Surviving Air Force Basic Training

Part 3

The Air Force used to have a "Fat Flight" for those who were found to be overweight, or are having significant problems with the physical training requirements, however, this flight no longer exists. If you're having trouble on the initial physical assessment, or are (somehow) over your max weight when you arrive, expect extra attention from your T.I., however. You can also be recycled at anytime during basic training if you are over your weight allowance, or are significantly below the fitness standards and not making progress during the weekly evaluations.

Glasses. You cannot wear contact lenses during basic training. You also cannot wear your civilian glasses, once you have been issued your official government-issue glasses. GI glasses are not pretty to look at. In fact, most people call them "BC Glasses," or "birth control glasses," on the basis that nobody has ever been known to "get lucky" while wearing them. During your first couple of days of basic training, you'll undergo a complete eye examination. If you require glasses to have 20/20 vision, you will be issued BC Glasses (takes a few days after the examination to get them). BC Glasses have thick, hard-plastic frames, with thick, hard-plastic lenses (very hard to break). Think of the movie, [Revenge of the Nerds. Once you receive them, they are the only glasses you are allowed to wear, while at basic training. However, if you don't really need glasses to see, you won't be required to wear them. Once you graduate basic training, you can wear your civilian glasses again, as long as they comform to military dress and appearance regulations. Generally, that means their color must be conservative (no green, glow-in-the-dark frames), no designs or decorations on the frames, and no tinted lenses when indoors, or outdoors when in military formation (ie, when lined up for marching). Of course, this only applies when wearing a military uniform. In civilian clothes (after basic training) you can pretty much wear whatever kind of glasses you want.

First Phone Call. At the end of "Zero Week," most likely on Sunday afternoon, you'll get your first opportunity to call home. This will be a very short phone call (only about 3 minutes), enough time to pass on your mailing information. Warn your family/loved ones in advance about this phone call. You will not sound "well." Your voice will be shaky, and you'll sound like you're on the verge of tears. During this particular stage of training, you'll swear that T.I.'s are around every corner, under every table, just waiting for you to do something wrong so they can yell at you for it. This "scared rabbit" feeling transfers to your telephone voice. The bad thing is that you won't have time to tell them that you're really okay. You've got enough time to spit out your address, then you have to give the phone up to the next recruit in line. So, make sure your family is ready for this. Otherwise, they may spend the next several days thinking they made a mistake about letting their "baby" go away to basic training.

Drug Testing. Within 72 hours of your arrival you will provide a urine sample to ensure you have not used any illegal substances. Even the smallest amounts of marijuana will be detected. If illegal drugs are detected, you will be discharged from the Air Force and given no chance to ever return. The Air Force has a ZERO TOLERANCE program for illegal drug use.

Before you know it, "zero week" will be over. You'll now be bald (assuming you're male) and no longer a "rainbow." You still can't march worth a darn, but you've learned to stand at attention quietly and not move. Even though you're wearing uniforms, you're also wearing your white tennis shoes, which designates you as a "Baby Flight."

By the end of "Zero Week," and the beginning of the official "First Week of Training" (WOT), you'll have already established a morning ritual: You'll bounce out of your bunk, get dressed, and make sure that your area is within standards (bed made, shoes shined and lined up under your bunk, and area dusted) before you "fall in" outside of the dorm, to march to breakfast.