The troop transport jolts to a stop, and the doors swing open. Shouts of "move it privates, get out!" sound, and you find yourself in a rushing stream of recruits as you go to find your bag against the barracks wall. The sweltering heat curls and shimmers off the concrete as you are directed into a wide-spread formation on the broad sidewalk. You are instructed to dump your Army duffel of all its contents. This inspires you to panic because, for all your lack of efficient packing skills, you barely fit all your items into it the previous night in Reception. Now, you find your issue items dumped on the sidewalk in front of you and about 10 drill sergeants all around you.
You are instructed to stand at attention as each item you should have received is called off, and you raise it into the air until approved by a drill sergeant, at which point you repack it into your duffel. Throughout this process, several of your friends have been "dropped"- that is, put into a pushup position on the hot cement. You yourself have been barked at, but you discover through the mistakes of others that the only appropriate response, if any, is "yes drill segeant!".
After about an hour and a half, it is finally over. You are placed in a platoon (1,2,3 or 4) by the line number you received in Reception, and are led into the barracks by a person you will soon become very familiar with- your drill sergeant.
Back to Phase One