Survive Boot Camp: The Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook - Tips, Tricks, and Tactics

NQ: We ordered this for my husband to read before he left for basic training but it didn't come in time. I ended up reading it while he was there and it gave me a great idea of what he was doing. Sometimes I was more informed than he was on things that were coming up. BMT was a little different during COVID but the information was still pretty relevant. Great resource.

United States on Feb 19, 2021

Klassen: I will update review after I go to basic. The information he gives is really good, I've heard some of it, but most is completely new for me. He zones in on areas that you can prepare for mentally and physically. For example he covers how to salute, ranks, how to talk/act, etc. He also extensively goes into a fitness training plan. In addition, he walks through the weeks one by one and what to expect in each.
Lots of the first part of the book was about fitness, it is probably good but my recruiters had already given me a bunch of help on a plan. Also there is an official military app with the actual drills that I think is probably more helpful then this book.
He also goes through what to expect with actual stories from different people. This I think is going to be very useful for mentally preparing.
As it seems like it is one of the only books with this much depth, I would highly recommend for someone who likes too be prepared.

United States on Oct 02, 2018

Joseph M. Osborne: Three years ago I enlisted in the US Army National Guard. In my preparation for leaving for Basic Training, I bought a copy of this book.

I read it cover-to-cover, and it was a priceless help.

No two basic training experiences are identical, they are always making slight changes to the curriculum and schedule. When I went through, it was 2 weeks longer than usual because they were experimenting with adding more basic infantry fighting training, making it just barely short of Infantry OSUT (which they technically couldn't do because we had female recruits in our company).

With it in mind that no book will give you all the answers up front, this is about as good as you are going to get for preparing. It helped me know what to expect, what to say and do, what NOT to say and do, and to "roll with the punches".

If you're getting ready to ship out for BCT, this is a good way to prepare. Just remember to never give up, give it everything you've got, do what you're told, and know that the screaming and yelling is all part of an act, and you'll be alright.

United States on Sep 24, 2012

spartanEMT: The book was dead on with all the other reviews I had read prior to purchasing.

Pros: Paints a very solid picture of what to expect from boot camp, and offers up some great advice for dealing with the physical and emotional stress that comes from the shock of arriving at BCT.

Cons: 1/3 of the book is fitness based, with guidelines and charts for working out and tracking your progress. Yes, to the normal person, this would be a major "pro," but the physical aspect is mostly geared towards those individuals who are beginners or who haven't worked out in a while. From my personal point of view, I found this part of the book completely useless. However, I clearly see the value of the fitness information and would encourage individuals who might share my same opinion to overlook this "con" when deciding whether or not to purchase.

Sgt. Volkin does a tremendous amount of work for preparing new soldiers for Army life. Through webpages, blogs, and YouTube, there is an abundance of information provided by him. The downside is, that you can access much of the books content without purchasing. Despite this, the book does contains information that can't be found on the...

United States on Oct 15, 2010

Coamex: I ordered this book because I liked the approach towards physical fitness that Sgt. Volkin developes in it. I'm leaving for the NAVY this year and found this book to be both entertaining and informative. I couldn't put down the book and read it in just one evening! You will learn, laugh, preocupy and get a reality check all at the same time. Chapters are short and very easy to read, sticking to the essencials. The physical training is a must for anyone going to Boot Camp of any service: It's simple (you don't need a whole gym to do it, just your arms and legs) and progressive (each week it gets a little harder so you can improve). I'm starting to see the results already. And there's also a ton of first hand information of what Boot Camp will be like. This is a STEAL for the price. You'll like it, I guarantee it!

United States on Mar 03, 2006