"Ears Open Eyeballs Click" questions

Cafe Society
1

I have several questions about the movie Ears Open Eyeballs Click.
[ol]
[li]With most of the DI’s the same rank, how do they determine the senior noncom?[/li][li]During the pool scene, one of the recruits is yelling for help and has to come out of the water. Then he’s shown in an office, reading some ID numbers off cards while a sergent makes fun of him. After that, he signs some forms. What is he signing?[/li][li]How do recruits learn to understand the grunts and sounds that seeming mean something? I can’t understand much of what these guys are saying.[/li][li]There’s a scene where one of the sergents tosses a red armband on the floor. I’m assuming that this designates a platoon leader or something like that. Why does the recruit have it taken away from him at the obstacle course?[/li][li]It seems that there are some type of restrictions against cursing, as the sergents use the word “freaking” instead of “f***ing” quite often. Yet during the hump those same sergents curse quite liberally. Why is that?[/li][li]What are the tags on the sleeves of some of the recruits?[/li][li]Are the recruits allowed to eat as much as they want? Must they eat in silence?[/li][/ol]

I’m really interested in finding out more about the training as shown in the movie. Does Army training markedly differ from the Marines?

2

Didn’t see the movie, and wasn’t in the Marines or Army. I wasn’t in the military. I was in the Air Force.

I can answer some questions based on experience at Lackland:

  1. Probably is determined by who has the most years. Or is the bigger badass.
  2. The recruit was taking a test to make sure he didn’t suffer from brain damage. And the military has forms for everything. He was probably filling out forms to verify that he filled out the previous forms
  3. Hooah! Means anything. (not used in the USAF – we speak English)
  4. A platoon leader (flight lead in the AF) can be fired for the tiniest infraction. If he was told to get a boot to run the course in 1 minute and failed, he probably would be fired from that position.
  5. There are PC restrictions in place in public. They disappear when on maneuvers. Our dirtiest cadences were performed on remote marches, BUT NOT near the barracks. Same goes for DI swearing and insulting recruits.
  6. not sure, but probably some sort of identifier. Squad, element, etc.
  7. The recruits probably burn through several thousand calories a day with typical BMT hoo-ha. Marches, PT, pushups, etc.
3

[moderating]
I’ve moved this from GQ to Cafe Society, where you’re more likely to encounter people who have seen the movie.
[/moderating]