-2, and having less stress from studying... you spend a lot of time in classrooms upstairs learning what you could already know by studying your guide or reading ahead in your Trainee Guide. There were several lectures I already knew the material for, so I was able to use that time to go to the bathroom and enjoy taking a relaxed dump in a stall with a locking door. This may seem weird now, but when you get there and are given 5 minutes to "pump & dump" in a stall with only a curtain (Which you're usually not allowed to close), taking a "Hollywood sh*t" can be a luxury.

Beyond that, just pay attention to instructions and do exactly as your told, in the order that you're told... don't skip ahead of your RDC's instructions. You'd be amazed how much one-on-one contact you can avoid by just doing that... I never got singled out for IT during basic.

05-02-2014, 03:08 PM	#2
Haasino Active Duty Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 1,439 Rep Power: 0	I'd concur with the 2 socks advice... best thing to do is wear a pair of your white socks underneath your black boot socks, that was advice given by a 1st Class Corpsman at medical and helped prevent athlete's foot, in addition to blister prevention. Most of us also stopped wearing the cotton underwear after about week 2... you're always going to be wearing your PT shorts under your NWU trousers... even in winter, that gets hot. This type of thing should never be attempted until you get a feel for your RDC's and how much you can get away with. Knowing your START guide can also have benefits beyond getting advanced from E-1 to E-2, and having less stress from studying... you spend a lot of time in classrooms upstairs learning what you could already know by studying your guide or reading ahead in your Trainee Guide. There were several lectures I already knew the material for, so I was able to use that time to go to the bathroom and enjoy taking a relaxed dump in a stall with a locking door. This may seem weird now, but when you get there and are given 5 minutes to "pump & dump" in a stall with only a curtain (Which you're usually not allowed to close), taking a "Hollywood sh*t" can be a luxury. Beyond that, just pay attention to instructions and do exactly as your told, in the order that you're told... don't skip ahead of your RDC's instructions. You'd be amazed how much one-on-one contact you can avoid by just doing that... I never got singled out for IT during basic.