Good to know: By enlisting, you are contractually obligated to complete boot camp and serve. However, if you find that you are incompatible with serving, you can receive an administrative discharge.
Can you quit Basic Training? You can not quit or drop out of Air Force Basic Military Training (BMT) after you have sworn in and your contract is signed. There will be many opportunities to stop your path to enlistment along your journey.
If you don't finish basic training, this is considered an entry-level discharge (unless you've done something seriously illegal). At this stage, you're not considered a recruit, therefore you're not a vet and won't get medical discharge Marines benefits.
If recruits have to leave, they'll be moved to another Marine Corps base to continue training until it's safe to return. Recruits will be unable to call their next-of-kin during an evacuation due to the large number of recruits undergoing training.
In the case of a new recruit being unable to complete training due to a failure to adapt to the environment, the member might be permanent party status. This would be formally classified as Entry-Level separation from active duty service or Entry-Level Separation from the US military.
The Navy, Army, and Marines have recruits drop out at roughly the same rate as each other, between 11 and 14 percent annually. Contrary to what many think, the goal of officers in basic training isn't just to push recruits to drop out.
To get out of the military, you need to be discharged.
Unlike many other positions, you cannot simply just quit the military once you are on active duty. You may choose to finish out a contract and then not renew, or you can get an early discharge if you do not want to wait or cannot wait for a contract to end.
The most elite special operations forces in the U.S. are known as the Green Berets, and while that alone is enough to spark debate, there's great reasoning behind it. Training includes harsh mental and physical undertakings, including the school that's widely regarded as the hardest: Combat Diving.
Unless you have a verified family emergency (death or serious injury/illness of an immediate family member), you're not allowed to take leave during basic training. If you joined the Navy or Air Force, you're not usually allowed to take leave until you finish your military job training.
Crying during USMC boot camp is not uncommon and may occur due to the stress of training. However, recruits are expected to quickly regain composure and continue with their training, as showing prolonged emotional vulnerability may result in disciplinary action or dismissal from the program.
If your moment of doubt comes after you've reported to boot camp, it's still not too late. As long as you're in the entry level period -- your first 180 days -- you can request an entry level separation. If you succeed, you'll get an uncharacterized discharge.
It's important to note that you likely will not be able to take leave after SOI. However, you are entitled to one day of travel and 10 days of leave after completing basic training.
Many recruits graduate boot camp with close to $5,000. That's a decent chunk of change for an 18-year-old to have saved up. Once you graduate boot camp, you may have attained the rank of Private First Class or even Lance Corporal.
Marine boot camp is extremely challenging -- both physically and mentally -- and considered to be tougher than the basic training programs of any of the other military services.
Basic Training is challenging and meant to push you to become the best version of yourself. It will help you develop mentally and physically to overcome things you didn't think possible. You'll also realize that the military and Drill Sergeants are not here to break you.
Easiest Boot Camp / Basic Training
Though boot camp / basic training is considered challenging, yet mandatory, for every branch of the military, the easiest among them would most likely be the Air Force.
Recruit training is both physically and mentally challenging. While, for many, boot camp is the single most challenging experience they will face up to that point in their lives, there are ways to prepare.
A lot of them come in as young 17 and 18 year olds.
Yes, it is possible to fail basic training. You could go through the trouble of leaving your home, job, family and friends and come back a failure. In fact, this happens to about 15% of recruits who join the military every year.
You can't just quit the Army once you are on active duty. You are contractually obligated to remain in service for the period to which you committed. But soldiers are discharged from duty early due to physical or psychological inability to perform duties, for drug abuse, misconduct, and other infractions.
Service members may request leave at any time.
In some cases, depression is debilitating enough to lead to a military discharge. However, while many types of depression are typically treatable, this is not the case for everyone. Therefore, even treatable depression could lead to a medical discharge for depression if the symptoms continue for a long period of time.
From our active duty combat soldiers to our military nurses, training is rigorous and often traumatic. In particular, the psychological effects of military training alter the personality, emotional stability, and social function of the individual.
The Marine Corps has the longest basic training -- 12 weeks, not including four days of in-processing time. Counting the half-week you spend in forming (in-processing), you'll spend a total of seven-and-a-half weeks in Coast Guard basic training at Cape May, (N.J.,) the shortest basic training of all the services.