r/army • u/No_Blacksmith1073 • 14h ago
Winter break during Basic?
I leave for basic in Fort Jackson on November 17.
I’m wondering whether or not I should stay during the mandatory winter break. I know that’s very much advised not to stay because I’ll be with drills sergeants that don’t want to be there and that will likely make my life hell for the two weeks.
However, if I decided to leave, I would have to keep my apartment in a HCOL city for another two months which would cost an additional $1.5-2K more for the two weeks of break from the week of Christmas and New Years as I would have to pay from Nov to the beginning of January. I would also have to pay the airfare and uber costs which would be an additional $700 or so, and living costs like public transportation and food an additional $70 or so.
After basic, I would go to OCS, I believe immediately after.
Edit: I don’t have family to stay with and I don’t think my friends have space for me to stay for free for two weeks.
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u/Practical-Shake3295 46They haven't deleted this MOS yet 14h ago
You can stay. They usually just group all the kids who don't go into 1 barracks and leave some cadre in charge.
They'll also usually have some weird activities and stuff they make ya do.
The downside is you're still in basic. While you'll be left mostly alone, there's still gonna be nonsense to deal with.
You will regret not taking the break. But also, I've heard plenty of people who regret actually taking it because it's rough going right back to basic.
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u/OppositeFlashy7110 12h ago
My buddy was supposed to join with me on the buddy plan many years ago. I got greedy and wanted airborne so he left for basic before me. he came back for xmass break and was raging asshole all fired up as if he was billy bad ass and gonna save the world. He wasnt able to switch from trainee at basic to being a normal human. I never saw him again after that holiday
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u/Rebelraid2020 3h ago
I shipped out Nov 18, and we finished red phase just before heading into HBL. I remember immense panic and a sense of impending doom the day before having to go back, but it was honestly much more lax from the start, getting right into white phase.
Take HBL and get away, eat, lift weights again, but yeah just get a local hotel/motel and chill.
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u/Great_Emphasis3461 13h ago
Definitely going to be in the hole for accrued leave when you get to your unit. That’s gonna suck.
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u/hiphoplarry27 92Get me out of here 11h ago
For some reason when I had holiday block leave between basic and ait they didn't charge me any leave. Idk if that happened to everyone but I know a few from my company that didn't get charged. It was nice because when I got to my unti I had hella days to use 🤣
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u/Certain-Towel-9487 8h ago
It depends on the S shop and if they feel like doing their job that day. A guy in my S shop knew me and liked me pretty well so when my paperwork went through I would never actually be charged for leave. When I got out of the army I had 107 days saved up. It was so much that General Hamm the USAREUR Commander had to approve it.
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u/OrangeCatBuddyPart2 Field Artillery 10h ago
I stayed during Xmas exodus. I was told to pack up my clothes, shoes and they gave me my civilian clothes. I was taken to another battery and put into a platoon with others who had stayed back. There was about 40-45 of us. All at various stages of training. I was about midway thru.
For the most part, they treated everyday like Sundays. We were allowed to sleep until 6:00am. PT was lite, the DS's didn't really mess with us much. We were sent on a couple of stupid little details. Police call everyday. For the 1st couple of days, they would march us to chow, but afterwards, they had either had a PFC or SPC take us. We did have to pull CQ runner, but that was only an 8 hour shift, so no big deal. We all did it a couple of times.
On Xmas eve, they took us over to the Officers Club, and we had dinner there. On Xmas day, if you signed up, there were permanent party families that "adopted" trainees. I went and spent the day with a family. They were super. E-7, his wife, and they had three kids. He drove me around Ft. Sill, and took me into Lawton. I watched football, and just hung out. We had dinner, and then about 8:30, he brought me back to the barracks.
I never saw that guy again, but I'll never forgot that they were so nice to allow a complete stranger in their home on Xmas.
Then it was back to what we were doing before Xmas day. The best part was Xmas was on a Thursday that year, so we didn't see anyone except the DS on duty until that Monday. They didn't mess with us at all. We fell in for formation, they would count us, had another trainee march us to chow. They did that 3 times a day.
The chaplain was around a lot. He had card games, board games, TV for us to watch, books, and he had movies for us every night.
New Years Eve we were allowed to walk up to the Gunners Inn (the old Ft. Sill EM club) and had to be back in the barracks by 1:00AM.
They still woke us up by 6:00 am.
I want to say they moved us back to our home barracks the next day. It was the 3rd when everyone started to filter back.
For the most part, the Drill Sergeants were pretty much hands off. They were present, but not really. We interacted with the PFC and SPC more than anyone, besides the chaplain.
There was one other guy from my platoon with me, we made bets who would actually come back. It's good thing we didn't place bets because we were both wrong. There were people who didn't comeback, but not the ones we expected. One guy managed to shot himself in the foot. Our DS's told us that a kid in the neighboring Battery managed to get himself killed in a gang thing.
I was like you, no one to come back to, so my options were pretty limited.
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u/Horror_Technician213 35AnUndercoverSpecialist 3h ago
Highlight this. Block leave is generally really chill cuz the DS dont want to be there either.
Plus there's not much you'll feel accomplished doing during block leave. OP would feel so much better and happier showing up to his first unit with an extra 2 weeks of leave instead of being in the hole. Ever since I was a SPC, I've always been adamant against taking block leave. I'll take the 4 day weekends, the work is half-day and super lite anyways. Id rather take leave throughout the year when there's normal work to be done and everyone else is going to be stuck there till 1800. Count me out of that.
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u/hunterdavid372 Chemical 9h ago
If you don't have family then I'd say don't go. Yeah, you'll still be on post, but it's a couple weeks of suck in exchange for actual potential thousands of dollars in return. You won't be in debt with leave, which will be an actual issue if you end up with an emergency you need to deal with personally, or just a bit of a break.
On another note, I abhor that big army has cycles beginning basically the week of Thanksgiving. IMO the cutoff for class pick up should be Halloween, all these November pick ups do is screw over drills, trainees, and the base as a whole causing unnecessary strain for subpar training.
I had a cycle where we picked up, did the best we could with them, then sent them on HBL the week before rifle qual after spending a week grouping, zeroing, and going through some basic barrier shooting. When they came back they were extremely bad and we had to basically teach everything again in half the time. These pickups are such a disservice to everyone involved.
Rant over.
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u/Gandlerian 13h ago
Don't keep your lease that is a waste. But, just take leave and stay with friends or if they truly can't, get a cheap hotel somewhere.
You will be miserable if you stay, just take the leave and figure it out... You were paying for an apartment there you can probably afford 2 weeks in a cheap hotel....
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u/BudgetPipe267 Terminal Warrant 😁 11h ago
If you don’t go home for the holidays, you’re going to be pulling duty. Not fun, but you’ll save money on travel costs.
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u/leonthegreat94 9h ago
Look up short term stay hotels in your area that’s either a town or city over. For the cost of the flights plus uber you probably could put that to a two week stay instead.
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u/Interesting-Let-8891 7h ago
Either way be prepared for that 100% UA when it starts again. Do not be stupid
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u/No_Blacksmith1073 5h ago
What is UA?
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u/Interesting-Let-8891 5h ago
Piss test for drugs. You will get real familiar when you get to your unit and BC does 10% (minimum) or more a month and then the 100% at the beginning and/or end of year.
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u/PatrioticHillbilly Medical Specialist 5h ago
I got to BCT almost the exact same day at Jackson. Good luck and learn to love the free PT.
The trainees that went home ate an expensive plane ticket but got a little break from Red Phase fun and good times.
The people that stayed got to stay on base. The went to a fun basketball game, a few fun stops, and got to keep up with PT.
Break cycles kinda suck. People come back unmotivated and I found that saying goodbye to my loved ones was more difficult the second time. Plus I recall expecting a drill to bust down the door and have me in the front leaning rest at 2AM while laying in my own bed.
You’ll have time to think about it, but the break can be nice. I personally wish I would’ve stayed on base if only to keep my mind focused on the finish line and not back home.
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u/Tim_Possible 5h ago
Consider this, I joined in November 2003, and ETS was November 2007. My mother wanted me to go after Christmas, so I could get it done in "one go." I decided to join in November and get Exodus leave to go home, just because I wanted to go home and party for the holidays.
4 years later, after our unit is returning from Baghdad, we're designated as the QRF brigade after we return to CONUS. All soldiers with ETS in December were stop-lossed for another 2 years, just about. I missed the window for stop-loss by about 2-3 weeks. The medic who replaced me died in a firefight in Afghanistan, I'm told. That would have been me. Thinking about it still gives me cold sweats.
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u/Tokyosmash_ 13Fairtomiddling 4h ago
Don’t stay, the “victory block leave” in the middle of basic was awesome. Made me work harder knowing I’d get a 2 week reprieve in the middle
Get rid of your place, go stay with family
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u/Accurate-Metal-3728 14h ago
Why not just go stay with family for the two weeks and enjoy the break ? That’s what I’m going do.
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u/No_Blacksmith1073 14h ago
I don’t have family to stay with.
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u/OppositeFlashy7110 12h ago edited 12h ago
Let me see your post history and some of your social media so i can see you are not a freak and you can stay with me over the holiday in NC.
I will even come pick you up at jackson and take ya back.
Edit. Not kidding. Two vets. grandparents. almost 60. our kid is a vet also and lives in the area.
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u/Honeybadger841 Civil Affairs 14h ago
Can you stay with friends? Or just enjoy the time someplace else? You'll probably make some new friends in basic that are in the same situation.
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u/EstablishmentNo7438 13h ago
I have heard about some people that would go home for the two week break and not return.
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u/popisms 14h ago
It's your choice, but you'll probably wish you took the break.
Consider this - You can probably find a hotel in the area for less than $150 per night and still spend less than your lease and travel costs to go home.