# Talk Me Down: My Daughter is in Boot Camp and I'm Worried **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 7, 2015, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-down-my-daughter-is-in-boot-camp-and-im-worried/739723 "2015-12-07T18:20:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Rather\_a\_Vicious\_Gentleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/919ad9/32.png) [@Rather\_a\_Vicious\_Gentleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rather_a_Vicious_Gentleman)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2015, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-down-my-daughter-is-in-boot-camp-and-im-worried/739723/141 "2015-12-20T20:18:31Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > This is a warning for you. Do not post in this thread again. If you do you will be subject to more warnings and your posting privileges will be discussed. If you have any problem with the moderation or this warning, take it to ATMB. > > You may think you are fighting the good fight or speaking out for what you believe in, but this is not the thread to do it in and is entirely inappropriate for it. Again, you want to discuss that stuff, you make your own thread about it. I agree it is audacious to ask a military family if they are concerned for their kins life. In this case it’s obvious. This woman’s askin to be be talked _down_ A discussion of military family psychology and it’s intersection w various belief systems would make interesting topic tho. Seems to be many with background for it and willing challengers too… ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2015, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-down-my-daughter-is-in-boot-camp-and-im-worried/739723/142 "2015-12-20T22:42:39Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > Toe-raises solved the problem 100% for me. Twenty of them before a run. I did them on the edge of the front porch. Do you mean calf raises? I can’t picture what you mean by toe raises. Help a gal out. Her DSs big thing is squats, not push ups. They’re made to squat, with or without their weapon on their lap, depending on the situation. ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2015, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-down-my-daughter-is-in-boot-camp-and-im-worried/739723/143 "2015-12-21T00:43:54Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > It was so funny at the airport. We’re waiting at baggage claim for her duffel bag and she’s standing at parade rest by the carousel. Her dad says she’s walking differently too. She’s got plans to practice for tests she’ll have when she gets back and has asked to make the beds in the house to practice her hospital corners. > > She does have shin splints though and had to stay out of marching and running for five days during basic. Any suggestions? Her drill sergeant gave her some advice and I’ve asked the instructors at my gym for ideas. I think it will get better with time but until then she’s going to have issues. Best stretch I know of for shin splints is to go up to a wall, put your toes as high up on the wall as possible with heels on the ground and lean into the wall decreasing the angle between your legs and feet as much as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2015, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-down-my-daughter-is-in-boot-camp-and-im-worried/739723/144 "2015-12-21T02:13:27Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Do you mean calf raises? I can’t picture what you mean by toe raises. Help a gal out. > > Her DSs big thing is squats, not push ups. They’re made to squat, with or without their weapon on their lap, depending on the situation. You balance on your toes on the edge of a step. Now let your heels sag as low as they go. Then stand on your toes, as high as you can go. That’s one rep. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2015, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-down-my-daughter-is-in-boot-camp-and-im-worried/739723/145 "2015-12-21T02:19:58Z")
Edited for clarity: you’re on the balls of your feet, not your toes, of course. The first half is the same stretch drewder described, only you have your body weight to force it. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2015, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-down-my-daughter-is-in-boot-camp-and-im-worried/739723/146 "2015-12-21T02:25:34Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Do you mean calf raises? I can’t picture what you mean by toe raises. Help a gal out. > > Her DSs big thing is squats, not push ups. They’re made to squat, with or without their weapon on their lap, depending on the situation. that sounds vaguely reminiscent of an exercise called the “iron mike” soooooo no pushing diamonds or elevated or elevated diamonds? no "halfway down and hoooooooold hold it hold it hold it now lean left … now lean right … now back to center hoooooooooooooooooooold it all the way down back up! front back goes! mmmmmmmm grass drills gah someone help me I’m lost on memory lane ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2015, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-down-my-daughter-is-in-boot-camp-and-im-worried/739723/147 "2015-12-21T03:19:10Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > You balance on your toes on the edge of a step. Now let your heels sag as low as they go. Then stand on your toes, as high as you can go. That’s one rep. Gotcha…we call them calf raises in Mistress Joy’s House of Pain, aka HIIT, one of my Saturday morning gym classes. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2015, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-down-my-daughter-is-in-boot-camp-and-im-worried/739723/148 "2015-12-21T15:24:32Z")
> [@guestchaz](#): > > that sounds vaguely reminiscent of an exercise called the “iron mike” > soooooo no pushing diamonds or elevated or elevated diamonds? no "halfway down and hoooooooold hold it hold it hold it now lean left … now lean right … now back to center hoooooooooooooooooooold it all the way down back up! > > front back goes! > > mmmmmmmm grass drills > > gah someone help me I’m lost on memory lane You forgot the platoon pushups. Everyone in a circle with your feet on the poor bastard’s shoulders behind you. Uuup, HOLD, Dowwwn half way, HOLD. DOWN. Get your sorry ass of a stomach off that ground before I boot fuck you all the way back to your mamma!Repeat. \ ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2015, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-down-my-daughter-is-in-boot-camp-and-im-worried/739723/149 "2015-12-21T16:24:17Z")
Yeah, she came home with much more colorful language than normal. I guess the DSs have no problem tossing around the profanity. I warned her to be careful talking like that around the grandparents. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2015, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-down-my-daughter-is-in-boot-camp-and-im-worried/739723/150 "2015-12-21T16:53:07Z")
That is one unfortunate aspect to boot camp generally. I know I really had to police myself as I was unconsciously swearing up a storm for the first bit after I got time off to go home. I’m glad you get some time with your daughter, **ivylass** , and that it sounds like she is squared away. I suspect she will come though this with flying colours. ---
**Author:** ![DeepLiquid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deepliquid/32/14893_2.png) [@DeepLiquid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeepLiquid)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2015, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-down-my-daughter-is-in-boot-camp-and-im-worried/739723/151 "2015-12-21T18:59:37Z")
I seem to recall being able to use the F word in every context after Basic. That and I could do pushups until the cows came home, effortlessly. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2015, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-down-my-daughter-is-in-boot-camp-and-im-worried/739723/152 "2015-12-21T19:29:38Z")
They did have one guy threaten to join ISIS and come back and shoot everyone. I think he’s in the process of being kicked out. Seriously, what do these kids think basic is? It’s not a romp in the park. They caught a male and a female in the stairwell alone after lights out (I don’t think they were doing anything, they just got messed up on their escorts) and everyone got pulled out of bed and made to do squats. Quite terrifying, I would think, to be sound asleep and then get woken up by yelling and have to do squats. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2015, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-down-my-daughter-is-in-boot-camp-and-im-worried/739723/153 "2015-12-21T19:49:54Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > They caught a male and a female in the stairwell alone after lights out (I don’t think they were doing anything, they just got messed up on their escorts) and everyone got pulled out of bed and made to do squats. Quite terrifying, I would think, to be sound asleep and then get woken up by yelling and have to do squats. Coming from a person who’s never been to it–isn’t basic training mostly about sleep deprivation? Sounds like exactly the kind of thing to expect. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2015, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-down-my-daughter-is-in-boot-camp-and-im-worried/739723/154 "2015-12-21T20:16:28Z")
Yep, and you never get a chance to think. It’s go go go get yelled at go go go crash, then wake up and do it all over again. A lot of the recruits treasure Sundays, because if you go to church, no one is yelling at you for an hour (if that’s not your thing, you get an hour of “personal reflection.”) ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-down-my-daughter-is-in-boot-camp-and-im-worried/739723/155 "2015-12-22T02:44:34Z")
so ivylass, what’s ivygirls favorite drill sergeantism? Mrs. Guest was in a platoon of “fucksticks” when she was in basic, (sorry bout that I guess? erm, if it offends, when I read this thread it throws me back into a certain state of mind) My platoon lived through being told repeatedly on a daily basis to reach down and get familiar with “fuckin’ jimmy” for not sounding off loud enough. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-down-my-daughter-is-in-boot-camp-and-im-worried/739723/156 "2015-12-22T02:49:26Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > They did have one guy threaten to join ISIS and come back and shoot everyone. I think he’s in the process of being kicked out. Seriously, what do these kids think basic is? It’s not a romp in the park. > > They caught a male and a female in the stairwell alone after lights out (I don’t think they were doing anything, they just got messed up on their escorts) and everyone got pulled out of bed and made to do squats. Quite terrifying, I would think, to be sound asleep and then get woken up by yelling and have to do squats. from one 1SG (1st Sergeant for the non-milspeak peoples) I had in an announcement at pt formation in an infantry unit “it has come to our attention that there are some soldiers, some NCOs! up in the barracks laying pipe in the WRONG HOLE!!!” he was talking about soldiers sleeping with other’s wives back in the day of Clinton’s Army _don’t ask don’t tell_ ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-down-my-daughter-is-in-boot-camp-and-im-worried/739723/157 "2015-12-22T14:58:50Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > Coming from a person who’s never been to it–isn’t basic training mostly about sleep deprivation? Sounds like exactly the kind of thing to expect. Apart from the poor nutrition element, the Basic routine is a lot like brainwashing. Uniform clothing and hair, sleep deprivation, physical exhaustion, rote learning, group chanting, indoctrination, stress. It’s a fairly easy ride if you just don’t resist. Very painful to watch someone cling to who they were before as their exterior persona is stripped from them. Important to note, however, you stay who you are at your core–your morals and values remain essentially the same although you might just grow up a bit and pick up some more positive traits like honor and personal accountability. But not always. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-down-my-daughter-is-in-boot-camp-and-im-worried/739723/158 "2015-12-22T15:50:31Z")
Re: The nutrition…Ivygirl does say she’s hungry all the time. I don’t think the food is poor, nutrition-wise…just that they run and march and rappel and stress it all out again. She did say when she got home and got a good look at herself that she looks _ripped_. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-down-my-daughter-is-in-boot-camp-and-im-worried/739723/159 "2015-12-22T16:01:47Z")
Yeah, I wasn’t clear. They feed the recruits very well. But the recruits are always hangry because their metabolisms are in overdrive. ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-down-my-daughter-is-in-boot-camp-and-im-worried/739723/160 "2015-12-22T17:32:18Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > Coming from a person who’s never been to it–isn’t basic training mostly about sleep deprivation? Sounds like exactly the kind of thing to expect. Actually sleep deprivation isn’t usually part of the program and the army defines how much sleep per night a recruit is required to be given. Basic training can seem random to an outsider but it actually a carefully planned science based experience. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-down-my-daughter-is-in-boot-camp-and-im-worried/739723.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-down-my-daughter-is-in-boot-camp-and-im-worried/739723.md?page=9)