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General Army FAQs

It is difficult to definitively say when your Soldier will graduate that far in advance. There are many factors that can move that date. Soldiers are instructed to call the person listed as their next of kin within 24 hours of arriving at the 30th AG Reception Battalion. Your Soldier will be assigned to the company he will train with after a week or so of in-processing at the reception battalion. (The time spent at the reception battalion can vary based upon things such as medical issues.) You will be able to find out the exact dates once you know the training company. Also, Soldiers in danger of not graduating are instructed to notify NOK (Next of Kin) around weeks 7-9.

Basic Combat Training for all Military Occupation Specialties (MOS) in the Army lasts 10-11 weeks. Infantry and Armor OSUT lasts from 14 to 22 weeks depending on your soldier's MOS.

Infantry One Station Unit Training (OSUT) combines Basic Combat Training (BCT) with Advanced Individual Training (AIT) in one location at Fort Moore. Soldiers stay with the same class throughout Infantry training. Unlike many other MOS, Soldiers do not have to move to another installation after BCT to complete AIT.

No. Soldiers are treated fairly, firmly, and with dignity. Abuse of any kind is not tolerated. Drill Sergeants are selected from the best Soldiers in the Army, and are highly qualified to train recruits.

The best thing you can do is to write as many positive letters as possible, and as often as possible. Soldiers look forward to daily mail call.

BCT or OSUT is very demanding and challenging. Soldiers are sometimes expected to respond quickly and give 100 percent effort at all times. Most soldiers quickly adapt to the new life. It is difficult, however, because everything is new, and soldiers don't know what to expect. Information on specific training and what to expect throughout BCT and OSUT can be found by navigating to a Company/Troop page.

Possibly. The contract has changed hands a few different times. Your best bet is to contact Leonard Studios. Information for this company can be found by searching online.

Most, if not all, basic training units sell t-shirts and other souvenirs at the graduation ceremony. Families are also allowed to purchase items at the National Infantry Museum gift shop.

This will depend on the Unit and a Soldier's orders. If a Soldier has follow-on training scheduled, they may not be able to leave the installation depending on the date. In some cases, Soldiers are authorized a short period of leave after completing training. The best thing to do is to contact your Soldier shortly prior to their graduation and ask for details.

Soldiers are generally given a pass to spend time with family; however, the availability and amount of time is determined by his chain of command. You will find out more details during Family Day.

This will depend upon your soldier's MOS and on the needs of the Army. Soldiers without a guaranteed assignment option are advised of their duty station toward the end of BCT/OSUT.

Yes. The Army believes that education is one of the keys to building a successful future. The Army encourages Soldiers to take classes and provides a lot of benefits to help the Soldier. As a Soldier arrives at his first duty station, while they are in-processing, one of the requirements is to go through the education service. They take a briefing with them, where they get explained how the educational center works, how he can get access to programs at accredited colleges, universities, and vocational schools, and all the benefits they provide to them and their families. The Army has a financial assistance program that can help as well.

Toward the end of training, usually about two weeks before graduation, Soldiers will decide if they need government transportation to their next duty station if they are active duty, or home if they are National Guard or Reserve. This does not apply to Soldiers taking leave or participating in the Hometown Recruiter Assistance Program. Those Soldiers can arrange their own travel plans through family or airlines. Reimbursement for Soldiers for their travel home or to the next duty station is on the basis of mileage from a designated airport to their next assignment. It may or may not be equal to what they actually paid for their travel. They get reimbursed at their destination. For active duty, that means a direct flight to their next duty station and NOT transportation for leave (vacation) or hometown recruiting. If a Soldier's plans fall through, they can still receive government transportation to their next duty station up until graduation day. Also, up until graduation day, a ticket can be returned to the travel section if the Soldier decides to change his travel plans and go with family. No charge to the Soldier or Army Reserve if we turn the ticket back in.

The average length of time between leaving home and being assigned to a basic training unit is 7-21 days. During this time your Soldier is traveling for 1-2 days and in processing for 7-14 days. However, keep in mind Soldiers only in process Monday through Friday, so if he arrives later in the week it will carry over to the following week. It's also important to remember that this process can be longer for Soldiers attending One Station Unit Training (OSUT). This is because those units are filled with Soldiers with the same MOS, whereas 9-week basic training units are filled with Soldiers with a variety of different MOSs.

Phone call frequency varies by unit and is at the discretion of the drill sergeants. Generally Soldiers are allowed to make a quick call home when they first arrive at Fort Moore. When they are out of reception and assigned to a basic training unit on the first 72 hours they usually get around 2 minutes to call their families to pass on a mailing address before he is told to hang up. As training progresses soldiers can earn privileges and earn more phone time. Calls will not be later than 9 p.m. eastern standard time because that is “lights-out” time for basic training Soldiers. Outside this time will be the DS's decision depending on the soldiers situation.

You can find training schedules, photos and info by navigating to the Company or Troop page of your Soldier on this site!

Depending on the extent of their injuries, Soldiers who get injured during basic training are usually allowed to continue training as part of the rehabilitation battalion until either the injury is healed or they are medically discharged. While in the rehabilitation battalion, injured Soldiers will do modified PT so as not to put more stress on their injury. If they remain in basic training they will join another unit at the point where they left off with their original unit. This means they will have a different date for family day and graduation. Please remember this is general guidance, YOUR Soldier will have the best information.

If your new Soldier is unable to adequately pass a required event, the company commander will talk to the Soldier's Drill Sergeant and with the company First Sergeant and they decide what will be the proper action to take. If they think the Soldier can make it, they will allow him to stay in the company and let him retry the event he failed with another company, not affecting his graduation. If they feel the soldier is not at the same level with the other soldiers of the company, they may decide to recycle him to another company in earlier stages of training. This will set back his graduation date.

You can find letter sending guidance under the 'contact' section of your Soldiers Unit page on this site. Be sure to also follow what your Soldier told you or what is sent in the commander letter, but as a guideline addresses usually look like this: Rank(PVT, PV2, PFC, SPC) Last name, First name <br> Roster Number X Co., X-XX Inf. Regt. <br>Street address Fort Moore, GA 31905

The answer to this may seem simple, but it's not. Much like parents, each Drill Sergeant has a different style, so they are the ultimate decision-makers when it comes to what your Soldier can and cannot receive. Your Soldier will let you know on his first call or letter what you are allowed to send him. Please also view the allowed and dis-allowed items that you can send under the 'contact' section of your Soldier's Unit Page

This is done to make the sorting of mail easierto make the sorting of mail easier for the drill sergeants and to ensure your Soldier receives your mail more promptly. It's a system some units use to streamline mail distribution, especially when a unit has a large number of recruits.

While there isn't a mandatory dress code, and you will see the entire spectrum of clothing options, it's generally recommended that you wear Sunday church attire.

No, there isn't a limit. Soldiers may have as many guests (family and friends) as they want to attend these events. No tickets are needed.

Yes, just ask his family for the commander letter. That way you have all the information you need for the family day and graduation ceremony.

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