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The New Army Recruit’s Checklist: Things to Do Before Basic Training!

Your Army recruiter tries to help you square everything away before you ship out for Basic Training, but sometimes he or she can overlook a few important things. You won’t know this until you begin Basic: by then, you really can’t do much about the problem, which can frustrate you for the next nine weeks of your life.

Here are the things that you need to do or ask about before you leave.

• Get snail-mail addresses for all of your family members and close friends. You won’t have several hours to write letters home every day, but you will have some time to stay in touch. You should also pack several envelopes and stamps so that you can start sending letters as soon as possible: you won’t necessarily have the chance to go shopping the first day or two that you’re in the Army.

• Go ahead and buy pre-paid phone cards, especially if they’re inexpensive. Again: you won’t have many chances to use them, but you should be prepared for the phone calls that you’ll be able to make. You can buy these at your Basic Training post, though, so don’t worry if you don’t have time or money to pick any up before you leave.

• Find a small travel bag that will hold one change of clothes, personal hygiene items, and the other necessities that you plan to take. You won’t see civilian clothing for a while, so don’t pack your entire wardrobe. And if you’re like many recruits, your weight will change by the time you graduate Basic: those nice clothes you buy before you ship out might not fit anymore.

• Square away your medication. If you take prescription drugs, make sure that you have all of the appropriate documentation. Your recruiter can tell you exactly what you need. All of your medicine should be in the original containers, with your prescription written on the labels.

• You should buy any personal-hygiene items that you’ll need for your first week or two of Basic. The Army won’t necessarily let you go shopping on your first day at your duty station, so make sure that you have the soap, shampoo, manual razors and deodorant that you’ll need. Make sure that everything is packaged properly so that airport security screeners will let you take your things along.

• Arrange for a means of paying bills for at least the next three months. Automatic bill pay is a good option: if that isn’t possible, find a family member who will make sure that your bills are paid on time. You can go ahead and close out some of the accounts that you won’t need, like cable television and land line.

• Make sure that your employer receives a two-week notice. Even though you’re no longer a civilian, leaving on good terms is always helpful. You never know when you’ll need a good reference.

• Bring all the paperwork that you were given during the recruiting process. One important thing that many recruits forget to take is a copy of their contracts: something that you should have on hand no matter where you’re stationed.

• Listen to former or current military men and women if they offer advice. They went through Basic Training at some point, and probably have something to say that will help you.

• Make plans to spend a day with your family before you leave. Even if you’re so excited about going into the Army that you can’t wait to jump onto the plane, you should make time for parents, siblings and the other important people in your life. Before you know what’s happening, you’ll miss them more than anything.

• Get plenty of rest. You won’t have much sleep the first few weeks of Basic, so don’t show up exhausted and in desperate need of a weekend-long nap.

• When its all over treat yourself to a nice Military Ring or Family Crest Ring. Click these links.

These are just a few of the many things that you need to square away before you pack your overnight bag for your trip to Basic. Your recruiter will give you more help and advice that’s relevant to your specific duty station.

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