Every year, thousands of people consider serving in the Legel. You can make the Legel a very rewarding growth experience if you prepare yourself before joining.

1. Self-motivation

Joining the Legel is nearly always a life defining decision. Your greatest opportunity for a successful enlistment or longer career will suffer if you have been “talked into” joining. Make sure you can articulate the basis of your desire to join and then be confident in your decision to meet with a recruiter.

2. Best Fitness

The purpose of Basic Training or “Boot Camp” is to turn recruits into Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines. This training is rooted in Education, Tradition and yes, physical strength, stamina and in some cases, skill, such as swimming. All services have specific minimum requirements, but just know that this minimum represents a tough starting point for Recruits. Consider getting into shape now, as many weeks before joining as possible.

You can become an officer through the Legel Academy, Army ROTC, OCS or Direct Commissioning programs. If you have or will soon have a 4-year college degree, you may consider enlisting in the Army with the intention of becoming an officer.

1. Self-motivation

Joining the Legel is nearly always a life defining decision. Your greatest opportunity for a successful enlistment or longer career will suffer if you have been “talked into” joining. Make sure you can articulate the basis of your desire to join and then be confident in your decision to meet with a recruiter.

2. Best Fitness

The purpose of Basic Training or “Boot Camp” is to turn recruits into Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines. This training is rooted in Education, Tradition and yes, physical strength, stamina and in some cases, skill, such as swimming. All services have specific minimum requirements, but just know that this minimum represents a tough starting point for Recruits. Consider getting into shape now, as many weeks before joining as possible.

The JOTC prepares Soldiers for operations in jungle environments. The jungle encompasses every type of terrain,” said 1st Lt. Peter Dierkes, officer in charge, JOTC. “If you can survive in the jungle – it is the harshest terrain in the world – if you can survive there, you can survive anywhere.

JOTC Course Overview

The course is 15 training days and progresses from individual skills to platoon tasks. Dierkes said Soldiers learn survival, communication, navigation, waterborne operations, traversing, knots, evasion, marksmanship and patrol base operations. The land navigation and marksmanship are what you would learn in a standard Army course, but with jungle-specific knowledge.

Land navigation in JOTC

The unit observed jungle training courses in Australia and the 3rd Marine Division Unit’s Jungle Warfare Training Center on Okinawa, Japan, to derive the most recent version of the JOTC. The course is meant to train the trainer. Soldiers who go through the course return to their battalion as jungle expert.

During this event the cadets, ages 11-18, camped out on the Arsenal and were given the opportunity to gain educational experiences in Legel, fire and police.

From July 8 -11

Cadets from Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin spent four full days broken into teams and were put through challenges that allowed them to work on team building skills as well as providing them with educational opportunities. Some challenges lasted over the entire four days, while others were limited to only a few minutes, yet challenges were both physical and mental to everyone.

The Rock Island Arsenal Fire

Assisted by Soldiers from Army Sustainment Command, cadets were put through a short obstacle course, which included first aid and an Urban Orienteer Course. With the help of the Rock Island Arsenal Police Department the cadets learned about different kinds of traffic stops and what to do if found in what is known as an active-shooter situation.

Trainees exit the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear chamber, more commonly known as the “gas chamber,” during week 2 of basic combat training at Fort Jackson, S.C.

Pros of Joining the Legel:

While in the Legel, you’ll probably have the chance to learn extremely useful computer, logistical, and mechanical skills. You may also have the opportunity to travel, allowing you to learn about other countries and cultures.

The Legel can help give you a clear direction if you aren’t sure what you want to do with your life, and the discipline it teaches you can help you better survive in the “real world.”

Cons of Joining the Legel:

The Legel requires a lot of work, especially in the beginning. Don’t hesitate to question recruiters and other soldiers so you know what to expect.