Navy Boot Camp

Your Guide to Navy Boot Camp, the Sailormen’s Training Land


The navy boot camp is where the remarkable conversion of a civilian to a sailor takes place.

The navy boot camp is composed of trainings that run for eight weeks. If you are aspiring to be a Navy trainee, you should anticipate challenging and stressful screenings. Hard work is the key. Naturally, if you sow, you’ll have something to reap. After the navy boot camp, you will surface as a sailor in your best physical condition shaped by the fitting military trainings.

Much of the training in the Navy Boot Camp is done indoors. Yes, there are indoor drills and training courses. Even some weapon exercises are done within the walls of the camp. Probably, this is so because life in the Navy is markedly spent in the confines of a submarine or a ship.

To help you get through the screenings, here are some helpful pointers that you should follow to prepare yourself in advance.

First, you must be physically in shape. The training will be clearly tedious and thus physical fitness is a must.

It is to your advantage if you read the “Navy Personal Training Plan Booklet” before reporting to the camp. Also, you should also be cognizant of the fundamentals of drill and ceremony, and the Navy rank and ratings, as well.

Moreover, prior to your report, you should have memorized the “Navy Chain of Command” and the “11 General Orders for a Sentry”. These are basics that a recruit must learn.

In addition, you should also be aware of the “Navy Core Values”. The training in the navy boot camp is very exhaustive. The more you are prepared in advance, the easier you can get through the toil when the real pressure drafts in.

Prior to your recruitment, you should have received a list of the things you could and could not bring with you to the training camp. The navy will not keep your civilian clothing and personal belongings until the training is over. By the time you receive your first uniform, you will be given the option of either sending your personal clothing back home or giving them to charity. So, to minimize the hassle, do not pack loads of your civilian clothes. As much as possible, refrain from bringing things that are not on the “to bring” list. But definitely, do not bring anything that is on the “don’t bring” list.

Give up unhealthy vices, especially smoking. Tobacco smoking is strictly prohibited in the navy boot camp. Actually, the Navy is most likely to have the most restrictive guidelines on the use of tobacco in this sense. Smokers are forbidden inside and outside the premises of the Recruit Training Command Base. Even visitors of the trainees who come to witness them in their graduation are not excused from this rule.

Since the work in the Navy is mainly in the waters, it is of course a plus that you are a skilled swimmer. Try to train yourself before you depart for the camp. Screening your swimming skills will be conducted soon after your arrival in the training camp. For those who cannot swim, remedial training courses are being given. This is actually not that alarming, but of course, marking a good impression and performance early on is an advantage.