RTC--Giancarlo

RTC (Recruit Training Camp) is what I did this past summer for the duration of two
drawn-out weeks and let me tell you it wasn’t all that fun and all that bad. On July 2nd two days after I shaved my beautiful head I headed to a Army base camp in Northern California named Camp Roberts. Before I go more deeper into my full metal jacket experience of this camp, let me tell you as to why I went there. I’m signed up in this youth program called Navy Sea Cadets, this program teaches young individuals about the sea-going military services, U.S. naval operations and training, community service, citizenship, and an understanding of discipline and teamwork. Navy Sea cadets is the closest thing to military a youth can experience, and when you sign up you sign up as an recruit and must complete your BMR (Basic Military Requirements) which in total is fifteen assignments about the Navy. Now that you have a brief knowledge as to why I was there let's get back to RTC. Before arriving to camp the program sends a list of all the requirements for this training. 

First you needed two sets of NWUs (Navy Work Uniform), boots, running shoes,eight navy blue t-shirts, eight pairs of black socks, six pairs of white socks, and shorts for PT (physical training), one set of your dress whites (formal uniform), dress shoes, and two white t-shirts. Of course a toothbrush and toothpaste is needed, deodorant, sewing kit, shavers, and shaving cream, body wash, shampoo, and conditioner. Other things include two locks and two keys, shoe shine

kit, towel, sandals, band aids for any sort of blisters. Lastly I had to bring my ID that was given to me back at my division and my service jacket which documents my physical and services I have done with my division. At the time, this list was very overwhelming to me because it was a lot to remember, and if I forgot something I didn’t know what will happen, stories I’ve heard said then send me right back home and that would be a bad reputation on me and my division. On the day I left for camp I made sure I had everything I needed for training and like always I did end up forgetting this very important item my ID card. 

On the drive to camp I was worrying about what will happen and what wouldn't happen and the bad status I’ll give myself and even worst my division. I finally arrived to Camp Roberts as a recruit with my shaved head, bag upon my back, and a well worn uniform. The petty officers showed me towards sign in where I met my DivO (Division Officer). I finally shaved off the bad news about my ID, and he said it wouldn’t be a problem. Those wore music to my ears when he said those words. After that I had to set my stuff down and say goodbye to my parents or how the Petty Officers say it “hugs and kisses”. Once all that is done I have to get in formation and stand at attention until told not to. Now standing at attention is done correctly when you stand straight, feet placed together by the heel and forming a space between the toes, and having your hands closed as a fist a placing it down the seams of your trousers. The way to close your fist is taught by imaging you're carrying a roll of quarters between your fingers. Lastly when standing at attention you must NOT look around, and unfortunately for me I was caught looking around by a Petty Officer that was approximately a year younger than me, one thing to say about this embarrassing. 

The Petty Officers are officers that’ll be teaching the recruits everything you have learned from your BMR. One thing to note about the Petty Officers is they are teenagers part of the Sea Cadets just higher rank. When the Petty Officer caught me he told me to look straight and count how many hairs the recruit in front of me had. When he came back to look at to ask me how many hairs he had, I had to tell him the truth which was “too many to count”. Finally we were told to march to our barracks which was a long hot march down a hill. I finally arrived to my barracks and met the Command Chief. Command Chief is a short girl around the age of eighteen, and one thing I had to say was she got me scared of her. She told all the recruits who was there to grab your bags and run to our barracks. Inside my barracks I met my Petty Officers and Chief Price who will guide me towards being a cadet in the next two weeks. At RTC there are 4 divisions, division one being an all girl division, I was put in division two, and towards the end of two weeks all four divisions would be put to the challenge of all the things we learned at RTC and go against each other in a test called Battle Stations. In the first day of boot camp my division organized our barracks and but all of our belongings into a our locker that was located next to our racks (beds) and started studying for our test at the end. 

In the span of two weeks my division and I worked as a team, and helped each other out when we needed the help, and talked as a team on the problems we faced and needed to fix. This led us to beating the other divisions in battle stations and claiming honor division. RTC in the end taught me teamwork and the accomplishments we as a team can achieve by facing our challenges together and being their for one another, when we felt home sick in those long two weeks.