Just enlisted 68W ARNG

jgcadet · Jul 23, 2010

LDAC is roughly a month long stint at FT Lewis where you are evaluated as a future leader. Your evals are compared against all other cadets in the nation and used as a tool to see what branch/duty station you receive. From what I hear its kind of like basic except you are in leaderships roles and evaluated for how well you execute mission and handle the garrison environment. It includes land nav, CBRN, Situation training exercises, patrolling, APFT (important), water confidence, swim tests, obstacle/confidence courses, weapons training and a few other things.

Pretty much be familiar with the Army FM 7-8 as well as infantry tactics and procedures (9-line medivac, ACE reports, calling for fire, OPORDS and infantry assault techniques). You can be evaluated as a SL, PL, CO, XO or PSG depending on the environment

What seems to get most people is navigating Ft Lewis at night. Almost zero light and pretty heavy undergrowth makes finding points hard at times. (watch out for the random foxholes too hah)

Storman · Jul 23, 2010

I can not offer any advice from the officer side, and its been many years since basic but here is an overview of basic and 68W AIT.

Basic is designed to give you a rapid fire, force feed overview of the Army. Lots of hours are spent doing tasks or drills that seam completely useless at the time you are being forced to complete them. However, as the last true melting pot of America the Army is attempting to remove parts of your upbringing and instilling into you the shared Values, Beliefs, Norms and Ethics (VBEN) of the Army. Basic starts in week zero, this is the in processing time you will: get hair cuts, get uniforms and field gear and ensuring you have a bank account all while being moved around like cattle. (when I did basic at Fort Sill, we actually rode around in the back of cattle trailers on big rig trucks) During Zero week most people to include the Drill Sergeants are nice for the most part. Don’t fall for it. At the end of zero week you will take a photo of you in the class A jacket to send home to mom, and then start BASIC. The remaining weeks (9 if I am not mistaken) are shared with your 300 closest friends and go by in a blur. Sleep Deprivation is a major part. Wake up is about 4 then you do physical training, after a fast shower and change you eat breakfast and start the day. The training increases in difficulty as the weeks pass. Drill and Ceremony (formations and marching) are the first tasks normally, Field Training, Weapons Training, First Aid and the like are taught during the following weeks. You get yelled at, do some push ups, sit ups, pull ups, and it starts all over again. The key thing to remember during this process is they are trying to make you better, and are not trying to hurt you, make you feel bad, or any of that other touchy feely stuff. The Drill Sergeants are trying to build a competent, disciplined, fighting machine who acts on and off duty with ethics and morals. Notice I did say “trying” they defiantly do not succeed on every person.

As a 68WM6 (Medic with a LPN License) I can say that 68W AIT was great. This is now a 16 week course that is conducted in “phases” at the completion of each “phase” you have gained some knowledge and freedoms. The first 10ish weeks are the National Registry For Emergency Medical Technician- Basic (NREMT-B) courses. Theses classes are so you can take and pass the NREMT exam and obtain your EMT-B certificate. The last 6 weeks are your ARMY field craft. Those 6 weeks are based off current training models called Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TC3). You will do some didactic time then do simulated training time. The Army has spent a lot of money with the scenario training. The training rooms have manikins for patients that breath, blink, bleed and die on you. The rooms are dark, smoky, noisy and are all monitored on cameras and you get to watch the play back for critique. All and all its great training.

The freedoms part is you get to start getting your weekends back, explore San Antonio (the Alamo and River Walk to name a few places) and if of age drink. I hope this info helps.

Army Medic, LPN, Senior NCO