Boot camp/Basic training

Boot camp = Marines
Basic training = Army

I do not want to get that mixed up. While I'm at it:

DIs (Drill Instructors) = Marines
DSs (Drill Sergeants) = Army

The past few months...oh more than that... I've been looking at the training involved for both branches. Both are going to be tough no matter what, physically and mentally. Army is 9 weeks and Marines is 13 weeks. So the Marine Corps has this bragging right that they're tougher with higher PFT scores and longer recruit training. Boil it down, you have to be in shape. You have to run. Do push ups. Do crunches...sit ups. About two years ago the Marine Corps started the CFT or Combat Fitness Test to go with the PFT.

Digressing: Notice on the PFT link that for female Marines one pull up out scores the flexed arm hang. Hm. If that's the case then...shit looks like I'll be working on pull ups.

Anyways...the CFT! Involves running, carrying 30lb ammo cans and your fellow Marines. This I actually makes my knees shake in fear.

The Army's PFT is "second hardest PFT next to the Corps". With a 2 mile run, push ups, and sit ups. I can't conquer the run time yet. And I don't expect to until the end of the month. Sit ups I past, barely...FULL sit ups. Push ups I'm eh. Needless to see I need improvements all around. If I'm going to join I might as well Ace everything!

I thought I was in shape before but when I first started heavy training and I could barely put out 5 push ups it really makes one put their own fitness level in perspective. I can do 20 now. Shitty. But I can do it. Aiming for 40 good ones.

If I join the Army I'm most likely going to Fort Jackson, South Carolina. If I join the Marines it's South Carolina...so either way I'm going to a a swampy humid state in the summer time/early Autumn. Perfect.

Now what gets me is that in the Army basic training is that women and men are put together while in the Marines, women are trained separately. I'm all for equality but biologically speaking women, rarely, can meet and exceed physical strength of their fellow soldier/Marine. I was told the Army combined the genders as a way to promote equality. Eh. Personally I like the Marine Corps's way of keeping male and female recruits separate.

Army BCT
Surviving basic training  
Boot camp advice 
US Army Basic Training


Marine Boot Camp Survival
Surviving Marine boot camp
Marine Recruit Training

*EDIT*
Of course this pops in my email. I can't believe people ACTUALLY do those things. Geesh.