What Females Should Know Before Joining the Army
99Check These Out!
| 1. |  | Amazon Price: $7.49 List Price: $14.95 |
| 2. |  | Amazon Price: $10.59 List Price: $16.95 |
| 3. |  | Amazon Price: $12.33 List Price: $24.95 |
| 4. |  | Amazon Price: $20.00 |
| 5. |  | Amazon Price: $4.87 List Price: $25.95 |
| 6. |  | Amazon Price: $6.74 List Price: $15.95 |
The Boot Camp experience is also known as: Basic Combat Training, BCT (the Army loves its acronyms), Basic Training, Boot, and Basic.
One of my preparations for BCT: chopping off all of my hair!
I was amazed by how many people were mad at me for shearing off my "Crowning Glory".
I cut off all my hair because of the intense training I was about to experience. I thought it would make my life easier if I didn't have to worry about moldy hair. In the end it was a very good thing that I cut my hair, though it made me sad to lose whatever cuteness my long hair gave me. Ok, on to "business".
Pre-Basic
Before I joined the United States Army I poured through the internet looking for any kind of information that could help me. I wanted so badly to know what it was like to be in the Army. I already knew what it was like for the Soldiers I'd already met, but none of them were females like me. Let's face it, there is a difference between males and females in the military, and I wanted to know that difference. Unfortunately I never found any helpful information, so I up and joined the U.S. Army and experienced it myself.
What to Do/Know Before Joining the Army:
- Decide if your hair is going to work for you while you're at Boot Camp. My hair was long and I wasn't about to fix my hair up in a bun every day. With the intense training I would have to fix my hair all of the time, especially with the sticklers the Drill Sergeants are about soldier representation. A soldier also told me that some of the female soldiers he knew got moldy hair; and when I started training, I could see how that was possible. The female's who didn't cut their hair always had to have it up in a bun. They took their showers and when they were done their hair practically just jumped into the bun position. Sometimes there wasn't much time to take showers, so then the Drill Sergeants were thoughtful enough to take us training in the rain and mud; and afterward we would all go camping, in the rain. It's easy in these conditions for a bit of mold to cultivate in the knot that is our hair.
- Exercise before you join. It is VERY IMPORTANT! Training is very tough if you are not a little physically fit when you get there. You don't need to be superwoman or anything, but at least give your muscles a little bit of training so the shock factor won't be so high. Basic Training is, on all levels, a rather high stressed affair, so be ready for it. There are physical ability standards that you must pass in order to graduate Basic Training. The Army's Physical Training Test is different than the other military branches tests. The test examines the soldier's ability to do pushups, situps, and a two mile run. The pushups and situps are each under a time limit of two minutes. The first test is the pushups, followed by situps, and then the two mile run. The pass/fail standards are based on age and gender. For example, How many pushups must I do in order to pass? Well, I'm a female, 22-26 years of age, and I must do 17 pushups in order to get a minimum passing score of 60%. If those seem too easy, then go for a 100% by doing 46 pushups or more. Still too easy? Max out the guy's standards. Go for 75 pushups. For any other age, gender, or event, go to this link and you'll soon know what the standards are for Army physical training test: http://www.apft-standards.com/
- Ask Questions and gain answers. Definitely find someone who is in the Army branch you are interested in, and find someone who has no monetary interest in what you decide. I don't care what the recruiter's say, they do twist the truth when it benefits them. I know because I got a bad recruiter among some better recruiters. I just wasn't lucky. Also, if that doesn't persuade you, an acquaintance of mine did recruiting, and it was confirmed that they do get benefits based on recruits gained.
- Break your habits now before you ship out to Basic Training. It will make your time there much less terrible. Smoking, drinking alcohol, snacking, taking naps etc, are all habits that plague trainees during training. If you break your habits, you'll be that much closer to just breezing through Basic Combat Training.
- Don't stress over the Drill Sergeants. They yell, dish out their punishments, and play mind-games; but they won't physically harm you. Everything is done according to what you can withstand, physically and mentally. If you can endure everything they throw at you and come out on top, then you are worthy to be an American Soldier.
- Note: living conditions may be tough compared to your usual standard of living. So enjoy nice living conditions while you can, because if you join the military sometimes you won't get the best living conditions one would hope for. One thing most soldier's learn: never take anything for granted. I, personally have learned to always live life to the fullest. It's better that way.
Are You Having a Bit of a Hard Time? Hmm?
I knew military life was going to be difficult. I'd only talked to males about the Army and they all pretty much said the same stuff: "There's a lot of PT (physical training)", "You're gonna get very tired", and my favorite, "It's not that bad". No offense, guys, but I'd say the ego got in the way of the truth. Though honestly, Basic Training may have been worse than just bad it wasn't overly terrible. I really did expect it to be worse, despite the guys' comments about it. There were times when I thought I was going to die, and there were times I thought everything was too easy. But still, Basic Training is harder physically for a female than it is for a male.
Pushups are easier for males, and the Army is all about its pushups. Ruck marches are easier for males, BUT in situps we are equals (sadly the Army doesn't care as much about situps as it does its pushups)! I can honestly say that I could probably beat most guys in situps, and I can even say that there is another female who can beat me in situps. This female did 112 situps in 2 minutes. Just think 120 seconds in 2 minutes, she's almost pumping out 1 situp per second. Amazing, isn't it?
Two unexpected things that made Basic Training terrible for females: Other females, and Ruck Marches.
Those "other females" would rip each other and anyone to pieces. Just think about it: You woke up at 5 a.m. after going to bed at 11 p.m., you had a couple of females arguing next to your bunk until 11:30 and they wouldn't listen to you when you asked them to stop, you had 2 hours of chores from midnight until 2 a.m. and your relief wouldn't wake up until 2:30 so your head didn't hit the pillow until 2:40. Overall, you got 2 hours and 40 minutes of sleep. Just imagine doing that after a very full day of sweat, grime, and yelling. Now to add to this picture you have female after female griping about this and that, and ripping into you just because they're miserable. AH! I'm frustrated just remembering that. (Though this isn't as bad compared to other female related experiences I've had. Note: If you want more stories, just give me a holler and I'll regale you with some good stories.)
The second most terrible thing during Basic for a female was the Ruck marches. These marches were bad because most females don't make for good pack mules. I definitely don't. I'm 125 lbs. and the Drill Sergeants gave us rucks and gear that weighed up to 60 lbs. Now, for a male, in general, it's a little hefty but nothing to worry about. However for a female, especially me, that could very well be almost half her weight. I hated Ruck Marches. I would rather run miles than go on a march. Now, a stroll through the park with tennis shoes on and a heavy backpack, not bad; but a stroll with combat boots, hot uniform, heavy ruck with metal frame, weapon (M-16 Rifle) in hand, and an endless distance to traverse with varying terrain. Ugh.
There is a third aspect of Basic Training that was bad, but I was ready for this one. The males and their crude comments, though females could be included, the guys were still worse. This is something that is difficult to get away from in the military, especially during long duration type training and deployments. It's something to get used to, because it's pretty much a tradition. Let me make this clear though, once you get to your units males in particular are very careful what they say around females because they are afraid that they'll get a sexual harassment report against them. Unfortunately, innocent males get harassment charges all the time, and the blame goes to the females. So, understand this, because there will come a time when you enter a room full of males and they will all stop their hooting and laughing just because you walked in and yes, it's because you're female. On the other hand, I've had males try to be the nastiest they could be just to get a rise out of me. So, a female needs to be tough skinned to be in the Army. A lot of these males are good people and great soldiers, but everyone knows that "boys will be boys" especially amongst each other. Now throw a female in their midst and all of a sudden the males need to figure out which female she is: overly sensitive, or tough-skinned. So be ready to get judged, because it will happen with every person you meet in the military.
Everyone is judged in the military. It's really no big deal. The point is, though, that females are judged on many points. Is she a good soldier? Do I have to pick up her slack? Can she keep up? Is she going to tattle, like the last one?
There will always be a female who was there before you that completely screwed up. Once you show up on the scene, everyone will look at you and wonder if you're the same as the last one: the screw up. So, as a result they're careful, just as you should be careful. Never forget your professional attitude as a soldier, let alone as a female soldier representative.
The Female Polar Opposites
My first point is this, females can make great soldiers. Second, unfortunately there are many females that slipped through the cracks that shouldn't be in the military.
The females that slip through the cracks tend to be women who join the Army for any various reason and for the most part prefer not to work. These female soldiers make a bad name for other hardworking female soldiers. These females generally do the exact opposite of a hardworking female soldier and are easy to point out. I say this because these types of females have a name and it's close and almost on par with the term slut.
A harsh reality for a female soldier: You are considered a slut until proven otherwise. It is terrible and unfair for the rest of us, but that's just the stark reality. The sad part is, it's all so normal that no one thinks anything of it. But this is the Army and you just deal with it and drive on. There's nothing to do but prove everyone wrong, and rise to the top.
Now, the great ones are the females that don't make excuses about their gender. They don't complain about their menstrual cycle openly, they don't whine, snivel, or gripe about anything or anyone, and they work on their shortcomings. For example, a male can do things that females can't. Men are better pack mules and their bodies are better fitted for endurance. Where females aren't naturally good at lugging things around and lugging them around for great distances, a female can still strengthen that weakness so that it doesn't hamper future operations she may be involved in. On the other hand, she doesn't call attention to herself and her ability to do everything; if there is a job or detail that needs to be done, she just gets it done. No problem. She's a squared away soldier just like the rest of 'em.
vote upvote downshareprintflag
- Useful (195)
- Funny (35)
- Awesome (82)
- Beautiful (38)
- Interesting (54)
CommentsLoading...
Great Hub,
A must read for any female about to join any branch of the service. I would say this is as close as the real skinny your ever going to get without living it yourself!
TMG
Sweetie Pie, Wonky is definitely a good description to how I would feel to always putting my hair in a bun also. Thank You very much for your comments! You are such a sweet woman.
TMG, thanks so much for your feedback!
This is the only first hand info I've found online about being female in the Army. I think I may join soon, and its amazing how little info there is about personal female experiences!
Just want to say thanks so much for posting this. Just like sli said, you can't find too much info on a female soldier. I'm pretty I'll be joining soon so it's good to know what I should be expecting.
Sweetie Pie....good info. I've been scowering the web for useful info/insight of being a female soldier. I'm signed up, and shipping out in a month, and this post is definitely the best and most detailed info I've found. Thank you for taking the time to put this all in writing. It's hard enough for women in the military, and providing this info will definitely help the rest of us to be better prepared and not intimidated by this male-oriented organization. Thanks again, hope all is well for you and your family.
Sli and Tam, thank you so much for commenting on my article! It is definitely a good thing to do research on something as life-changing as the military! If you have any questions you'd like answered, just let me know!
Lena, Thanks to you for your comments. Also, I would like to thank you for joining up and serving our country in a time of war. Good Luck to you and Never give up. I did a 10 mile ruckmarch (with a ruck half my weight) with a severely sprained ankle, be prepared to do something similar. Succeed despite the pain, and do it better than the males! I believe you'll do well; I will be thinking of you and hoping for great experiences for you. If you want, drop me a note (if you remember little ol' me) when you get back- let me know how you did. Thanks again for your compliments Lena!
hey thanks for the post! It was very helpful. I am about to go to basic training, I leave March 17th, and am very nervous on what to expact. But your article was helpful. :)
Hey Jess! Thank you so much for your comment. If you need more info on something let me know and I'll try to help. Good luck in BCT!
Jessica: I spent 25 years in the Army retiring in 2001. My last 14 years was served as a drill Sergeant. I think your analysis of basic training is quite accurate pertaining to female soldiers. I trained a few battallions of female soldiers and I will add one additional comment to your hub which is the fact that female soldiers are much more motivated than males soldiers. Perhaps its the PMS (lol) - but whatever it is female soldiers are highly motivated, more dedicated, and have to endure more harsh psychological treatment than their male counterparts.
I congratulate you for completing BCT and I wish you the best in your military career. By the way, in my opinion - in your before picture you look like a teen run away with no sense of direction - a hazzard to society! In your after picture you portray the confidence of a mature young woman who knows what she want in life and is not afraid to go after it. I see it in your eyes and your posture. I can vision you accomplishing great things in life for the benefit of us all.
Take care young soldier and thanks for your service!
Jessica,
Great stuff! Thanks so much for this. I'm only 115 lbs, so I'm a little worried about the rucks. I think I'm motivated enough to complete it. I've had three kids...this should be a walk in the park! haha Thanks again!
Mindy
Mind emailing me and telling me more about the army experiance for females? I would like to know if I'm cut out, and if I can do something now in order to prepare myself if I do join. I'm 16 years old now, 10th grade. Considering Army. 4'11" or 5' even. Anywhere from 85-95 pounds from what I can remember...maybe more, doubt less. Cutting hair is no issue at all, I'm just worried about everything else. I really want to join and serve my country, but I'm, sadly, a sensitive kid. I've been trying to break myself from that (crying when yelled out, even when I tell myself and know I shouldn't cry, I do anyway. Like a bad habit.)
I wanted to thank you for this page, it was very helpful. My email is:
sharanealvarez@yahoo.com
If you decide to help me further. Thanks!
jxb7076, Thank you so much for your feedback. A DS for 14 years, wow. Thank YOU for your service and sacrifices. As to your comments pertaining to motivation, I think that females definitely seemed much more motivated if only because they had to work harder to meet the standard, whereas the majority of the males felt they could just breeze through. I know my motivation was not in just meeting the standard but in exceeding it. It is my hope that this article will help other possible pre-basics to know this and embrace it. Females, if they are motivated, are not pushovers. So thank you for your generous comments, and I thank you for serving our country... and becoming my fan lol
Mindy, thank you for your comments. Yes, BCT will be tough for you, but if you stay motivated and stick it out, you will succeed. Never quit! The ruckmarches are like endurance training, it stinks and its hard- for a long time. For me, after the first few miles, I just accepted the pain as normal because part of me couldn't remember anything else, and I drove on. The final ruck march should be around 10 miles, don't worry they'll work you up to it. There were a couple females around your weight, it was tough but they made it- just don't let yourself fall behind and you'll be good! Before you go work on your leg, arms, shoulder and back muscles, strengthen them up and you'll be good to go! GOOD LUCK!
Sharane, thank you for your comments, and thank you for researching your possibilities and asking questions. Based on your initiative to learn more, I'm sure I could help you with your questions. No worries.
Hi. I thought this article was excellent advice for females joining the military. I enlisted and will be leaving for training in June. Im pretty excited but also pretty worried. I have complete faith that i can get through BCT but i know its gonna be tough. I would really like to hear more about the experiences and maybe some more info on how to get through it being that you can't find any info on the net. Email me at: angelea0272@aol.com. Thanks.
Hello Angel! I have a lot of respect for someone enlisting during a time of war. You are a type of soldier our country needs these days, and I wish you all of the blessings in the world!
If you would like more info concerning the Army I will be happy to assist you. I have an army email account, so I'll send a test e-mail to see if you're interested. I've sent an email out to a couple of others who have requested but they didn't seem to care. If you but respond to my inquiry I will be happy to help.
HI JESSICA!! THX SO MUCH FOR THE WONDERFUL POST! YOUR POST IS THE FIRST I'VE FOUND THAT HAD A SECTION CATTERED TO POTENTIAL FEMALE SOLDIERS. I'M CURRENTLY TRYING TO JOIN...... IF IT WASN'T FOR THE 4% BODY THAT I HAVE TO LOOSE I WOULD HAVE BEEN GONE!! I WAS FULLY AWARE OF THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL STRESS I WOULD ENDURE BUT COMPLETELY WOWWWED TO THE HARSH TREATMENT THAT CAN BE INCURRED BY MALES. THAT WAS SO HELPFUL TO HAVE THE HEADS UP ON THE MIND FRAME OF MALE SOLDIERS AND THEIR PRECONCEPTIONS DUE TO THE FEMALES SOLDIERS THAT SLIPPED THROUGH THE CRACKS (LOL) !!! THX A LOT!!!
Hello Allycat! It's true that it's near impossible to find any information on females in the military let alone females in the Army! I'm just glad that I'm able to help, even a little bit. My advice to you: Take up jogging and work on your pushups and situps. if jogging is not your thing, start up a walk-run program before you join: It's a 30 minute workout, and you basically start out at running for thirty seconds and speed walking for 4 min 30sec and when you're ready to push yourself more, increase your running time by 30 sec along with decreasing your walk time by 30 sec. It's the best way to get in shape without killing yourself!
Keep at it! If it's your dream, work for it with all you've got! Good luck Allycat
As a female in one of the toughest MOS's in the Army, I disagree with a couple of the points mentioned here. Mainly that we are different from the males. We simply are not.
However, the Hub is full of useful info for people considering joining, and very well written.
Eldritch Elegy, we are all entitled to our opinions and I thank you for yours. I too am in a rather tough MOS and I underwent a type of special ops training with a male female ratio of 10:1. Our experiences form our own opinions, it is obvious that you and I have had different experiences in a possibly similar MOS.
Thank You for your Comments, and be sure I'll keep what you said in mind.
Thanks a lot for posting this. I've been thinking about joining the army recently and I only have male friends in the military so it was good to get an idea what a female experiences in the army. :)
hi! great advices! anymore? i know that males and females do different things, and i know that theres different choices of class like, medical or whatever, but what do females exactly do?
hi! great advices! anymore? i know that males and females do different things, and i know that theres different choices of class like, medical or whatever, but what do females exactly do?
Wow, this page is really helpful! I've been thinking about joining the Army for awhile now..I think it's just the fear of bootcamp that's holding me back. Any more advice that any of you can give me? It would be greatly appreciated. =]
Helena, Stephanie, and Katie:
Wow, I guess I will have to write another article on this won't I?
I'll try to get myself working on it as soon as I can. I have been really busy with the Army lately, so hopefully I can accomodate you asap.
Thank You all for your uplifting encouragement! Thank You for reading my article!
This is really interesting and I'm joining either the marines or army in september when I turn 18. (I'm 17 now & my parents wont sign for me b/c they wanted me to take a more traditional and "proper" course for a girl). I was really wondering about special ops. I'd love to be in this program, but I heard only men can join. I'm just trying to get my facts straight. The other program I'm interested in is being in a k9 handling unit, but I can find next to nothing on it! If you have any info on this, it would be more than appreciated.
Well hello there Erni! You're one of the first females to approach me about Spec Ops and I'm super excited. I will tell you that I don't have much information on k9 handling units that you don't already know; HOWEVER, I do have good news concerning spec ops.
I am a 37F Psychological Operations Specialist. It is considered to be a type of spec ops job. There's not much information out there because it's so difficult to explain. It's such a multi-faceted job that answering what Psyop is would turn into an article. Which is exactly what I'm going to do. Check out my article on Psyop. It should be published soon. Thank You for your interest in special operations! We need good females in the Army, and having an interest in the spec ops field is definitely a promising start.
Hi! I'm joining the marines and I'm in the same situation as erni- my parents wont sign for me so I have to wait one month until I'm eighteen. Can you tell me what the experience is with the recruiter, what kind of tests and questions and forms you have to sign? what should I bring with me? Thank you!
ps. I'm already training for boot camp, how many miles should I be prepared to run daily? I've seen the minimum physical standards but how many pushups and situps do you think you did on a daily basis?
Hello grad'09! Thank you for your questions.
The marines have different and, in some areas, higher standards than the Army. You will need to get comfortable with the 3-mile run. Not only will you be running and pushing during your PT, but you will be doing all of that randomly during the day as well. The drill instructors will always keep you busy. Start training according to the male's maximum standard. If that's too much, train according to the female's maximum standard. Don't bother with the minimum physical standards. Make yourself as great as you can be, don't settle for weak.
Now, your question concerning "how many" pushups and situps we did on a daily basis would best be answered with the question "how long did they make you do pu and su on a daily basis?" The drill instructors would tell us to push and we'd push until we couldn't feel our arms and then we'd push until we'd be certain we couldn't hold ourselves up any longer. Then they'd tell us to keep pushing, so then we'd hold ourselves in the "rest position" which is just the pushup position but with our butts in the air, or sagging in the middle. The drill instructors would then toy with us. When we were all used up in the pushup department we'd do a different activity like running, or the "military press" which was holding our weapons above our heads, OR flutter kicks (which are easy with tennis shoes but terrible with combat boots). Once the drill instructors were sure that they hit every muscle group they'd continue their other less physical instructions. Until some other recruit did something wrong and then the smoking started all over again.
They teach you that you can endure much more than you would ever expect.
Recruiters are sneaky people. They have so many rules and regulations to follow that I don't see how they can be anything else. They do get extra money when they recruit someone. They'll disagree with that sentiment, most of them anyway. Everyone takes the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) and your military job choices are based on your scores of that test... You know, I think I will have to write an article for these answers too. You're marines, so it will be a bit different, but at least the enlistment process will be somewhat the same.
Concerning the Marines, they are big on personal advancement. There are certain tasks a Marine must accomplish by a certain date in order to continue in the Marines and in order to get promoted. If a Marine doesn't accomplish his/her tasks and if they are deemed to be unmotivated, he/she can be removed from the Marines. Also, once one leaves the Marines, one can never go back. grad'09, you should find someone who knows Marine stuff, because I'm a soldier, not a marine. I don't want to mislead you. However, I will be publishing an article on joining the military soon. Also, check out hubpages.com because I'm sure there are others on hubpages that have published articles on enlistment and maybe some on the marines.
Good luck to you!
female standards and percentages:
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/marines/l/blfitfema
male standards and percentages:
Hi Jess, Its me again..... I finally got rid of the 4% body fat that was holding me back from being able to become apart of the army!! I'm proud to say that I joined the army on 05/22 and will be shipping out on 10/05/09. On the day I joined I was so looking forward to picking my MOS, when at that time I found out that the only jobs that was left, and that offered a soon leave date that I was qualified for was 88m,13s, and 92g. I was disappointed because I wanted an MOS in medical, but oh well I decided to choose the 92g. I was told that I could change my MOS down the line and retest to get a higher AFQT score to broaden horizons even more when it come time for me to choose a different MOS.Regardless of what job I hold in the army I'm going to give it 100% but when I think of army....... training for culinary and catering skills aren't one of the 1st things that come to my mind. So what I want to know from your point of view.... is how people are treated in that MOS because they might be viewed as not having a "not so warrior" or "glamorous" MOS?
Hi! You article was really helpful! I'm going to join the military when I turn eighteen, I've already started training for boot camp and I'm sure about my choice.
My parents have spent over a year trying to make me change my mind, but they ended up making me get even more determined..
Anyway, thank you so much for the advices!
Good advice from the female standpoint, Jessica W. I would also suggest, although some people think I'm crazy, to consider taking birth control pills back to back, skipping the placebo pills, so that you don't have to worry about your period while going through basic. Luckily I was in such good shape prior to and during basic that my body naturally stoppped my menstral cycle. Yes, lucky me. Now, after being in the Army for a few years, although I am still in shape, I am not as young as I once was and my knees have gone to shit. Anyhoo, when I gained some body fat, my menstrual cycle returned. I was not thrilled so I spoke to my doctor who suggested that I take my bc pills back to back. Let me just say, not having my period while deployed makes life so much easier!!!
This is for Erni regarding K-9 in the Army. First of all, K-9 is the best job in the Army. I'm a Military Working Dog (MWD) handler currently working a PNDD (Patrol Narcotic Detector Dog). First, enlist as 31B, then, put in a DA FM 4187 to go to K-9 school to get your Additional Skill Identifier (ASI) which is Z-6. That may seem simple enough, but trust me, it’s not. Don’t think you’ll get to go straight to K-9 school either. Not gonna happen in the Army but the Marines do it. Also, just because you request the school doesn’t mean you’ll get it. Not only that, you will most likely be put on a trial period at the kennel where you will clean up lots and lots of dog poop. You may get the opportunity to catch a dog (be the bite bitch). If the handlers don’t get a warm and fuzzy about your confidence, learning ability, leadership ability, motivation, initiative… you get the idea, you’ll be a no go. K-9 is not for everybody and it requires more than a love for dogs. Ok, so I sound like a total cunt. I’m just passionate about what I do and see too many people try to go K-9 just for the image. We have very long hours. Not only do we have to complete our MWD training hours, we have to complete our 31B training, work the road, and you may be on call for months on end (say goodbye to any social life). If you’re still interested, remember it’s not IF you’ll get bit, it’s WHEN you’ll get bit. Good luck J
Jessica W , I am female and about to join the army. I am 27 years old and I was wondering if you could tell me more stories about your personal experience and what to expect as a woman in the military and going through basic training. What would you say the toughest part of basic is?
Great Info. I like the fact that you didnt sugar coat anything. You were absolutely honest about what we could be getting ourselves into and that we have to be tough. =]
Thnx jessica it was really worth reading...i m a pakistani n wanna join army soon.. u did a great job for gals to make up their minds about joining army...i must say that our army isnt the same as urs but in many aspects its the same....well this article really worked for me thanx alot...stay happy...by the way u r very cute n pretty :)
I was wondering what would be good jobs to choose from?
Wow, great article. It seems like there aren't many articles out there written about the "female experience" in the Army, but this one has really helped fill me in on what I should expect/prepare for. I'm currently in the process of enlisting, so I was wondering if you could share a little more information with me about the experience from a female's point of view. My email is cheryllr@wharton.upenn.edu Thanks so much.
Jessica, I am a 20 year old female & have recently been talking to recruiters about joining. I'm in a rock & a hard place right now, because I have a 1 year old daughter, but dont have custody of her, I recently lost my job due to company down-sizing & havent been able to find another one, & i dont have a permanent residence because i've run out of money..so sometimes i stay in my car. I feel like the service might be my last option. I'm not a very tough girl, but I want to be able to provide for my daughter int he future when I get custody back. The things the recruiters are telling me make it sound so good, so im wondering if you could give me a little advice..? I attached my e-mail address, so maybe we can talk back & forth because i'll probably forget about this website (im on a public computer) I would appreciate it very much if we could talk. Thanks so much.
-Kaycee
Thanks for info! I've been looking everywhere for a female's view of basic. I leave in 3 weeks for basic and wanted more info.
Wow this is the first article i ever read that actually tells me what to expect. thanks a lot. it gives me good advice on what to expect during basic.
Hey Jessica,
I'll be going down to Fort Jackson in November and like you I have been searching the net for female perspective on the military especially BCT. It seems your article was all negative was there anything good about BCT? Also I received a packing list do you really have to have all white undergarments or is it neutral colors; according to your skin tone. Can you e-mail me (tialil2002@yahoo.om) some inside stories that you experienced that could aid in surviving BCT?
This is for those I haven't responded to: I apologize. I'm getting ready for a deployment so things have been chaotic. For those of you who have already shipped off for BCT-Good Luck and Stay Strong. For those of you who wanted advice or more stories- please email me personally with your questions ready.
Specifically, Julia, a good job to choose from would be something that YOU are interested in. Research that job and figure out if it is for you. Do not settle for any old job, because it's easy to wash out when you hate your job.
To everyone thinking about joining the Army or any other military branch: Do NOT rush into your decision! Research and train up first, then decide!
LilLady, The good parts of BCT come after. Also, as to the undergarments, I just can't remember. I remember all of us had white undergarments, and they only sell white at the px. I would stick to white just in case. Your undergarments are honestly the last thing that you'll worry about.
Thanks everyone for your comments! Please email me with specific questions and I will attempt to get back to you as soon as I am able.
i was thinking of joining the army ever scince i was a little girl and now that im going to be 16 i cant wait to turn 17 and graduate from high school im getting so exited now that i know more about it thank so much
I am already nervous about BCT and your article just confirmed everything..lol I will be going in as an E4 SPC then attending OCS. But, honestly can you give me any tips on how to prepare myself before I leave? I need to get my run time down and get more push ups in. Do you run everyday? How often are you dropping down to do push ups? I have been working out for the last month, but I think everything I am doing may not prepare me for what I am signing up for..
Thank you for your input and giving us females a clue,
Devon
Hey Jessica!
This was such a great post! thank you so much, it def. gives me a great insight into what I would be getting myself into!
If you could email me at mandym9073@yours.com
I have a few questions for you about the kind of jobs women do and what you did!
Thanks,
Mandy
Wow I love this i'm thinking of joining !
I'm 17 and I'm about 5"2 and I weigh about 124pds
I have an athletic build mostly because of swimming
And other sports.
I want to know more about the army
And what I can do please If you can you e-mail me at
Nabeta_105@hotmail.com
I'm Not in the military (soon enough will be) but I am a Deputy for my local Sheriffs Department. I went through a Paramilitary Police Academy (nothing I'm assuming comparbale to BCT) BUT What you explained above is exaclty the same discription I would have expected and would have explained if asked about being a young female in a male dominated career and/or environment. Thanks for being a respectable female whos got her head on strait.
I love this hub... my daughter started BCT November 4th. She has already be hospitalize for exhaustion. She is fine now... she is a strong young lady. I wish she could have read these tips before going to BCT. She would have still went but she would have went more prepared. She knew it would be hard... but know one could give her a good picture of how hard. I am so proud of her that she is making it. She can do over 50 push up and a host of other physical things she couldn't do before. Even though this was the hardest training she ever been through she is very proud of her accomplishment.
thank you for writing this HUB
Is there anyway I can converse with you through email? I've been thinking about the Army for a while and I didn't take the thought seriously. Now that I'm in college, for some reason I think about it every day.
srtr
Thank you so much for posting, I'm a 12 year old girl but I've always wanted to be in the army. I still got years ahead of me to think about it, but this info made me think of my decisions. I love the feeling of serving and loving your country, Its great. well thank you and also did you ever hear the song "Hero Of War" by Rise Against. You should check it out, great song.
Rather than hardworking it sounds more like living to work rather than working in order to live. I read this to get some idea of your perspective.
BTW, I've heard women are better at staying observant for longer periods than men. Ie, women are better sentries. Being able to lug crap around is nothing if you don't see the enemy before he see's you. Saying that to add something possitive.
I agree and disagree. I loved the Ruck's but hated running. I agree that the worse was dealing with other females. Oh and if your going to cut your hair for Basic shave it or keep it long. I cut it short enough to be within Army regulations but I didnt shave it. I didnt have to put it in a bun everyday but it got in my face all the time. Also as a female I am constiantly having to prove myself, its just the way it is with being a femail since unfortuantly some females have given us a bad name...you kind of touched on that. Great article, wish I had read something like this before joining!
thank you so much for posting this! i'm trying to decide if i should join the army or not, and i was skeptical because i'm a female. i would like to hear the other stories about the other females. haha :)
I'm going to basic for the Army on July 21st. Because I have to graduate high school. And I have a question that I can't ask my male recruiter. It'd be a bit embarrassing. I'm not complaining about my menstrual cycle, but I would like to know what it's like to be on it, during basic. If you've got time to change your "products". Things like that.
Kattie, for the most part female's don't have their period's while at Basic. A lot of physical activity and fat loss coupled with the stress results in a lot of bodily changes. In addition, there was a funny quirk that occurred when one girl got her period, other females around her also got it. I never got mine while I was in Basic Training. However, bring a small box with you just in case (if you can't, there may be a shoppette run at some point further along in your training). If it happens for you or several females in your bay, then no worries, if you don't have any products, another female surely will. There should be time (very little but time enough) for you to switch stuff out.
lilmnstr, I know what you mean by the proving yourself over and over again. I swear, every new person I meet I have to reprove myself. It's tiring, annoying and oh so frustrating. Even the females. As for the shaving one's hair, the DS don't want that anymore apparently, depending on the post. Any female who shaved her head had to grow her hair back out. I like just cutting it so that it is good enough for regulations.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge! I love hearing from others in the service with similar or drastically different experiences than my own.
Amanda Manring, if by chance you check this hub again you can contact me by email by clicking on the "contact Jessica W" link on the top right of this page.
Anyone else who would like to contact me may do the same.
I am going through a lot of Army training, so my responses may not be as thorough as I want them to be, as well as some may not be answered at all until months later depending on where I'm training. EMAIL is the best way to contact AND receive a response from me. Again, to email click on "contact Jessica W"
A deployment is in my future.
Hi, ive been thinking about joining the army in a few years. Im 16 and am a sophmore and have been trying to find things out about the army but when i bring up the idea to my parents they just look at me and laugh(i feel like they dont think i can follow through if i decide to join)and that puts me down a bit, but im determined to prove them wrong...and thanks for the info, it helped. if theres any other information you have, please e mail me at u.allie@ymail.com and thank you for your services, my family and i really appreciate it.
Hi there,
I loved your article, thank you for taking the time to talk about your experiences. I am a 37 year old single mother that is seriously considering joining the Army reserves. I am honestly scared shitless of BCT....I have been a fitness instructor for years, so I am in pretty good shape, mostly I am scared of the mental part and the running. But my worst and biggest fear of all is being away from my son with vertually no contact w him for 9 weeks. This saddens me and I don't think I could handle it. What is your opinion on this , were there other single moms? How did they get through it?
Jessica, Wow. This should be required reading for all young women before they sign up. What are the odds the Army will ever put it on the flip side of a recruitment brochure? Will keep this bookmarked. --David
I am 14 years old, ad am thinking of joining the army.
i know there is still a few years ahead of me, but i was wondering if there was any majout things i must know before its to late ? x
Hello Jessica,
I'm the type who tries to do as much research as possible before making a decision and when i stumbled across this i was surprised to find so much personal experience. I am 18 years old, married and have a 2 1/2 month old son. I have been thinking about the army for benefits, opportunity and an experience i will never forget. I feel this is the time in my life to do something really big and make a difference.
If theres anything else you think i should know personally please feel free to e-mail me and i thank you for giving us females a chance to know what we're in for.-Alixx
After being laid off this year, and looking for a new path in life, I've been looking at the possibility of joining the military recently. Honestly, the military is not something I EVER thought I'd consider. However, not only are the benefits amazing, but I want something that will push me, and more than ever I want to serve my country in some capacity. What better way?! I'm 34 and single, (yikes!), and I wonder if there were any older women starting out that you knew of.
I really appreciate the information you posted here. I've been endlessly looking for female accounts of the military, and I've found it here. Thanks very much!
Hey, Alixx, I am right there with you. I have done tons of research and NEVER found an article like this. I am 19, married, and have a 1 year old son. My husband is in Army, n I want to join. I have been excercing for 4 and a half months now, the first 2, i hardcore went to gym 5, 6 times a week, then the last 2 n half, i go like 2- 3 times a week.
Jessica, This ad was very helpful, I had an idea of what it would be like for a women, now you just confirmed it. Could you ad how it feels on the emotional level, as being a girl an sensitive? Thanks!
Thank you so much for this post, it was so nice to actually be able to read personal experience from a female soldier. I'm enlisting and am worried about basic. I'm not In the greatest physical shape I can be but I'm getting there now. I played soccer for 10 years so I kno that I can do the running I just need to build it back up. If you have any other information that would help me I would appreciate it more then you could imagine, thank you again for the post.
here is my email if you wish to contact me that way. Wwerdebaugh@vzw.blackberry.net
Whitley
hi jessica
thank u for posting this..
i had alot questions about the services which i still do... but im 23 and not the greats shape i was in highschool but i know im strong and the weights wont be a promble and running not sure but i all know is that im allways ready for a challenge....im still in college but think of joining the army well still college....
email:marisol.barajas@rocketmail.com
when i was in the army some of the officers raped me
Just reading through the comments and came to Cameron Fletcher's recent post...
Cameron, I'm so sorry to hear that. Do you feel comfortable sharing any more of your story here? This is that other side to being a female soldier that we need to know about and be aware. How does one handle such a situation? How does the Army handle it?
Cameron if you or anyone else chooses to share you will certainly have my honor and respect.
Jessica W., thank you sooo much for everything you've shared here! I'd love to keep in touch and look forward to hearing more of your experiences. Where are you deploying to?
Well, here is my story... I will put it out there just in case there is anyone in Los Angeles reading this in the same boat.
I've been wanting to serve my country for the longest, especially to join the fight against terrorism. But I'm, well...chubby! ;) It appears I have a looong ways to go physically. That is the only thing holding me back. I've searched endlessly to see if there is any civilian jobs I can do with no luck (if someone knows something I don't know, please let me know). And one job I'd been looking forward to just closed it's doors, and like many other deployed civilian jobs overseas, is only offered to military spouses, etc.
So it seems in order to join the fight and serve my country my only option would be if I can ever make that MIRACLE of getting to a fitness level I've never even known before in all my 32 years of life. So I figure I may as well keep TRYing to strengthen physically. And if I never make it... well... at least I tried and got a little stronger, right? So if there's any other women out there that have a long ways to go toward fitness and wish to serve somehow in the war on terrorism, that would like to meet up in LA and encourage one another, share info/ideas, etc., please let me know...
Jessica W, are there any forums dedicated just to female soldiers where I can find other hopeful recruits and/or women that are passionate about serving their country?
(In case I miss a posting in regards to this, please use this email... hadassah416@myspace.com) Thank you.
This is a really, really helpful source of information pertaining to being a women in the army. It helped me a lot. Thank you for your honesty.
Thanks for the info. My daughter leaves July 5th for BCT and this has been so helpful!
Hi Jessica,
Thanks for posting this. I am a recent college graduate and I have been wanting to serve my country for as long as I can remember. When I graduated high school, I looked very seriously into joining the Army, but I knew that college was the right path for me at that point in time. Now that I have graduated, I still have a strong desire to serve my country which has served me so well for all of my life, and give back. I would love to continue talking to you about the Army and what it's like for women. If you have time, please send me an email at cbucklin@gmail.com. Thank you for serving our great country, and I hope I will hear from you soon!
God Bless,
Chelsea
wow..that helps alot..im only sixteen and not sure what im goin to do with my life but i knew i wanted to do something with my life...i used to think i wanted to be famous so i got a scholorship to an acting school and i actualy did very well but after a while i knew something wasnt right and that wasnt what i had wanted to do so i dropped out and started thinking again. my brother who i love very much and have always looked up to went to coledge to be a doctor so i thought i wanted to be sucsessful in something like him so i started taking writing and debate classes in school to become a lawyer...i still knew something was wrong and that i still wanted my life to go in a different direction but i didnt know where..a few years later my brother dropped out of colledge and joined the army..i was very confused cause when he did that somthing cliked. that was it i found out that i wanted to be a hero..i wanted to be proud..and that i was goin to do something that helped my country..i really want to join the army and when i turn seventeen i want to enlist but im not sure....what do you think????
Is there anything that scared you before you enlisted into the army?
Jessica, after reading this I am honestly inspired to join the Army. My brother and sister are both in the Army. In fact my brother's over in Iraq right this moment. It sucks not having him around, but granted I get to hear all of his stories and it deffinately brought us closer together. Now, I may only be fourteen, and my parents say that by the age of 17 I'll have my mind made up that I won't want to do it. & They believe this is just a phase. But I honestly do believe this is something I will always want to do.
I am what you would call girly and I am aware of this, but after reading this you have really made me realize that it doesn't matter, that I CAN do this. When I set my mind to something, I devote myself to it. So, I know I can. I'm sure that joining was a life changing experience. & I cannot wait to have that experience. Now, don't get me wrong, I am very young, and I do understand to have my goals set to one such as this, I will be doubted upon and some might even think I can't pull through. But I KNOW I have heart, and isn't that what really counts? I believe so.
I've told one of my bestfriend's I wanted to join, and surprisingly, of all people, she goes "Why would you want to do that? You'll get killed!" I know that she may not understand, so I didn't take it offensively. But of all people, I expected her support. Honestly, I am afraid of dying, I'm not going to lie. BUT, if it's for my country, and the people I love, I am more than willing to sacrafice my life. It's more than worth it. Ya' know?
Well, anyways, I just wanted to share with you, that I appreciate you writing this, it really did inform me on all of the things I wanted to know. I also wanted to thank you, because this opened my eyes a little more to how much I truly wanted to do this. So thank you and thank you for what you're doing for our country. GOD BLESS.
Great job putting this info out there. When I joined in 2002 I really went in blind. Trusted my recruiter lol. Did my BTC at Ft. Leonardwood, MO in Jan and got frostbite, broke a finger and tore my right hip muscle off the bone; but I graduated damn it! One thing I would really recommend to females is to take calcium! Literally like half my platoon's females had stress fractures either from never doing impact exercise or because of their diet. Peace y'all and good luck.
hey wow what you said was helpful and brave. i'm glad you were honest. i have a ton of questions. i'm joining the army and would like toknow some stuff before i head to basic. can you help me?
email me?
Jessica,
Thank you so much for this article. I am a 34 yr old mom and wife and seriously thinking about joining the army. I would love to talk to you about some of your experiences. *EC* maybe we could also share some insights we have heard or learned? If you are able to e-mail me I would really appreciate it. crcnb@hotmail.com
Wow, details are excellent here, thanks! Wondered what it's REALLY like. Thanks! Mold, ugh! Short hair time :)
I've found this really usefull :) there's barely any info for women on the net.Im going into training this year this hopefully will help me be more prepared and aware. Thanks! x
Open and honest. The female stereotypes are very true. I am glad that you can look past them and show that you are different. You are a rare one. It's all the same in the Marines too....trust me. Although I have never worked with a female Marine, since I was in a combat-related MOS. I wish the best for you though.
Thank you so much for this advice!!! I am currently in the process of joining, I am a 33yr old female, mother of 3. I am a Navy brat, but decided to join the Army do to many job options. I feel a little better after reading your tips. I have been for the last 2 weeks researching & investigating to make sure that I am making the right decision, but after reading this I am for sure certain that this is what I want to do. Thank you so very much! P
Hi Jess!
Thank you for your helpful article. I am currently torn between two branches of the military. I am going to school to become a psychologist and was considering doing the health professions scholarship. The Navy and the Army are the two with the best programs for that at the moment and I was considering talking to both of them to decide which one would be best for me.
I am somewhat concerned because I am a little overweight and not in the best physical shape of my life. I am willing to do what I can to lose the weight and get back in physical condition before I join (I would be starting school [and the military] in a year so I would have some time to get back in the condition I should be in.
From what I have read, I have to be in physical condition to be eligible to be an officer in order to join because I would be one when I finished school. I would have to go for forty five days a year for AT and attend Officer Development School. Are there any more requirements? Would I have to go to basic? I have been trying to get in touch with a recruiter but would like an outside opinion as well. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated, as well as any insight you may have into the benefits/disadvantages of joining one branch over the other.
Thank you for your help!!
Hi Jess!
Thank you for your helpful article. I am currently torn between two branches of the military. I am going to school to become a psychologist and was considering doing the health professions scholarship. The Navy and the Army are the two with the best programs for that at the moment and I was considering talking to both of them to decide which one would be best for me.
I am somewhat concerned because I am a little overweight and not in the best physical shape of my life. I am willing to do what I can to lose the weight and get back in physical condition before I join (I would be starting school [and the military] in a year so I would have some time to get back in the condition I should be in.
From what I have read, I have to be in physical condition to be eligible to be an officer in order to join because I would be one when I finished school. I would have to go for forty five days a year for AT and attend Officer Development School. Are there any more requirements? Would I have to go to basic? I have been trying to get in touch with a recruiter but would like an outside opinion as well. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated, as well as any insight you may have into the benefits/disadvantages of joining one branch over the other.
Thank you for your help!!
Thank you for posting this. I am currently seeking to enlist but I have too many questions at the moment and this helped a lot. My one fear is being too weak, surprisingly its not dying. I always worry that I will slow others down despite trying my hardest not to.
I am a 24 yr old female, 5'1" and about 125 lbs. I have my BA and I am looking to make a difference and give back to my country. I have no real support having been at a very liberal and anti-military school.
Its great to find real advice. Thank you so much.
hey, so i'm still in highschool but thinking about joining the army once i get out. but i have no idea what joining the army entails. i mean' i didn't even know that there are different jobs in the army. so' reading this, i have more of an idea to what to expect. thankyou!!!
heyy im 14 and thinking about joining the army when im older but i have no idea what kind of field would suit me if you know of a website that might help me that would be great thx :) ps very helpful
HI Jessica. Just as most of the women here, i too have been having a difficult time finding any info about the experience of a woman in Army BCT. The few times i have chanced across a woman asking a question that others deemed "frivolous", they were all quick to jump all over the woman asking, making her feel small for having dared ask such a trite question. However, i think that many of the questions, as "unimportant" as they may be in the grand scheme of things, are questions that all women are curious to know, but afraid to ask, for fear of the receiving the exact types of responses they then receive.
I am a 30 year old female and i just joined the Army; i will be leaving for Fort Jackson on 01/10/11. I have many questions, but the ones that are specific to a woman's experience are the ones that can't be answered by a general search online...questions like:
- i'm working on pushups, but have a very difficult time with them. what if i get smoked and can;t do the 20 regular pushups that i'm told to do? can i do knee pushups once i max out on my regular pushups?
- are we allowed to bring tweezers for grooming?
- do we ever get time to shave our legs (weekends)? will we all be running in pt shorts with furry-ass legs? :)
- can we bring our own sports bras and what color do they have to be? how many can we bring?
- can we bring makeup? i know we can NOT USE makeup while in bct...and who would want to? but i hear we can bring minimal makeup so that we can use it for graduation day/pictures. is this true?
- i need stability shoes (i have a slight pronation when i run)...will i be able to get stability shoes or are they simply going to give me a generic shoe and i must simply hope that i don;t develop shin splints in them?
- how long do we get for showers? i hear that women get to shower more often and alloted a tad bit longer than men...for obvious hygienic reasons. is this true?
- do we get warm water for showers?
- do we showering in the am or pm? it would suck to shower in the am and then go out to pt during the winter with wet hair.
- can we have chapstick and can we carry it around with us in our pockets at all times?
- do women ever get hit on by other recruits or drill sergeants? I'd venture to say no, but i've heard stories.
ok, so, sorry for the million questions. if you can't answer them all, no worries. Hope your training is going well. Thanks so much for taking the time to help out!
I joined the Army back in June and am leaving for basic in a month now and I was starting to get a little scared and worried. Your advice made me feel so much better thank you so much. The only other advice or info I was getting was from my husband who is in the Army but like you said guys won't admit it was hard and on top of it he is Infantry.
hey thank you so much for putting something like this up here. I really appreciate it. Im only 14 and i am so interested in going in the army! I have always wanted to go in since i was 5. this is my goal. everyone has told me that i cant do it, and that i am not fit. but i begged to differ
Jessica thank you so much for this I'm (like Raquel) enlisted and going to ft Jackson 20110110! I'm very excited and have been working on my running, sit ups, and push ups. I was shown these when asking how to prepare for basic: http://hundredpushups.com/week1.html for push ups
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml for running
http://www.twohundredsitups.com/week1.html for sit ups
so far they've been very helpful and everyday it seems a little easier. I know I can make the one mile time my concern has been 2 miles or more. But again thank you so much for sharing your experience it's obviously helped a lot of us. Thank you.
hello jessica!!
i'm heather. i'm 19 years old from ga and i'm leaving for fort jackson on nov 15 2010!! i'm so excited and nervous and anxious and about a million other emotions. your article really helped calm me down a little bit :) i do have a few questions for you,
along with raquel's questions,do the drill sargeants really try to break you down, and how do they try to do that? i'm really curious about how far they will go.
thanks so much!!
Hi, i am talking with a recruiter right now and i seem to be thinking alot about this.I have a feeling that God is truly going to allow this to happen for me what a blessing. I am nervous would you say that this was a good idea for your life and would you change it if u could. Also if i am enlisted as an E2 will it benifit me at all?
Wow this sure gives some food for thought! I have a meeting with a recruiter on Tuesday and of course, he's male. But, hearing your side of the story has reassured me. Thanks so much for the details!
i am a 18 year old female. im 5'7 5'8 bout 172lbs. im considering joining some branch of the military. why did u pick army? why did u decide to join? were u active duty or reserves? i come from a long line of military serving males lol so ill be the first female to join in my family. i feel like it might help me fiqure out what i want in life. im currently a senior in high school. iv joined a gym to start training. im worried about the mental training though. how can i prepare myself for the mental part of the training? thank u so much for posting this.
Hey, great article..I am thinking of joining the army and I am wondering what the life was like...just one question though...there are a lot of incidents of rape..is it true?if yes..any preventive measures?
thanks so much I've been looking for something like this it has really helped army here i come
To Heather up there- I leave for Ft. Jackson Nov. 21! Crazy..Anyways this page was awesome to read, all the other advice I had gotten was so vague. Im a physically tiny girl so I am worried about the physical aspect but there is no way I will give up and I am so glad I have some insight now. I just wish I could have found this sooner!
Do you think 39 is too old to join the army?
I would like to hear more about your expirence with the army, because i'm really interested in joining and doing my best and i would like to know more of what i'm up against.
Feel free to email me at
Hell_kiser@hotmail.com or add it as msn.
(: thankyou.
good comments for the most part. id recommend it to others with a caveat. you said this: "Never forget your professional attitude as a soldier, let alone as a female soldier representative." which is also good advice, but taken in the context of your comments about the guys being dicks it makes me wonder: why are the standards of professionalism different for women? why do guys get off the hook just because theyre guys? doesnt make sense to me and just seems like more double-standards when your message is to not expect a double standard (ie special treatment) because youre female. if thats the case, why should guys get a double-standard that allows them to get away with unprofessional behavior just because of a "boys will be boys" stereotype? bottom line is there shouldnt be any double-standards. reality is that there are. thats all. otherwise, good post.
My name is Christina. Next month I will be 37 years old. I have always wanted to be in the military. I dropped out of school.I married at a young age to an Air Force man and had four children. I was in a long, bad marriage and was not allowed to go to school or go in the military or have a job for that matter. In 2005, I got divorced. In 2006, I remarried a man in the Army who I met on match.com and he was in Iraq at the time. He taught me courage and pride and what it meant to be a soldier. Unfortunately, his truck was hit by an IED and he was injured and had to leave the service. In 2007, my exhusband had visitation with my children and never returned them. I managed to have my kids off and on for six months at a time only to have their father keep them again. Because he kept them for so long, he was able to get joint custody with one more day than me. He is the primary parent. After feeling hopeless and wanting to give up, I told my husband how much I wanted to join the Army. I wanted to pick up myslef up and take this opportunity to make something of myself and make my kids proud of me. I figured since I didn't have full custody but joint, that the Army would let me join and when I complete all of my training, I could get my kids back for good. My exhusband recently got out of the military for mental illness and has no job. He told me if I joined the military he would give me the kids back. My husband encouraged me to get my GED and after 17 years of not being in school, it was very difficult. Two years ago, I talked to a recruiter and took my ASVAB test. I went to meps and passed everything and I did pretty good considering my age and lack of schooling. But unfortunately, I had a recruiter who wasn't very interested in helping me. Two months went by and I talked to him and he told me he dropped the ball on me and wasn't doing his job. I worked out and got physically fit. I was ready to go. But months went by of not hearing from my recruiter and I couldn't reach him. Finally, when I talked to his boss, he told me they no longer take the GED and I missed my window of opportunity. I was devistated. I gave up on my dream. I worked at a pizza pub and became manager until recently. I was not happy. I just moved to Colorado. I decided I wanted to try again. I talked to a recruiter and he said they still won't take me with a GED. After talking it over with my husband, I decided the next best thing would be the Army National Guard. For the past month, I have been trying to schedule a date to retake my test. I am having trouble getting in touch with my recruiter once again. I get discouraged because the sooner I get through this, the sooner I get my kids. I am very anxious to go to school and learn new things. In the mean time, I am getting back in shape and trying to study as much as possible. I am going to go active duty Army after a year in the guard. I will not give up on my dream. I want the same pride my husband showed and experience the same love he has for the Army. I love this country and want to support it any way I can. Thank you for your post. It is very helpful. I worry if I can keep up with the young girls and guys in basic. But I will give it all I've got. I keep telling myself I am as young as I feel. I feel very young. I love trying new things. And I feel like I can do anything I put my mind to. I don't want to live with regrets. I regret not joining sooner, but now is my chance. If anyone has any good advice and encouragement, please feel free to give it to me. Sorry for the long post, but if I don't add details, you will just wonder and ask more questions. lol. Thank you.
Reading this i see alot of females feeling the same way i felt when i left, you're orignial article is not far from the truth but BCT has definitly changed over the years and it sounds as though u joined a few years back. I made it through basic in Februray and am done with all of my training. Unlike some females i did not cut my hair, i was not lucky to not have my period, and i definitly did not fit the mold coming into the army. Basic was proabaly the thing i feared most in my entire civillian life, but once you get through two weeks you realize certain things; Drill SGTs are gonna smoke you, youll be fine, and you wont run everyday they are smart about it its different muscle every other day, pushups and situps one day and running the next (that repeats) they give u a day between working each muscle to build up ur strength and let ur body heal. Before i left i admit i didnt work out i still smoke cigerettes like crazy and i was just out of shape. Drill SGTS know that half of everyone does that too, they will build u up, you wont be expected right when u get there to be the perfect soldier; they want to achieve that there. Slowly they build u to be faster and to wear the Uniform and know what that truely means. Truely make sure that u have someone to write to you if u can; because at the end of the day at mail call nothing will make ur day seem worth it more when u hear ur name and have some inspiring words to keep you going from family or friends; plus ur cut off from the world other then that so its nice to know people still remember. if anyone has any questions about joining, i would be happy to answer.
hilary.minkler@us.army.mil
Hi Jess im 27 and I wanted to join the military since i was in high school but life got in the way and i never got the chance. Right now I have the opportunity to do it and i must say im a bit terrified because Im such a perfectionist and i don't wanna fail. Your article definitely helped but i would love to get your advice on so many things in addition to BCT please email me @ livehard1010@gmail.com
Im 20 yrs old deciding if the army is the best choice for me i have a 2yr old daughter that i love so much but i just want to know if the army will better me as a person and money wise to?
Hey jess I have a important question.
Please feel.free to.txt or.call
{1347} 694-9919
I support any woman who can make it in the Army IF she can pass the same exact standards of a male's test. Why should the safety of a combat unit be hampered by someone who just can't DO the same things? As a rule I am against women in the military. It is a distraction and a way for men to CHEAT while away from their spouses and significant other.
Hi,
I've been thinking / wanting to join for a LONG time. I'm now just turned 27. Now having been thru college and having a successful 'corp' career I realized - this climbing the corp latter, getting a bigger office, etc. is just so not for me. I really want to be part of a bigger purpose. Have a career that I really feel strongly for, and proud of.
I've finally decided to join - finally! I'm actually meeting a recruiter tomorrow. Thanks for all this info. I've also done major research online to get info, but I found your posts very helpful to me.
I know this will be tough. But I'm tough, I do work out, and I'm the type of person when I decide to do something I do it and try to do it the best that I can. I expect this to be more of a challenge because I am a bit older and because I am female. I'm doing what I can to best prepare myself both physically and mentally. So thank you so much for helping me better prepare / set my expectations.
Just wanted to say thanks a lot for taking the time to pass on your experiences!
This really helped me make my decision better... Im only 15 now but I have been VERY interested in the Army since I was in 6th grade! So thank you very much! :)
u know what u are getting yourself into when u join, so y complain about it. I was getting tried of just reading about the complants. Only an insecure woman would get mad at not just a man but anyone for judging them any way. Im going to better my country and myself fuck everything your thinking or saying about me. Everyone should have that train of thought, people care about the wrong things. You should just worry about doing your damn best at everything u do.
Great post and true as hell. The difference between basic training and AIT is like a shot through the head and a knee graze. The females - In 12 weeks they change from simple grown friendly women into bitchy, back stabbing, clique-making, pre-menstrual competitive insecure animals. This was due to the pressure of having to prove themselves constantly i'm sure. Those who are seen as weak are picked on and treated as if they were dirt. Be prepared. Have thick skin. Get fit and learn as much as you can from www.armystudyguide.com before you go.
I don't know if you will answer me. But me and my husband are joining the army and I am nervous. I am not really what you would call tough skin but I don't consider myself that. See I was a u.s. gymnast and now a coach. I am 23 and had college so I will be a e-3. I an quite so I am don't think I will whine or boast. I just need to know more. because of my back ground I can do seventeen push UPS but its hard. just give me a text please. At 601 551 0014
I didn't read all the comments, but I read most of them.
My only problem with my upcoming bct in april is:
I have really really weak arm muscles.
Leg muscles, they are just fine. I could run, and run, and run.
But ask me to do a pushup, and I cannot get off the ground nor can I do it correctly.
What is a way to improve this problem before april comes around?
I'm pretty scared to join. Because of death. But my heart is telling me to join and what ever happen...happen
wow, thanks for posting this. =)i was actually planning on going tomorrow to sign up, but im gonna wait and get myself into shape first.. this is great info and exactly what i need.
i have my brother and step brother who are in the army, along with their wives.. altho i cant talk to them to get any info from them cuz they're away.
do you regret anything from joining? and any advice on when going through everything, and might feel like its too hard?
I served for three years. The poster is spot-on about getting in shape before you enter service. It will make the whole ordeal of basic training so much easier. I was 18 when I joined and terribly naive. There are some great male soldiers, and there are those who will not have respect for you as a woman. Stick to your job and the tasks of preparing yourself for promotions. I could tell you some not so great stuff, but I would not for one minute want to dissuade any woman from realizing her dream of service. Just remember, you will be in the minority, and don't get all caught up in the guy thing. Duty stations only last so long-a few months at the least, a few years at the most. People know that-and sadly act accordingly. Pick your friends and aquaintances wisely.
hi , im keira and i love every thing you said , my husband was in the army , and i just went to M E P S , im waiting to go to basic .
this made me feel good about what im about to do , i think its the best real life advice iv seen .
thank you so much for steeping up and talking about what really go's on. your awsome .
This I found while searching "Being a female soldier" on google
I suggest EVERYONE read this.
Im 15 and Im going to join the Army.
Ive decided to keep in with my decision on joining the Army even after reading this.
http://dissidentvoice.org/2011/02/is-this-how-we-t
Im going to be an MP and I will try my hardest to bring notice to this subject.
Hi I would like to thank you for this! I will be going in soon and my husband was in the Marine Corps so it is pointless to get any info from him about females in Army basic! Thank you again!
I want to join the army, but i have tons of questions. I know it'll be tough but its a challenge i'm willing to do.
Hey thankyou so much to whoeva wrote all this its made me feel so much better about joining. I am a sports person i play football, rugby, hockey and tennis im used to slightly hard training and i no the army training is going to be rough but it doesnt worry me. And ive had shit from girls all my life but im a very hard worker i work 50 hours a week work 8 hours a week sports training and 6-7 hours a week playing matchs so hopefully the other girls there wont be a problem im just scared of dieing. And i dont know what job i want to do in the army can u help me??
Such a great hub , and you shared some great information for women that want to join the army. I thinkthe main point is your heart has to be in it. It can't be just for the love of army clothing !! You rock :)
I just wanted to say thank you for posting this. i leave april 11th for basic. this has to be the best article i have read so far. once again thank you, thank you, thank you(:
You are soooooooooooooo great! :)
I'm 21yrs of age and i want to join the forces here in the Philippines. i graduated last year in my bachelors degree but id luv to end up seeing myself
wearing the same uniform that u put on. :) but i hav a problem... my height. oh no, no. :( i dont think i'm qualified. GODBLESS...
This is a great post! I have been contemplating joining the army for several years now, all the while researching the conditions for women. I have heard and read many responses from men about BCT, though none from women, so it's a relief to read about a woman's experience. I like to do a lot of research before making a big decision, such as signing myself over for 4+ yrs, and this article cleared up several questions/details I had. Even the comments that follow your post are helpful. Everyone has a story, either about wanting to join or that they already have joined: it's conveinant to read it all in one place. So thanks to all of you!
One last thing, I don't know if anyone else caught this, but I read a post from cameron FLETCHER saying "when I was in the army some of the officers raped me". The next commenter, Hadassah, responded kindly asking what happened. I didn't see a reponse from Cameron, so this is a question for the next reader: have you heard of or experienced rape/sexual harrassment while in the army? Was anything done about it? If so, what? Or if anyone knows if this is a common occurance or not? I am curious about this and have yet to get a straight answer. I hear/read that the % of women who claim such either case is gradually increasing each year or it's not that common. Either way, I thought it was an odd post that many missed...but there ARE a lot of responses over the past 2 yrs. Incredible that this post is STILL helping women, very young women at that, make a decision about serving their country. Again, thank you Jessica for sharing your knowledge on BCT! =]
I posted a couple of months ago. Not sure if you still check this but I swore in on Wednesday, March 23rd 2011. There are no words, really... I'm so full of pride, excitement, sense of duty... Well I leave for basic on 9/20. Spending my bday at Basic LOL (10/20). I am 35W - Signal. Very excited! I'm soooo working hard on my fitness. Got the push ups and situps down packed. My run... um I am short 5'1". So I have some work to do to improve my run time. Just wanted to say thanks again. Hope you're well. Look forward to anymore posts! Hope to put some up myself so we can share more about what it's like to be a female soldier now-a-days. Thanks, Daisy
how short do you get your hair cut ? like cuz i definitely dont wanna get mold in my hair.
I leave for Basic in 18 days. I was also wondering how short you can cut it but still be able to put it up in a pony underneath the hat.
thank you for that i have found that it was very helpful and i feel so much more confedent than ever.
This was an incredibly helpful article. I'm 16, and I've decided I need to do something more with my life. I've been through some military school, which I actually really enjoyed. Joining the Army is something I've always considered, but never knew enough about. I've taken your advice and talked to people who were in the Army, and that was pretty insightful too, but your article told me what I was really wanting to hear. Thank you so much! [=
HI! Are there any young female soldiers in their 20s that is stationed in Virginia? If so I would like to talk. I'll be joining soon. I'm 24 years old and live in Virginia. I just left from Ft.Lee to get a glimpse in how the army life is out there =)
Female 33 I have been wrestling in my mind about joining and I also have dreamed about it so I really think I gonna go for it
I'm writing a book and in it the main girl character and her husband join the army. The story is in the point of a girl an I need to know what goes on in the army since I want it to be as realistic as I can get it.
Rachel. 11
I was thinking about joining the army but i need to do research becaue I have 3 kids that are 6,5 and 4... I wanna know how long training is? What should I go for because I dont want to be away from my kids for a long period of time...where can I look for info and should I join
I am a mother looking into OCS and will have to go to Basic Training beforehand. I really enjoy what you shared here, and was wondering if you know anything about the officer side of things. Thanks!
OC Momma:-)
What do you think about an 18 year old woman joining the army after high school?
I am an officer in the army reserves and I have been in for 26 years. I've done active duty, reserves and deployed twice to Iraq. WHat I can say to those of you thinking of joining is this: It can be a fabulous experience and is one of the very few professions left where you can serve twenty years and get a pension with medical benefits. That is great peace of mind in this uncertain world. As for having young children and joining, you have to think long and hard about how willing you are to be separated from your children. I have three kids and can tell you that my multiple deployments were hard for them. Fortunately they were old enough to understand why I was gone but it still wasn't easy. Even though it seems like we are reducing the number of soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan you never know what the future holds and if you join the military you are making a commitment to deploy and be away from your family for long stretches of time. It isn't always like that, but you have to be prepared for it. Being in the military will teach you skills that will benefit you in all other aspects of your life such as leadership skills, responsibility, loyalty and the ability to serve a cause greater than yourself. It is a noble calling and a great career. Remember that you can join the reserves and not active duty and get the same training and benefits but also have the option of having a civilian life too. I've tried both and I love being in the reserves. Good luck to all
Lexi..I was also wandering the same thing because I would like to join right after high school. Mary...is it normal to be afraid before you join? I mean don't get me wrong, I definitely want to join, but I'm kind of nervous. And any advice on whether I should go to college before joining?
Hi, Jessica!
You did an incredible job on this hub. It's a perfect example of sharing a compelling story and giving advice based on personal experience. It's obviously payed off for you and I am glad to see it.
Hi, I don't know if you still check this but I just wanted to thank you for this very informative article. I am considering joining the Canadian forces and have a lot of questions about what I can expect as a female (I dont personally know any female officers).
Hi your post help me put alot I googled this when I started high achool but could not find anything so im glad you posted this. Im going into Grade 12 and still loast on what I would like to do when i am older, but i have always knew I would like to become something to help and safe others. And make my friends ans family happy. For a long time I was considering a police officer, but now im looking more and more into becoming a soldier. I am extremely little im 17 and i only weigh 100 pounds. So lately i have been contemplating weather or not i would be able to become a solider or not. Is there any tips you would give to me ?
Hi thanks this was very helpful! I'm 17 And want to become a nurse for the army. Does most of this stuff go along for the nurses to for the most part
Thank you very much i found this very helpful i would like to be in the army or possibly a nurse in the army so if anyone has any more information please pass your knowledge on to me Thankyou
ash
ashleysierra1203@hotmail.com
i really want to be in the army but worry about whether i would be able to do/handle it. im fifteen but im small, only like just under 5 foot and i don't think im going to grow any more. im quite strong though because i rock climb and stuff.
by the way this is the first helpful article ive found about girls joining the army so thanks for putting this up.
i would mostly like to be a doctor in the army, could anyone tell me if its likely that i will be able to do that?
thanks!
Thank you SO much for the information! I am 22 years old and am swearing into the active Army this wednesday after my physical and I'll be working as a Human Intelligence Collector.
I'm incredibly nervous about BCT, because of all the stories I've heard, but at the same time I'm beyond excited. I'm probably the most feminine girl a person will ever come across as well. I always wear makeup, my hair is always done, and I constantly try to look my best. I think it's going to be extremely hard for me to deal with 9 weeks of the exact opposite of my lifestyle haha, but in my mind it's absolutely worth it.
LUCKILY I was put with the most amazing recruiter. He's been supportive through this entire process and he's never once pressured me at all, whatsoever. So I'm sorry you ended up with a horrible recruiter. No bueno, haha.
But anyway, thank you so much for serving our country.. and thank you for writing this. It was much needed. :)
Basic was a synch, and every MOS training is easy except for 89D and k9. If a guy trys to hit on you and says he's never felt like this before dont believe them, especially if they have a PV2 rank on their chest. Sleeping with your battle swill title you as a whore and ruin your army future. I recomend pretending to be gay or celebate they leave you alone eventually
you probably dont check this anymore but i want to thank you for writing this.
i am 14 and have been thinking about this for ages im even doing it for my work expiriance next year which will show me whats its like.
the problem is,is that im tiny and havent grown in ages and im scared that i wont be able to carry the rucksacks on the march. also im not a very good runner but i go for a run every day and i am getting better at it. i will try and contacts you soon to see if you can answer my quesitions.
thank you so much for this i really appiciate it.
I'm only 15 right now, but have wanted to be part of the army for years. I like this article because I can't find another one as helpful. Do you have any more advice? My email is pennast10@aol.com.
I'm only 15 right now, but have wanted to be part of the army for years. I like this article because I can't find another one as helpful. Do you have any more advice? My email is pennast10@aol.com.
This is really helpful info on the army. I now know the requirements for female soldiers, but I had a question, do doctors also have to be physically fit to join the army in the medical department?And if so, then how much fit?
Are you still in the Military? I am thinking of joining. in Australia But :)
Can a person who is over 300 lbs join the army? Also, I'm 23 and I have decided that if my BF had to join because of those papers they make the 18 yr old boys sign that I would join to and be very determined to join. I may not be 100% physically fit and I say this because up hill training (I mean my walks up hill) cause me to get winded and my heart pounds like crazy like it is being constricted but I don't give up. I just don't want to give up. And I want to be by my BF's side all the time so if he has to go I want to go too and fight alongside him. I am familar with heavy loads. We moved quite alot and I did the heavy lifting along with my step dad and step brother. One time we moved I helped the movers and one of them told my mother how surprised he was with the fact that I kept moving the furniture even when they were winded and taking it slow. She told me but I didn't boast nor brag because it was a job that needed to be done and I helped finish it. I am sensitive to yelling (or mean behavior) due to some physical child abuse I suffered from my neighbor when he was asked to babysit one day while my mother was out. I was whipped on bare skin with a stainless steel spatula. He didn't stop even when I cried, my crying made him hit me more. Saying things like, "You gonna stop crying?" with every hit I took. Anyway that is behind me. I know I need to toughen up, but this brings me to another question. When you mentioned being tough-skinned, do you mean like retorting back at the males and females that retort at you? or just ignore them and move on? I'd really like to know more and if I might have a future in the military.
Hello. My name is Cassandra Morgan, and I am a senior. We have to do a senior research project in our senior year, and I am doing mine on women in the military. I really like some of the information you have posted on this site, but I'm not allowed to use it unless it's an actual interview with you. So if you have time for an interview, and you don't mind repeating some of the stuff you already have posted on here, please contact me at cmorgan2012@yahoo.com to tell me you're interested.
Thank you!
Hi, this was great! Very helpful. I am currently starting the process of joining the Australian Army. I think I will consider writing a blog like this.
Thank you! = )
Hi,
I'm trying to do some research for a fundraiser and could use your insights. I'm trying to figure out the habits of females in the army, all different ranks.
Basically, I am working on a beauty pageant with females enlisted in the army as contestants.
Do you think most women in the army would be open to something like this?
Is makeup, when you can apply it, important to females in the service considering it's one of the few ways to express your femininity?
Thanks,
Gillian
im only 15 and i've kinda been thinking about going into the army. and i was wondering if there is a certain length of time u need to be in the army before you can retire or just back out, because i dont really want to go in it for long i just wantto go in it so i cn go to college for less expensive.
Do you have to be given a job or can you request one?
I'm 16 and I really wanting to enlist after I turn 17 in a few months. I want to try to do split op and go to bct this coming summer but idk anyone that knows much about that. I want to find out more about and know if it's a bad idea or just to wait it out until I graduate. I wanna do it that way to split up the time away and so I can just finish ait training after i graduate and get started in college sooner. If anyone could give me any info or their opinions, I would very much appreciate it. Thanks. My email is slh_22@live.com
thanks this helped tones i will be joining in the new year and have searched the internet as you did came up on nothing!! if you have anymore advice and i would love to hear more about the living conditions please email me kristinag_021@hotmail.com thank you
How short do you have to cut your hair?
so im 5'1 and and 115 pounds, my husband is in the military and i honestly am considering joining... but im so small and alittle discouraged. any help??
hello i'm gina and i'm 17 years old.
i want to start with going to the army but i got to go to school for 3 years and after that i can go to basics.
i'm wondering is it everywhere like this or only in the netherlands
Hi! I am getting 18 this year. I attend to join the army. I am training 5-6 days a week now. I got a lot of motivation, and I know I can make it thru. My wish is to make a career in the army. Thats my goal.
This article was vey helpful to me, so I would say Thank you!! I really appreciate it. I would love some more articles on this theme ;)
My girlfriend just went to bct and is still at reception.... How likely is it that she will be harrased in some form by male counterparts? And how often would females train with males(ft. Jackson)
This is really good information. I'm thinking about joining and I found a bunch of articles about guys. Hardly anything about girls. This is good information. I really needed it. I think I'm going to join. Thanks so much.
Hey Jessica, I have a question.
Im 13 and wanting to join the army. I know I have a long way off but its something I really want to do. I'm 4 ft 11 inches and not getting much taller Anda weigh roughly 95 pounds but I'm in good health and in shape. Can I still accepted in?
Hey, this piece was really appreciated! I'm joining the Army soon, and I had some questions for u. What goes on period-wise? I mean, how is it in BT while on ur period? And I heard the showers are super short...isn't it hard to have such a short shower when ur on ur period? that def freaks me out. lol I need to be clean!! and, when did u do ur BT? in the winter or the summer? Where do u sleep at night? Is there heat when its cold? I can take being hot, I can't take being cold...I think that's pretty much all the questions I have for now. My biggest cncern is just being on my period while in BT...Thanks! :)
I'm readin' this because I need info for my History fair report. Please if you have a website with a chart where I can see the differenses between men and women requirements for push-ups, running, crunches,etc.
im intrested in doing something in the military because i need money for college. but im worried that once i get in im going to hate it! boot camp scares me! i talked to a recruiter today and he said the army reserves does not deploy and i would still be close to home. im a big girly girl and im starting to feel like im not going to last..any suggestions?
Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day and writting this for us! I am set to leave for bct next month and I am terrified. I know it will be physically demanding but my biggest worry is I will be away from my 2 year old daughter. I have never been away from her for more than 12 hrs. I will be missing her 2nd birthday and I am so scared of breaking down crying infront of someone. Don't get me wrong I am a strong woman just a sucker for my little girl. Do you have children or advise on this?
Rebekah- u posted 5 days ago... don't let ur recruiter fool u! Reserves do get deployed if they are needed, which is likely... I am joining the reserves as well, and I'm pretty much planning on getting deployed at some point because it most likely will happen... probably not to Iraq or afgahnistan but to Iran or some place... that's what my requiter told me is most likely...
What if u have contacts?? is there time to like change them or anything............... i know but its one thing im worried about
this was great to read and give's me a great idea on what to expect when i join the army after graduation. It really opened my eyes and your right on were men my think that basic training is easy, my father was a mp, in the army and he thinks it was a breeze, but he strongly believes i can make it through it.
Kathryn, I think they want you to bring glasses. It's very easy to lose contacts and you really don't want to have them in when you get gassed. I hope that helps!
i enjoyed this piece of information before joining. i am a mother and wife of a solider. there are so many reasons on my end of why i want to consider joining. after BCT would there a possible chance of being stationed at the same location as my husband?
I am on delayed enlistment right now but one of the things I am least looking forward to is bunking with a bunch of other females. What is your advice for keeping the peace? I figure if I just keep my mouth shut and keep to myself that might be best but I don't want to alienate myself either because I read another article that said developing battle buddies is important to sucecss.
I am wanting to be a female marine when i turn 18 which is next year. i know this sounds super girly and i am not gurly at all i can run with the big boys any day but just wondering do we get to bring base makeup to hide stuff on our skin even though itl come off and do we get to bring any birth control stuff? awkward ?s i know but i really wanted to know before i go into the marines.
Hey .. am on the delayed enlistment right now. & joining the USMC has always been my dream but now, I feel like quitting because it is so hard. Am the only girl in my recruiting station & I feel like am being pushed too hard because am a girl. I dnt know what to do, I really don't want to quit but I feel like I wont make it. Can you please give me some advice?
Is it required to cut your hair or was that a choice of your own?
im really undecided on weather to join the army or not... nobody says its going to be easy but i must say to MABEL....i think "the army" for us women its all about desmostrating what we are made of!!! dont quit, i know its hard being the only one but that should make you feel stronger....
i might join soon.
Hi jessica, I have been recently interested in joining the army. I am a sensitive person but I dont think I have any other choices. I am between a rock and a hard place I have a broken heart, im about to be homeless, ive got no one not even family. I dont have a job. Cant find one ive been applying for months. No calls back. Im tired of being a burden to other people. I want to make domething of myself and make mysrlf a life. im 19. Having to quit college bc I cant pay for loans bc a no job, loans will start rolling in soon and um over my head...idk whhat to do looks like wether I can handle it or not its my only choice.. Id love more info. My email is bogginkindagirl@gmail.com
Hi, I just wanted to say thank you for your service and thank you for a really helpful article! I'm almost 18 and I'm going to join the Army Reserves in 38B after my freshman year of college. Almost all of my military friends are male, so it was really helpful to hear about military life from another female. God bless!
hey Andrea I am undecided also..email me at melinda2141@yahoo.com i would like to chat to someone that is intrested in the army also
USMC Boot Camp
No makeup during the 12 weeks USMC boot camp
No makeup during 4 weeks follow up at Marine Combat Training
No need for birth control at Boot Camp.
Ginny, your situation sounds a lot like what I have gone through! I would love to talk to you more, maybe I could help you out.. I would like to say to Jessica that all of this information really helped not only me but many other women thinking/planning on joining, thank you! I am a 21yr old female that enlisted three months ago and is still counting down the last 90 days of my wait. I am so stoked about joining although i have reconsidered it a time or two, I know this is what I not only want, but also what I need!!
Hey, everyone- I'm back! I am completely blown away by the amount of comments my little article has received. I am going to write an article containing my response to any questions you want answered. Please comment with the most significant questions you have, and I'll answer them to the best of my ability. Please keep in mind that it has been a few years since I've been to Basic Training, so it might have changed since I've been there. I'm sure, though, that the atmosphere is the same. Deployment questions are a go.
Welcome back Jessica..this is my second time stumbling onto your thread. I'm two days shy of going to MEPS, just picked a job 31b Military Police. Honestly it was not my first choice, took it because due to my credit and debt (college loans & recently having things hit collections due to unemployed...) so could not get the job I wanted although I qualified.
Took 31b without actually researching it...now that I have researched it I don't think it's a good idea. I heard they pretty much are hated by other soldiers b/c they may have to impose their authority on ppl they outrank due to (traffic tickets, arrests, DUI, etc...), alot of corruption, and experience the most deployments because they are second to infantry.
I was wondering do you know anything about female Military Police at all? I know you have a different MOS but because it is so challenging just wondering if you ran into any female MP's? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Nicole, yes I have run into MPs, both male and female. I was on deployment in Afghanistan, they left the base a lot, and did a lot of security of course. They guarded the entrances to the base, helped out with emergency responses, and, yes, gave out tickets and stuff. To be honest, I didn't like very many of them. They were arrogant and, unbelievably, every single one I encountered complained about their workload. Which was funny, because it didn't sound as bad as other soldiers' workloads, especially since the Afghan security forces were being trained to do the same thing, at least as far as base security was concerned.
I also got the chance to talk to someone in another part of the US government. He said that the MPs aren't looked too highly upon for security jobs in the States (CIA etc). Don't get me wrong, they have enough influence that they have a bit more sway than the usual person, but throw in a HUMINT, HTT, HCT, PSYOP (MISO) on the application, and they are most likely to get hired, instead of the MP.
On the positve side, that can't be the solid word on everyone though- there are good people everywhere. You just have to find them. My boss came from the MPs and he's one of the best soldiers I've ever met. He's the best when it comes to cordon and searches, security, clearing procedures, and qualifying with all military weapons. I think it's a tough place to start in the Army, but work hard and it could be worth it; you can also always reclass into another MOS, as long as you didn't get any signing bonuses or are willing to give them up (though I think signing bonuses have been mostly taken away).
Like any military job, there are many different people there. It is possible you'll get attached to a unit that is good or has a couple high-speed females.
I know that there are some good MP gals who are hanging around this site. Hopefully, they'll speak up and tell you how it is, because you're right, I can only tell you what I've seen, not necessarily how it is.
You'll have your work cut out for you, just as I did, but from the sound of it, you'll be fine.If you live and work with the motivation to work hard, don't lose your temper or your cool, DON'T CRY, and learn learn learn, you'll see that you can go through any situation and succeed. Keep me posted on how everything goes. I'll be rooting for you!
Hi! I just stumbled in your thread and I just wanted to say this was really interesting and very much informative. I do have a few questions though. Are there any hazing incidents around the military? You see, I'm not really American, and our Armed Forces have these behind the scenes hazing rituals in the BTC. Don't get me wrong, I'm fine with physical training, since I do try to be fit, but I just wanted to make sure there aren't these things in your services..
And next, can an alien be a military personel? I'm 15, and a junior, and I really want to be in the army, but I don't like my country's forces. A friend of mine openly said that I could do well in the Army, but doesn't want me in our forces. I want to be a Marine, but as I said, I'm not American. Sadly...
Its so to see so many females wanting to join. I just enlisted in the Army today. I'll be a 25U Signal Support Systems Specialist at a rank of E-3 Private First Class. I am so excited and terrified at the same time! Despite my stepdad being an Army Vet, my parents are very angry about my decision and currently totally unsupportive. I hope they will change their minds when I graduate BCT! I'll be active duty for 4 years. BCT at FT Sill, OK and AIT for 16 weeks at FT Gordon, GA. It still hasn't fully sunk in that I am a Future Soldier. So far, swearing in has been the proudest moment in my life. Even receiving an Associate's degree didn't come close to that moment!
Hi,im leaving for BCT in July and i was wondering how many push-ups you think you did a day.
where did you shower
hundreds
Hi, I m an Indian. I have searched the whole net but there r some information on women soldiers. So thanks for your opinion. I know I'll join the Indian Army but the basic training will be almost same. I am just 14 years now but as soon as I complete my 12th I will join the Indian Army for sure. I am very much interested in Army so if you have any other information regarding Army training so please mail me at my email address i.e. is Shubhanginiee@gmail.com
Thank you everyone for serving! I have always been very interested in the army and have dated men in the service. They have told me their stories but after reading this it's completely different from a female's perspective. I am 5'6-5'7 and 145lbs. I have no problem with the pt but i know there is more to bct then just pushups, situps, and running. Some of my questions are: what are some other difficult tasks in bct besides the pt? I've researched many cases of rape. How many cases have you heard of? Can you give more info on your experience(s) of deployment?
I must apologize for my rare articles. So far, I have compiled these four reoccurring questions that are not easy to answer in just a few questions: What are your experiences on deployment? Just how bad is the PT in BCT, pushups etc?, Is there hazing in the Army? Are there many cases of rape in the Army?
All of these questions will require a supremely verbose answer with multiple tiers of information. I am rather busy, so it might take me a bit of time to write a useful article that won't be a waste of time for you; I want all of you to be able to gain something from it. I will try to get it posted before some of you ship off to BCT.
Keep researching and good luck!
Kathryn, you're actually not allowed to wear contacts in BCT. They will issue you some "fashionable" glasses that we tend to call BCGs (aka- birth control glasses). I heard they were going to change them so they looked better, but I haven't heard if they actually did or not. Do not wear your contacts, you will get in trouble if you get caught; since they have your medical information, you will. Also, bring some really good defogger (if you're shipping out in the summer) for your glasses. A lot of people had a hard time seeing through their glasses and the required eye protection while conducing rifle qualifications.
I couldn't stop laughing when I read what you said about the other females making things terrible in BCT! Boy is that the truth!
When I went through the guys got along better than the females and the guys had fist fights pretty regularly!
Great Hub! Way to go!
Jessica,
This is so helpful to me. I am a senior in High School thinking seriously about the military and haven't really made up my mind. What scares me the most is Training! I am a highly active athlete but it still scares me to death for some reason. I guess it is the face that I don't what to really expect. I have a family of Vets and they agree with your analysis. Thank you for the help, I will take it into consideration! I am pretty sure the Army will be my decision!
Hey Jessica, wow welcome back! Thank you so much for serving our country! I am 26F, who already have a university degree. I am wondering if I am a bit too old to be joining the military..I am quite worried because I am told from many people that at my age I should be focusing on marriage and family. To be honest, I am not sure right now. I do not have the confidence or experience to find a job for what I want..I am thinking of maybe doing a second degree while I am joining the military. However, I want to know, what are the chances of deployment for the first 4 years and do we have a choice to pick out where we want to be based? How is the schedule like everyday? How many hours of training and schooling? I am sorry for throwing in so many questions, I have been researching around lately but some questions are still left unanswered.
How many weman over 30 did u see while in bootcamp
Great article. I was in the Army for 4 years as a journalist and went to boot camp at 17 (prior enlistment). I didn't mind my long hair as much as other things, but i remember it like yesterday! This was very informative, great job!
i have now turned 15 and i have looked into joining the british army for so long.
how can you learn to do press ups because there a big problam for me concidering i dont have alot of upper body strenth but im working on it.
would it be the same for the british army as it is in the u.s army?
this is the big question i wanted to ask but want job could a girl do in the army to let her go on the front line sometimes? Or just go out on patrols because thats what i really want to be doing.
please email me at abbiehnr123@hotmail.com because i have a tone of questions to ask you.
thank you.
Hey that was really good information. you did amazing at explaining what to expect. also I am thinking about joining the army since i graduated in december. The only things i really need to work on are the taking naps and snacking because i weight 219 lbs. and i really wanted to get into shape and help people at the same time. Its going to be really hard only getting 2 1/2 hours of sleep. but its worth it. I cant wait to join the army thanx for the information. You can comment/email me back at breauna777@hotmail.com Thank you so much!
Such a wonderful post, you really broke down the truth because I was nervous about enlisting. But its just hard work in BCT. I might can do it! I really appreciate this; woman need this advice before going.
I'm looking to go into the Australian army, so i have to say it's good to hear the experiences of a female soldier who just went in and dealt with the experience instead of whinging about men being men. Good luck on any future deployments, show them we don't need special treatment.
Hola! I'm 14 going on 15 and don't what to do in the future. I really can't find anything that makes me go "I have to be . . ." I enjoy traveling and science so i thought maybe becoming a medic in the army would be a good option, but i also wish to fly because i will be learning to soon. So my question is whats the difference between training; daily life and retirement of the Army and Airforce? Also is it true that girls are not allowed to be apart of the Marines?
Thanks for the article and reading this maybe I'll email you too!
o k that is needed oldendayes what americans thinks compalsarey joining in armey its needed when americans mind set wants pace o god you only set the americans mindeset to pace
@Monica-
Females ARE allowed to serve in the USMC.
They have been allowed in the USMC since 1942 when congress passed the Women's Armed Forces Integration Act, which authorized women in the regular component of the Corps. (however, at that time, women were only allowed to be 2 percent of the total force and it wasn't until during or around 1995 that women were authorized to be trained/utilized as aviators.)
The first woman recorded to be in the USMC was during the war of 1812, when a woman named Lucy Brewer disguised herself as a man.
Sorry...hope I didn't overstep any boundaries-really wanted to answer that question.
I'm 13 and i would love to join the Army or maybe the Navy.I know i am still young to people to be thinking about joining the Navy, but it is what i would love to do. I think it is a fantastic experience in life.My dad regrets never joining the army,and he is very encouraging and supports me for what i want to do but my sister started the basic army training and she left because it was to much for her and to much stress,but i feel i would be able to cope. Me and my brother who is 17 would love to join the Army. Thankyou very much for all of the help and information,it has been very helpful.
Hi, I'm 13, and I want to join, what are things I could do right now that would help me jion the national guard at 17?
You conveniently forgot the most important bit of information for a female to consider before joining the army:
A female in the army is more likely to be raped by her own comrade-in-arms US soldiers than killed in combat.
I agree, making a decision to join the military should not be made lightly by either sex, as both sexes get raped in the military.
(Anyone joining the military needs to understand and accept/acknowledge that by joining and putting yourself in harms way-you could be raped, mutilated, tortured, maimed and/or killed.)
The numbers of rape in the Army has gone up astronomically in the past couple of years, however in lieu of this, the Army has implemented more aggressive SHARP Training (Sexual Harassment/Assault Response & Prevention,) to help identify and prevent sexual harassment/assault. This training is geared towards soldiers as a whole with a: "We protect our own/we are all battle buddies," message, and so far, its working.
As a female soldier with 7 years in already-I respect and trust my guys and they feel the same way about me. That's all there is to it.
Two SHARP Training Videos:
Amateur night (A lighter video):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbC8hXR6rnA
And Part one of the Training VIDEOS (the initial training was around 2-3 hours long and involves power point presentations, lots discussion between the class, etc....):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5lipn7aOMA
Does rape/sexual harassment/assault happen? Hell yeah it does-in all services and outside of the military as well as inside the military. The best way to prevent an incident from happening is to be smart, use common sense and be prepared-just in case something does happen.
Hi Jessica, I am considering joining the army and am a senior in high school and am trying to find out everything I can before finalizing this decision, was wondering what goes on if you're on your period during BCT and any other suggestions you have. Thank you!
Wow! This was great to read! Best stuff I'v seen so far about women in the Army. Thanks! I leave for basic in less than a week and I'm debating weather to cut my hair. Do you think it was easier going in with short hair?
i found this very helpful and have alot more questions...i am also a mother and i really want to join have for a long time...my husband supports this 100% and my daughter but everyone else thinks im crazy and has literally yelled at me for it ( mostly his mom and my parents ) i wanted so opinons on how people feel about a mother joining the army. I want whats best for my kids and being a server for the rest of my life is not gonna do that...
Maybe, some day, I want to become a soldier.
Wow! it seems so hard! but why did you want to join the army?
I'm 35 and looking to join the Army National Guards or reserves and I'm told it's just too hard for my age. Your article was very helpful to read from another female that has been there. The men just keep telling me "Don't do it!
hello,
im a sophmore at a charter school and i would love to join the army.im a very strong girl and i love it when i have to work hard for something.one of the main things i worry about is thinking that im over weight.well yes i am but not extremely,does that effect me alot?another thing...pushups,i do very poorly on those, when they go in for basic training are we suppose to be well prepared and already knowing how to do pushups or over the time in basic training do we eventully learn????im very excited but very nervouse!i loved youre hub it was great thankyou so much and please comment back i would really appreciate it:)thank you and lots of love!!
I'm also an Australian female looking at joinin our armed forces. This has been the only info on being a female in the armed forces I have found, so thank you for writing this!
do a female hav to take birth control wen doing basic training?
who want share fate airman ashton goodman?
My short hair was a nightmare because it was too short for a bun but touched my collar. I haven't done more than trim it my past 3 years in the Army because a bun is much easier than a haircut every few weeks (in basic, females were not allowed to get their hair trimmed).
@Crystal Wow! This is news to me! When I went through seven years ago, we were allowed to cut our hair. (Although it wasn't allowed for the first couple of weeks of training.)
Good to know!
I feel really late commenting on this post from several years ago, but I was wondering if you could give me some more information about the army. I’m in 10th grade (female) and about 5' 00" and around 95 pounds. Am I too little for the army? And how bad really is it? I can never find any information about it on the internet. I like to thing that I am rather tough skinned, but I do know when I get extremely frustrated I do tend to get emotional, I wouldn’t go as far as crying, but I get upset. Maybe I’m just not mature; I mean I’m only 16! Lol. But can you tell me more about being in the army? I want to know all the negatives, but positives to. I’d like to know what I’m getting into before deciding this is something I’m interested in pursuing. And I do have long hair, it’s not thick but it’s about the middle of my back. And it’s not required I cut it, correct? I did read how you said it could get nasty, but I just love my hair too much to part with it… Hope I don’t sound selfish or anything? ? So if you could pretty please let me know any more please email me.. Garloch_a@yahoo.com Thanks in advance!!!
I'm interested in joining the military, but. Not quiet sure what to expect Mentally. I'd really like to know more about the life of a female in the military. My emails starssprkl3@yahoo.com
Hey Jessica, I'm currently a sophomore in high school and I have been considering joining some branch of military since about the seventh grade. Just recently, at a college fair, as I came across the Westpoint stand, and got to talk and get get more information, did I realize that this is what I really wanted to do. Do you happen to know how difficult it is to get into the school? Also, I'm not the most athletic person. In this sense, i definitely can't do 112 sit-ups in 2 minutes.Although, with all this considered, I am willing to work hard. P.S. do you need to be able to do pull-ups?
thanks so much
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2008/04/28
I WAS CONSIDERING JOINING THE ARMY,BUT IDONT KNOW NOW,AFTER READING THIS ARTICLE.
I leave to Ft.Jackson on May 15th. I'm freaking out but this article is much appreciated!!! I feel more prepared on what to expect. Also, I have really long thin hair, but I'm gonna cut it now for sure! Moldy hair, yeesh!
Joining the army has been on my mind for a few years now but I'm just not sure. This article definitely helps on some questions I have. I do have other questions though such as...
1. what if I don't know what I want to do in the army? Like K9 or infantry, etc? I don't want a recruiter to talk to because they're tricky.
2. If a person is on meds are they allowed to join still? Can they take their meds with them?
3.
Sorry my phone being retarded...
3. Do they get to break one or two of your bones so you know what it feels like or is that somewhere different?
4. If you don't pass somewhere along the way, do you get to try again?
5. Do you get to pick where you get stationed?
6. And as far as dealing with the other females, is it better to ignore them or what?
7. How many years do you have to do as minimum?
8. Can I get a different recruiter if he/she isn't helping me?
I have more questions but I'll leave it at these ones.
If you could respond at anytime I would so very much appreciate it! If its easier to respond by email mine is Lindsey1103@cox.net
An absolute gem of an article on the US Army BCT experience for a female. My wife is in Week 6 currently @ Ft. Jackson and everything you mentioned about "other females" and the male attitude towards the female soldier is correct....110%. Thank you for this and H00AH!
I was curious to know, if you or people that you knew in the military, if they came out of the military experience feeling differently or thinking differently? I mean how different are they from the person they were? Do they still enjoy the same things, same friends?
I've always heard that it's life changing and I want to know how much of yourself do you sacrifice to be a soldier?
Oh I forgot a contact email: r_stephani@ymail.com
Fascinating description of what it's like for a woman to be in the military. I've never even considered it as a career and wouldn't be well-suited, but your story is very compelling.
I was wondering if you're going to make this your lifelong career?
Hey Im considering going in to the military. This was very insightful
I gotta say this was a great read and dead on. My only thing is that there are males just like females that slip through the cracks and are less than qualified for the military. I should know since I'm in the UMUC and I often wonder how in holy hell did they get past bootcamp?! Haha otherwise, thanks for putting this information out there. I'm looking into transfering and the AF doesn't want me so looks like I'm going Army for now. I don't think it'll be much of a difference though except for the fact that my PT while operational is running in the base lake with our mock M16s over our heads, full combat gear on, and with rucks. FML. :)
Hi
Id like to start off by saying great info iv looked everywhere and didn't seem satisfied wth what I found until now. Also I had a question. Iv been considering for a long time joining the army but I'm a lil concerned bout the training. I was wondering how the hand to hand combat training is for females? Iv never thrown a punch really so I'm nervous specially if I had to train with a guy. If youd like my email is saramarie1206@gmail
Thank you
SweetiePie Level 6 Commenter 3 years ago
This is an amazing hub packed with great advice. By the way I think you look cute with short hair too, but I can understand not wanting to cut it either. I used to have really long hair down past my butt until I was twenty, but I decided to cut it short for a few years. I have it longer again now, but I think both long and short hair can be cute, but short hair is definitely easier to take care of. My sister is not in the military, but for her job she always has to put her hair up in a bun, and I think that would drive me a little wonky because I hate putting my hair up.
These are really good tips for women thinking about joining the military, and I am sure lots of people will get some good information here.