<p>is there any sort of basic training at nmmi? ruck marches, weapons training? is that what the 21 day confidence course is?</p>
<p>hhahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahaha.</p>
<p>no.</p>
<p>that wasn't laughing at you. Just at nmmi. No there are no ruck marches, no weapons training, nothing really all that military. You'll get issued an M1903 Springfield rifle for drill, and you will use that to drill. ALL THE TIME for the first week and a half. Once classes start during those first 21 days, youll use that rifle only for drill every monday afternoon, and for parades on the weekends. Sorry to disappoint, but NMMI is also a high school, they can't give us anything real. </p>
<p>If you join Ranger Challenge, which is like sandhurst, sort of, you'll get to touch and disassemble real M-16's.....but not shoot them.</p>
<p>real m-16s?!?!??! wow!~!!!</p>
<p>OMG that roXXorz tha houZ. No way boiz, they get to disassemble, even CLEAN. hah hahahahahahaha.</p>
<p>so NMMI is a high school? don't the have rotc?</p>
<p>NMMI's ROTC program, at least while I was there, was top notch. Like most ROTC programs in the country, they had to 'borrow' M-16s from the national guard; it's just the way it is. Like many ROTC programs nationwide, NMMI simply does not have the resources to self sustain itself.</p>
<p>That being said, NMMIs "basic" is weak sauce. It's just a week of watching high school kids and pansies getting broke down by kids who have no idea what the military is. However, from my experience (back in 2002, so it may have changed), Ranger Challenge is the place to go if you want real training. yeah, Ranger Challenge gets a bad name among west pointers who see ROTC kids with the tab on their BDUs, but I'll tell you, we started day one at NMMI with 110 kids showing up, by competition in October, we were down to 12 guys. Ranger Challenge was, and I hope still is, no joke there. 0520 PT every morning followed by ROTC PT at 1600. It was seriously no joke, I have not encountered anything as physically challenging during my time at WP.</p>
<p>To end, NMMI has a high school and JC. What you take away from it depends on you. You can go in there with a bad attitude and get nothing, or you can go in there, realize its a **** poor step on your way to West Point, and do everything possible to get yourself ready. That choice is on the individual.</p>
<p>thanks for the info, all. eagle, you are very informative.</p>
<p>ranger tab on non military individuals?!?! holy ****. someone needs a reality check.</p>
<p>nmmi basic...or RAT week (3 weeks) as a Kilo Knight cadet was quite eventful. It consisted of waking up to light pt....and then standing in the sun for a couple hours. After standing around, cadre tried to teach us rifle drill-the cadre did not know how to conduct close order drill. So after mass confusion, we just stood on stoop at attention stared at bricks. We did this for 3 weeks until the 20 minute first aid safety training, and pretend small unit training with finger guns, and then the obstacle course. Basically three weeks of nothing. Ive learned patience more than anything in the 10 months ive been here. Why patience? You'll put up with a lot....have fun with the new leadership to-be civil prep cadets.</p>
<p>it says 'ranger challenge', not just 'ranger'. I dont think anyone wants to get presumptuous. Well, some probably would. especially here at NMMI. Egos abound. </p>
<p>that being said, James is much too pessimistic. From what I remember, there was not only hours of standing in the sun, but about 56 circle formations where everyone shared their life stories, because for whatever reason the cadre hadnt planned on having so many hours during a day that weren't spent attempting pathetic drill. Those were the good times, baby!</p>
<p>And yes. The culmination of your RAT training will involve a day spent sweating in BDU's, low crawling races, and squad-level tactics involving finger rifles. yes, FINGER RIFLES. The kind you see children employ on playgrounds everywhere. Thumb up, index finger out. Thats right preps, prepare for the EXTREME. </p>
<p>Actually, I heard they are redoing the schedule here do to complaints of a poor physical readiness among the Corps. Rumor has it next years cadets will wake up every morning at 0520 for Corps-wide PT. 5 days a week. Have fun with that. I'm much too fat to maintain that kind of schedule. Ho ho ho.</p>
<p>that is awesome, i truly hope they make them go to PT every day there, some of the slugs there will die</p>
<p>Oh, man. I don't even want to tell Spider about the finger guns. He's really been looking forward to the military aspect of NMMI. That's why he picked it over the many other civilian schools (Navy preps have lots of choices). </p>
<p>What new leadership? Do you mean Geraci and the admiral or the new kid cadre?</p>
<p>we use finger guns in the real army too. palms down, closed fist with your index fingers pointing forward. your shooter hand about three inches from your face and the other hand in line about 20 inches out. It's a really simple effective way to conduct Close quarters training without going to a shoot house or range. This way you can use any building in the area for practice! That being said... I understand how it could be disappointing for those coming to a military institute looking for some hooah training.</p>
<p>wow thats a long post for something so lame haha</p>
<p>Oh, how could i forget the school circle to expose our sensitive sides. Thank you demosth....much too fat my butt...you pt stud. </p>
<p>Spidermom, I meant the new leadership as in the new cadre. There will be those squad leaders and a couple troop commanders that you could really respect and learn alot from. My first squad leader basically taught me everything I know today. BUT there will be those who abuse their power and really frustrate cadets...many many cadets. With just a week left of nmmi, I'm tryin my best to stay patient and it's runnin out. Heh heh. Lookin back...meeting a lot of the preps and and even preps from other academies made the past 10 months really worth it. </p>
<p>Finals suck.</p>
<p>sorry I was gonna address the stuff about the Corps PT. DUring a west point luncheon, the admiral told our table that there actually would be a corps wide pt schedule that would be followed carefully. A new physical fitness professor or something has been put in charge and he's decided to make fitness folders for every cadet at the institute. This file will probably makr athletics, your pt scores, etc etc...not sure about preps though because prep pt will have to somehow be incorporated. PREP PT HOOAH!
I really think the preps will be in great shape if this corps pt thing works out though. Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks guys. Anything you'd care to share along the lines of "I wish I'd known" or "my best advice is"? </p>
<p>You are almost out of there, yeah! On to bigger and better things.</p>
<p>Adivce: Arrive a few days early to turn in paper work. Saves a lot of time on reception day (or whatevers its called). You will be able to bypass many long line.</p>
<p>Some of the stuff on the list of things you need is not needed: the black comb and other wierd items probably wont be used. (the bandanas will be)</p>
<p>If you are arriving early buy your cleaning products in Roswell. It save a lot of luggage space and there is a super walmart in town to get everything.</p>
<p>Buy a standup vacuum. It says not to but it doesnt matter and they are much better to use. The small stand up dirt devil works fine.</p>
<p>Don't worry about studying the white book they sent. The only thing you will need to know is the Goss quote, old post, fight song, and inteiror gaurd orders. The rest is useless.</p>
<p>You can bring a computer, rent, or buy. My suggestion is if you can find a cheaper computer then the one they are selling buy that if you are not going to rent. As long as the specs are about the same as the NMMI one you will be fine.</p>
<p>Don't worry to much about NMMI. Yelling is slim to none and the worst punishment is pushups. </p>
<p>The mind set you should be when at NMMI: Do your ****, make your uniform nice, dont get stuck and dont talk back. All you have to do is get by. No reason to impress anyone. Just watch out for yourself, your prep friends, and your troop friends.</p>
<p>Great stuff, thanks.</p>
<p>LOL, I remember that Super Walmart...bought lots of alien T-shirts there to take home to the family. :)</p>
<p>...and have fun with the regimental operations officer. </p>
<p>HAHAHA</p>
<p>Man, you guys' RC this year was like a sophomore in high school or something when i was there, wow.</p>
<p>honestly, now that the whole military academy experience is almost over for me, i find myself looking back at the dark days of NMMI a lot more, but am actually a bit nostalgic about it. Honest to god, you're gonna miss it in a year or two</p>
<p>so is this a good place to go to if i want to go to west point?</p>
<p>It sounds like things have changed quite a bit at NMMI since I attended for one year in the mid-'70s on a USNA foundation scholarship. </p>
<p>The 3 week summer indoc and 1st Semester was like having a taste of Plebe year before the real thing. Physical hazing was still in vogue. Lots of drill & rifle manual. We were issued fully operational M-14s (w/o a firing pin) and expected to keep them in "inspection" condition. Regular room inspections, etc. The thing I detested the most was getting hazed by HS ROTC cadets barely into puberty, that had absolutely no idea what the military was about. Pretty much blew them off after awhile. Anyway, the advantage was during Plebe Summer at USNA - I was the sharpest when it came to marching and rifle manual in my company, having had it "drilled" into me the previous year. The uppercalss left me alone and even had me work with others in my squad. Not sure how much of this applies today.....keep the faith that it will get better!</p>