63 Days and a Wake-Up: Your Survival Guide to United States Army Basic Combat Training

By Don Herbert

Book Overview

"Straight forward, insightful, essential, and an easy-read. Every Warrior needs to get this book in their hands before going off to BCT. This is the real deal." -First Sergeant David Bobenmoyer, Company B 1SG, Recruit Sustainment Battalion, Camp Grayling, Michigan "Specialist Herbert makes it 'Too-Easy' to get ready for life down-range at BCT. If every one of my soldiers read this book and followed the advice, they would have a distinct advantage over those who didn't. In short: Read it and heed it." -Drill Sergeant J.A.L. Fort Jackson, South Carolina A must-read for anyone considering the change from civilian to soldier, 63 Days and a Wake-Up takes you inside the closely guarded world of U.S. Army Basic Combat Training, providing an informative and enlightening look at the fascinating process that transforms everyday citizens into modern day American heroes.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0595425119
• ISBN13: 9780595425112
• Release Date: September 2007
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A MUST HAVE!!!

As someone who aspires to join the military one day and has read many BCT survival guides, I can proudly say there is no better book on the market than 63 Days and a Wake-up!!! It is intuitive, astounding, and to the point. Specialist Herbert did a remarkable job writing this must have book. It's as if you're already at BCT and know what to expect. Like Don says, he won't give you a 300 page book that contains 40 pages of substance. Every page is of helpful material to get you ready for RECBN/BCT or so you can just have a better understanding of what it's like. Starting with the recruitment process and ending with life at BCT, every single aspect is covered and explained. What I look for in an Army BCT survival guide and have not found in the many I have read are the helpful hints and tips found in this book for while you are in training or in the preparation process. It's easy to see that the Specialist wrote much of this while at BCT. Even if you're not interested in joining the Army, I would recommend this to anyone to better understand the "Army Strong Process" and for anyone seriously considering it, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THIS BOOK!!! After reading this book, I immediately e-mailed Specialist Herbert and complimented on it. I also asked him if it would be okay if I could talk to him sometime with questions about the Army I had. He responded the very next day and gave me his phone number. I called him with the questions I had and not only did he answer all of them but he couldn't have been any nicer and insightful with the information he gave me. He is a truly outstanding guy and the best warrior America has to offer. I can't wait and look forward to the sequel to this book coming out soon!!!

Well Written, Practical Advice!!

As an Army Recruiter I cannot stress enough the importance of being ready, not only prior to training - but before you make the decision to serve. I am going to recommend this book to every potential soldier who walks through my door. It is the best source of information on the "New Army" BCT out there (it's even better than the Army literature). I have shown it to 2 of my Soldiers who just returned from training and they both said the book was right-on. The best way to describe the book is "the kind of information you can't appreciate until you go without it". With just a few pages assigned to each different, but important phase of enlistment (Recruitment, MEPS, Travel, Personal Business, etc..) Herbert does a better job of describing the processes than the Army ever has done - and we own the business!!! I have been using the book as a tool to help future Soldiers understand what they can expect. I loaned it out to one of my warriors who wanted to know more about BCT before they committed to sign, and he brought it back the next day and was ready to sign-up. The book answered his questions and made him more comfortable in the decision - which is very important! You should be comfortable with your decision to join the military, and this book will help you make the decision - one way or the other - with confidence.

Outstanding!

I wasn't disappointed at all. I was going on what the other reviewers wrote - which has bitten me in the a__ before, but not this time. I liked the fact that I could read it in one evening, over just a few hours. I have the attention span on a flea, and it kept my attention all the way through. Now I've got the upper hand when I deal with my recruiter. Don't talk to a recruiter, or sign your contract without reading this book!!!

Concise, well written, and useful guide

Written for someone considering joining the Army but without trying to convince them one way or the other, "63 Days" takes you from the recruiting process through boot camp. The author, a National Guardsman who spends part of his spare time "pleading with his neighbor to wear clothes while shooting groundhogs in his backyard", suspects that "you've got better things to do with your time and money than spend it on a three-hundred-page book that contains forty pages of substance". Predictably, the resulting 167 pages are a useful, easy to read description of what to expect from basic combat training. I was able to read most of my copy in a single evening, and I enjoyed it despite having no interest in joining the Army. Herbert gives useful advice to make the basic training experience "fun". Whether "fun" is the kind of fun that most people have, or the kind of "fun" that masochists have, is not clearly defined, however. Advice ranges from not bringing your stash of alcohol and porn to perhaps surprisingly, "keeping it real", when circumstances dictate. Since contact with the outside world during basic is extremely limited, it is important to take care of any business beforehand. Be careful choosing who you have to help you back home as it leads many people into big trouble. There's also plenty of useful advice about what items to bring that you might not think of, a fingernail brush, foot powder and a flashlight for instance, as well as the proper physical training you need before you leave. Remember, when it comes to exercise, the Army way and your way may not be the same - and the Army insists that their way is right. You need to enter boot camp already prepared. This book should help you do it.

Answered All of My Questions!

So far, I've read the entire book once and am planning on looking over it again. It was easy to read, and seemed to contain a lot of newer knowledge than some of the other things I've read online about Army boot camp (probably because the author just recently completed basic training). While only time will tell (I ship to boot camp in November) on how right-on the information is, I feel much more prepared for training than I did before I read it. And it does contain plenty of things I didn't even consider taking care of (such as the fact that my license plates will expire while I'm away - and SPC Herbert mentions the need to handle this in his book). The book also contained some helpful ideas on training physically for boot camp that I didn't think of before hand (I was running and doing push ups, but didn't even think to train myself to get used to hiking with a backpack - as suggested in the book). My only regret was that I didn't get the book before I signed my contract, because Herbert mentions another thing I didn't think of, which was getting an ASVAB study guide before I took the test. I scored okay, but using a study guide would have helped me get a better score where I would have had more job (MOS) options. Overall it is well worth the money and highly recommended. I'll write a follow up review when I return in the spring.