Hello all! Sorry it's been so long since my last message. It's been absolutely manic over the last few days.
We returned back from Long reach at lunch time on Friday after what was effectively 70km in tough terrain in 35 hours, including 9 1hour command task check points and 5 unmanned check points. We completed the task in time, 33 hours, which was not as good as some of the other teams but we were happy with our result. It was not an easy exercise, infact it was one of hardest things I've ever done. Dealing with the exhaustion was difficult enough, but throw in the navigation, the command tasks and the below freezing temperatures at the top of the mountains made it almost unbearable. But we are all done and fully rested.
The last couple of days have been full with post exercise admin and lots more lessons. Including the first of our war studies lessons.
In a lesson last week we were asked to tell a joke in the lecture theatre in front of everyone, which I gladly did, but have unfortunately become the company joker, having to start and end major lectures with a joke. I'm not sure our company commander is a fan of some of my jokes but everyone else seems to love them. I just need to be careful not to get in trouble haha.
Anyway that's all for now. Speak soon!
Rob xx
Monday 25 October 2010
Tuesday 19 October 2010
Day 37 - ready for the off!
Hi guys! Spent the last two days running around like headless chickens trying to get ready for exercise long reach, going on weighted marches, PT and a number of lectures.
The extra 20 minutes in bed are a God send however the freedoms we thought we gained for completing weeks 1-5 are none existant, as we have to do everything the same as before anyway. The only difference being that we can get show parades now (rocking up at the guard room at 21.30 to be reinspected) which half of the platoon was lucky to get this morning, but not me luckily.
Today's nutrition lecture was one of the sleepiest we've had, which unfortunately didn't go un-noticed by the colour sergeants. We then spent the next half an hour being beasted, to apparently 'wake us up'. But in truth just tired us out more.
Anyway I better get some sleep for the exercise!
We are allowed some pictures up in our rooms now so if you could send me some classic pictures of yourselves to cheer me up when I'm feeling low!
Wish me luck!
Rob
The extra 20 minutes in bed are a God send however the freedoms we thought we gained for completing weeks 1-5 are none existant, as we have to do everything the same as before anyway. The only difference being that we can get show parades now (rocking up at the guard room at 21.30 to be reinspected) which half of the platoon was lucky to get this morning, but not me luckily.
Today's nutrition lecture was one of the sleepiest we've had, which unfortunately didn't go un-noticed by the colour sergeants. We then spent the next half an hour being beasted, to apparently 'wake us up'. But in truth just tired us out more.
Anyway I better get some sleep for the exercise!
We are allowed some pictures up in our rooms now so if you could send me some classic pictures of yourselves to cheer me up when I'm feeling low!
Wish me luck!
Rob
Monday 18 October 2010
Day 35 - back in!
Just returned to Sandhurst after my first weekend off and to say that I wasn't looking forward to it would be an understatement. However that being said now that I have arrived I'm much more positive and being back with the blokes makes it much better.
I spent my weekend sleeping, eating, drinking and seeing mates, among other things. It was awesome to see everyone and download some of the stories and blow off some steam. Just a shame the weekend went so quickly!
Now that we are back our platoons game of duvet secret Santa can commence. I bought my partner a fetching hannah montana set which he was exstatic about! Whilst I recieved an equally fetching pink little miss sunshine set. The room is already feeling more personal.
This week we are mostly prepping for long reach and completing communication and applied behavioral sciences (cab) discussions. And tomorrow morning kicks off with a 6 mile 14kg loaded march at 7.30, fun fun fun.
Just got to get back into the swing of things and work hard.
Hope everyone is well!
Rob
I spent my weekend sleeping, eating, drinking and seeing mates, among other things. It was awesome to see everyone and download some of the stories and blow off some steam. Just a shame the weekend went so quickly!
Now that we are back our platoons game of duvet secret Santa can commence. I bought my partner a fetching hannah montana set which he was exstatic about! Whilst I recieved an equally fetching pink little miss sunshine set. The room is already feeling more personal.
This week we are mostly prepping for long reach and completing communication and applied behavioral sciences (cab) discussions. And tomorrow morning kicks off with a 6 mile 14kg loaded march at 7.30, fun fun fun.
Just got to get back into the swing of things and work hard.
Hope everyone is well!
Rob
Tuesday 12 October 2010
Day 30 - nearly over!
The last few days have been the busiest of my life. The main focus being prepping for Exercise Long Reach which takes place in the Black Mountains in Wales next week. In our teams we have been planning the route and all of the information/kit to complete the 60-80km navigation exercise that must be completed in less than 35 hours.
We have also been hammering the drill square in preparation for our drill test on Thursday. Desperatley revising the list of academy personalities which we are tested on. So far we have been pretty good, let's hope we can keep it up.
We also got our scores for the navigation assessment which I came joint first, which I was massively happy with.
We are also deep in prep for our final inspections which we must pass, along with the drill, navigation and cis test, to be 'taken off weeks 1-5'. Room inspections get less, we can personalise our rooms a bit, wear the RMAS stable belt and stop calling out the timings when doing drill. Anyone who fails will continue to do it until they are retested in week 8.
Everyone is now just counting down these last two nights before we get a well deserved weekend off. So if you are around this weekend and want to have a drink let me know.
Rob
We have also been hammering the drill square in preparation for our drill test on Thursday. Desperatley revising the list of academy personalities which we are tested on. So far we have been pretty good, let's hope we can keep it up.
We also got our scores for the navigation assessment which I came joint first, which I was massively happy with.
We are also deep in prep for our final inspections which we must pass, along with the drill, navigation and cis test, to be 'taken off weeks 1-5'. Room inspections get less, we can personalise our rooms a bit, wear the RMAS stable belt and stop calling out the timings when doing drill. Anyone who fails will continue to do it until they are retested in week 8.
Everyone is now just counting down these last two nights before we get a well deserved weekend off. So if you are around this weekend and want to have a drink let me know.
Rob
Saturday 9 October 2010
Day 26 - Exercise Self Reliance
Exercise Self Reliance, or exercise self abuse as it is affectionately nicknamed, consisted of the following:
Getting very wet
Getting very cold
Getting little to no sleep
Lot and lots of digging
Section attacks over and over again
A long heavy tab until midnight
An extraction tab this morning for 7km
But you know what, once we reached the finish point it was all worth it. The sense of achievement out weighed the bad times. It also gave the platoon a chance to get to know each other better.
Many of the platoon suffered with prickely heat which is only cured by being scrubbed down with water, normally in the shower with a willing volunteer scrubber.
One of the lads made the mistake of confusing a large rock with a CWS (common weapons sight) and was forced to carry said rock for the remainder of the exercise. Much to his disgust and our amusement.
We returned to camp absolutely shattered and spent the rest of the day cleaning weapons and kit, which I think we were happy to do considering the alternative.
It is only 5 days until our first leave weekend, with only a few horrifically busy days separating the two. The main challenge being the passing off the square drill competition, which we are now sick of rehearsing. We have now been issued our smart 'blues' uniform which we will have to get ready for the competition too.
I am missing everyone like mad, but as you are aware I'm being kept busy so my mind is on other things.
See you all very soon!
Rob
Getting very wet
Getting very cold
Getting little to no sleep
Lot and lots of digging
Section attacks over and over again
A long heavy tab until midnight
An extraction tab this morning for 7km
But you know what, once we reached the finish point it was all worth it. The sense of achievement out weighed the bad times. It also gave the platoon a chance to get to know each other better.
Many of the platoon suffered with prickely heat which is only cured by being scrubbed down with water, normally in the shower with a willing volunteer scrubber.
One of the lads made the mistake of confusing a large rock with a CWS (common weapons sight) and was forced to carry said rock for the remainder of the exercise. Much to his disgust and our amusement.
We returned to camp absolutely shattered and spent the rest of the day cleaning weapons and kit, which I think we were happy to do considering the alternative.
It is only 5 days until our first leave weekend, with only a few horrifically busy days separating the two. The main challenge being the passing off the square drill competition, which we are now sick of rehearsing. We have now been issued our smart 'blues' uniform which we will have to get ready for the competition too.
I am missing everyone like mad, but as you are aware I'm being kept busy so my mind is on other things.
See you all very soon!
Rob
Monday 4 October 2010
Day 22 - off we go
Woke up today to find we were carrying out a 4 mile weighted march, in yes you guessed it, the pouring rain! However wasn't too bad and we all felt pretty good when we got back in. We had a couple of lectures then 3 hours of drill on the square. I think it is safe to say that we all felt pretty achey after that. I was then sent to get root canal treatment at the dentist which is pretty sore at the moment. We then spent the evening cleaning rifles and prepping our kit for the exercise we leave for tomorrow.
Exercise self reliance is a 4 day ex to put together the skills we have learnt thus far. And also to teach us a bit more. We are expecting lots of rain, lots of digging and to return on Friday absolutely knackered.
On another note our colour sergeant has now left due to his hernia and has been replaced by another. What he will be like I don't know, I'll keep you updated on that.
Thanks to all those who read this and my next blog will be up on Friday when I return!
Think of me when you are warm and cozy in your beds at night.
Rob
Exercise self reliance is a 4 day ex to put together the skills we have learnt thus far. And also to teach us a bit more. We are expecting lots of rain, lots of digging and to return on Friday absolutely knackered.
On another note our colour sergeant has now left due to his hernia and has been replaced by another. What he will be like I don't know, I'll keep you updated on that.
Thanks to all those who read this and my next blog will be up on Friday when I return!
Think of me when you are warm and cozy in your beds at night.
Rob
Sunday 3 October 2010
Day 20 - absolutely gibbering...
It's strange how the English language is changed to suit the environment it's in. How almost every word has an army equivalent. Today's word is gibbering, which apparently means to be very cold, or shivering. Which is exactly what the entire company found itself doing over last nights field exercise.
Apparently the area hadn't seen rain like it in the last 10 years, and that's what it did all day and all night. Everything was wet, down to the underpants. Trying to learn the complexities of range cards, duties of a sentry and camoflague and concealment is hard enough for some. Throw in a few gallons of water at a horizontal angle and it's near impossible.
We did however survive the long night, and the beasting we all recieved the following morning for not being quick enough, just in time for a CIS lesson, followed by a 4 hour navigation exercise. Apparently the rest of the night was our own, buy in the army there is no such thing as our own, it's the armys own. So we spent our 'own' time cleaning and prepping our dirty kit for Tuesday.
One of the overseas cadets came to speak to me today because he was feeling home sick among other things and I can't say I blame him, its gard enough knowing your family and friends are a few hundred miles away but imagine them being thousands of miles away. We ended up chatting for an hour only stopping because we needed to finish kit. I hope he feels happier soon.
Bye bye!
Rob
Apparently the area hadn't seen rain like it in the last 10 years, and that's what it did all day and all night. Everything was wet, down to the underpants. Trying to learn the complexities of range cards, duties of a sentry and camoflague and concealment is hard enough for some. Throw in a few gallons of water at a horizontal angle and it's near impossible.
We did however survive the long night, and the beasting we all recieved the following morning for not being quick enough, just in time for a CIS lesson, followed by a 4 hour navigation exercise. Apparently the rest of the night was our own, buy in the army there is no such thing as our own, it's the armys own. So we spent our 'own' time cleaning and prepping our dirty kit for Tuesday.
One of the overseas cadets came to speak to me today because he was feeling home sick among other things and I can't say I blame him, its gard enough knowing your family and friends are a few hundred miles away but imagine them being thousands of miles away. We ended up chatting for an hour only stopping because we needed to finish kit. I hope he feels happier soon.
Bye bye!
Rob
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