Enroll For a Navy Boot Camp and Become a Sailor

Divisional Commanders are the ones who at first, receive these new recruits on their arrival. Along with physical training, the boot camp includes different types of team building activities, weapon training and other activities for developing skills.

The total duration of this camp is 8 weeks. During this 8-week training program, the participants have to attend classroom sessions, physical training sessions and learn the different survival and fighting techniques. A boot camp plays an important role in preparing a Navy aspirant for the higher level training.

The Recruit Division Commander (RDC) who conduct the boot camp have a difficult task of training the recruits in a short period. To make this task more organized, the RDCs put groups/divisions of recruits through a set of exercises. This process is known as cycling.
Undergoing the Navy boot camp training is an important step for getting enlisted in the Navy.

Before getting into the details regarding the Boot camp, you should know that there are eligibility requirements. First of all, the participants should be capable of swimming a distance of 50 yards. One should be able to remain afloat at least for 5 minutes. The last requirement is jumping in water from a minimum 5 feet height (feet first).

In the first week, the participants have to fulfill the necessary formalities. One has to fill a lot of forms pertaining to health, wages, benefits, insurance, direct deposit, etc. The social security number is also needed for filling most of these forms; it is therefore, one of the important boot camp requirements.

The real training starts from the second week. Recruits have to rise early and go through training sessions on physical conditioning. A confidence course too is conducted during this week. The main objective of training conducted in the second week is preparing the recruits to function in a team.

Basics of life in the Navy are taught to students during this week. Knowledge about first aid techniques also is provided. Proper know-how of signaling flags and other skills such as boarding the ship are taught.

The first physical training test too is conducted during this period. The different tests covered in physical training include push-ups, sit-ups and running a 1.5 miles distance.

The entire fourth week is devoted to weapon training. Before going through supervised training, the recruits have to undergo a session of safety training. A supervised range environment is used for training the recruits to handle weapons.

The first four weeks of training are considered quite easier in comparison to the later half. In fact, one gets an idea of how to prepare for the Navy boot camp's toughest period during these weeks.

The 5th, 6th and 7th weeks of Navy boot camp are considered the toughest. Participants are truly tested in the fifth week during which they have to undergo rigorous training. The packed schedule of classroom sessions and workouts keep the recruits engaged most of the time.

The recruits also need to adjust themselves to a restricted diet. It is expected that the candidates develop themselves more and more in the area of team building.

The sixth-week training activities focus more on the part of dealing with emergency situations. The firefighting training forms the core of different activities conducted in this week. All the necessary precautionary measures, right from how to wear a fire-safety gear to putting off the fire are taught to the recruits.

The shipboard damage control classes conducted in this week are also considered of great importance. Exposure to adverse conditions is a part of sixth week's training; this includes exposure to tear gas, staying in a gas chamber with shipmates, etc. The confidence course conducted during the second week is repeated in the sixth week.

The seventh and penultimate week of training is hardest of all. The 'Battle Station' test which continues for 12 hours is used to check the performance of candidates. This test is a demonstration of what the participant has learned during the entire training period.

During the Battle Station test, recruits are pushed to their very limit of physical endurance and mental strength. Finishing the test successfully completes the training, except for drill and ceremony that takes place in the last week of training.

The eighth week is the last and final stage of this camp; after a hard 2-month training period, participants get some time to relax during this week.

The Navy boot camp prepares the recruits for one of the most respected jobs in the USA. Those candidates who pass this training move to the 'A' school for higher training. The requirements and related information provided in this write-up should prove to be useful for readers.