Back from Beast

abeastlybeast

USMA Class of 2015
5-Year Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2010
Messages
307
Online again and have the opportunity to answer any questions that candidates may have about Beast. I used these forums to answer all the questions I had, now it's time to give back.
 
Thank you for answering our questions.
What was the hardest part about Beast and was it different from what you expected going in?

Good luck with your plebe year!
 
flirting

Online again and have the opportunity to answer any questions that candidates may have about Beast. I used these forums to answer all the questions I had, now it's time to give back.

I just got back from visiting a family member and he was very concerned with a particular person ( female) that has taken on the task of being flirty, and extremely kiss ass toward people in front of them. Doesn't sound like teamwork worked for this girl from Ohio very well in his team.
 
I just got back from visiting a family member and he was very concerned with a particular person ( female) that has taken on the task of being flirty, and extremely kiss ass toward people in front of them. Doesn't sound like teamwork worked for this girl from Ohio very well in his team.

What on earth is this about?
 
I just got back from visiting a family member and he was very concerned with a particular person ( female) that has taken on the task of being flirty, and extremely kiss ass toward people in front of them. Doesn't sound like teamwork worked for this girl from Ohio very well in his team.

I'm with scoutpilot....I think this post is in extremely poor taste.
 
Hey guys, sorry about the delay. I'm also about now that the academic year has started.

@Dgood102293 - Beast was a little different then what I expected going in (I had A LOT more fun then I thought I was going to) but then again, a lot of things are what you make them out to be. Make sure you are in shape and bring a good attitude and a lot of the hard stuff will go by quicker. For me, my worst day was when I did not get the helo ride I was promised after doing an 6 hour challenge exercise that absolutely sucked to have to do in the first place. If that's really all I have to complain about, compared to others in my class or their family members, I really don't have that much to complain about. I can't tell you how much attitude will play into whether you have fun or just get through Beast here.
 
aww you missed that helo ride? I also have something to complain for, I did not get to see the talent show...
 
Hey guys, sorry about the delay. I'm also about now that the academic year has started.

@Dgood102293 - Beast was a little different then what I expected going in (I had A LOT more fun then I thought I was going to) but then again, a lot of things are what you make them out to be. Make sure you are in shape and bring a good attitude and a lot of the hard stuff will go by quicker. For me, my worst day was when I did not get the helo ride I was promised after doing an 6 hour challenge exercise that absolutely sucked to have to do in the first place. If that's really all I have to complain about, compared to others in my class or their family members, I really don't have that much to complain about. I can't tell you how much attitude will play into whether you have fun or just get through Beast here.

Fear not. First off, they aren't that exciting, especially if it was in a Chinook. You can't see anything and they're loud as all hell. Secondly, and more importantly, you'll have many chances to fly in an aircraft.
 
Thank you for answering our questions.
What was the hardest part about Beast and was it different from what you expected going in?

Good luck with your plebe year!

I apologize for the delay; I was busy this week and did not have an opportunity to check the forums.

Honestly, nothing in Beast stands out in terms of difficulty. I came physically prepared and did what I was supposed to. If anything, I think the relentless hills and uphill movement might have been the worst part. Not that climbing a hill would make me quit, but you will learn that everything during Beast involves climbing a hill or mountain. As odd as that sounds, it gets old. Land navigation will sometimes have you walking up mountains for 4 hours at a time.

Beast was different than I expected when it came to PT. Before I arrived, I ran 4 miles every other day and was constantly working out and working on pushups, situps, etc. I did more intense and more frequent workouts at my house than I did during Beast. However, during Beast you will do PT early in the morning and then have a whole day of training afterwards, possibly followed by mass athletics (everyone plays a sport after dinner). The days are long but the weeks are short. You'll be tired but you'll keep pushing. As long as you have the motivation, you will get through Beast.

If you have any other questions, please ask.
 
Thank you for the response and good luck again with your plebe year. I hope to join you next year!
 
How well do cross country runners do during Beast?

Depends on the cross country runnner.


Honestly the running at Beast won't kill anyone. If you can run 2 miles in under 16 minutes you'll be fine. Just make sure that when you're physically preparing for Beast you focus on your whole body-- muscular strength, cardio, endurance, all of it.
 
Im just a hopeful candidate but I also run cross country. From what I have gathered the hardest part about beast is the psychological effects (waking up at 5am, being yelled at, etc) and the need to be mentally prepared at all times. The physical part they already test us on to get into the school.
 
Im just a hopeful candidate but I also run cross country. From what I have gathered the hardest part about beast is the psychological effects (waking up at 5am, being yelled at, etc) and the need to be mentally prepared at all times. The physical part they already test us on to get into the school.

This is headed in the right direction, but still not that simple. Physical things are high impact, and most likely not in anything you've tested on.

Ex: How long can you do flutter kicks? Pushups? Pullups?

Not how you can pass a test, how long can you do them while getting smoked? :biggrin: And take it for granted, they will find the one you are weak at! :)

One beast company experience: 1st few days of beast 21:00 to almost 22:30 spent getting smoked as a company. All the above, plus running stairs, squad thrusts up & down the hall, etc. Basically, used any/all free time, just barely allowed enough time to prep for the next day (shower, uniform, etc), then mandatory lites out at 22:30.

Running apparently was relatively easy compared to the above! Running is done via run-groups, so other than the hills, some were not challenged.

Note: There are no flutter kicks in the CFA or APFT. Nor in most prep programs. DS and others in his squad could max the APFT. Guess what their squad/platoon/company leader used for "development" (Smoking)?

Inspections.... no big deal.... until.... someone in the squad/platoon/company forgets to salute, and your prep time for uniform or Sat AM inspection get's burned getting smoked for something your squad did not do. Or a company's worth of Laundry shows up in your room.

And by the way, all during this time, you have to be learning "knowledge", more expected each week during Beast.

Not trying to scare anyone, it's more the point that any single thing in Beast (and USMA) is normally not the problem. It's the combination of them with lack of sleep & lack of time too boot.

So you see the selection process is also apparently heavily skewed for balance, as that's what you have to have to be able to keep up.

Leadership star (jROTC, etc)??? does no good if you can't pass the APFT or handle the academics. Same for Academics & Athletic stars! Balance.

So keep this in mind as you prepare.

Want an edge in Beast? Based on feedback from 2015 plebes it's the simple things:
  • Break in your low quarters & boots so you don't get blisters.
  • Try the different boot options & low quarter options to see which is best for you. Big difference between M8's and the more widely available Belleville 310's! (DS will not wear the issue 310's, there is that much difference. Keeps them as display boots)
  • Toughen your feet & back so you can handle ruck marches.
  • Physically prepare yourself so the PT (even punishment PT smoke) is a nuisance, not a barrier
  • Stay on an early schedule even after graduation so you don't have a huge transition in Beast.
  • And learn how to put the squad needs over your own. Which includes learning how not to be a "Profile Ranger" or "Blue Falcon".

This is what we learned from DS and other plebe experiences this year. And, it's pretty consistent with the input you get from some of the recent books, and FAQ's. :smile:
 
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