Sit up straight - eyes on me!
I'm Petty Officer Sperry - I will be your lead RDC
Petty Officer Tine will be your second RDC
Petty Officer Gonzalez will be your third RDC
Together, we have eight weeks to transform you into United States Sailors.
You are no longer a civilian
whatever you were before, is now over.
You are about to begin a journey that's going to make you a part of the greatest naval force the world has ever known.
This training will not be easy - it wasn't meant to be.
You will not be coddled, nor disrespected, but you will be held to a high standard.
Our job, as RDCs, is to turn you into basically-trained Sailors.
Your job, as recruits, is to do what you're told and give us 100% motivation.
You will all be treated the same - no matter your sex, cultural background, religion, or sexual orientation.
There are no individuals in the military; we are many, but we operate as one unit.
For this team to be successful, you have to work together.
If you fail, the team fails!
Get on your feet! Get up!
Let's go! Let's go!
My name's Petty Officer Sperry, I'm a Recruit Division Commander at Recruit Training Command.
All divisions start off basically the same - they're very scared,
they don't know what they're supposed to expect during their eight-week training.
Turn your head! It's easy!
Say your number!
51. 52.
No! As you were!
Stop! Stop!
Pay attention!
Turn your head and say your number.
59. 60. 61.
As you were!
Wait for the person in front of you to turn their freakin' head
so you can say your number
and then you go after them!
My name's Chief Petty Officer Stigall - I'm a Recruit Division Commander
here at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes.
Processing Days - that's where you're issued all your initial issue - ditty issue
they have their basic medical indoctrination where they get a series of shots.
So, during that week you get a lot of shots
you get everything you need to continue the rest of your training.
The shots were not fun.
We got dental work done, which we just finished today
It was long a long, long process.
Everything that you do is with a purpose
and you do it to the best of your ability.
We want to give them a shock - and we let them know that
you know, you haven't even started training yet.
You haven't even begun to experience what we're about to subject you to.
And then you start teaching them the very basics - how to stand at attention,
how to salute, how to do facing movements - left face, right face, about face...
Learning how to fold things, learning how to do things correctly.
I gave you 15 minutes
to shave, and brush your teeth.
We are going on 25 minutes.
This is unsat.
Let's go!
The first few days of boot camp, that's when recruits don't really know what to expect,
so when you start yelling at them...
You're here to get better!
Not to stand freakin' lazy!
Do you understand?
Yes, Petty Officer!
Then don't stand like that!
I shouldn't be repeating myself when I already trained it!
Some people really have a negative effect to that, and they don't like being talked to like that
and then some of them understand the process and understand that
that us being on them 100% all the time is what's gonna make them a better Sailor in the end.
You know, everything they do, I don't take it personal
because I realize they are training me to be a Sailor.
It's a lot of tough love, and
I know that they want us to succeed
I know that they want us to do well
you know, they've all been through this themselves,
they have gone through a lot of training to be our RDCs
so trying to just remember that and give them that equal amount of respect,
really helps me get through it.
They've been good.
They only really - again, if you're doing the right thing they're not going to be yelling at you.
What division are you in?
230.
Then why are you here?
You're 230 - get across the freakin' hall!
We have to yell at them a lot, and get them to understand that we need them not
just to react to what we're saying, but to react fast.
We're gonna make it uncomfortable for them - we're gonna make it so that they're able to
one - have confidence in themselves and their abilities,
but also be able to deal with the stress.
And so that's why we create a stressful environment - that's why we keep the temp up.
What did your RDCs tell you about failure?
If you fail who fails?
The whole team fails.
The whole team!
Your initial PFA is tomorrow!
You need to understand that if you fail - you will get set back.
So tomorrow is going to be a reality check for the recruits - it's their baseline PFA
where they're going to be required to run a mile and a half,
do a number amount of sit ups and push ups -
some won't make it, so someone's going to go home.
I wanted to pass out and just die - like, give me a gallon of water and let me drink it!
So, we were all really stressed about who was going to pass and who wasn't going to pass.
Let's go, Jones - come on, get up there - don't think about it, just go! Come on, give me five more!
I'm happy I was able to pass it.
I'm glad - so...
Hopefully I can pass the next one with a better score.
With the PFA - I knew that I was ready for it before coming to boot camp
but the day before I got really, really sick, so still I felt sick during the PFA, but I
just pushed because I didn't want to get separated.
So that PFA baseline...
it's just that - it's the baseline - it's not even the PFA standard
and if they can't meet the baseline, then they probably need to go find something else to do.
I don't give a crap if you're tired - if you think the seabag is too heavy -
you came here to serve - so hold up, and do it!
Week 1 of actual boot camp, they can expect
to be staying up late, long hours, working at a fast pace,
they're going to be expected to pass their swim qualification,
they're going to be expected to march as a unit,
and those are all things that we're training them for in the beginning, during P-Days,
but they're going to have to bring it together in Week 1
and make sure they're performing all those tasks.
So in P-Days we are loud and we are aggressive with them, but we're instructors at first,
we're teaching them everything, we take our time,
because come Week 1, we don't have time to train every little thing over and over again
they need to learn it - so when we're telling them at first they need to pick stuff up and this is how it has to be done,
come Week 1 we expect that to happen
so when they start failing during Week 1
then they're actually held accountable for their actions.
Anything that you were before you came here - you waved goodbye to that.
That's gone!
Because as long as people in this world want to take your life
because of where you live - because of where you breathe
you must be ready!
And if you're not ready
we don't need you.
you