Army Ranks, what a base looks like and what training process a new recruit goes through http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/50146 BleachingLiliesBlack In my book my characters are recruited into the army. I'm pretty sure I'm getting ALL my facts wrong. HELP!!! I need to know: -Ranks -What a base looks like (dining hall, where people train, sleeping quarters) - and the training process for new recruits THANKS!!! BLB <3 Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:10:51 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/50146?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1133597 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/50146?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1133597 lrparks Which Army? Have you Googled or Binged that Army Rank Structure? Have you looked at a military base on Google maps? Have you visited the specific army’s recruiting sight to see their description of basic training or the training program for the specific Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:00:47 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/50146?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1133671 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/50146?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1133671 BleachingLiliesBlack Good Idea. I'll check that out. didn't know about that stuff. BLB <3 Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:26:32 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/50146?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1133705 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/50146?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1133705 aliaswriter I have a soldier in my story too, and I had emailed a friend a while back about procedures and such. If you want it, PM me. Not sure all of it will be relevant to you though. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:26:24 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/50146?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1134060 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/50146?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1134060 aliaswriter not sure if part of my PM got cut off. if it did, just let me know and I'll resend. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:28:41 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/50146?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1134218 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/50146?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1134218 BleachingLiliesBlack Nah, I got it. THANK YOU!!! BLB <3 Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:14:14 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/50146?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1134911 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/50146?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1134911 Dan Diego I was a Navy Recruit Company Commander and the bases should be similar. Imagine a football field topped with concrete. At one end zone, there's a chow.hall. At the other end zone is a schoolhouse. Along both sidelines are barracks. A barracks is where recruits sleep. There are up to ninety recruits in each barracks. The first three weeks of training are typically used to strip the individuality from each recruit. Left face, right face, forward march. Bad haircuts. Up at 5:00 am. They go everywhere together by marching as a team. They march across that concrete football field between their barracks, the chow hall and the schoolhouse. Many recruits attrite from training in those first three weeks. The second three weeks are used to build teamwork. More marching, personnel inspections, barracks inspections, physical testing, and academic testing. Part of the team building is competition between recruit companies. A recruit now begins to understand the importance of a unit goal, yet is still held personally accountable for his/her actions. The final three weeks of training are used differently by each service. The US Army likely begins to indocrinate the recruit into soldiering in the field. This is likely to focus on close combat, long marches, small arms training and more advanced schoolhouse topics. They begin to practice marching to graduate and pass in review on a different concrete apron lined with bleachers and seating for VIPs. It is my experience that recruits remain on base for the length of their basic training. They do not go out for beers until they pass in review/graduate. They do not see their parents until then. Throughout training, recruits earn small comforts like phone calls, a radio, or a soda break. Discipline varies by the service. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:06:26 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/50146?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1135071 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/50146?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1135071 BleachingLiliesBlack Wow. The football field visual helped a lot! Thanks guys! with what aliaswriter said and Dan Diego I think I'm all set! Back to the drawing board....haha. BLB <3 Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:29:49 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/50146?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1136056 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/50146?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1136056 aliaswriter Thanks, this additional information will come in handy for me too. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:37:05 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/50146?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1136197 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/50146?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1136197 aliaswriter No problem. I thought he did a great job explaining things. :) Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:39:04 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/50146?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1136201 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/50146?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1136201 BleachingLiliesBlack YEAH! EVERYBODY WINS!!!!! ^-^ BLB <3 Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:14:35 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/50146?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1136257 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/50146?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1136257