[billnaz]

I hope my experience will be of assistance. I served for 26 years, 20 of it on active duty and the rest in the Army Reserve and National Guard.

He needs to realize that he will be a soldier first, and a mechanic second, even in the Army Reserve. He should also be prepared for a basic training cycle that is combat-oriented. For a number of years the army required only M16 qualification in basic, but I understand that basic training now involves familiarization with a number of weapons as well as anti-ambush training. It's about time, by the way.

[investigateworld]

"It's about time"
And right you are. No one in my basic company ever saw an M-60 machine gun, M-79 grenade launcher, we heard there were such things as Claymore, but never saw a clacker.
After basic I remained at the same post (Ft. Ord) and often met with my basic buddies for cold ones at Stillwell Hall. As late as the week before graduation, the guys in 11B training hadn't fired an M-60.
But in all honesty, we had the shiniest shoes and we could field strip a floor buffer blinded folded.
Dam LBJ, Robt McNamara and all the lifer suck up officers to hell.
No wonder Bush One could stand to be around the "Jeep Driver" Danny Quail, he knew the training was lousy and could blame the boy(s) for taking the coward option... enough rant ... I could go all night!!!!!!!!!