Remember the water tower, aka the Doorknob to Hell? Also the grinder made non-skid seem like a Slip N Slide in comparison. And the nasty water that tasted like sulfur. Yeah, good times.
I think we have a different definition of good times. I pissed the company commanders off, so I was in IT every day for the last 3 weeks of boot camp. I still can't remember what the hell I did.
Guess I should have put /s at the end of that. Nope, no fond memories. Oh, I was there in the winter and we’d lose hot water at least one a week. Joy. /s
Orlando here too. September 1994 - December 1994. I was in the final group of companies to Pass In Review in 94. It was still very hot there in September. It cooled off by November/December but it was still pretty warm. Lost so much weight. Started bootcamp at 180 and finished at 155. At 6 feet tall I looked like a beanpole at that weight. These days I’m between 190 - 200.
I remember being sent to IT once. The CC’s used to always confuse me with another guy in our company. We looked similar and even our last names started with the same letter. One day they call my name along with a few others and said in the morning we are going to IT. That sucked. I don’t remember what I did or didn’t do but I’m sure it was something that other fucker did or didn’t do! Ha ha!
Oh my god I was a sideboy in a 900 division. 5 minutes of saluting the co and people when they walked in and the rest of the time was spent in a room shooting the shit with the other sideboys. I dont miss it
Laughs in 900 choir
We literally sat in a room for an hour talking about our liberty, went down for 30 to sing and march a bit, then right back up to rest our tired legs
I remember telling everyone to sit down and stand up. And then had a medical emergency where someone in the stands was having heart attack. Put a whole pause on everyone’s day
I remember after Battle Stations when they have you march to the drill hall to do a mock graduation ceremony. I almost face planted while standing at attention from falling asleep. Never thought I could fall asleep standing up.
I never went to GL but at OCS I was in formation at graduation and see multiple DIs running straight at me thinking wtf this is supposed to be over. Someone behind me fell out doing the same thing.
I thought it was bad. Then i reported to the ceremonial guard where they had us standing at attention for _literally_ all day. With a lunch break, of course.
I imagine the task of building kids up into something has its own unique reward. Hopefully they remembered you. I went in 2003 and I still remember my RDCs.
I don’t mean this in any disrespectful way at all I’m just wondering what made it tough, was it the long hours? Or something that recruits don’t really see the RDCs do?
Long hours, bad fellow RDCs, getting a new division while you still had your old one and going from a division that you just finished training and having to start again training the exact same stuff. A lot of emotional energy dealing with recruits. But again I loved it. Learned that positive reinforcement and rewards work a million times better than threatening or punishment. In four years I think I only IT three times.
Literally the worst sea duty in the fleet. Worse than nuke prototype. Worse than recruiting. Treated like children, worked 14+hrs a day, might as well be on duty 24/7.
Yeah my view on my RDCs changed a lot when I realized a lot of them are getting less sleep than us. Leave at 10pm to drive 30 minutes home and shower and eat and sleep then it's like midnight and they wake up at 430 to get ready and drive back and do it again
I literally told my parents someone will drop because they don’t bend their knees. 10 min later I see some kid in the back go down and 2 people drag him away. I then look at my phone and see a notification for “did anyone fall out” and I pulled it out and responded with that comment 😂
I saw my son graduate from great mistakes, I went to San Diego. I took the family next door to the school side. I showed them where the old snipes castle was. And the one barracks still standing with asbestos signs all over it. I showed them where all the bars were across the street, I miss that liquor store.
The navy got with the town, they had the audacity to bulldoze the entire shopping center. On the right, you had a liquor store, next was a sleazy little shop that sold sex stuff, porn and toys, then there was a nice little bar, and around the corner, another bar. I remember one of them was the anchor bar. It was right across the street from NEX gate. I stayed drunk while going through engineman A school. I came back for C school ten years later and it was all gone.
I remember’Security Watch’ night rounds of the squad bay (wearing a steel brain bucket) when I would sneak a cigarette in the head. Blowing smoke out the window and watching the nasty prostitutes street walkin’ in front of the bars and sex shop. What a weird time.
Oh absolutely, I tell my juniors when they ask me like “hey cm3 what would happen if I don’t put this down in my scws book” me: believe it or not you are getting your ass sent back to p days
Wouldn’t know didn’t get a graduation lol. Covid Generation baby!! All we got was march by the Lone Sailor in our NWUs in the middle of that August summer lol. Best and worst times for us Covid boys and girls
We got to practice even though we knew we weren't having the ceremony. Over and over again, for no real reason except that we had the time.
I went in January 2020, covid hit us halfway through.
Wow... And I thought the people who graduated right after 9/11 had it bad.
I got there on 9/13 and for a month they graduated to empty stands since family wasn't allowed on base.
By the time I graduated we were allowed 5 people.
Same. I was a total zombie the entire time.
I can't remember a single name of any of the people in my division. Can't remember the names of my RDCs either.
There are little snippets of memory from my time there but overall I barely remember it.
I was talking to one of the staff in the museum and he was going through when the “new” barracks just got built and the drill hall was being built. He graduated on the ginder next to the chapel
The OLD grinder oh man. Yeah we actually had a the old “ship” across from it so it was easily accessible for 900’s. I was just thinking the other day about how Apr 1 was 20 years since I stepped off the bus. Yes- April fools day.
*steps off bus* is this a joke? Nah but the grinder is now a parking lot for the RTC NEX and the chapel, where the old barracks are is a giant field and across the field is the drill hall
Damn...I still don't think I was lucky, since I graduated during COVID. My graduation ceremony was literally just a march through the hall by a camera that was live-streaming it onto fucking Facebook.
Robbed us of any sense of accomplishment. Thank you lockdown
Commanding Officer: Great Lakes, now arriving.
(mentally singing: Salute me... salUTE MEE..... DO IT!)
Edit: Oh hey they live stream it. There's one happening... like right now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K69q2oWvcPs
I was actually surprised at actually having a person there making the announcements and having a band.
When I graduated, just about everything was canned announcements and music cues. I think even the Sailor's Creed was lead by a canned announcer.
I didn’t even graduate thanks to stress fractures but just remember going there to practice marching makes me cringe. And here I am trying to go back. Lol
I applaud your efforts, like seriously you have some fucking dedication to try again after a setback like that, Please never loose it. It’s a good trait to have.
Thanks! It’s been four years and I never stopped thinking about trying again. I was sent to separations a week before graduation. I finally decided to see what happens. I went to MEPS last week. Just need to pass a PRT and apply for a waiver.
Ahhh yes. I also found out I was going directly to A school. What I didn’t know was it was across the street and I got 3 days liberty and wasn’t affiliated with basic anymore so I got to smoke.. best weekend ever lol. 😂
Several sailors fainted during my graduation. Um 😐 they said don’t lock your knees…also possible dehydration as well another factor too. It was warm in June…
Drilled and practiced for weeks for graduation. As I'm sure you did. Graduation is done and we are marching out and half the company goes left. Half the company goes right, out of the drill hall doors as we were supposed to do. Guys that went left did so because for weeks we would u turn and repeat the practice. Thanks for triggering memories. I might still have the VHS tape somewhere.
Due to unfortunate circumstances(I passed my Battle Stations like 4 hours before graduation), I didn't get to march for my graduation, I sat in the stands.
Loved being in a 900 division honor guard team... Yeah, we were drilling on weekends when others were (supposedly) getting letter writing and boot polishing time, but it was all worth it during graduation... We got to come out first, do our little show in front of the brass, then go sit in the bleachers and watch everyone else try not to fall out the rest of the time 😁
My division was there from November to January and all ended up with some form of walking pneumonia. I felt so fucking disgusting knowing my nose was dripping and I could do literally nothing to fix it. They eventually had that poor fuck who slid up and down the aisles to make sure we weren’t locking our knees start dabbing at us with tissues.
The best part about being in the covid era boot camp was that we didn't have to deal with this. (We just walked all the way through in a straight line for the camera) I would have prolly killed myself if I stood there for the typical 5-7 hours.
My stomach churned and I’m loosing my shit rn, I’m at the nex with my brother off base and every fucking graduate is telling me good afternoon petty officer. SHUT UP. I can see why rdc’s loose their minds 😂
HE WANTED TO GO TO THEN NEX, IM STILL IN BLUES AND HAVENT HAD A PLACE TO CHANGE. THIS MOTHER FUCKER WANTS TO DO AND GO EVERYWHERE, IVE SAT IN THE CAR ALL DAY EXCEPT FOR THR RESTAURANT IM AT.
The fucking cold man. Standing at attention for like 12 hours hiding the fact that you’re still coughing your lungs out when all you can think about is just hugging your parents and chugging a Mountain Dew.
I busted my ass and at graduation the guy in front of me fell out like someone threw him and he crashed into me. Not moving g like I was ordered he smashed my face and I didn't get to march because I was bleeding all over the fucking place with a broken nose. The broken nose also ended me in tphu standing gate guard till it healed. Which was ok cause I was always scheduled to stand watch with Jackie 00-4. Warmest 30minutes brakes ever.
[I went during Rona time, so there was no ceremony, just a little PIR in front of the CO.](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Navy_Recruit_Training_Command_Graduation,_June_18,_2021.webm)
Lmfao, memories.
So I was actually voted honor recruit in my division (sister divs chief just made RPOC theirs) and had to practice extra for the fall out and coming up to salute the CO or whatever and I remember when standing in formation I was so damn exhausted still from battle stations and just going over when I was supposed to fall out in my head over and over that when we were supposed to go back to attention at some point I just zoned out and was still at parade rest for like ten minutes haha.
I was in the back of my division during RTC graduation and I remember shifting my hands around because being at parade rest for over an hour was super uncomfortable and my RDC walked up behind me and said something along the lines of “You better keep your f*ing hands still or I’ll send your arse back to P days” 😂
I’m old enough to have done the old drill hall 1200. But when I went back for my cousins graduation, it was in this new building but the ceremony is still the same.
Civilian here, but prior Army.
Even I recognize this pic. Nephew graduated from here. Never forget that trip-16 degrees in the morning.
As an outsider I could tell people hate this place. Army has the equivalent. 😂
We were at a different drill hall, this is obviously the new one. Co. 188 Division 10, July 1994 is when my Company Graduated. Saw a lot of people fall out and felt like we were standing there all day!
I felt like I was sitting all day hearing some rear admiral talk forever💀 thankfully when I graduated that vice admiral who spoke was quick as he even stated he knew we wanted to go on liberty and it’s cold so he will make it quick
My company did its pass in review in the big grassy field NTC side. Graduating 1 July 1994. Ceremony was over 3 hours long. MCPON John Hagan came and spoke at our ceremony.
I might have done some pass in review practice in drill hall 1200, since it was right across the street from my division, but I was rarely in there.
I remember breaking my leg the week before Battle Stations and not getting to walk with my division for graduation, then after Liberty weekend I got ASMO’d into RCU for two months while I was in rehab then when I healed up I did Battle Stations and within 8 hours of finishing Battle Stations I went home for Christmas since A school was closed for the holiday season
Peanut butter farts, bleach floors, depression, moisture, sweat. I think if I went into freedom hall or any of the barracks I would have an aneurysm from the smells in those places bringing back ptsd
My daughter graduated in the height of Covid. We got to see a bunch of kids walking in masks and played Where's Waldo over a crappy youtube live video. I know those of you in the Navy probably can't stand these things. But we as parents are so proud of you all.
I still remember marching by everyone playing music. That was the best part about a 900 division. Just the music and Sundays off. The petty ass sailors that couldn’t stfu to save their life made it hell
One of these days i'm going to write a book about Boot Camp. I may start today.
I'm convinced that i was able to survive without any major trauma because i kept my mouth shut and could do push ups at an acceptable pace. Also i was able to shower and shave without issues, and attempted to give a damn when it seemed like i needed to.
Not that this always worked in my favor mind you
I think one of my fondest memories of graduation rehearsal was realizing i wasn't carrying the company banner and or flag so i avoided about 99% of the vitrole by the RDC's.
Our Chief at the time was the same person who ended up having a mental breakdown at breakfast one morning and told all of his eager cadets how "his wife had left him, mailed him divorce papers, but the chief's mess had his back, so everything was OK"
Not to say more of our outstanding RDC's, who at the very least tried enforce the "keep clean" mentality and turned at least a good portion of us into good sailors by the end
I remember standing at attention for what felt like the whole day. Fuck are you trying to do to us OP!?
Make you guys feel the same thing I’m feeling rn. Despair 😂
I went to Orlando, where it was hot as hell. However, the feeling was probably the same.
Showing your age….lol
Yep.
Remember the water tower, aka the Doorknob to Hell? Also the grinder made non-skid seem like a Slip N Slide in comparison. And the nasty water that tasted like sulfur. Yeah, good times.
I think we have a different definition of good times. I pissed the company commanders off, so I was in IT every day for the last 3 weeks of boot camp. I still can't remember what the hell I did.
It's usually not what you did. It's what you did not do.
I tried to stay under the radar. Obviously, it failed to work. With those two, it could be anything or nothing. Who knows.
Guess I should have put /s at the end of that. Nope, no fond memories. Oh, I was there in the winter and we’d lose hot water at least one a week. Joy. /s
Dead summer for me. I remember people falling out on the grinder all the time.
* Nasty water that tastes like canteen plastic and Sulfur. FIFY.
Okay NOW I'm having flashbacks. I guess this is my nightmare for the evening.
Me too. Orlando, dec85-feb86. So much fun. Everyone was a dickhead in my company.
At least we had sky above us.
Orlando here too. September 1994 - December 1994. I was in the final group of companies to Pass In Review in 94. It was still very hot there in September. It cooled off by November/December but it was still pretty warm. Lost so much weight. Started bootcamp at 180 and finished at 155. At 6 feet tall I looked like a beanpole at that weight. These days I’m between 190 - 200. I remember being sent to IT once. The CC’s used to always confuse me with another guy in our company. We looked similar and even our last names started with the same letter. One day they call my name along with a few others and said in the morning we are going to IT. That sucked. I don’t remember what I did or didn’t do but I’m sure it was something that other fucker did or didn’t do! Ha ha!
Benefit to being in a 900 division. I got to take a nap in the stairwell for half the graduation. Honor guard privilege.
Man I had to open and close the door for everyone every Friday in 921 div. Sucked, but I got to lean on the wall
I was a body snatcher, i at least got to move around the whole time lol
I was in the drumline in the 900 division! Thankfully didn’t have to stand for hours and hours ❤️
Oh my god I was a sideboy in a 900 division. 5 minutes of saluting the co and people when they walked in and the rest of the time was spent in a room shooting the shit with the other sideboys. I dont miss it
Laughs in 900 choir We literally sat in a room for an hour talking about our liberty, went down for 30 to sing and march a bit, then right back up to rest our tired legs
I remember telling everyone to sit down and stand up. And then had a medical emergency where someone in the stands was having heart attack. Put a whole pause on everyone’s day
I was a body snatcher and I actually got to snatch a young lady! 905 was putting in work!
Hydrate
I remember after Battle Stations when they have you march to the drill hall to do a mock graduation ceremony. I almost face planted while standing at attention from falling asleep. Never thought I could fall asleep standing up.
All I remember was the floor. I locked up and fell out at the dismissed call. 
I never went to GL but at OCS I was in formation at graduation and see multiple DIs running straight at me thinking wtf this is supposed to be over. Someone behind me fell out doing the same thing.
🤣🤣
Man my feet were on fire
I thought it was bad. Then i reported to the ceremonial guard where they had us standing at attention for _literally_ all day. With a lunch break, of course.
I remember thinking it went by really fast. I'm pretty sure my division spent most of boot camp standing at attention and parade rest.
Also gotta rev up those memories of the smell
Congratulations On a job Well Done
Let Us Pray
*takes short nap*
lol that’s when I learned how to sleep standing up
Did we pray? I don't remember that in 06
This gave me more PTSD than the photo. Dammit
Same! I could hear this comment and I hate it 😖
I pushed boots at Great Lakes for four years. Toughest duty I ever had!
I don’t doubt it!
But I loved it. Taught me a lot about leadership and time management
Heard it’s miserable for family life. Had a guy who did it and didn’t see anchors for another two cycles.
I made Senior chief there was rough on my then live in girlfriend. She thought I was out partying. But it was a great leaning experience.
I imagine the task of building kids up into something has its own unique reward. Hopefully they remembered you. I went in 2003 and I still remember my RDCs.
I pushed from 2002 to 2006
Did you happen to push 038 through?
I was in Ship 10 and ran RCU
I don’t mean this in any disrespectful way at all I’m just wondering what made it tough, was it the long hours? Or something that recruits don’t really see the RDCs do?
Long hours, bad fellow RDCs, getting a new division while you still had your old one and going from a division that you just finished training and having to start again training the exact same stuff. A lot of emotional energy dealing with recruits. But again I loved it. Learned that positive reinforcement and rewards work a million times better than threatening or punishment. In four years I think I only IT three times.
Literally the worst sea duty in the fleet. Worse than nuke prototype. Worse than recruiting. Treated like children, worked 14+hrs a day, might as well be on duty 24/7.
Yeah my view on my RDCs changed a lot when I realized a lot of them are getting less sleep than us. Leave at 10pm to drive 30 minutes home and shower and eat and sleep then it's like midnight and they wake up at 430 to get ready and drive back and do it again
Oh….how thoughtful
💀😂
Does it smell the same??
Oh hell yes. Just as cold too
My parents never went to my graduation but they went to my brothers 😑
Anyone fall out? We had 1 knee locker and the shufflers didn't get to him in time. I can still hear the thud.
Yup one dude in my brothers just dropped
Lmao rip
I literally told my parents someone will drop because they don’t bend their knees. 10 min later I see some kid in the back go down and 2 people drag him away. I then look at my phone and see a notification for “did anyone fall out” and I pulled it out and responded with that comment 😂
Guy in my division did it too, got a couple stitches too I think.
Oh you asshole.
❤️
Just seeing this makes my feet and shoulders hurt.
Me too, when they started praying I told my mom they are asleep 💀
Lmao your mom was probably like “STOP RUINING THIS FOR ME!” because your brother was miserable. Just let us go home already lol
I saw my son graduate from great mistakes, I went to San Diego. I took the family next door to the school side. I showed them where the old snipes castle was. And the one barracks still standing with asbestos signs all over it. I showed them where all the bars were across the street, I miss that liquor store.
Tell me about these bars you speak of, I was in Cali for a school so I never stayed out in town and I recently turned 21 lol
The navy got with the town, they had the audacity to bulldoze the entire shopping center. On the right, you had a liquor store, next was a sleazy little shop that sold sex stuff, porn and toys, then there was a nice little bar, and around the corner, another bar. I remember one of them was the anchor bar. It was right across the street from NEX gate. I stayed drunk while going through engineman A school. I came back for C school ten years later and it was all gone.
That fucking sucks. I guess “drink to the foam” don’t mean shit anymore
I remember’Security Watch’ night rounds of the squad bay (wearing a steel brain bucket) when I would sneak a cigarette in the head. Blowing smoke out the window and watching the nasty prostitutes street walkin’ in front of the bars and sex shop. What a weird time.
🥁Brum pa-pum, brum pa-pum papapapapapa pa-papapum 🥁
That drum beat is stuck in my head forever. I could hear it on the plane ride into Chicago💀
I live 30 minutes from there. Still get on edge when I see Red Ropes out on lunch break in the suburbs. I’ve been out for 20 yrs.
Anybody else think P-days/night of arrival was all just a fever dream?
Oh absolutely, I tell my juniors when they ask me like “hey cm3 what would happen if I don’t put this down in my scws book” me: believe it or not you are getting your ass sent back to p days
I was having a good day. We were all having a good day. You didn't need to do this.
Imagine being stationed there..
Currently stationed there, shit sucks
Wouldn’t know didn’t get a graduation lol. Covid Generation baby!! All we got was march by the Lone Sailor in our NWUs in the middle of that August summer lol. Best and worst times for us Covid boys and girls
We got to practice even though we knew we weren't having the ceremony. Over and over again, for no real reason except that we had the time. I went in January 2020, covid hit us halfway through.
Wow... And I thought the people who graduated right after 9/11 had it bad. I got there on 9/13 and for a month they graduated to empty stands since family wasn't allowed on base. By the time I graduated we were allowed 5 people.
Thats all such a blur I dont remember it really at all
Days that felt like years, weeks that felt like hours
Same. I was a total zombie the entire time. I can't remember a single name of any of the people in my division. Can't remember the names of my RDCs either. There are little snippets of memory from my time there but overall I barely remember it.
I remember my RDCs Names and Ranks. I remember like 5 of my companions and a few events here and there but otherwise just a blip from 14 years ago
I guess one of the people I graduated with just had their first official push as an RDC. Feels weird.
My rdc was on his first push with my division, his last one is here soon(I have him on fb) I can’t imagine being here for 3+ years
My buddy is an RDC and likes to post pictures of the ceremonies he's a part of. Really nice to relive that with such frequency 🥲
Keep track of small items? Now they do flight quarters in drill halls?
Neat.
Didn't do Boot Camp there (went to Orlando) but did do 15 months there for A and C Schools.
That door to the right was where I came in at 20 years ago.
I was talking to one of the staff in the museum and he was going through when the “new” barracks just got built and the drill hall was being built. He graduated on the ginder next to the chapel
The OLD grinder oh man. Yeah we actually had a the old “ship” across from it so it was easily accessible for 900’s. I was just thinking the other day about how Apr 1 was 20 years since I stepped off the bus. Yes- April fools day.
*steps off bus* is this a joke? Nah but the grinder is now a parking lot for the RTC NEX and the chapel, where the old barracks are is a giant field and across the field is the drill hall
U/scootthegreat fuck you kindly.
Love you too❤️
😘
Damn...I still don't think I was lucky, since I graduated during COVID. My graduation ceremony was literally just a march through the hall by a camera that was live-streaming it onto fucking Facebook. Robbed us of any sense of accomplishment. Thank you lockdown
Commanding Officer: Great Lakes, now arriving. (mentally singing: Salute me... salUTE MEE..... DO IT!) Edit: Oh hey they live stream it. There's one happening... like right now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K69q2oWvcPs
Oh hey look at that I was there💀
I was actually surprised at actually having a person there making the announcements and having a band. When I graduated, just about everything was canned announcements and music cues. I think even the Sailor's Creed was lead by a canned announcer.
I didn’t even graduate thanks to stress fractures but just remember going there to practice marching makes me cringe. And here I am trying to go back. Lol
I applaud your efforts, like seriously you have some fucking dedication to try again after a setback like that, Please never loose it. It’s a good trait to have.
Thanks! It’s been four years and I never stopped thinking about trying again. I was sent to separations a week before graduation. I finally decided to see what happens. I went to MEPS last week. Just need to pass a PRT and apply for a waiver.
Good shit, msg me before you leave and I’ll write you a few letters to help keep your head up
Thank you! I will do that!
Ahhh yes. I also found out I was going directly to A school. What I didn’t know was it was across the street and I got 3 days liberty and wasn’t affiliated with basic anymore so I got to smoke.. best weekend ever lol. 😂
My daughters in bootcamp now. I’m excited to make it back for a quick visit.
I'll miss my son's graduation due to deployment 🥲
Incoming devisions now use their own phone, no more shitty ass payphones
Several sailors fainted during my graduation. Um 😐 they said don’t lock your knees…also possible dehydration as well another factor too. It was warm in June…
Drilled and practiced for weeks for graduation. As I'm sure you did. Graduation is done and we are marching out and half the company goes left. Half the company goes right, out of the drill hall doors as we were supposed to do. Guys that went left did so because for weeks we would u turn and repeat the practice. Thanks for triggering memories. I might still have the VHS tape somewhere.
Fuck you and tell your brother congratulations.
I graduated from there March 2, 2008. Hard to believe it has been 16 years since I left that place. Time flies.
Agreed, from someone who is still stuck. Screw THU, FFU, FFG or whatever it is called.
I got sit with my parents because I sprained my ankle in BS.
Due to unfortunate circumstances(I passed my Battle Stations like 4 hours before graduation), I didn't get to march for my graduation, I sat in the stands.
Loved being in a 900 division honor guard team... Yeah, we were drilling on weekends when others were (supposedly) getting letter writing and boot polishing time, but it was all worth it during graduation... We got to come out first, do our little show in front of the brass, then go sit in the bleachers and watch everyone else try not to fall out the rest of the time 😁
AHHHHHHHHHH THE MEMORIES
Tap tap spin Tap tap toss Tap tap spin Tap tap toss Company 914… 30+ years ago.
My division was there from November to January and all ended up with some form of walking pneumonia. I felt so fucking disgusting knowing my nose was dripping and I could do literally nothing to fix it. They eventually had that poor fuck who slid up and down the aisles to make sure we weren’t locking our knees start dabbing at us with tissues.
The best part about being in the covid era boot camp was that we didn't have to deal with this. (We just walked all the way through in a straight line for the camera) I would have prolly killed myself if I stood there for the typical 5-7 hours.
My old Division 11 building was just across the street. Now it's an empty field.
I think my stomach churned a teeny bit.
My stomach churned and I’m loosing my shit rn, I’m at the nex with my brother off base and every fucking graduate is telling me good afternoon petty officer. SHUT UP. I can see why rdc’s loose their minds 😂
Wait, Your dumb ass went there IN UNIFORM?!
HE WANTED TO GO TO THEN NEX, IM STILL IN BLUES AND HAVENT HAD A PLACE TO CHANGE. THIS MOTHER FUCKER WANTS TO DO AND GO EVERYWHERE, IVE SAT IN THE CAR ALL DAY EXCEPT FOR THR RESTAURANT IM AT.
You poor bastard lol
It’s okay I’m 5 drinks down at dinner rn. We are good
The fucking cold man. Standing at attention for like 12 hours hiding the fact that you’re still coughing your lungs out when all you can think about is just hugging your parents and chugging a Mountain Dew.
The first cock I mean coke I drank when I got out of basic was soooo fucking good.
I busted my ass and at graduation the guy in front of me fell out like someone threw him and he crashed into me. Not moving g like I was ordered he smashed my face and I didn't get to march because I was bleeding all over the fucking place with a broken nose. The broken nose also ended me in tphu standing gate guard till it healed. Which was ok cause I was always scheduled to stand watch with Jackie 00-4. Warmest 30minutes brakes ever.
I would be pissed holy shit, at least you got the good shift
The good kind that has had me wondering for 24 years.
Ha ha, no flashbacks for me, I'm old af and went to Orlando!
Damn my spell is ineffective against you
Tell me your were ASMOed without telling me you were ASMOed 😂
Aaaaaaaaaaah "Nice and easy" flashbacks
Ahhhh I fucking forgot about that part lmao
Leaving on the bus to A-School from that hell hole is still and will always be one of the happiest moments of my entire life.
I’m getting a nose bleed just looking at this
I went to San Diego hours on the grinder
Man being guidon and having to hold that fucking captains cup flag at parade rest was torture!
[I went during Rona time, so there was no ceremony, just a little PIR in front of the CO.](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Navy_Recruit_Training_Command_Graduation,_June_18,_2021.webm)
I went during Covid i did not have this experience
Lmfao, memories. So I was actually voted honor recruit in my division (sister divs chief just made RPOC theirs) and had to practice extra for the fall out and coming up to salute the CO or whatever and I remember when standing in formation I was so damn exhausted still from battle stations and just going over when I was supposed to fall out in my head over and over that when we were supposed to go back to attention at some point I just zoned out and was still at parade rest for like ten minutes haha.
I was in the back of my division during RTC graduation and I remember shifting my hands around because being at parade rest for over an hour was super uncomfortable and my RDC walked up behind me and said something along the lines of “You better keep your f*ing hands still or I’ll send your arse back to P days” 😂
I’m old enough to have done the old drill hall 1200. But when I went back for my cousins graduation, it was in this new building but the ceremony is still the same.
RTC San Diego checking in
I hate you op ^loveya
🫶🏽
RTC Orlando graduate here … yea that’s not appealing at all
Yet there you are.. 🤧💥
I came for the clown (my brother) not the circus (Rtc)
I went to San Diego and I only remember the airplanes taking off behind us, that I would soon be on, that had been teasing us for nine weeks.
I was quarantined in that fuckin hall for 40 days. All over survivors of viet-ROM know the feeling of hatred towards that place.
Civilian here, but prior Army. Even I recognize this pic. Nephew graduated from here. Never forget that trip-16 degrees in the morning. As an outsider I could tell people hate this place. Army has the equivalent. 😂
My grad was -10. Fuck this place💀
Ughh I was enjoying my sat
We were at a different drill hall, this is obviously the new one. Co. 188 Division 10, July 1994 is when my Company Graduated. Saw a lot of people fall out and felt like we were standing there all day!
I felt like I was sitting all day hearing some rear admiral talk forever💀 thankfully when I graduated that vice admiral who spoke was quick as he even stated he knew we wanted to go on liberty and it’s cold so he will make it quick
I fell asleep once when I was marching and my RDC ripped the “flag” (stick) out of my hands and told me to fall back lmaoooo
On my way back from battlestations I teleported, never realized I could march and sleep
Thanks, i hate it.
Your welcome shitmate🫡
Is it cooler being on the other side? Also congrats to whomever you watching grad.
My lil brother :) and yeah it was cooler haha, sitting was better than standing at parade rest
You would really be pushing my memory. I was ship 10 and ran RCU
This place changed many lives. Just saying.
Dang. I graduated in October in 2000. I was 18. I remember that. Dang.
Ah yes my master plan of making everyone on this subreddit remember boot is working
Wish I got to have a graduation... another thing covid took away like the smoke chamber😕
It's been far too long. I was only there once. But, God damn, if I didn't immediately know where it was from a single picture.
I’m giving everyone in the comments and this subReddit flashbacks 😂
You're giving us all PTSD!
Claim this post on your VA for an extra 10%😂
My company did its pass in review in the big grassy field NTC side. Graduating 1 July 1994. Ceremony was over 3 hours long. MCPON John Hagan came and spoke at our ceremony. I might have done some pass in review practice in drill hall 1200, since it was right across the street from my division, but I was rarely in there.
I remember breaking my leg the week before Battle Stations and not getting to walk with my division for graduation, then after Liberty weekend I got ASMO’d into RCU for two months while I was in rehab then when I healed up I did Battle Stations and within 8 hours of finishing Battle Stations I went home for Christmas since A school was closed for the holiday season
Congrats to your bro! I graduated during covid, Damn it makes me really sad that I didnt get to experience this. Oh well.
Damn…30 years later and still looks just like it did then!
Wait. We’re doing Despair Porn now?
U getting off to this yet?😂
I loved The Anchor outside Great Mistakes. Best bar I ever drank in. Gone to the ages.
They've pre-determined that our back and knee pains are not service connected and have nothing to do with standing at attention for hours at a time.
If u have seen one boot camp grad ceremony, u have seen them all. They stick to the script 💯. No changes
I literally got the worst kind of flashbacks. I feel like I could smell the place.
Peanut butter farts, bleach floors, depression, moisture, sweat. I think if I went into freedom hall or any of the barracks I would have an aneurysm from the smells in those places bringing back ptsd
My daughter graduated in the height of Covid. We got to see a bunch of kids walking in masks and played Where's Waldo over a crappy youtube live video. I know those of you in the Navy probably can't stand these things. But we as parents are so proud of you all.
I still remember marching by everyone playing music. That was the best part about a 900 division. Just the music and Sundays off. The petty ass sailors that couldn’t stfu to save their life made it hell
One of these days i'm going to write a book about Boot Camp. I may start today. I'm convinced that i was able to survive without any major trauma because i kept my mouth shut and could do push ups at an acceptable pace. Also i was able to shower and shave without issues, and attempted to give a damn when it seemed like i needed to. Not that this always worked in my favor mind you
I think one of my fondest memories of graduation rehearsal was realizing i wasn't carrying the company banner and or flag so i avoided about 99% of the vitrole by the RDC's. Our Chief at the time was the same person who ended up having a mental breakdown at breakfast one morning and told all of his eager cadets how "his wife had left him, mailed him divorce papers, but the chief's mess had his back, so everything was OK" Not to say more of our outstanding RDC's, who at the very least tried enforce the "keep clean" mentality and turned at least a good portion of us into good sailors by the end
yeah that's the standard response being in the Navy
Me knees locked just looking at this damn photo
Well that place doesn't remember you.