How to Survive Air Force Basic Training

I went to basic training a million years ago. Recently I met some young, Air Force members who weren't there less than a year ago. I wanted to know if the same things were going on as when I went through. They had a lot of stories, experiences and even fun times while they were learning the basics of the Air Force way of life.

From listening to all of what they had to say, and from remembering my experiences in the service, it sounded like Air Force basic training is essentially the same. I sat down and compiled a list of some advice based on my knowledge and their knowledge that should help anyone who is considering joining the Air Force get through basic training easier. This is no complete "how to" guide because then you won't learn all you need to know, but taking these tips from us experienced people will make your 7-week life easier.

1) Get used to drinking water. Drop the sodas now. You're going to drink plenty of water and sports drinks. Get used to it. You'll be drinking it fast, too. Get used to it. In fact, you'll be doing a lot of things fast, but a lot of people still insist on having 5 sodas a day and the body isn't used to switching quickly to a more tasteless, useful beverage.

2) Get in shape the Air Force way. I see this now: guys who lift weights all day but can't run or do proper, measured push-ups. Everyone knows you need to be in shape for the military, but you need to start getting in shape the way they WANT you to be. Bench pressing 400 pounds with a 40" gut isn't going to cut it in today's Air Force. They want you to have measured muscle strength and be able to run a certain distance within certain times with no spare tires in the middle. This isn't the Air Force of long ago when you rode a bike to measure fitness. Start doing a lot of walking, a lot of running, and isometric exercises like push ups and sit ups.

3) Everything has a purpose. You will find yourself doing what seems like meaningless tasks over and over again, and sometimes you will fail at them individually or as a group. Trust us; there is a purpose to each and every one of them. So rather than get frustrated because your Technical Instructor emptied your locker for having your shoes two inches out of position, take it in stride and start over. I can't tell you the "why", but just understand the wisdom of the instructors. Speaking of which...

4) Technical Instructors do everything in your best interest. Technical Instructors, or T.I.'s, want the best for you. They worked very hard to get a job no one really wants to do and they spend a lot of hidden hours trying to get your stuff straight. If you fail, they fail and they take it very personal. So if you're still scrubbing toilets at 3 in the morning, or the T.I.'s have very choice motivational words for you to get you marching in a straight line that means they love you.

5) Memory power! You will be asked to memorize a lot of stuff. It will be relatively easy stuff, but under pressure nothing is easy. The better you build your simple memorization skills, the quicker stuff will come to you when 7 people are screaming at you in the rain as you stand at attention.

In the end, the young troops I spoke with seemed like they were going to be some of our best and brightest. I'm sure the Air Force basic training discipline had a lot to do with it. Should you choose to go through it, keep these tips safe and, although it will still be hard work, it won't be as stressful.