<p>I always see threads about how hard Beast is and how miserable things are. What are some fun parts of those six weeks? Don't you get to play with MILES gear and shoot guns and run to cadence and all that good stuff?</p>
<p>You obviously have no military experience. Go out in the middle of the summer, with about 40-50 pounds of gear, and run around. You wouldn't last 5 minutes :)</p>
<p>Gee, that's encouraging. thanks for that. i also have no prior experience, and I'm sure you didn't either at one point, BleednSoulja. Yet, here you are now...</p>
<p>I'm takin that as sarcasm, but you're right I don't have any military experience i'm 17 years old and still in high school...Next year i'm going to west point and i'm elated, but it seems like everybody hated beast, and i'm sure its tough, but there's gotta be something nice about it? And i think i would last at least 5 minutes....maybe not much longer, but i could go 5 minutes</p>
<p>Hehe, I was just commenting how life is. Don't worry thats normal, thats why you sweat and keep on going and never quit. Thats what makes you better. The 2 mile run, the push ups, the pull ups, thats the easy part for athletic people.</p>
<p>I wouldnt say running with 45lbs of gear is fun. But for some of us who have been bored to tears in school and just want to go change things up and starting being a soldier, yea it'll be nice. Its kind of like running, not many of us actually enjoy it...its hard, but you like the fact you are doing it, if that makes sense. In my mind Beast will be hard, but I'd rather be at West Point, on my way to becoming an officer, than at school as a second semester senior sitting around in classes where no one does any work and the only incentive to put up any effort is so I can test out of what AP's i'm taking/ i've taken.</p>
<p>Edit: In the few minutes it took to write my post like 4 or 5 responses came up. Thats crazy.</p>
<p>Don't worry--Beast isn't as bad as some people make it seem. Of course, it is not the greatest time of your life. It truly is meant to be horrible; however, there are some excellent experiences you can leave Beast with if you have the right attitude. For example, I made some really great friends from the summer. Making it through Beast, and helping your classmates get through it too will create a bond that I believe will never disappear.</p>
<p>Plus, if you're feeling hooah, there's some fun stuff there as well. Especially 2nd detail. I had never shot before I got to CBT, and that was probably my favorite part of the entire summer. In addition, as strange as this may sound, the 'gas chamber' can be a good time if you laugh about it. Plus, you can find some really funny pictures from it.</p>
<p>So in conclusion, yes, Beast sucks. But at the same time, looking back on it, I have some really great memories, and some wonderful friends, which I will treasure forever. The most important part is staying optimistic and positive. You will have days when you despise it and wish you were home with your friends, but just realize that no matter what, it always gets better. :)</p>
<p>miles gear makes you think...</p>
<p>its like "whoa, if that was real, i'd be dead."</p>
<p>now they got miles2 and miles3</p>
<p>Well, the Miles Gear isn't exactly realistic...The prior service folks are definitely not fans--at least the ones I've talked to about it. The gear doesn't account for certain terrain aspects. For example, a blade of grass blocking the lazer "saves your life". Same with trees, and things like that. In real combat, the bullets would just rip through the trees, or bushes, or things like that; it's not an accurate representation of combat. Then again, I guess it's kind of hard to have an accurate scenario without actually shooting people. Miles Gear could be fun though, I guess - it's kind of like laser tag. Hooah.</p>
<p>We probably don't get to use the MILES gear in Beast do we? But second summer's a different story if I'm not mistaken</p>
<p>You use miles once during beast, or at least that's how it's been, but they are revamping the entire summer, ie no more lack Frederick, Buckner ends a week earlier and the New Cadets stage out of there, so I dont know if you still will use it. If you do, the MILES at USMA is ancient and cannot be relied on, so it's really not that great.</p>
<p>Having gone through enlisted basic at Ft. Benning and also Beast, I would have to say Beast is a much better time. Yes, it is stressful, yes, people will quit, but if you're in decent shape and you have a never quit attitude, you'll be fine. I am less then 90 days from graduation and my closest friends here are still the ones from Beast, even if I only see them every now and then. </p>
<p>All being said, Beast is the easy part. Once academics set in, it gets much more stressful and you have to figure things out much more quickly.</p>
<p>^ 85 and a butt days left! ;)</p>
<p><em>plebe here</em></p>
<p>screamingEagle
did you do OSUT? man- wasn't that a fun time with other privates that were gang members. and the spiders! i go back...</p>
<p>I'm more worried about the academic year than Beast. During Beast you have few goals: Don't stop, help your buddies, do as your told. Sure it's exhausting, but it's simple. Once first semester gears up, though, we're going to have to jump into one of the biggest juggling acts of our lives while under the scrutiny of firsties, cows, and yuks. If anything kills me (and I don't plan on quitting unless I'm dead) it will be that aspect of it.</p>
<p>An old friend of mine, she went through West Point Beast barracks pretty easy she had said. She told me if you prepare BEFORE you go to West Point physically, and you see you are a good athlete, you shouldn't have a hard time. She was very fit when she went through Beast and said it was acually pretty easy.</p>
<p>It is also true, Beast would be much funner then sitting in the class room all day at Yale or whatever studying, studying, studying, and no time for working out and stuff.</p>
<p>The thing that most appeals to me about West Point is that we actually get to be doing stuff with our lives during college. Regularly, college is just a continuation of schooling etc. for the "real world." But at WP you get real training for something you know you will need it for. We learn academics, sure. Hence the academic year... but, at least for me, I'm not cut out for this high school mentality of "work now to be ready for the real world." I want to be in the "real world" already, but if I have to wait a little bit, then go to a place where I will be challenged and work with others with equal challenges while learning valuable skills for a truly honorable profession... well, I think that life is worth my time.</p>
<p>I've thought about it a lot and I don't think I could possibly have a desk job somewhere. I'm too restless. That's why I've come to the conclusion that West Point, or at least the military in some shape or form, is for me. Call me idealistic, whatever, but I need something more for my life. I think the military is a higher calling.</p>
<p>I agree with wpwannabe that being in the military is a calling, it is not for everyone. My son wants to make a career of the Army, so if he does not get into WP he will do Army ROTC in college.</p>
<p>While I agree with you, wpwannabe, you're going to fine that during the Academic Year, you'll be studying your BUTT off more so than even in college, and won't have that much time for things military. The few scattered training days conducted by Company/Battalion/Regiment/Brigade are not very good (at least the ones that I've experienced thus far). How much military stuff you actually learn is going to depend a lot on you--do you want to study, or do you want to use your studying time to read FMs? Do you get some much-needed rest, or do you read AARs on CALL (Center for Army Lessons Learned). Primarily the military stuff takes place in the summer.</p>
<p>This may have been shared here last summer...but if not:
<a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/sioncampus/09/28/beast0929/index.html#top%5B/url%5D">http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/sioncampus/09/28/beast0929/index.html#top</a></p>
<p>miles gear is crap. my unit uses the upgraded miles2000 and thats still crap. like mentioned before, a 50cal isntgoing to be stopped by a thin wood shack. Just got done with NTC (one big miles game)</p>
<p>it takes more than a 240b or rbg to kill a stryker...</p>
<p>****in OC's</p>