This Is How It Is - The Big Picture 

Army's basic training is your baptism into military service, I enjoyed when I was there and I never experienced any abuse, not mistreatment as in the full metal jacket movie. It's an honor to wear the uniform, wear it with pride.

I went to Fort Knox in June 2008. I was 34.. EPIC challenge. Loved it. I always wanted to serve but life never made time for it till I decided it's now or never before I age out. A lot of the break you down build you up drills didn't really work on us "old" guys. Watching the 17 and 18 years olds lose their freaking minds was HILARIOUS. Watching them come together was pretty amazing. For the "old" guys we knew what was expected of us so that's what we did. Anything asked of us at 100% with zero back talk. Years later during an Iraq deployment I ran into one of my roomates from basic. Crazy how small the community can be. To ANYONE wondering if they want to serve a few years. DO IT. Just do the minimum years to start off. You will NEVER be out of epic stories to tell with all the crazy shit you will go through. It goes by in the blink of an eye..

Used to watch this series as a kid along with Victory at Sea. Drafted in 1965. This is pretty realistic. Fort Polk 65 to 67.

I found the drill sergeants to be more fair and even handed than my dad had been. I gained a lot of confidence in basic training. Ft. Polk, 1971.

1966-1968 I was Chief Pictorial Branch USACDCEC. I had 37 people working there. Fantastic assignment! Yes, Fort Ord is closed.

They protected my parents and me. God Bless Them.

Took Basic here at Fort Ord in 1972. The Fort has since converted to civilian use. The Reception Station were the recruits get off the bus is now a typical shopping center with a Best Buy, Kohl's, Old Navy, etc.

A-3-1, Ft. Ord, 1963 - I don't remember them being quite this polite and nice... :-)

Went through Basic @ Ft. Benning in 1983, A-6-1 Sand Hill. We were the last group to get the OD Green field jackets. Still have mine. Enjoyed this film.

Master Sergeants actually working? Wow!

Got there in Oct 1966, yes this is how it was, just like the video.

I remember watching the big picture as a kid on an old black n white tv that had only 3 channels on a Good day, replacing a tube or two now and then. Brings back memories of a different time.

It’s amazing how much hasn’t changed. I completed basic in 2018 and I’m seeing much of what I did to a T

Great video, brought back a lot of memories. I went through Navy basic training in ‘65.

Hit basic in April of 1968. September I was in a tropical paradise lol

This must pre-date the creation of the drill sergeant.

Took Basic at Ft. Knox. C 17/5 2nd plt. 9 Feb 76 to 8 Apl 76. My Drill Sergeants were SSG. Joseph Molsby and George Cotterill. Went to Ft. Benning for Infantry training. A 4/1 1st plt. On Sand Hill.

No ear plugs! M14 blast can bust your ears!

This brings back memories. 🤣

I want to basic training in 1991 Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri There were no guitar playing ,hardly any smiles Lots of profanity At 18 years old it was the beginning of a great life lesson

This is a neat video for it shows the transition from the M1 to M14. So I'd say this video was late 62/early 63. You noticed their wearing 1945 field packs but don't have the M56 webgear with the M14s.

Wonderful !

Took basic training twice seven years apart! 1956 and 1963. Both at Fort Dix. Second time was easier as I put mt car just outside the post gate. Wore tailored fatigues with shadow of SP4 insignia ( my old rank) plus my jump wings whichgot me a lot of strange looks and even more questions. I went to jump school first enlistment. That pissed off many leg sergeants, but I Was entitled to wear it.

US Army basic training in 2020 is romper room compared to this.

I had great ncos who cared and we're approachable

Looks like Fort Ord. I was there in August, September and part of October in 1970. Those months seemed to go on forever. It’s one of those deals, I’m glad I did it, but wouldn’t want to do it again. I can’t hardly believe that it was 50 years ago. We sure as heck didn’t lay on our bunks smoking cigarettes! The rifle range was the best part, not getting there, but the actual shooting. I left basic, on my way to Fort Lewis, Washington for AIT, with the rank of PFC.

Lying dressed in uniform and with the boots on in the bed? 13:35 Smoking and playing harmonica? It's a joke not the army, man! Hehe )))

Wow , a Specialist 5 . I have not seen one of those since 76 😉🇺🇸

I would like to see more about the NCO’s MSG Ellington and MSG James. I can tell these were great Amry Leader!!!!!!!!!!

We didn't have the day room at Ft Bragg as I recall, but we had a club. It was an E club as for permanent party but the basic training center, it was a danger to mixing wit the 82nd Airborne there.

Watched a ton of this when we were assigned to Fort Bragg. Lousy housing, and loads of young dummies that got hurt jumping out of airplanes. But The Big Pic was always on TV. I believe it came out on Saturdays, but I could be wrong. I, of course, learned what happened to Airborne troops and knew they were being screwed like a fifty cent hooker.

What, an E8 with no combat patch on his right shoulder and no combat infantry badge? Where was he hiding during WWII and Korea?

J'aime bien le passage chez le coiffeur.

This was the pre-"Drill Sergeant" era. The Drill Sergeant program started about 1966.

The kids today…. Fine doc ☺️

This Army was the Army of my Dad, Elvis Presley, my Uncle Willie, Lou Rawls, Jimmy Hendrix.....A MAN'S ARMY!!

Fort Leonard wood October 7 ,1985 to April 23 , 1986

Is this Fort Ord, California?

Dad and I watched this religiously.

The Ridgeway caps the soldiers are wearing ( 10:28 ) in the video were popular between the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. Does anyone have any more info on these caps?

What's name of song from 27:17?

wow! Before the knife hand.

If I was on the closed combat course I'd stand up

Hardvto believe the big difference in u.s. Army boot camp & u.s. marine corps...day & night. Usmc 1979 senior drill instructor staff sergeant Fiami, platoon 2001 3rd recruit training battalion MCRD SAN DIEGO

I’m 10 I plan to join the marines when I grow up

Weird to think how needles used to be reused without even being wiped off on a dirty rag.

As one recruit said- "We train our asses off every day non-stop, run back and forth, run for miles on end. Then we sit down and inhale cigarettes with great joy. It's a never ending revolving circle but we love it!"

This is what "Made American GREAT"

Small picture out, big picture in. Which is the way they want it.

What year was this?

VÊ SE TEM ALUNO FAZENDO BAGUNÇA ALI NA AULA, DESRRESPEITANDO Ô COMANDANTE IGUAL FAZ AQUI NO BRASIL.

Do you just sleep in until you wake up, how do you know when to get up and go to breakfast 🥞 ??

How old is this I wonder?

That’s the Army I came in 1976 to 1997 FNG 11 Ban Ban

Must have been filmed in early 1960s when fatigue block caps were used. They looked good but were replaced with soft baseball type cap by 1965. Advantage was the baseball cap could be folded up & put in your pocket.

Those DIs are being nice as hell because we actually caught HELL!!!

Oh how shit has changed :/

1963

I remember it well. Three parts terror and bullshit aplenty.

15.53 sale fumando

I also shot a rifle but holly mother fuck that gun has some kick to it

E-8 Platoon sgts? Mmmmk.....

cigarettes on the rifle range and cigarettes and basic training that's virtually and hurting today that is a big No-No and it would never happen today

the military" industrial complex"..has never "deviated"from its tactics..of training....meaning getting results fro "m "intimidations....also .."screaming and "yelling ...from my "experience...yu want my opinion""..."stay out of the .."military.

They weren't that nice to me!!! Lol

Jamie Fox @ 6:50

Is the narrator Mike Wallace? It surely sounds like him.

FIRST SERGEANT BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR YOU JUST MIGHT GET A RED CROSS STATESMAN OR RED CROSS MASTER JUST MIGHT OUTWIT YOU

FORGOT THE 1000 shots we got ALL at once.

hey where were all the blacks and minorities?

Most of this men of this video died in Vietnam.

I didn't go to basic training because I was recruited by the CIA to lead the Navy Seals.

And you lost