Sounds like the DEPOT i went through in January. Except for " the stomach upset and "emergency bowel movements" are reported to be minimal." this will happen to probably everyone! Have fun!

Posted By Magnetik on 10 Jun 2012 09:43 PM
Sounds like the DEPOT i went through in January. Except for " the stomach upset and "emergency bowel movements" are reported to be minimal." this will happen to probably everyone! Have fun!

I was there for 8 weeks and didnt have that issue, but I do have a mean stomach. I never get a upset stomach. Id like to go back and eat there again. They sure had some good food. Or maybe I was just hungry.

I just graduated from DEPOT (a week ago), so I thought I'd post a reply with some of my observations, etc.  The intel BDM posted from the info session was fairly spot on, though it did seem like they might have amped up the intensity since the previous session, which was in March, I believe.  I don't really have any specific evidence of this. Just a feeling I got and something I surmised from a few comments the CCs had made regarding the previous DEPOT company. 

Anyway, definitely make sure you are ready to pass the PFT before arriving.  Four out of the twenty-five recruits in my company were held back because they didn't pass.  They're probably still there for all I know.  The "incentive training" sessions happened fairly regularly; pretty much every day for the first two weeks or so.  Sometimes twice a day.  For example, the whole company might be made to do some "IT" and then later that night if you had to turn in performance trackers, you usually had to do more IT.  Having said that, I was definitely less physically active than I had been at home training for boot camp.  However, between the IT, the high level of stress, the marching, the sweating, and being on my feet for long periods of time, I still lost about 10 pounds despite taking in WAY more calories than I normally do at home.

Speaking of which, the food was pretty decent for the most part.  Decent cafeteria food, basically.  Also, DEPOT company was given full access to all of the food and beverage options (whereas the 8-weekers get access in stages as the weeks wear on).  You've got the hot food from the cafeteria line, then the beverages (including juices, blue Powerade, weak coffee, lowfat milk, nonfat milk, and chocolate milk), then a salad bar, daily soup, and either a pasta or potato bar.  I never dipped into the pasta or potato bar because to do so puts you in direct firing line of the CCs.  The more you can minimize that, the better.  You'll see what I mean.  Suffice it to say that going to chow in the galley is probably one of the highest stress parts of boot camp.

I did end up getting the Cape May Crud despite loading up on echinacea and vitamin-C during the weak leading up to shipping out.  I also tried to eat a couple of oranges every day at chow as well as working hard to stay hydrated. I lasted about a week, but after getting all the immunizations and being subjected to stress at every waking hour, my immune system was finally on the ropes.  The Crud is a veritable clown car of illness symptoms: fever, body aches, headache, sore throat, congestion, phlegm, fatigue, light sensitivity, vertigo, and finally a terrible cough that takes at least two weeks to go away. If you do get sick, make sure you go to sick call to get checked out and get some cold/flu medicine. 

Make sure you know the general orders, rates, ranks, and ethos before you arrive.  There will be little time to learn it there and there will be so many other things to worry about as it is.  Be able to recite the general orders without error.  Be able to identify a person’s rate/rank by glancing at their collar device, cover, or sleeve markings.  Be able to verbally describe what each pay grade’s collar device, sleeve insignia, or shoulder board looks like.  For example, “Petty Officer Jones – Seaman Recruit Smith - The collar device of an Oscar-Niner is zero-three silver stars.”

Learn your chain of command (including their pay grade and collar device, where applicable).  You should be able to find out the name & rank of everyone in your chain of command except for your Section Commander, Lead Company Commander, and Company Commander.

Write down every prescription med, vitamin, medication, etc. that you will take on the day you ship out.  When you have your urinalysis on day 02, you will have to list these to make sure you don’t get any unexplained false positives.  You need to know the brand name of everything or the CCs will give you a really hard time.

If you think you might be bad at marching, try to get some guidance on the basic close order drills before you go.  You will be expected to march correctly any time you are transiting around the training center in a group of two or more.  Everyone has to stay in step and execute the maneuvers at the same time.  This can take some time to get used to and it is even more difficult for DEPOT recruits to achieve proficiency because there is less time to practice.  Your CCs do not like to be embarrassed by their company’s bad marching.

Those of you going this month are in for some HEAT.  It was starting to get hot towards the end of June. You’ll need to really stay on top of the hydration and make sure you bring sunblock.  Bug spray might not be a bad idea either.  The mega-mosquitoes were starting to appear around the time I left.  Also, the 6-week Company Commander school will be running while you’re there and they are off of the same quarterdeck that you’ll be on.  This will put you in contact with a lot more CCs, I would imagine.  Just make sure your military bearing stays locked on and that you sound off.  That will make your life a lot easier.

Well, I've blathered on long enough.  Please feel free to message me if you have any specific questions.

After reading your post, DEPOT sounds like its the same as it has been for a few years now. Thanks for confirming.

Knowing this let me say this.

Powerade is good for lunch and breakfast. Why? Salt, Potassium. In the heat you will need this. Dinner Powerade and Chocolate Milk. Why the milk...http://blogs.webmd.com/healthy-reci...n-top.html

You are looking at a minimum of 2500 calories a day. Carbs, carbs and carbs. Hit that pasta bar at night even if it costs you. You body will thank you when it has fuel to burn at night and during the next day. If they have them hardboiled eggs at night at least 3, skip the yolk. The protein in the white will slowly digest in the gut feeding your muscles for the entire night.

Only a few more weeks.

I am not even on the bus and I am already shaking. Just performance anxiety. Happens when I rock climb too. Once I get there the brain zeros in and its go time.

Posted By big_dumb_monkey on 31 May 2012 05:49 PM
UPDATE:
 

IMPORTANT:
The Helmsman is incorrect... NO SUNDRIES ARE PROVIDED!!!!! Sundries, shampoo, soap, shoe shine, nail clippers, etc...
Bring lotion. You will be washing your hands a lot to remove the Cape May Crud.
Bring sunblock
Bring enough of these to get you through at least the first week until you can get to the PX. REMEMBER YOU CANNOT CHECK BAGS.

Just wanted to clarify... you can't check bags on the plane right? But I will be OK with bringing a bookbag for all my stuff right?

You cannot check bags. So bring travel sized items of things like shampoo, toothpaste, etc. You will go to the exchange your first weekend and will be able to buy more.

So don't even bother bringing a bookbag?

You can bring a bookbag so long as it meets the carry-on requirements.

You will have to use something to carry your underwear in. Just make sure, like ebee said, it meets the carry-on requirements.

Gotcha, thanks

Posted By FloridaGirl on 10 Aug 2012 06:59 AM
You will have to use something to carry your underwear in. Just make sure, like ebee said, it meets the carry-on requirements.

You could always try just wearing it on your head

I was in the previous (March 12') DEPOT class! Our class sounds just like yours. Our CC's told us that the previous DEPOT class was better than ours.  We all got the Cape May Crud as well. Was your CC Chief Roy?

I was able to check in a bag at the airport. The only downside was that when I arrived in Philly, I had to go to the USO and be escourted down to the luggage pick up area and then store it in the USO storage closet until the bus left. Then, when the bus arrived, I had to go down and retrieve it again. There were 5 of us that had checked in luggage.  The first day at Cape May, they allow you to take out whatever you need from your luggage, then you seal it up and store it in a closet in your dorm. Same with cell phone, you have to store it with your luggage.

Anyone that has questions about DEPOT, please ask! I am currently great friends with one of  my CC that was forced to retire with my class. He was 63 yrs old and a Reservist on title 10 orders for the past 10 years!

what exactly should we study before we get there. ranks, general orders, military time, phonetic alphabet. Is that it?

Download The Helmsman and The Guardian Handbook. Those are your best resources.

I pm'd him with what I was required to know at TRACEN. I have also listed the information elsewhere.

I am not familiar with the Guardian. I was given the Helmsman and the Pocket Guide. I threw out the helmsman because it contained no useful information. The pocket guide has about 80% of the information that you need and will be tested on in the galley and on the quarterdeck.

We asked in our debriefings with the Command Master Chief of the Reserve Forces and Master Chief of the PACNW for a Reserve Specific Helmsman and online courses that should be completed prior to arriving at Cape May. Hopefully, now that DEPOT is being "reinvigorated" this is something that they will seriously consider.

There is just so much classroom material that was geared more toward the eight week program that we could have done in our spare time at home. If this were done it would save more time for actual material that we would be using in the fleet. Fire fighting, range, seamanship, leadership/followership, etc...

SN M

BDM..can I PM you with questions about DEPOT for reservist?

There is just so much classroom material that was geared more toward the eight week program that we could have done in our spare time at home.



like what?

I'm with e on this. Do you not realize everything that is taught is a PqS praq that has to be done and demonstrated or you can't pass. I am tired of the entitled feeling that you have.

@ E - Finance, STDs, sexual harassment, history, Montgomery GI Bill, Retirement planning, Reserve Point System just to name a few.

I can get more specific when I get home and look through my note book.

Most DEPOT recruits do not need to know how to make a budget, how to wear a condom, or how not to inappropriately touch some one in the workplace.

@ Southern - I am not sure who you are referring to as "entitled". I certainly do not feel entitled to anything. Nor do I agree that any of the above need to be demonstrated beyond a simple knowledge test. Ones that do need to be demonstrated should remain and those are the ones that DEPOT should be focusing on.

I know 40 year olds that can't balance a check book. I know 50 year olds that are smart enough to wear a condom but don't and develop an STD. I've been involved with the CG on some level for literally my entire adult life! My fiancee joined when I was 18, we married shortly thereafter and now both my ex-husband and son are active duty members of the CG... they start talking GI Bill, I'm a deer in the headlights! I've been listening to people talk about some of this stuff for 27 years and I still say "What?"

How many people, when given the CG's stand on sexual harassment will actually read it on their own time?!?! I'll guarantee just about no one, not everyone, I'm sure the one being harrassed will take particular notice to what is and isn't acceptable. How easy would it be for me to accuse someone of harrassment and that person saying "I had no formal training on what was and wasn't allowable. I thought it was just fine." If you sit people down, you teach them in a very well outlined curriculum when the guy or girl says "I didn't know THAT was harrassment!" The CG can say "Did you sleep through that part of boot/depot? You should already know, you were trained."

I like it that you are a hard charger. You want to do the best you can by the CG and those above and beneath you. But please keep in mind they have been doing this for 222 years... I think they have it pretty much perfected. If they don't, they change things. They've been known to change things that weren't broken. You need not be so overzealous in your attempt to prove a point that you are somewhat disrespectful to a superior Petty Officer. They've been through the training as well... useful or not, they've all been through it. The statement I have true heartburn with is throw out the Helmsman. That has gotten many people through boot camp and for someone to cavalarly say just chuck it, it was of no use. Someone might miss out on good, solid, reliable information that the CG has put pen to paper to outline. You are worried abuot OPSEC on non-OPSEC issues... be worried about handing out advice to a young man or woman that could cause them to arrive in Cape May ill prepared for what is ahead.

The CG doesn't need to concern themselves with who may or may not already know some of the information they teach people in recruit training. What you did before in life doesn't matter in the least. Any qualifications held prior to recruit training mean nothing. Our job is to train each and every recruit, whether regular or DEPOT, the exact same way. You will be spoon fed the same information the exact same way it was spoon fed to tens of thousands of people before you.

The CG has felt that it is necessary to give that training to the DEPOT recruits. Homeland Security, the DOD, and congress have all determined that this training is necessary, and therefore have included it in the curriculum of recruit training and DEPOT.

Monkey...one of the things about recruit training is that they will say they did not learn it if you do not read it to them, have them read it and then sign that they have heard and read it...I like you thought a lot of stuff I was told to cover in rookie school was common sense, I had far more important things to be teaching about how to fight fire and save lives...but boy was I wrong. Young adults and even some of the older adults simply had no clue. I mean I was having to cover issue like you cannot wear your duty uniform pants below your buttocks and your shirt had to be tucked in...because they were doing it...so the reason it is taught is because someone somewhere said they did not learn it or did not see it in the training handout and they are winning in court when you fire them for those types of things. Especially sexual harassment, because sexual harassment for many, and I am probably not stretching it too much here if I would say even most could use that class about twice a year, and then some of those would probably still mess up and push the boundaries and claim they did not think that was sexual harassment. So this stuff and the learning environments are set up and designed for a reason...not just busy work.

I guess we agree to disagree.

And big dumb guess what you get to do most the training like sexual harassment and other training yearly so have fun thinking it shouldn't be done. I had to do SAFE training. Maybe you will figure out what that stands for. As mentioned above it is required to be done and there isn't changing it as you have to knock out what is approved and has to be done to meet the yearly requirement and new person indoc.

It is not in your best interest to tell a recruit to throw out information that a recruiter and the CO of cape may says they need.

Posted By big_dumb_monkey on 27 Aug 2012 04:49 PM
I guess we agree to disagree.

That only works when discussing opinions.  These are facts.  In order to hold people accountable, we must first train them the way the Coast Guard wants them to be trained.  One day, you might end up being a senior Petty Officer or a Chief Petty Officer.  Now is the time to start understanding the big picture of the Coast Guard.