<p>I asked some of the ladies on this thread if they wanted a girls perspective on some of the USMA stuff...so here's mine. Feel free to ask questions. I intend on covering hair, civilian clothing, personal hygiene and field issues, the laundry system, PT, and some social issues in my next few posts. I'm also starting finals this Monday, so be prepared for a bit of a wait as I catch my breath from battling the Dean.</p>
<p>Hair is my pet uniform peeve, as it is for most of the female upperclassmen. Learn to control it! You can keep it long, or cut it short, its a personal preference. Remember, if you come with it long, you can get it cut while youre here, at the cadet beauty shop, if it proves to be too difficult. Mary is awesome, but time constraints during Beast will probably lead to a quick blunt cut you can get reshaped later. </p>
<p><strong><em>To cut or not to cut</em></strong></p>
<p>I had short hair for most of high school, so I didnt have a choice here, it was gone already. I now have fairly long hair, as Ive been growing it out for a while. If youre going to go short, think about a bob that you can just tuck behind your ears. Hair cannot be lower than the bottom edge of your collar, so shoulder length cuts are hard. If you go for the cropped pixie look, make sure you dont need a curling iron/straightening iron/or some sort of product to keep it looking good. For Buckner, I had longer hair, and found that it is possible to keep your hair in the field. Make sure you comb it through every night and braid it before you go to bed to reduce the snarls in the morning. </p>
<p><strong><em>Long hair</em></strong>
If you have a friend who dances, have them teach you how to put your hair up. It will be easier if its wet, or you run a little gel through, and spritz with hairspray after. However, the smell from the product will draw bugs. Use the thick, ouchless hair ties (I like Goodys). Theyre maybe two bucks for twenty. Bring at least forty or more, they tend to get lost and the C-Store normally only carries the thin ones. Grab a card that comes with the wire thing to keep them all together, because if you dont, youre going to lose them and lose them and lose them
not so great. </p>
<p><strong><em>Basic method:</em></strong>
Pull your hair into a low ponytail. Remember, youre probably going to wear a hat over this. Braid your hair if its especially long for a little less bulk. Twist your hair into a rope, then slowly coil it around the base of the ponytail. Think top down, as every successive spiral goes closer to the scalp than the spiral before. Once youve run out of hair, tuck the ends securely under the mound, and wrap another hair tie around the base. Add another for more security. If you have extremely long hair, experiment with looping the second tie around the bulk of the bun to hold it to the head.</p>
<p><strong><em>School year</em></strong>
Between me and my room mates, we have three hair dryers, two straightening irons, two curling irons, four sets of curlers, and
.oh
fifteen types of hair product. Thats because were firsties, and we go out a lot. You may want a hairdryer for the cold winter months here, nothing is worth going to formation with wet hair in January. The other stuff
youre just not going to use that often. Gel and hairspray are your friends if keeping the frizzies at bay is an issue, but I dont wear either regularly.</p>
<p><strong><em>Growing it out</em></strong>
Probably, every female cadet who cuts her hair short does this at some point. I've done it several times, because I love cutting my hair, then hate fussing with it...then cut it again...then fuss with it...so here's my method of growing it out from short and sassy to long and luscious with the least amount of fuss.</p>
<p>First, grow out the layers. Keep trimming the bottom above your collar until you've got a basic bob going on. While this is happening, learn to french braid your own hair. Once you've got a the bob going, start growing all of that out. As your hair approaches the bottom of your collar, start dividing it in half and french braiding each half. This will help with reducing the length. Tuck the ends back up into the braid, and pin them in place. Once the tails are too long for this, check and see if it's long enough for the basic bun, above. If you're still a little short, try this. Pull your hair into a pony tail. Divide the tail in half. Take one half, twist into a rope and coil around the base of the ponytail. Once you're out of hair, take the second half, twist it into a rope, and coil that around the first coil. I know this sounds wacky, but experiment a bit, it does work. The second coil will help stabilize the first and should work. After finishing with the second coil, wrap a hair tie around the base of the bun. Shake your head and check for stability. If it worked, great! Keep up with your trims and keep growing your hair until you're happy. You may want to use the thinner hair ties for this because you don't have as much hair to retain. </p>
<p><strong><em>The Official Rules</em></strong>
d. Women. Hair will be neatly groomed. The length and bulk of the hair will not be excessive or present a ragged, unkempt, or extreme appearance. Hair will not fall over the eyebrows or extend below the bottom edge of the collar. Hair styles will not interfere with proper wearing of military headgear or protective masks. Hair holding ornaments (such as but not limited to, barrettes, pins, clips, bands), if used, must be unadorned and plain and must be transparent or similar in color to the hair, and will be inconspicuously placed. Beads or similar ornamental items are not authorized. Female cadets are authorized to wear their hair in a ponytail or single braid only in the following situations:</p>
<p>(1) While wearing Gym Alpha in the barracks (If outside of the barracks, hair standards will conform to AR 670-1 in all uniforms except as below).</p>
<p>(2) While wearing a distinct Corps or Club Squad athletic uniform. Gym Alpha is not considered a distinctive athletic uniform.</p>
<p>(3) While wearing the Casual uniform.</p>
<p>wow, i just gained a little more respect for women in the military today :)</p>
<p>this is amazing info! thanks sooo much!</p>
<p>Bzzzt-- good comments and right one--they carry over exactly the same, and hair will continue to be a pet peeve of yours--MPs are good with it...but wow, some others not so much. A note to you with long hair or contemplating short or long--I had long hair and chopped it for Beast...thought it'd be easier, my hair was too fine..it was not easier. Now, I keep it long and just put it in a bun, consequently, during FTXs or even during my time in Iraq, my hair stayed MUCH CLEANER simply because less of it was exposed to the elements when we were out there.
Good stuff bzzzt, I'll chime in if I can help out with something as well.</p>
<p><strong><em>Beast</em></strong>
Dont bring anything especially fragrant to Beast. I adore Bath and Body Works, but use Dials line of antibacterial body wash in the summer for a few reasons. First, sweet smells draw bugs and upperclassmen, and Dial doesnt have this effect. Second, I dont have particularly sensitive skin, but I had heat rash all over my back during Beast. Think of thousands of icy cold needles digging into your skin, and then suddenly turning red hot and itchy. Very not fun. Its a bacterial infection of your pores, and antibacterial body wash really helped me clear it up. Youll shower twice a day at least, and, one would think, sweat out any impurities in you skin, but apparently not. Bring a two-in-one shampoo/conditioner blend that your hair tolerates without getting too dried out and frizzy. Youll have about five minutes to shower, and unless you have fairly short hair, youre not going to have time for both. Unscented lotion may be helpful if you have really dry skin. I wouldnt worry about shaving for the six weeks of Beast. If someones that close to your legs, youve got bigger problems than them being fuzzy. If that really isnt your thing, think about getting a leg wax. </p>
<p>Another hair tip. During summer training, dont pull your hair up into a severe initial pony tail. Pulling too hard on the follicles at the base leaves a gap bacteria can get into, leading to infected follicles. They look like pimples, but theyre at the base of the hair shaft and they can be tender. Again, experiment. Youre going for a clean look, but shouldnt feel a pull on your hair. Always take your hair down at night. Youve probably got at least a cup of sweat trapped in there and that will make you colder, faster. Comb out the tangles and braid it loosely before you go to bed. Do not freak at the sight of the green grime that will come off on the comb, its just camo from your face that migrated to your hair in some way.</p>
<p><strong><em>Field Time</em></strong>
When you go out to the field at the end of the summer, take a pack of baby wipes. Swiping under your arms will help with the smell, but after a day you wont be able to smell yourself or anyone else for that matter. Its a small blessing. What is really necessary, though, is cleaning your groin region. The extra heat and moisture are a haven for bacteria and yeast, and a yeast infection during Beast isnt any fun. Its also a much more distinct smell than regular BO, and that may make you uncomfortable. Change your base layer every day Socks, underwear, sports bra, and t-shirt. It will make you feel cleaner and keep the smell down. </p>
<p>If you have gotten prickly heat, have your roommate swab your back with the baby wipes. Let it dry, then sprinkle the foot powder youre issued on your back. Its Gold Bond Medicated something or another, and it has menthol in it, and it feels nice and cool. May cut down on your sweating and help the prickly heat, but even if it doesnt, its a few minutes of relief.</p>
<p>Dont sleep in your boots. It makes your feet cold and gives them less of a chance to dry out. Moisture leads to friction, friction leads to blisters. Blisters can lead to cellulitis and fevers and hospitalization and really freaked out cadre, (this was a personal experience and yes, my hospitalized new cadet worried me really badly) so change your socks and have the medic look at your blisters. </p>
<p>You will, more than likely, get your period in the field. Its destiny the most inconvenient time ever and there you go. You have a few options. You could get a Depo-Provera shot before you leave. Its an injected form of birth control that suppresses your period for about three to four months. You can really hope it doesnt happen. Or you can just be prepared. If youre using tampons, wash your hands before you put one in or take one out. Your hands are a lot dirtier than they are usually and thats an awful time and place to get an infection. Use a backup pad. Bring these supplies with you because the C-Store is really expensive and doesnt carry all the brands and styles that are available. Stash extra supplies for the day in a plastic gallon sized bag and leave it at the bottom of your two-quart, or in your cargo pocket. If youre in garrison, thats one pad and one tampon, youre going back to your room soon. If youre in the field, go for two of each, and have extras stashed in your ruck.</p>
<p>Come to R-Day wearing something comfortable. Your favorite jeans and t-shirt are fine. Carry a sweatshirt or something similar. Don't be conspicuous, today is not the day to stand out. Leave the rest of your civvies at home, youre not going to need them until the school year starts. I suggest packing 3-4 outfits in a small suitcase and leaving it at home. Have your parents bring it to A-Day or Labor Day weekend, or have them ship it out later. Youre going to want some civilian stuff for trip sections and stuff as a plebe, but youre not going to need much of it.</p>
<p><strong><em>What to pack</em></strong>
Something nice your favorite little black dress, and appropriate accessories purse, shoes, slip, stockings, the great necklace that goes with it, the cute barrettes that match the pattern, whatever. This is part of my Be Prepared motto, you never know when youre going to need to dress up. Make sure its some that can go from summer to winter. Mine is a black jersey knit with a matching shell. Add a nice coat, and Im good! </p>
<p><strong><em>Casual stuff</em></strong>
Another pair of jeans, one of khakis, a collared shirt or two, your favorite t-shirts, a good sweater, some cold weather stuff. A set of pajamas. Two pairs of civilian shoes, nothing screams CADET ON PASS like a cute top, khakis, and running shoes. Accessories to go with. Basic makeup if truly necessary. </p>
<p>As far as I know, plebes wont be able to wear earrings, jewelry, or makeup until after Christmas, so this is for going on trip sections, Plebe Parent Weekend if youre the daring type, leaving for Thanksgiving and Christmas, Army/Navy, and whatever pass you choose to take. Make sure this can stretch across a few seasons, its going to be blazing hot over Labor day, and well have at least a foot of snow by Christmas, so think in layers. You can get some nice stuff at the C-Store, and the PX has clothes too. Plus, if you join a few clubs, a lot of them include a trip to the mall wherever youre going. </p>
<p><strong><em>Underwear</em></strong>
Ok, I was pretty laid back in high school. White cotton undies and a few cute patterns. Now that its the ONLY thing I get to choose to wear every day, Im a little more adventurous. However, I do wear a sports bra just about every day in uniform. One, its comfortable, and two, in a training environment the normal bra just isnt practical. During Airborne we ran to and from the training area every day, and trained hard. Youll be running a lot and doing physical activity outside of PT, so keep that in mind. Black, white, gray, or neutral. No orange, no blue, no red, no green, no neon pink. Not that anyones going to check, but if your PT shirt neck shifts, people may see your straps and they will correct you. Well, I would. Im not so sure about male cadre. </p>
<p>Dont send standard bras out in the laundry, ever. Its really hard on them, and its awful to get them back stained and with the hooks destroyed. If you take normal bras to Beast, hand wash them in the sink, and hang them on the drying racks overnight. Hand washing stuff in your sink is a great way to keep up with clean laundry. I did towels, underwear, sports bras, t-shirts, shorts, and socks in my sink for all of Beast. At one point, I even washed my BDUs in my trash can. It only takes a few minutes, and just about everything will dry overnight on the drying racks in the latrines. Plus, youll smell Tide fresh while those who have run out of clean laundry will be hurting.</p>
<p>bzzzt - </p>
<p>My D is a prospective Cadet Candidate. This stuff is exactly the kind of stuff she's been wondering...thanks a lot!</p>
<p>Kate,
Glad I could help. If she has any specific questions, or areas she'd like me to address, let me know and I'll take a stab at them.</p>
<p>Marines, if you have anything to add, since you're closer to Beast than I was, feel free to chime in. ScreamingEagle, as a guy's perspective, let us know what you think about some of the issues... </p>
<p>14 Days!</p>
<p>West Point is eighty-five percent male. I know a lot of you have no concept of this, so here are a few examples. The next time you go to class, sit down, look around at the other seventeen people in the room. Now, imagine yourself the only woman. Next time you get a B on a test, all the points you got, they have Y chromosomes. All the ones you missed? They dont. Think of your closest ten friends. Are eight of them male? They are now. This can be fun. This can be scary. But its a fact here, and something everyone gets used to. First proverb of the post The odds are good, but the goods are odd. </p>
<p><strong><em>Dating</em></strong>
As a plebe, youre allowed to date other plebes. I would suggest you not date within your company. Its too easy to break the rules and get caught and get in some serious trouble. Also, if the two of you break up, its easier to move on when you dont see each other and interact every day. I have seen this work out though, our company couple is getting married after grad, so YMMV. </p>
<p><strong><em>How to</em></strong>
Plebes watch a lot of movies, go to sporting events or the plebe club, grab dinner together, and hang out. Join a club together and go on trip sections. Remember though, if the two of you break up, only one of you gets to keep the friends if you cant be amicable.</p>
<p><strong><em>The Rules</em></strong>
West Point has a lot of rules governing male/female interaction. PDAs, which include holding hands, hugs, and kissing hello are not allowed. In the barracks, if a guy and a girl are alone in a room together, the door has to be open ninety degrees. You cant share the same horizontal surface. Before you even think, oh, well, if were on the bed, and if Im lying on top of him, hes technically on the bed, and Im technically not, dont even go there. Sex in the barracks is not allowed. Should you choose to indulge while on pass, or decide to take walking privileges into town and get a hotel room, practice preventive maintenance. Go see Dr. Yavorek at the Health Clinic and choose a birth control method. Grab some free condoms from the pharmacy or continue getting stuck with the Depo-Provera shot I mentioned earlier. Dr. Y also deals in the Nuva ring and several variety of the pill. She does not do IUDs or Norplant. </p>
<p><strong><em>Pregnancy</em></strong>
If you get pregnant, you will be sent to a medical board and they will send you home on medical leave until you are no longer pregnant. This does happen, probably at least once a year. Some people go home and sign the child over to their parents after birth. Some people go to Planned Parenthood in Newburgh. Im not going to touch what you should do, Im just giving you some of the options that people I know have exercised. Dr. Y can also help you with this, and the counselors over at the Center for Personal Development are excellent. </p>
<p><strong><em>Roommates and Lady Casanovas (casanovettes?)</em></strong>
At the beginning of the school year, set some guidelines with your roommates. If youre comfortable with both of them sitting on her bed when youre there, thats fine. When someone knocks, hed better move pretty quick though. If youre not comfortable with her sitting on his lap while youre in the room, say so. No one should ever put you in a situation where you feel uncomfortable, especially in your own room. Remember, you can always take your books and go to the study room, or the library, or go visit other friends
which means the door has to be opened and all the Academy rules have to be followed. On the other hand, realize that letting them nap together might not be the best idea. If they get caught because your TAC NCO knocks and the door is opened before theyre both presentable and alert, youre all going to get fried because you let it happen. </p>
<p>If you just want him to go away so you can have a chat with your roomdawg about their behavior, stretch, yawn, and mention a nap or going to bed if its late. He should take a hint, and she may go with him, but you can talk later. At that talk, renegotiate, and set up some new limitations if necessary. Mention her going to visit him if they spend excessive amounts of time in your room. Suggest that he always leave by ten, or some other acceptable time. If he drops by a lot when shes not there, give him her class schedule. We have a saying West Point is all about cooperation, because with three people in the room, you can shut the door. Cooperation works both ways. If theyre having a fight, pull out your headphones and kill some hearing cells. This gives them privacy not only from you but from the rest of the company. If youre both dating and shes not showing the same considerations youre showing her, discuss that too. It may only be a semester, but plebes dont choose their roommates and you may end up together again. Its almost always better to talk out problems as they occur. </p>
<p><strong><em>Home team, away team</em></strong>
Although some subscribe to If theyre not in the same area code, its not cheating, I dont. If he has a girlfriend back home, step away and find someone else. The same goes for you. If you've still got a boyfriend back home, don't ditch him just because you're fishing in a bigger pool now. I really don't have any experience as a 2%er, but one of my girlfriends is, so I'll see if she can throw together a post about staying together for the whole 47 month experience.</p>
<p><strong><em>Frat</em></strong>
As I mentioned earlier, plebes can date other plebes. Plebes cannot date upperclassmen, or, really, have any social interactions with them. If youre in a club together, you can be friends when youre doing club stuff. When youre in the company area, doing duties or delivering laundry, youre not friends. Youre a plebe, he or she is an upperclassman. Do not try to attract the attention of any upperclassmen. The upperclass women will see it and will deal with it in their own fashion. The male firsties are probably not interested
they want to graduate. The cows know that next year, youll be legal. The yearlings are your team leaders and should see you as protégées. However, there are an unscrupulous few who will actively seek out your company. Realize, though, that they are doing this because you are new and they have been turned down by every other female in the Corps. It is NOT a good idea to engage in frat. The consequences are rather severe. He will probably be stripped of his rank, and you will both be on the Area for a very long time. If hes a good dude, remind him of these things, and that youll be around next year. He should understand and back off. After Buckner, consider the relationship again.</p>
<p>OK, my two cents for guys in the field, if any candidates are reading this thread.</p>
<p>Dont wear underwear in the field, ever. It'll just get soaked with sweat, and you'll have to deal with it all day, and you'll get uncomfortable. This pretty much can be a solid rule for you anytime you wear BDUs/ACUs. Just dont even bother.</p>
<p>If you're in garrison, try to wear your boots without socks. This kinda applies after beast, because your cadre wont let you get away with it, but it helps sustain the callouses you build up during road marches and the like. By no means dont wear socks when you road march and stuff, but when you're in garrison, it helps to keep your feet tough.</p>
<p>Field Shaving. I get cheap ass 50 cent disposable razors and dry shave in the field, but that's me. There is no need for shaving cream in the field, but if you're sensitive, you can simply fill your canteen cup with water and splash your face with that or rinse the razor. Pretty much no one will let you use an electric razor in the field.</p>
<p>Hygene stuff. I've found that packing a plastic zip lock bag with some disposable razors, tooth brush, and tooth paste it all you really need. You'll have to pack the gold bond elsewhere. As bzzzt said, the baby wipes will make or break you. I usually bring like a 100 pack with me out to the field. Every day, pits, groin, ass, back washdown. It makes a world of difference. You'll get heat rash, there's no way around it. You sweat too much and your pores get clogged with the salt from your sweat. wiping yourself down with the baby wipes helps it a bit. Plus, they work really well to wash the camo off your face as night if you're concerned about zits. I never wash my face in the field, but I'm just an idiot like that, I guess that's why I went infantry.</p>
<p>Make sure you change your T shirt out at night. I like to wear underarmor during the day, then put on a cotton t shirt at night and let the underarmor dry out, which it does really quickly. You wont be able to use it during beast, but this is kinda OPD for later on in life that I've gotten.</p>
<p>If you get the time, take your boots off at night. If you're pretty sure you're going to get hit by OPFOR, dont even bother, just change your socks out and sleep with them on. I'm trying to kind of lay out a "grunt's" perspective on the field, but in all honesty, whether it was CFT, CFT cadre, CTLT, or when I was enlisted, I just wore the same BDUs for as long as I could. You'll smell, but it's better than packing more gear you dont really need. Again, understand that during beast, you wont have much of a choice.</p>
<p>Boots: Keep them as dry as you can. If you get the chance to take them off at night, drop some gold bond in them, it helps dry them out. If you're sleeping with boots off, make sure you take socks off. During beast, you should be able to take them off everynight. During CFT, not so much.</p>
<p>Sleeping: During beast, you have to pack the bed roll and you'll have your poncho liner. make sure you use the roll to put something between you and the ground; that's where you'll lose your body heat. I've spent a good deal of time in the field, and I hate bed rolls. What I've found works best is getting a space blanket (the ones they sell at the C Store), using that as a ground cloth, and wrapping up in the poncho liner. If it's going to rain, throw the pocho over that and make a little burrito out of yourself. Make sure you cover your ruck if it's gonna rain, nothing is worse than geting all your crap wet becuase you were careless. Again, this is more of a CFT thing, but useful throughout your military career.</p>
<p>Enjoy the field. There is nothing like not sleeping very well for a week or so and going stark raving mad to make you feel more alive. the minute you get to sleep in a real bed or take a hot shower, it all feels so good and you'll appreciate life so much more. Beast, as far as field time goes, is not very rigorous. You'll all be at buckner, I havent heard the final call, but if you're not in the bays, you'll be in a FOB like set up which isnt bad. It's a good time to sort of check out who you like to do things in the field without having to do them really harshly.</p>
<p>Oh, always check for ticks. I've never done this in my 4 years at West Point, and I found one dug into my stomach the afternoon. They really are bad around here and I've been lucky in the past, but they're bound to get you at some point. Dont get macho on this and think it's worthless, because I did that for too long and now I'll probably get lime disease and it'll be miserable, not to mention the fact that I cant stop thinking that thy're crawling all over me now.</p>
<p>So um yeah, this was quite the ramble. I understand a lot of this isnt really applicable during beast because of the limitations cadre put on you, but from my years, this is what I've found to work best for guys. Keep it in the back of your mind and it will serve you will. Whenever field time sucks, just remember it wont last forever and nothing is permanent. that's about all I have.</p>
<p>Boots: I personally would never walk around without socks on. Yes it may keep your feet tough, but it will also provide a fungal breeding ground in your hot, moist boots. take your boots off EVERY day even if its for 15-20 minutes. While your boots are off take your socks off! Remove the insoles from your boots and allow everything to air out. While everything is airing out wipe your feet down with baby wipes. You must maintain your feet and your weapon in the field. Without those two things you're useless. Dont be that guy. That guy thats too lazy/tired to take his boots off. It takes 30 seconds to get your boots on and tie two granny knots in them if you get attacked. This is just my thoughts on it which have been highly influenced from spending the last year and a half as an infantry platoon medic seeing some really disgusting feet.</p>
<p>ScreamingEagle mentioned babywipes for taking camo off. I suggest Biore daily deep pore cleansing cloths. One, they're better for your skin and two, they work faster since they're formulated to take makeup off. The first time some of the guys watch you wipe your face once and be perfectly clean, you will lose half your stash to them. </p>
<p>Clarification - change your base layer at night. Being dry will help you keep warm and you'll fall asleep faster and sleep better that way. </p>
<p>Uniform tip - when you get your ACUs, pull out a permanent marker and number the tops and bottoms in pairs on the inside somewhere. Designate two or three sets "Field ACUs." This helps you to wash the set together so you don't end up with a really faded top and brand new bottoms, which looks odd. Field ACUs are for getting filthy. Garrison ACUs are for looking clean and pressed.</p>
<p>mrgreenapple, are you at Ft. Lewis? Spent some time there, great post. Could you elaborate more on preventing blisters? I am blessed with tough feet and I've never gotten them from my boots or low quarters.</p>
<p>I stand corrected. I should emphasize that this is what works for me, and everyone is different. mrgreenapple obviously has a better take on this as a medic, so take my advice with a grain of salt. I've never had foot problems, but it's something tons of people get. Just wanted to put out some lessons learned from my experience, take from it what you will.</p>
<p>The no sock thing was meant purely for garrison low intensity situations where you wont really sweat. I picked up this advice from an O-6 who got it from his time in 3rd Ranger BN. I would never consider not wearing socks when you're doing training, this is solely for garrison environment.</p>
<p>one tip for using that TA-50 crap.</p>
<p>DO NOT PUT MAGAZINES IN YOUR POCKETS. KEEP THEM IN THE AMMO POUCHES.</p>
<p>once I lost a magazine. do not be me. i went prone and I had two mags in my hand. i saw OPFOR coming and I put the extra in my side pocket. some IMT and fire fight later it musta rolled out. don't loose sensitive items. don't loose your kpot. don't ever let your weapon out of sight. </p>
<p>"did you just take your weapon in the portojon?"</p>
<p>vs</p>
<p>"YOU LOST WHAT?" that's an article 15 right there. don't forget nuttin.</p>
<p>True story - for some odd reason, one of the cadets out at Buckner pulled their kevlar off and had hung it on their LBE by the chin strap. Since it was merely slung over the canteen, it wasn't that secure. Going over a bridge at the engineer's site, that kevlar got jostled off and quickly sank to the bottom of the lake. In August, when school was back in session, the SCUBA team was deployed to go look for it. No kidding, DON'T LOSE ANYTHING. </p>
<p>You'll be going to the latrines in buddy teams, one holds the rifles, the other pees, then you switch. Taking your rifle into the portojohns is a no-go, since we've had people drop them in. Gross.....</p>
<p>Cadre do participate in rifle hunts. If you can't cuddle your rifle like a teddy bear in your sleep, I suggest running your belt through the carrying handle or running the sling between your legs and over a shoulder.</p>
<p>if you got enough time, un do the sling on one side and tie it to your wrist. i got awoken by a e6 trying to take.</p>
<p>"you perv. don't touch my girl"</p>
<p>Thank you so much, bzzzt! Seriously, that info is gonna be really helpful and I was definitely in the dark about most of it.</p>
<p>I have been lurking the thread so far, but I figured I would offer my compliments as well too bzzzt and Eagle. As as prospective candidate for class of 2011 your insight has been very educating and I will store this information away for a future date! I'm sure this has been immeasurably valuable to the many cadet candidates going in this summer. Best of luck on your ventures after graduation!</p>