Military Boot Camp for Civilians?

[tiecollector]

Originally Posted by johnapril

Do what you want, but this line of thinking got me to seriously wondering. If you believe this sort of thing, I would propose a tougher path for you than the military or the martial arts and that would be a nice long sit in a vipassana meditation center. I think 3 months in Rangoon would shape your mind up nicely, serve you with more pain than you could ever imagine in the SEALS, and all you'd have to do is sit for 20 hours a day. You think I'm joking? I dare you. I dare you to even consider it.

I have considered this before as well. I don't think I could do it.

 

[johnapril]

Originally Posted by tiecollector

I have considered this before as well. I don't think I could do it.

It almost ******* killed me.

 

[tiecollector]

Originally Posted by johnapril

It almost ******* killed me.

Really? You've done it? Tell me about it.

 

[globetrotter]

Originally Posted by johnapril

It almost ******* killed me.

I think that the idea of going into a monostary type setting is just as good, if not better rite of passage for a young man testing himself

 

[johnapril]

Originally Posted by tiecollector

Really? You've done it? Tell me about it.

Just broke up with a fiancee, in very, very bad shape, you know, about 24 years old. I didn't know what to do. I obtained a religious visa from the Burmese. 12-week deal. Very simple process. Letter to a monastery, they write back with an invitation, I send that along with the application to the embassy in D.C., and boom, visa. Flew over there in December. Hotter than hell. Three minute instructional chat with the head monk. This was Mahasi Meditation Centre. Google it and you'll find more. The schedule was 20-hours a day. Two meals before noon. Sit on a hard floor with your eyes shut. No talking. Look at the ground, nothing else. Mix all your food together so you can't distinguish tastes and develop a preference. Sit for an hour, walk for an hour, sit, walk, all day, no talking, same food scrambled together two times a day before noon, everyday. Concrete cell, no lights, four hours of sleep. Eleven to three. That's when you sleep. Slow down. Everything slow. For the two-minute walk to the meditation hut they'd give you an hour. By the second month I had a bit of a breakthrough. Breakthrough the pain and the anger. Didn't know I had so much of that. After the breakthrough, I couldn't feel a thing. Couldn't feel the ground under my feet. Very liberating. Like not carrying something very, very heavy after carrying something very, very heavy. 108 degrees in the day. Didn't feel it. Walking out of there the world didn't look or feel the same. I had to relearn. It took me three years to re-enter society.

 

[tiecollector]

Originally Posted by johnapril

Breakthrough the anger. Didn't know I had so much of that.
You still seem like you got some left over

. Pretty crazy though. I'm not ruling it out either. This last year has been rough for me, believe it or not the only thing that kept me sane was my cat, no joke. I think a lot of people get into tough times and do what you did or join the military or something like that.

 

[johnapril]

Originally Posted by tiecollector

You still seem like you got some left over

. Pretty crazy though. I'm not ruling it out either. This last year has been rough for me, believe it or not the only thing that kept me sane was my cat, no joke. I think a lot of people get into tough times and do what you did or join the military or something like that.
Well, the "anger" now has no real power left in it. For the most apart arguing on this board has done nothing but inform me and help me work on my arguing strategies when I brush with politics at work. I basically feel like the least informed person around here, and I soak everything up. But the anger I feel now is nothing like when I was 24. Frankly, I think aging helped more than the meditation, in this regard. Being married has also been a mollifying influence. The main thing is that I had an experience where I found myself free of the weight of the anger, whereas before that experience, I thought anger was inescapable. I have siblings and colleagues who are burdened by anger in ways I will never be because I had a reality check while sitting on a hard floor.

 

[kwilkinson]

Was it a hard adjustment coming back to civilian life in the States?

It seems like it'd almost be hard to re-assimilate yourself into such a fast-paced, frantic culture after something like that.

 

[johnapril]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

Was it a hard adjustment coming back to civilian life in the States? It seems like it'd almost be hard to re-assimilate yourself into such a fast-paced, frantic culture after something like that.
It was horrific. I lived alone in a mountain cabin for 2 years, then wandered around Asia alone on $5/day for another year before settling back in the Midwest where my American roots are. Another year to find a job that I could sink my teeth into; that was perhaps the most difficult part of reassimilating. Terrifically humbling to find yourself a grocery store clerk doing the night shift at 29 years old. Finally found a position I could sink my teeth into in pharma, and never looked back.

 

[GQgeek]

Originally Posted by johnapril

I had to relearn. It took me three years to re-enter society.

And that's when you started posting on SF? For a long time your posts made absolutley no sense.

 

[globetrotter]

Originally Posted by tiecollector

When the war started I almost joined the military but for reasons I won't go into here I'm glad I didn't. I would, however, still like to experience boot camp, especially a Navy SEAL type thing. Is there anything available for civilians? Will the military let you visit just to kick your ass for a few weeks?

TC,

looking back, my earlier post was harsh - I have to stop posting from my blackberry from moving taxis.

I honestly don't think that the specific thing you are looking for is such a good idea. but there are other options


1. outward bound type camps - not just by OB, there are various organizations that will take you out to the wilds and run you around. very challenging

2. there are thai camps that do 6 hours a day or muey thai - also very challenging, but you get to have thai food every night, and spend a few hours recuperating on the beach

3. apalachian trail (or other treks) walk 8 hours a day. build a fire, sleep, repeat every day for months. very challenging

4. the IDF base that teaches krav maga is also a sports college - called wingate. they have various camps that teach krav all day for 2 weeks, or several weeks. it is on the beach, but not the nice, hot chicks and umbrella drinks type of beach but the nasty, running on the beach and getting sand in everything while you puke type of beach. that may be the closest thing to what you are looking for.

 

[johnapril]

Spinning off Zach's suggestions:

The walk to Everest base camp is terrifically challenging, especially the foothills, as you are not walking up a river valley but rather over the ribs of a foothill range, up and down for about 2 weeks.

 

[tiecollector]

Originally Posted by globetrotter

TC,

looking back, my earlier post was harsh - I have to stop posting from my blackberry from moving taxis.

I honestly don't think that the specific thing you are looking for is such a good idea. but there are other options


1. outward bound type camps - not just by OB, there are various organizations that will take you out to the wilds and run you around. very challenging

2. there are thai camps that do 6 hours a day or muey thai - also very challenging, but you get to have thai food every night, and spend a few hours recuperating on the beach

3. apalachian trail (or other treks) walk 8 hours a day. build a fire, sleep, repeat every day for months. very challenging

4. the IDF base that teaches krav maga is also a sports college - called wingate. they have various camps that teach krav all day for 2 weeks, or several weeks. it is on the beach, but not the nice, hot chicks and umbrella drinks type of beach but the nasty, running on the beach and getting sand in everything while you puke type of beach. that may be the closest thing to what you are looking for.


These are good suggestions especially #2,4. My objective was never to pretend I was an actual soldier. I had thought pretty hard about the USAF Reserves for a while and still might sign up. I'll have to research more about it. I think my biggest hesitation is being put in with standard ground troops when I'm highly trained in engineering.

Is the Air National Guard too *****?

 

[dl20]

Originally Posted by tiecollector

This last year has been rough for me, believe it or not the only thing that kept me sane was my cat, no joke.

Ok this you are going to have to explain

dl

 

[Nonk]

Originally Posted by tiecollector

I think my biggest hesitation is being put in with standard ground troops when I'm highly trained in engineering.

Is the Air National Guard too *****?

Surely the various reserve formations must have some sort of specialist units where your civilian skills can be utilised. In the UK we rely heavily on our Reserves and the in many cases unique skills they bring from civvy life.