Thank you!
It was probably the most formative six weeks of my life. Here are a few of my impressions of it and also where I'm at now:
First of all, Beast is not physically hard. Get in shape, run through a few practice APFT's, shoot for at least 75-80 points in each event. If you can do this, then the Beast PT will seem easy to you.
The part that gets some people in Beast is that it is day in, day out squaring your corners, cupping your hands, and keeping your head and eyes straight forward. The transition from civilian to cadet is tough for a lot of people-- if you mentally accept what happens and what will happen to you during Beast then it is easier.
I had great cadre for both details. They enforced standards but they also kept us motivated throughout CBT. When I messed up I felt like I was letting down the trust our cadre put in us. Your interaction with cadre is punishment-reward. Do well and do your best, they give you a small bit of leash. Mess up and they yank the leash back hard.
Was it what I expected? Yes and no. The specific things-- PT, issue points, R Day, certain military training events-- yes. Through SAF and other places I knew what some of it was going to be like because I read about others' experiences. However, I had no idea what the whole of Beast would feel like. Unless you've gone to basic training before, you won't understand the overall feel of Beast until you get there. And even for the priors it is completely different than enlisted basic.
How am I now? I'm doing just fine. You get over the feeling of Beast abouta day and a half after marchback. Reorgy week has been a lot better. Your team leader is your lifeline. They help you set up your academic life basically. We (New Cadets) are all just ready to start the academic year and be accepted into the Corps tomorrow.
