Ngl, I didn't attend army boot camp, but at least in the Marines, firewatch woke you up with "LIGHTS LIGHTS LIGHTS". My point being, you won't really need an alarm since whoever is on duty the last hour of sleep is responsible for that.

In any case, get a cheap G-Shock. It's durable enough and won't be too missed when you break it. The DS's also probably won't haze you for having something vanilla like that.

 

In any case, get a cheap G-Shock. It's durable enough and won't be too missed when you break it.

This

 

You honestly don't need a watch. There will be plenty of people around you whose job it is to make sure you're where you supposed to be, when you're supposed to be there. It also has the potential to get caught on things when you're in a hurry.

But a Casio or Gshock, in black, is not a bad choice.

Personally, I'd wait until boot camp is complete to pick up a watch as a celebration piece.

 

I know it doesn't meet all your criteria, but you should look at the Garmin instinct.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

 

Trust me, the idea of getting up early will be quickly replaced with the idea of extra sleep. Go to Walmart and buy a Casio F-91 or the like and be done with it. Good luck!

 

I'm suspecting that may be the case, but was hoping for some recommendations of watches that meet this criteria regardless, in case it worked out for me.

I'd be careful with that strategy. MTIs often showed up early to our rooms to make sure people weren't doing stuff like this. One kid got caught and we all had to do push-ups and wall sits. They're going to yell at you anyway. This is the choice here. When I went through basic 8 years ago, it's what everyone wore (including myself). No one cared about alarms going off a few min before as everyone preferred that wake up to the yelling and screaming from the Sgts. If OP doesn't have a watch with a ringing alarm, I'm sure several other people will.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

Interesting... I'd seen several mentions online of people getting up a few minutes early, but not heard that it was be disallowed. If that's not permitted, then that takes the option off the table in my mind.

I never attended Army basic training but I am acutely familiar with the routines at the academy for a certain three-letter federal agency that will go unnamed, and while I'm very much like you and would rather be two hours early than two minutes late, I think you're looking at this the wrong way. You're joining the Army. You do everything you possibly can not to stick out or deviate from SOP. You will eat, sleep, train, bleed and, yes, wake AS A GROUP. Do not try to invent your own routine, well-intentioned or otherwise.

I don't know if electric shavers are allowed at basics, but if they are, get yourself a Panasonic ARC (called Lamdash in Japan) series shaver. Trust me, it's worth the money and will shave as close as a razor with no blood and in half the time.

Then, get yourself a Gshock. Cheap Mudman from Sams Club will be fine.

Get yourself mentally and physically accustomed to doing the basic Three SH routine (S*hit, Shower, Shave) as quickly as possible. Get to where all three can be accomplished in a few minutes.

You sound a tad bit more literate/competent than your average enlisted 18yo so I suspect you're trying for OCS? In that case, save up and get yourself a nice watch to celebrate the commission. And keep saving up to celebrate every promotion. A Rolex for O-4 sounds about right.

Good luck, and thank you for choosing to serve.

Thank you for the recommendations.

I'd love to be able to take an electric shaver... My Remington F5-5800 works far better for me (closer shave without wrecking my skin, and in less time) than a cartridge razor, but unfortunately is not permitted without an electric shaver profile (which, at least at the moment, my skin is not bad enough to warrant, I don't believe. Might get there if they require a closer shave than with-the-grain shaving can attain). I've got some sensitive skin from a decade of only having to trim a beard, but it seems to be slowly getting used to it.

No, just a bit of a late bloomer (kept putting it off) - going in as enlisted now that I'm in my late 20s.

 

I never attended Army basic training but I am acutely familiar with the routines at the academy for a certain three-letter federal agency that will go unnamed, and while I'm very much like you and would rather be two hours early than two minutes late, I think you're looking at this the wrong way. You're joining the Army. You do everything you possibly can not to stick out or deviate from SOP. You will eat, sleep, train, bleed and, yes, wake AS A GROUP. Do not try to invent your own routine, well-intentioned or otherwise.

I don't know if electric shavers are allowed at basics, but if they are, get yourself a Panasonic ARC (called Lamdash in Japan) series shaver. Trust me, it's worth the money and will shave as close as a razor with no blood and in half the time.

Then, get yourself a Gshock. Cheap Mudman from Sams Club will be fine.

Get yourself mentally and physically accustomed to doing the basic Three SH routine (S*hit, Shower, Shave) as quickly as possible. Get to where all three can be accomplished in a few minutes.

You sound a tad bit more literate/competent than your average enlisted 18yo so I suspect you're trying for OCS? In that case, save up and get yourself a nice watch to celebrate the commission. And keep saving up to celebrate every promotion. A Rolex for O-4 sounds about right.

Good luck, and thank you for choosing to serve.

 

Garmin instinct tactical. Small. All black. Vibration. Weeks on one charge

 

And also banned from Army Basic Training. They don't permit smartwatches. Next time I'm looking for a smartwatch, that will be on the list of ones to consider, though. I've currently got a Fenix 5 Pro, but am not sure how well it would hold up to rough treatment.

 

LOL, you're going to learn to shave BEFORE you go to bed rather quickly. Do your routine in the evening, get up and push. That's all you'll need to do. In the Marines, they made us drink a full canteen of water right before bed. If you do the same, you will definitely wake up around midnight and have to hit the bathroom. You will also learn to do a few things during that little wake-up time.

 

USMC bootcamp in 2007... my advice is don't bother with a watch. You might think you're going to wake up early, but you'll quickly give up on that. If you really want to, volunteer for the last firewatch (though you'll get it enough anyway, I'm sure).

If you insist on a watch, a Casio F-91 survived training and Afghanistan as an infantry rifleman. I'm sure it'll handle Army basic with ease.

An added benefit, if you end up fighting in the middle east, your enemy will likely be wearing one as well!

 

As one that experienced it, and as others have said, I’d scrap your getting up early plan. A basic digital f91 or Ironman is fine but not really necessary.

 

Thank you for your desire to serve. As others have told you, do not worry about waking early. Do exactly what your are told in the time frame told to do as such. Basic is not difficult if you learn to follow the instructions and never start a sentence with "Uhhh'.

 

My son did basic followed immediately by Cavalry Scout school (same barracks). Don’t try to pre-plan anything, just go with the flow. After basic, most soldiers had g shocks, we offered to buy our son a GPS enabled watch (could be handy for a Scout) but he preferred a g-shock for daily use. If he had been deployed to a war zone we would have got him a watch that he could access GPS with (like a Suunto).

 

Did your son go to Ft. Knox, KY? I heard they moved the Armor School from Knox to Ft. Benning so not sure if the 19 Deltas (Cavalry Scouts) went there also.

 

Hi, I have the GD-350-1BER and from memory you can have vibrate and an audio alarm way the same time. However, the watch is quite thick on the wrist.

Not going through basic myself (and good luck with yours) but a better choice may be the
G9000-1

G9000-1V | G-SHOCK MASTER OF G - LAND Black | CASIO

Introducing the dust-resistant, dirt-resistant MUDMAN with Dual Illuminator. MUDMAN is designed and engineered with people like motor sport mechanics in mind. Its Mud Resist construction seals out everything from the oil of workshop to the sand of motorcycle rally. A Dual Illuminator backlight...

www.casio.com

It sits better on the wrist, which has some nodules on the back to keep it in place, it's is easier to read and it's slimmer.

 

Good luck…I wish you the best.

When I went through AF basic training a watch was the least of my worries. They’ll make sure you’re up on time. Getting the sleep you can get is probably more important than getting a jump on what’s already gonna be an early start to a long day.

As far as watches go, I think it’s hard to beat a G-Shock for what you want.

 

Old Sapper here, been 20 years since boot, and I agree with the “no watch” crowd here. Back then, the only PVT allowed to wear a watch was the PL
(The “platoon leader”. A revolving leadership position thrust onto a peer private, who was tasked with ensuring that all tasks were met and to standard, and that everyone was ready to be where we needed to be in the proper uniform and on time…thus the watch. A good PL would only last maybe 4 days lol. I’ve seen em fired in the first 45 seconds.)

If you actually can wear a watch, I would get the toughest, cheapest, lowest profile (both in size and being noticed) Timex Ironman you can find and get ready to beat the snot out of it. Save the “nice” watches for in garrison once you get to your assigned duty station.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO YOUR COUNTRY!!

 

 

Don't bring a watch. Buy the cheapest one at the PX when you are allowed to go.

That's my advice, do with it what you will.

 

US Army vet here. You won't need a watch...at all. Sleep will be your most cherished thing and there is no reason for you to know what time of day it is. Don't try to be a superstar. In the eyes of the drill sergeants, you are all pukes, maggots and maggot puke that they need to transform into soldiers within weeks.
You can enjoy a watch, like a G-Shock, once you're in AIT and at your duty station.

 

US Army vet here. You won't need a watch...at all. Sleep will be your most cherished thing and there is no reason for you to know what time of day it is. Don't try to be a superstar. In the eyes of the drill sergeants, you are all pukes, maggots and maggot puke that they need to transform into soldiers within weeks.
You can enjoy a watch, like a G-Shock, once you're in AIT and at your duty station.

Yup. What he said. Your day will be full and your Drill Sergeants will make sure you are where you need to be at all times.

Also, I'm sure the idea of waking up early seems great now, but trust me when I say that every second of sleep will be a gift that someone will need to pry from your cold, dead hands. Between PT, drill, getting smoked, and having your sleep interrupted to stand fire watch at night, you will be in a constant state of exhaustion. Not to mention the fact that the dreams you'll have of being back at home with family and friends will seem so real that you won't want to leave them.

 

Fill out your menu card for the next day
Leave a wake up call with the front desk
Remember which days dry cleaner picks up laundry
It's Friday night and everyone wants an Uber...reserve yours early
oops, my bad, the above is from the Air Force Boot Glamp Services Brochure.

Your milage may vary in Army boot camp, Navy boot was a long time back but as @Kwkshift pointed out, you will learn new names, new expressions and new ways of doing thing that make no sense other than 'this is the way you will do this'. You are of course invited to debate these thing with your DI/DS.

Every sentence should always begin with, "Sir/Ma'am" and end with same. Be sure to ask about the evening Happy Hour and Blanket Parties...good times....

 

Get a basic GShock or Ironman. Get something nice when you graduate. The nail that sticks up gets pounded down. You learn to be a team. Special routines likely won’t last long before they are pounded out of you. Stick to basic and functional.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

This Casio model has both vibration and sounding alarm.

TRT110H-1AV | Black Digital Men's Watch | CASIO

Heavy duty design with Mud resistant features and 100 meter water resistant. Additional features include super illuminator and vibration alarm.

www.casio.com

https://support.casio.com/storage/en/manual/pdf/EN/009/qw3463.pdf

Or the Casio G-Shock GD350-1B

GD350-1B | Digital Black Men's Watch G-SHOCK | CASIO

Learn more about the Men's Black GD-350-1B from G-SHOCK. Shop this product and other Digital watches today.

www.gshock.com

https://support.casio.com/storage/en/manual/pdf/EN/009/qw3403.pdf

 

G-Shock. Lots to choose from, with many different features offered.

Tough, cheap and easy to replace if damaged.

Good luck and thanks for serving our Country.

 

When I went through 30 years ago, they gave you a little time at the end of each day for personal stuff. That's when I would shave & make my bed. I'd sleep on top of the sheets and straighten them in the morning. I wanted every second of sleep I could get. A watch wasn't really necessary. If it was, they would have issued one.

 

BWAAA HA HA HA!
You think you’re going to get up and have some extra shave time and reading? Son, you’ll wake up when the TIs come through and spill you out of bed. If they see you up early doing stuff like that, you won’t like the consequences.
Get a G-Shock for the times when a watch comes in handy. Get your sleep and spill out with the rest of your unit.

 

The old salts have now spoken.

Now, with the recruiting videos I've seen of the Army lately.....

Drop the idea of a watch. Don't get up early.

Have some nice stories of a difficult life til the Army. Make sure to include the hardships in life you suffered (got yelled at once, ate something you didn't like, someone looked at you really mean), so that you will be instantly promoted to squad leader!!!

All kidding aside. Thanks for making the decision to go into a life of service....it is a life decision. Make the best of this opportunity...because it IS an opportunity and you get from it what you put in.

Listen to the old salts and just do what yer told when yer told.

Marine Boot Camp was designed so that the average guy could get through if they applied themselves. [emoji35][emoji35][emoji35]

Navy Boot Camp was designed so that the below average guy could pass...no effort, just pass [emoji1787][emoji1787][emoji1787]

Air Force Tea and Coffee was designed so you could learn something...none of us have figured that out yet. [emoji849][emoji849][emoji849]

Army Boot Camp was designed somewhere in the middle. [emoji1782][emoji1782][emoji1782]

Just don't end up like this guy.

Sent from my SM-F711U using Tapatalk

 

Have a nice time in the army…

Okay, back to topic: I guess I would choose Casio G-Shock GW-M5610U-1ER