A Day In The Life of The Forge BCT

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  • Опубликовано: 27 авг 2024
  • Day One of the Forge
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Комментарии • 106

  • @justashibainu
    @justashibainu 4 года назад +71

    Oh man, I just discovered your channel, and it brings back memories of about 4 years ago when I was in BCT! I wrote this in my journal shortly after completing AIT and decided to copy it here, as it describes my experience with The Forge in BCT. It's pretty long, but here it goes.
    EDIT: I just realized that we didn't call it The Forge, I think the Drill Sergeants just called it "FTX 3"
    Day One: We take buses into the forest and step off. My assigned battle buddy is wheezing and coughing badly with some kind of lung infection, but he decides to stick it out. We spend a few hours digging foxholes, during which I do 90% of the digging because my battle buddy can barely breathe. A DS comes by at around 1800 and tells us that our hole is too far into the treeline and we need to dig a new one 5 meters behind us. We relocate and I dig some more, finishing around 1930. My arms are practically dead by this point, and I get a few bites of my MRE before a DS comes by and tells me that I have to carry water with my squad. After about 30 minutes of lugging around a jerry can filled with water that weighs like 50 pounds, we're allowed to sleep for 2 hours on, 2 hours off in our foxholes, taking turns between battle buddies. I'm woken up in the middle of my sleep with a DS telling me that my battle buddy fell asleep during his watch and that I'm "dead." Two guys from nearby foxholes carry me to the medic tent where I actually get to rest for like an hour and eavesdrop on the DS's. They are talking about launching an "attack" at 0400. I get sent back to my foxhole after a DS lets me eat some of his chicken wings and powerade for some reason. My battle buddy was being smoked the entire time, but he actually sounds better now that he's gotten all of the mucus out of his system. I take pity on him and let him sleep for a couple hours, where I'm careful to keep myself awake by doing leg stretches while I pull security. I warn my battle buddy that an attack is coming at 0400.
    Day Two: Very early in the morning, the Drill Sergeants launch an "attack" by throwing smoke grenades and trying to rush our perimeter. I don't see anything but I remember to put my gas mask on. However, the two guys in the foxhole next to us forgot to put their gas mask on and get "killed". I have to carry them to the medic tent along with my buddy. After the attack, I shave, eat my MRE, and reapply camoflague. My battle buddy gets really sick again, and decides to go to the hospital, leaving me alone in the foxhole. Thankfully, a Drill Sergeant brings his gear back to their tent so I don't have to watch it. I sit alone for a few hours daydreaming about graduation until we get called to take part in a radio class. I notice that there are 4 females doing low crawls across the perimeter after they got their weapons stolen when the DS walked by during the night, and another guy is getting chewed out for getting caught peeing behind a tree. My MOS is 13F, so I'm assigned to carry the radio during a battle drill. I fuck up the Nine-Line but the DS running the class doesn't care and excuses us for lunch. I notice the guy who peed behind a tree is now lunge walking while carrying his rucksack above his head. I get back to my foxhole and decide to look productive by dressing it up with pine needles, even though I'm literally moving them from one spot to another. I'm trying to avoid getting chewed out or called out for an assignment by a DS. A very scary looking DS comes by and asks me a few questions about our chain of command and general soldier knowledge. I manage to answer correctly and he moves on to the next foxhole. Unfortunately, the guys next to me don't answer correctly and have to redig their foxhole. I'm really fucking glad I don't need to redig my foxhole again. We do another class about IMT's. My battle buddy comes back at around 1600 after being cleared to return to the field with new medications. He was scared of being recycled and is very relieved. We repeat the routine from the night before. This time, my battle buddy has to distribute MRE's and I have to help the Drill Sergeants set up concertina wire.
    Day Three: The final day. We get "attacked" while I was walking to the latrine, and I manage to duck inside and wait it out. Unfortunately, I forgot my promask back at my Foxhole and get "killed" when a DS sees me. I get carried back to my foxhole instead of the medic tent because they are already closing it up. I spend the entire day staring at the woods and talking to my battle buddy. We're both National Guard and very excited to be going home after AIT. Around 1200, the DS's come by and tell us that we have 30 minutes to fill in our foxholes and be back at the staging area. I fill in my foxhole working like an excavator, and when I'm done, I help fill in other foxholes. We're scrambling like ants to get finished, and then we sprint over to the staging area. About 20 soldiers were late and got smoked, then we all got smoked because our Company Commander was pissed that we were behind schedule. We undo all of the concertina wire and load everything back in the trucks. We are allowed to send some of our gear back to the Company area in our duffel bags, but have to keep our rucksacks for the march back. The DS's let us pack our body armor in the duffel bags, which I'm very thankful for. Someone gets caught without his armor plates and gets recycled as punishment. By the time we've packed up, it's dusk and we stage in a field where our DS's let us eat an MRE and prepare for our final ruck march. They give us a big speech about commitment and how we've made it so far, and this is our final rite of passage. We do some light PT and get all fired up. We step off at about 2030 as the sun is setting for our final march back.
    Day Four: We have to march 12 miles back to our CTA. We only have to wear the FLC and helmet. We walk at a slow enough pace that I keep bumping into the person in front of me. The scenery is pitch black except for the lights of the humvee ahead of us and the glowsticks on the back of each of our rucksacks. Around mile 6, I start to notice that my feet are starting to ache badly. However, I made it too far to give in to pain and keep walking. I get impatient whenever we stop to take latrine breaks. A male and female soldier give up midway through the road march and get screamed at before getting put into the back of a truck. I can't believe that they would actually give up that close to the end. By mile 9, I recognize the firing ranges we are passing and realize that we are about 3 miles away. My feet are practically giant blisters at this point and every step is agonizing, but I push forward. After about 3-4 hours of marching, we reach the "Victory Tower" that we visited during week 1. There's a bunch of torches set up, and our Drill Sergeants tell us to get our rucksacks off and put on our berets if we are graduating. One of the soldiers next to me (a dickhead who lied and got caught with contraband) got called out by our drill sergeant and told not to put his beret on, as with anyone else who had an Article 15 against them (for some reason they gave them out like candy). Our Battalion Commander shows up and gives us a big speech about how we've overcome 10 weeks of training to become soldiers, and that we did it because we worked as a team. He talks about the history of the Army and how all of us are walking in the footsteps of millions of other brave men and women who came before us. Normally I'm not one for speeches, but I felt like I had actually worked my ass off to get to that point. After the speech is done, we march back about another half-mile to our CTA, unload our rucksacks, and collapse into bed. We're allowed to sleep in for a full 7 hours, with no PT the next morning. I've never felt prouder in my entire life than the moments after I completed that final Ruck March. I had felt intense homesickness and the desire to quit during my early weeks of BCT, but managed to stick it out to the end.

    • @kenyattabillups4769
      @kenyattabillups4769 4 года назад +2

      I LOVE THIS! I remember when I did the forge. I didn't graduate on accord of my pt test but I'm proud that I even tried

    • @justashibainu
      @justashibainu 4 года назад +5

      To be honest, the Drill Sergeants built it up to be extremely difficult and that we would be lucky to sleep 2 hours. However, for the most part our sleep at night wasn't interrupted and the Drill Sergeants spent most of the time in the medic tent. They only came out a few times to check to see if we were sleeping when we shouldn't be or ask us questions. I heard stories from soldiers in other training companies that their Forges were a lot more exciting with patrols, attacks at night, and "missions" where they had to destroy enemy weapons caches and rescue injured soldiers. We pretty much just sat in our foxholes and stared at the forest for a couple days. The biggest challenge was trying to stay awake and not get caught sleeping. I will always remember that place and hope to go back to Fort Jackson someday just to tour around.

    • @j.b.m4640
      @j.b.m4640 4 года назад +3

      Good read !! Appreciate it

    • @Mitch-rd9gs
      @Mitch-rd9gs 4 года назад +1

      This is cool! Wish I would’ve kept some type of journal during BCT.

    • @andream7074
      @andream7074 2 года назад +2

      I know it’s been 2 years, but congratulations and respect to you, soldier. I came here seeking exactly this. I woke up at 5am wondering how my daughter is doing at forge, praying she Carries on through it with her company. Great writing. So thankful you documented it.

  • @squirrel_bandit368
    @squirrel_bandit368 4 года назад +2

    I had the privilege of being in the very first Forge week at Fort Sill. I'll never forget it, I didnt get a blister all through basic because my feet were tough, but I got one the size of a golf ball on my heel during a ruck! Fast paced, intense, interactive, good training. Hooah

  • @brycelong783
    @brycelong783 4 года назад +8

    It’s so crazy to see this from yalls point of view and how you act because when I was at BCT my DS never smiled around us and cussed at us the whole time haha😂

  • @domruns9472
    @domruns9472 4 года назад +10

    For me the only part of the Forge that I found hard and unpleasant was not being able to shower besides once because of a Tornado warning so we had to come back. Oh and watching my Drill Sergeants eating good food. 😂😂😂

    • @cr7neymar908
      @cr7neymar908 4 года назад

      Y’all get to shower in the field???

    • @domruns9472
      @domruns9472 4 года назад

      @@cr7neymar908 we came back because of a tornado for the night

  • @fun2916
    @fun2916 4 года назад +30

    DS: Driving with cell phone in hand on base
    Me when I was an MP: Morning DS, ID card please.
    DS: I’m going to be late for Forge.
    MP: Yes, DS. Yes you are.

  • @LuisMartinez-te2rb
    @LuisMartinez-te2rb 3 года назад +1

    i just came back from BCT in august and ill never forget my first day of the forge because that night when we were about to start ACG a tornado happened and we had to evacuate the site and go to the shelters all night and all our foxholes got filled with water and our ruck sacks got soaked

  • @Ghostrider6A
    @Ghostrider6A 4 года назад +1

    We didn't have the Forge in 2007 (when I went through BCT), it was called FTX 3. We did the 15km ruck march out to the site, battle drills, and the final night was NIC. Nice to see how Basic has changed through the eyes of a Drill Sergeant.

  • @Orybailey
    @Orybailey 4 года назад +3

    Haha your a inspiration Sergeant! I hate waking up at 4am and you do it daily and you always are there for the new recruits. It’s because of you guys I was happy to continue with the army. 2 3/4 years of service I’m still a young soldier though. PS fun day ruck day after forge.

    • @tomsmith8720
      @tomsmith8720 4 года назад +1

      Ory Bailey sergeant.... it’s spelled sergeant dude. Come on

    • @Orybailey
      @Orybailey 4 года назад

      Tom Smith sorry I was using the voice text as I was doing stuff but thank you for fixing my mistake

  • @Lance67327
    @Lance67327 4 года назад +3

    Praying for the drills during the forge but especially the soldiers! That last night was a living hell!

  • @jasminealvarez2071
    @jasminealvarez2071 4 года назад +1

    Love your videos. Very informative and detailed. Hope my daughter has a dedicated DS just as yourself. It takes a lot of work, effort and dedication to do what you do. Proud to be an army mom.

  • @amberdugan8865
    @amberdugan8865 4 года назад +1

    Thank you for your service my son is at Fort Leonard wood. Right now I can't waite to see him agen I haven't seen him for 6 months and won't see him untill dec

  • @jordonpeters1793
    @jordonpeters1793 4 года назад +1

    Ft. Leonard Wood, Charlie co, 795 MP BN 14 MP BG. CPT Travis, SDS Foresman, DS Reeves, DS Swanson. Made huge impacts on me. Graduate August 16 2019. Can’t be more thankful.

    • @jasminedasilva8437
      @jasminedasilva8437 4 года назад

      Jordon Peters My boyfriend is in this company now! Not entirely sure if its the same DS but I hope so! It’s great to know he is in great hands!

  • @ambernash8496
    @ambernash8496 4 года назад +7

    DS Urban is the absolute best 😂 a dancing infantryman 💪🏻

  • @jasonbooth5141
    @jasonbooth5141 4 года назад +2

    Keep making videos this brings back good memories

  • @scottcoffman8455
    @scottcoffman8455 4 года назад

    Bruh! That drill did a tour jete at 2:00. F*ck yeah drill!!!

  • @gerardojuarez6101
    @gerardojuarez6101 4 года назад +5

    I was in the last cycle almost done with ait. NO SLACK!!

  • @716ShaunW
    @716ShaunW 4 года назад +1

    My daughter is at Ft Jackson right now day two of the forge!! I wish I can talk to her rn 😢😭

  • @OcarinaGuy978
    @OcarinaGuy978 3 года назад

    I remember during our forge my platoon was always squared away with our patrol bases and fireguard so we didnt get fucked with, meanwhile we hear grenade sims and blanks go off at the neighboring patrol bases lol

  • @noorortizstark6306
    @noorortizstark6306 4 года назад +1

    Omg The Forge!! I’ve never been as sleep deprived, sore and gross as I was during The Forge.

  • @brandenjoseph31
    @brandenjoseph31 4 года назад

    Just graduated from 3-60th delta company 1st platoon hell hounds and the forge was the only thing that gave me my blisters

    • @qwerty23deer
      @qwerty23deer 4 года назад +1

      3-60th echo company 2nd plt Wolfpack. Graduated today too

  • @zackstrackhouse1086
    @zackstrackhouse1086 4 года назад +3

    I miss basic training so much with 4-39 at Ft. Jackson

    • @spckimball9458
      @spckimball9458 4 года назад

      Zack strackhouse Fort Jackson 3-13th

    • @rinowatson
      @rinowatson 4 года назад

      4-39 dagger company here and I don’t miss it at all 🤣🤣. I did make some friends from basic though

    • @zackstrackhouse1086
      @zackstrackhouse1086 4 года назад

      Rino Watson when you go

    • @rinowatson
      @rinowatson 4 года назад +1

      Zack strackhouse graduate August 8 this year Basically before this cycle she is on now. She’s echo we basically right next to her company.

    • @Food24112
      @Food24112 4 года назад

      @@rinowatson I graduated Aug 9th at Ft Benning. Also she's at Ft Jackson?

  • @michaelm460
    @michaelm460 3 года назад

    As we speak, my son is going through this right. May god bless all you and stay safe. THESE COLORS DONT HIDE AND THEY DONT RUN...

  • @kitemlagelpoujezi
    @kitemlagelpoujezi Год назад

    Thank you so much for sharing.

  • @Mavricc97
    @Mavricc97 4 года назад +1

    No way that’s my old LT he was just in my unit just a little while ago !!

  • @kommandantduncan1693
    @kommandantduncan1693 4 года назад +1

    Hey I went to BCT at 4-39 Dagger Company!

    • @mason0819
      @mason0819 4 года назад

      holy shit, guy. Same. Were you in the june-august cycle?

  • @craigwood7063
    @craigwood7063 3 года назад

    This old retired Army SGM says enjoy these early morning hours.

  • @mikoyyuy13
    @mikoyyuy13 3 года назад

    We did the Forge 2.0
    Only 9 miles

  • @jayduong9838
    @jayduong9838 4 года назад +3

    *snaps to parade rest*
    Moving drill sergeant!!

  • @edge5754
    @edge5754 4 года назад

    So 4 days for the last FTX in BCT. Wtf in 1990 our last FTX was 7 days in Oklahoma heat. We weren't bussed out or cattle trucked out, we humped it in full battle rattle from the starship to our site. Did our shit and the 7th day humped it back in in full combat gear. At that time no BCT at Ft. Sill was doing 12 miles longer than 4 hours. And our 4 day FTX was for BRM. DS's with no Combat Badge nor Combat patch. Shit what unit's were they in that never deployed. Knowing if I relisted after doing 23 yrs with multiple deployments as per Reg's state after 5 yrs of being out, you must go thru BCT again, I would be laughing at these Brown Rounds that are produced today.

  • @elcuh9506
    @elcuh9506 4 года назад +1

    been 8 years an i still remember victory forge

    • @gatekeeper3660
      @gatekeeper3660 4 года назад +1

      Robert Baratheon it’s a new one similar to the Marines crucible.

    • @Kybrother19
      @Kybrother19 3 года назад

      @@gatekeeper3660 HA!

  • @PowerDamontis
    @PowerDamontis 4 года назад +1

    I saw you walking by the USADSA DFAC the other day. I wanted to stop and tell you I love your channel and your videos but since I’m a candidate and we were heading to chow I couldn’t stop to talk to you.

    • @ErickaBernie
      @ErickaBernie  4 года назад +2

      Aw! Well I’m around! So stop me anytime you see me!

  • @thecman26
    @thecman26 4 года назад

    That's some amazing field chow!

  • @rubenjauregui2151
    @rubenjauregui2151 4 года назад

    I’m at day 3 of the FORDGE!
    We doing the Obstacle and the Confidence Course!

  • @Food24112
    @Food24112 4 года назад

    Thankfully we never did the Forge at Ft Benning. I'm Infantry and at least for us we only were in the field once for BCT and we were out there for 3 days and 2 nights. We did it the week of graduation. One thing I noticed is that you and the other DS don't really put on any face paint and I haven't noticed any officers there. My DS had face paint and we had 1st and 3rd platoons PL's there and at please once that I know about our CO was there. Also the DS loved their pyro. The main DS that used it and taught us what to do when we hear "Incoming!" loved pyro and doing that drill. When we were trying to get a patrol base set up every time we messed up he did it. He also ended up making us have a "mass casualty" situation where half of a squad was knocked out out of our 4 squads so we had to carry them and all of their equipment back to the TOC. As far as I know my platoon went out the furthest and we had to go up a steep hill with the CATS which sucked. I remember our last ruck, the 10 mile or which is what they told us we left around 0330 I think, I can't remember, but the ruck sucked and I remember thinking that we should of stopped a lot sooner than we did for the stops. Thankfully at Ft Benning we didn't do Nic-night. They said the place was under construction. Anyway good video like always DS Hill and I can't wait to see the other videos!

    • @zanebrown8700
      @zanebrown8700 4 года назад

      Food 2411 What company?

    • @Food24112
      @Food24112 4 года назад

      @@zanebrown8700 A 1-50, wbu?

    • @dadof3tngirls
      @dadof3tngirls 4 года назад

      Food 2411 I seriously hope you are kidding. It’s either brilliant satire or you and your cadre need return your cord and disks. Stops on a 10 miler? 3 days in the field? No wonder they’ve gone to 22 weeks.

    • @Food24112
      @Food24112 4 года назад

      @@dadof3tngirls I haven't gotten my cord. I did split ops. Also by stops I mean the mandatory breaks that they have to give so you can refill water and heat dunk. It was just my company that did only 3 days in BCT. Other company's did more to my knowledge.

    • @dadof3tngirls
      @dadof3tngirls 4 года назад

      Food 2411 if you don’t have the cord or disc, how are you Infantry? What 11 series are you. I never heard of a stop on anting less than 12, but times change.

  • @mattlong1311
    @mattlong1311 4 года назад

    You have to be the best DS of all time!!!

  • @snupey1978
    @snupey1978 4 года назад +1

    AND THEN!!!

  • @traumaman5150
    @traumaman5150 3 года назад

    have you had any recruit fail the forge? what happens when they fail? Oh Thank you for your service.

  • @jamestallakson8999
    @jamestallakson8999 4 года назад

    What is it like having prior service go back through basic? I've been out for 5 yrs and due to a new policy I might have to go back since I'm reenlisting into the guard

  • @natashaherring621
    @natashaherring621 4 года назад +1

    Oh my I remember the forge. Fun until the last day, I was sleep walking. By the way DS your the best!!! E439

    • @taylr.brayton
      @taylr.brayton 4 года назад

      Natasha Herring herriiiiiinngggg omggggg!!!! ITS GOODEN!!!!! Hey girl! How are you? I miss you 😩😭

  • @SithLordMalgus
    @SithLordMalgus 3 года назад

    Are they still doing the Forge during COVID?? I hope so I’d like to do it when I go.

  • @whossellin8309
    @whossellin8309 2 года назад

    Is that place at the beginning next to 3-39? If so that place is a covid bay now lol

  • @tommy011027
    @tommy011027 4 года назад

    Forge is just about ruck. Long as hell.

  • @SuperFriday
    @SuperFriday 4 года назад

    Greetings tol Ericka!

  • @qwerty_seven5905
    @qwerty_seven5905 4 года назад

    Looking forward in seeing you Drill Sergeant
    soon 😊

  • @brianturner3646
    @brianturner3646 4 года назад

    Your amazing

  • @jayydareal3143
    @jayydareal3143 4 года назад

    I miss the forge😂

  • @mschau7413
    @mschau7413 4 года назад

    My enlistment was constantly in the field before the war. I never had time to really enjoy garrison. FYI Slow down when u talk. You talk so fast your words are slurred.

  • @donjohn281
    @donjohn281 4 года назад

    is this ftx 3?

  • @bendover2158
    @bendover2158 4 года назад

    You speak so fast it’s cute 😁

  • @rubypannell7882
    @rubypannell7882 4 года назад

    Does that stuff make you break out? Lmao

    • @mitcmegan
      @mitcmegan 4 года назад +3

      Most of us a b s o l u t e l y broke out from the camo paint!

    • @tarioj9428
      @tarioj9428 4 года назад +2

      Yea it really clogs your pores up, so if you have sensitive skin it’s not gonna be pretty later on

    • @nathan4758
      @nathan4758 4 года назад +1

      It makes me break out

  • @jessedemby6225
    @jessedemby6225 4 года назад

    What your mos

    • @alvinkoholic7983
      @alvinkoholic7983 4 года назад

      Her mos is drill sergeant

    • @jaredfinnerty9839
      @jaredfinnerty9839 4 года назад +1

      alvin koholic you just gave me cancer , her jobs as of now is a drill but that doesn’t change her MOS 😂 she’s just on the trail

    • @juanlorenzo8084
      @juanlorenzo8084 4 года назад

      @@jaredfinnerty9839 he said it like that because when you ask a ds what their MOS is that's what they say

    • @juanlorenzo8084
      @juanlorenzo8084 4 года назад

      @@jaredfinnerty9839 I was one of her Trainies and if I remember correctly she works with CBRN stuff cant remember

    • @amwelch0424
      @amwelch0424 4 года назад

      @Jesse Demby Her MOS is 74D.

  • @caseyedu
    @caseyedu 4 года назад +2

    Funny how I remember the forge and wish I could re-live it again. Dr sergeants don’t die but you still want to utilize all the info you’ve received to succeed and win the battle of the night.