# I have a couple questions.



## carmen13 (21 Mar 2012)

I was talking to my friends in the US military and they kept telling me stuff like how if you need to go pee in basic, but your suppose to be standing there they make you pee yourself.

They also told me that when your in the military they remove your wisdom teeth and you have no say in the matter. 

They also said that in basic there is a night watch where one person has to stand there and watch everyone else sleep and make sure they are sleeping.

They also told me that if you start crying they pick on you even more, and yell at you a bunch.

I know there are most likely a lot of differences between the US military and the Canadian military but i was wondering if anyone could clear these questions up for me so i know if they are true or not. 

Thanks a bunch.


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## RememberanceDay (21 Mar 2012)

The US and CAN forces are exceptionally different. Never before have I heard of people being forced to have their wisdom teeth removed.

If you do cry, though, common sense dictates that you WILL be picked on more.


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## Tyson Fox (21 Mar 2012)

carmen13 said:
			
		

> I was talking to my friends in the US military and they kept telling me stuff like how if you need to go pee in basic, but your suppose to be standing there they make you pee yourself.
> 
> While i did know a guy who did what you described, you get bathroom breaks during drill classes and if it's really urgent, I'm sure they'll permit it.
> 
> ...


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## Jhunt (21 Mar 2012)

Two totally different countries and militaries. With regards to the teeth, when I was in previously I tried to get my wisdom teeth out and they would not take 

them out as they were coming in just fine.Either way if they 'need' to come out they won't be taking them out in basic.

And you are not going to be forced to pee yourself.


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## RCDtpr (21 Mar 2012)

Here are the answers to your questions: 

1) You're not going to have to pee yourself....but you may be expected to exercise some bladder control every now and then

2) You will have your wisdom teeth removed if you need them removed.  You have a say...but if they are hurting you will probably want them out

3) We don't make people stay up at night on night watch.  We make them stay up at night on fire picket.  So yes, on basic at times you will have to stay up at night.  On mine you did picket from 11pm to 5am

4) If you cry you will be made fun of and probably have instructors ride you even harder.  While some may or may not agree with it.....that's the reality of it

Hope this clears things up


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## Eye In The Sky (21 Mar 2012)

carmen13 said:
			
		

> I was talking to my friends in the US military and they kept telling me stuff like how if you need to go pee in basic, but your suppose to be standing there they make you pee yourself.



I have never heard of that, ever.  Typical classroom/drill lectures are 40 mins in length with a 10 minute break between periods of instruction (to use the can, drink water, smoke break).  Its just common sense that you go before a 'critical task/timing'.  Kids learn this in elementary school so...



> They also told me that when your in the military they remove your wisdom teeth and you have no say in the matter.



Maybe he was talking about plain 'ol _wisdom_ that gets removed, because I've met some pretty thick people over the years...more than one decision by a Sunray on a trace comes to mind.

I had my wisdom teeth removed, but on the recommendation of the dental staff, and that was after I'd been in for 13 years.  



> They also said that in basic there is a night watch where one person has to stand there and watch everyone else sleep and make sure they are sleeping.



Fire picket/sentry, but its not to make sure they are sleeping.  You'll get briefed on what it is, how to do it.  Can happen in garrision or the field.



> They also told me that if you start crying they pick on you even more, and yell at you a bunch.



 Depends.  If you just found out say, you parents were killed in a car accident, no.  If you are crying because you are put on fire picket, perhaps.  >


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## aesop081 (21 Mar 2012)

I had the pleasure of instructing for a breif period at 577th Engineer Battalion, Fort Leanord Wood, MO ( teaching their version of combat engineers - combat engineer and bridge crewmember) and never once did a student have to pee himself if he needed to go. Most of my US Army counterparts had also instructed basic training at the same base and i'm comfortable saying that your "friend" is full of s**t.


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## Shinobi (21 Mar 2012)

On my basic a grown man cried because he was not feeling well and to our surprise the staff went out that night on their own time with their own cars to get him medication. During the ruck marches a few tears were wept as well by a girl and neither her nor the sick guy got picked on at all. I'm sure if you were crying because you couldn't handle the pressure, were whining,  or something of that nature that'd be a different story.

About staying up at night... As previously mentioned we do fire picket. From my experience this involves assigning two people per 1 hour shift between 11PM-5AM. Therefore no one stays up all night but rather has to take on one of these shifts, usually not in consecutive nights.


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## Pusser (21 Mar 2012)

I would say your friends sound like they did their basic training at a movie theatre.  Reality (even in the US military) is not quite what we see in the movies, which are often embellished for entertainment.  To intentionally humiliate someone (by making them pee themselves - keep in mind that Brits do it voluntarily  :nod is simply p*ss poor leadership and is not tolerated in the CF, nor do I think it would be in the US armed forces.  My father was in the US Army in the 50s (arguably a less genteel time) and he tells no such tales.


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