Hey guys, just completed the course. I will put in my two cents on some things and then leave it open for questions from everyone else. I won't use anyone's name or use unit names. Not that it matters, since anyone with half a brain at WTC could look at a calendar and the roster and figure out who I am. It's more for the sake of not being a ******** throwing names out.

The first thing I would say to anyone about to go to WTC is that it is not a four week course. Before you start your first day of training, you may be hanging out in the black hole of the reception battalion doing the most absolute ******** details I have ever seen in my life. Picking up leaves by hand, etc. But hey, it's the military. Dealing with ******** is the most valuable skill one can develop in a training environment. And then after your stay at the RB, which averaged around two weeks, you finally start WTC proper. THEN your 28 days of training start, BUT that doesn't count Sundays or weekends. I left 8/31 for a four week class and I'm going home this Thursday. You do the math. This 28 day class is taking the better part of two months.

While WTC is lightyears better than the bootcamp experience I had (Navy RTC, 2000), it is NOT a gentleman's course. You live like a private in an open bay barracks, you use open showers, etc. Still, it's a hell of a lot better than shipboard life. As far as military bearing type stuff, I would say that it's about like my Navy A-School was. Privilege wise, think liberty weekend of Navy bootcamp. Sure you can go to a couple places, but the rules are still very strict.

I should note here that I don't intend this as a ***** session. I thought a lot of the training was valuable and even fun.

My cadre was extremely professional. I remember in my bootcamp, it was normal to see the RDCs (drill sergeants) demean and disrespect their recruits and there was really none of that at WTC. They cuss more and do little stuff like lean on walls and chew gum, which made my military bearing nerves tingle, but they were very squared away. They were also very honest. There were a few cadre members who had very little respect for the mission or the existence of WTC. But they didn't hold that against the trainees for the most part.

As far as the rules go: everything seemed pretty arbitrary. If there was an SOP it was not used much. The rules changed daily and most of us trainees picked up pretty quick on the fact that the training was pretty much seat of the pants flying. Even the CSM wasn't on the same page on the privileges as the battery cadre. He was surprised when we told him we couldn't use our laptops during personal time, which meant the cadre were using a LOT of their time on our DEERS and AKO issues. But hey, it's the Army.

Also: get ready to deal with people who have no respect for anything you may have previously done. The cadre had pretty ridiculous opinions of the other services. I was offended at first by the childish assumption that NCO leadership is not something you learn in other services, since in their mind it's just officers dictating things to a bunch of computer geeks and floor moppers. Like I said, it was insulting, but whatever.

Which brings up the last point. Be ready to have your intelligence insulted if you have an IQ higher than 12. But here's the thing: you are training along side some complete retards. All those times they treat you like kids are because they're training you next to people who ARE kids. Not in age (the oldies were usually the biggest whiners and wusses), just in mentality.

So hey, WTC is like a weird summer camp and it's a huge pain in the ass, but it has a ton of good points. There were times I am seriously glad I went to all those PTSD and anger management VA programs before I went to WTC, because I would seriously have killed someone with a higher paygrade than IQ, but I also met great people and saw some damn good examples of what an Army NCO can be.

Long story short, it is what it is. If you got questions, ask 'em.

Later.

Can you give some examples of week by week. Everybody I have talked to that has been,said it was really four weeks of training and the last week was graduation and, makeup afpt.

Case, could not agree more with you on the leaf picking up. I can laugh now that I am home and there are leaves eveywhere. Maybe I will make my kids get them. Ha ha. 3rd platoon Spartans

case21e,

after reading your entire post, its hard not to believe you are a very disturbed person. thx for the post though, got a little bit of useful information i found inbetween the whines and gripes

hazardos13,

Have you been to WTC??..... yeah, didn't think so!

There is no real schedule while you're waiting on your actual WTC class. I know that sucks, but it's the truth.

The week by week schedule is pretty set. It seemed to go in cycles that started on Thursday and went through Wednesday.

Week one is, honestly, brutal. The classes are long, the rooms are hot, and it's really hard to stay awake. Keep in mind, though, that they're not just saying **** to say it in those briefings. Try to pay attention.

Week two, you start to get dirty. You'll have your CLS classes, but also some team building rope course type stuff and then the CLS STX, which was a ton of fun. At least it was to me, but I'm a little more motivated to run aroud getting muddy and sweaty.

Week three is rifle stuff. It's either easy and boring, or hard and frustrating. I don't know how else to say that.

Your fourth week is some more rifle stuff, and then your field time. I thought the field time/convoy stuff was a kick in the ass. I loved the planning and executing and stuff.

The last week is a few more briefs and then you're done. The days go slow and the weeks fly by.

And I have a lot of sympathy for anyone chilling at the 95th right now, since the leaves are falling for real.