Army Phase 1 Training- getting my son through...
Discussion
No help at all to the OP, I suppose, but FWIW I joined straight from school at 16 and went off to Dover to begin my training.
Words of wisdom and encouragement from my dad? "You'll be back within three months - you won't hack it."
25 years and one month later I was set free with an immediate pension. I'd hated training. Watching Full Metal Jacket was like watching an episode of PlaySchool after recruit training. For that first year and a bit I only kept at it because I wasn't going to let my old man have the satisfaction of saying "Ha! I told you so!" when I came home with my tail between my legs. But FFWD to discharge time, and I didn't really want to go - I'd have stayed on if they'd have allowed me to.
Like I say, though, not much help to the OP. Training NCOs got away with far more back then, and it genuinely was harder. Plus the way that the training regime is organised and delivered is hugely different now. Back then there were "Junior Leaders" regiments to 'school' recruits under 17½ years old for a whole year, followed by adult (or 'Phase 2') training of (I think) about 8 weeks, and there was a long wait in a field unit before you were even considered for 'trade' training.
Horrible moments remembered from that first year...
Watching the key turn in the lock of the store room door, as all our civilian clothes, duvets, towels and radios, etc were placed out of bounds "Until term 3 at least, and then only if you earn them back"
When sent to the Guard Room for a punishment beasting in the quad, we'd be PT'd at high intensity until exhausted. When asked if you wanted to rest, you had a choice. The "rest" position (now recognised as a form of torture I think) - thighs and arms parallel to the ground, lower legs and back vertical, back against the wall, until we begged to continue exercising - Or - Decline the rest, and continue with press-ups 'til you couldn't get your face off the deck. All administered by a sadistic fat b
d in a peaked cap who you had to address as "Staff" and who looked like he hadn't seen the inside of a gym in 20 years.
'Failing' a room inspection and being punished with a "show parade" in the quad. The whole troop having to hump their beds, and lockers, along with all the contents, down three flights of stairs, and set everything up perfectly as though it were in the barrack rooms still.
Being turned out of our beds and told to parade in 2's down outside the duty bunk when one of our section commanders was on duty NCO overnight. At 2am we were lined up in a narrow corridor, dressed in our best kit, marking time for about 15 minutes. Whereupon the Cpl in question came out of his bunk and gave the order "Troop. Troop, Halt!" Then he stepped toward a window, now completely steamed up, and wrote his name with his index finger, spelling it out loud as he did so. "T - I - M - Tim!" he said, then fell us out and yelled for us to "Get away!" to our beds.
Having to parade our "best boots" on the windowsills of our rooms during room inspections. Then praying that you wouldn't be asked how fast you could run. The sash windows in our 1930s era barrack rooms were always open at the bottom. No matter what your answer to "How fast can you run?" you knew that what was coming next was your boots being lifted by the toe and tipped out of the window, while you were sent running down three flights of stairs and round the back of the block to "Catch the bloody things then! Whoops. Too slow..."
I can't say whether it made me a better person. Or even a better soldier. But it was a pretty damned horrible way to treat a fellow human being. Although it did have the desired effect of beating individuality out of us and molding us into a team.
Words of wisdom and encouragement from my dad? "You'll be back within three months - you won't hack it."
25 years and one month later I was set free with an immediate pension. I'd hated training. Watching Full Metal Jacket was like watching an episode of PlaySchool after recruit training. For that first year and a bit I only kept at it because I wasn't going to let my old man have the satisfaction of saying "Ha! I told you so!" when I came home with my tail between my legs. But FFWD to discharge time, and I didn't really want to go - I'd have stayed on if they'd have allowed me to.
Like I say, though, not much help to the OP. Training NCOs got away with far more back then, and it genuinely was harder. Plus the way that the training regime is organised and delivered is hugely different now. Back then there were "Junior Leaders" regiments to 'school' recruits under 17½ years old for a whole year, followed by adult (or 'Phase 2') training of (I think) about 8 weeks, and there was a long wait in a field unit before you were even considered for 'trade' training.
Horrible moments remembered from that first year...
Watching the key turn in the lock of the store room door, as all our civilian clothes, duvets, towels and radios, etc were placed out of bounds "Until term 3 at least, and then only if you earn them back"
When sent to the Guard Room for a punishment beasting in the quad, we'd be PT'd at high intensity until exhausted. When asked if you wanted to rest, you had a choice. The "rest" position (now recognised as a form of torture I think) - thighs and arms parallel to the ground, lower legs and back vertical, back against the wall, until we begged to continue exercising - Or - Decline the rest, and continue with press-ups 'til you couldn't get your face off the deck. All administered by a sadistic fat b
d in a peaked cap who you had to address as "Staff" and who looked like he hadn't seen the inside of a gym in 20 years.'Failing' a room inspection and being punished with a "show parade" in the quad. The whole troop having to hump their beds, and lockers, along with all the contents, down three flights of stairs, and set everything up perfectly as though it were in the barrack rooms still.
Being turned out of our beds and told to parade in 2's down outside the duty bunk when one of our section commanders was on duty NCO overnight. At 2am we were lined up in a narrow corridor, dressed in our best kit, marking time for about 15 minutes. Whereupon the Cpl in question came out of his bunk and gave the order "Troop. Troop, Halt!" Then he stepped toward a window, now completely steamed up, and wrote his name with his index finger, spelling it out loud as he did so. "T - I - M - Tim!" he said, then fell us out and yelled for us to "Get away!" to our beds.
Having to parade our "best boots" on the windowsills of our rooms during room inspections. Then praying that you wouldn't be asked how fast you could run. The sash windows in our 1930s era barrack rooms were always open at the bottom. No matter what your answer to "How fast can you run?" you knew that what was coming next was your boots being lifted by the toe and tipped out of the window, while you were sent running down three flights of stairs and round the back of the block to "Catch the bloody things then! Whoops. Too slow..."
I can't say whether it made me a better person. Or even a better soldier. But it was a pretty damned horrible way to treat a fellow human being. Although it did have the desired effect of beating individuality out of us and molding us into a team.
yellowjack said:
No help at all to the OP, I suppose, but FWIW I joined straight from school at 16 and went off to Dover to begin my training.
Words of wisdom and encouragement from my dad? "You'll be back within three months - you won't hack it."
25 years and one month later I was set free with an immediate pension. I'd hated training. Watching Full Metal Jacket was like watching an episode of PlaySchool after recruit training. For that first year and a bit I only kept at it because I wasn't going to let my old man have the satisfaction of saying "Ha! I told you so!" when I came home with my tail between my legs. But FFWD to discharge time, and I didn't really want to go - I'd have stayed on if they'd have allowed me to.
Like I say, though, not much help to the OP. Training NCOs got away with far more back then, and it genuinely was harder. Plus the way that the training regime is organised and delivered is hugely different now. Back then there were "Junior Leaders" regiments to 'school' recruits under 17½ years old for a whole year, followed by adult (or 'Phase 2') training of (I think) about 8 weeks, and there was a long wait in a field unit before you were even considered for 'trade' training.
Horrible moments remembered from that first year...
Watching the key turn in the lock of the store room door, as all our civilian clothes, duvets, towels and radios, etc were placed out of bounds "Until term 3 at least, and then only if you earn them back"
When sent to the Guard Room for a punishment beasting in the quad, we'd be PT'd at high intensity until exhausted. When asked if you wanted to rest, you had a choice. The "rest" position (now recognised as a form of torture I think) - thighs and arms parallel to the ground, lower legs and back vertical, back against the wall, until we begged to continue exercising - Or - Decline the rest, and continue with press-ups 'til you couldn't get your face off the deck. All administered by a sadistic fat bd in a peaked cap who you had to address as "Staff" and who looked like he hadn't seen the inside of a gym in 20 years.
'Failing' a room inspection and being punished with a "show parade" in the quad. The whole troop having to hump their beds, and lockers, along with all the contents, down three flights of stairs, and set everything up perfectly as though it were in the barrack rooms still.
Being turned out of our beds and told to parade in 2's down outside the duty bunk when one of our section commanders was on duty NCO overnight. At 2am we were lined up in a narrow corridor, dressed in our best kit, marking time for about 15 minutes. Whereupon the Cpl in question came out of his bunk and gave the order "Troop. Troop, Halt!" Then he stepped toward a window, now completely steamed up, and wrote his name with his index finger, spelling it out loud as he did so. "T - I - M - Tim!" he said, then fell us out and yelled for us to "Get away!" to our beds.
Having to parade our "best boots" on the windowsills of our rooms during room inspections. Then praying that you wouldn't be asked how fast you could run. The sash windows in our 1930s era barrack rooms were always open at the bottom. No matter what your answer to "How fast can you run?" you knew that what was coming next was your boots being lifted by the toe and tipped out of the window, while you were sent running down three flights of stairs and round the back of the block to "Catch the bloody things then! Whoops. Too slow..."
I can't say whether it made me a better person. Or even a better soldier. But it was a pretty damned horrible way to treat a fellow human being. Although it did have the desired effect of beating individuality out of us and molding us into a team.
Quo Fas et Gloria DuWords of wisdom and encouragement from my dad? "You'll be back within three months - you won't hack it."
25 years and one month later I was set free with an immediate pension. I'd hated training. Watching Full Metal Jacket was like watching an episode of PlaySchool after recruit training. For that first year and a bit I only kept at it because I wasn't going to let my old man have the satisfaction of saying "Ha! I told you so!" when I came home with my tail between my legs. But FFWD to discharge time, and I didn't really want to go - I'd have stayed on if they'd have allowed me to.
Like I say, though, not much help to the OP. Training NCOs got away with far more back then, and it genuinely was harder. Plus the way that the training regime is organised and delivered is hugely different now. Back then there were "Junior Leaders" regiments to 'school' recruits under 17½ years old for a whole year, followed by adult (or 'Phase 2') training of (I think) about 8 weeks, and there was a long wait in a field unit before you were even considered for 'trade' training.
Horrible moments remembered from that first year...
Watching the key turn in the lock of the store room door, as all our civilian clothes, duvets, towels and radios, etc were placed out of bounds "Until term 3 at least, and then only if you earn them back"
When sent to the Guard Room for a punishment beasting in the quad, we'd be PT'd at high intensity until exhausted. When asked if you wanted to rest, you had a choice. The "rest" position (now recognised as a form of torture I think) - thighs and arms parallel to the ground, lower legs and back vertical, back against the wall, until we begged to continue exercising - Or - Decline the rest, and continue with press-ups 'til you couldn't get your face off the deck. All administered by a sadistic fat b
d in a peaked cap who you had to address as "Staff" and who looked like he hadn't seen the inside of a gym in 20 years.'Failing' a room inspection and being punished with a "show parade" in the quad. The whole troop having to hump their beds, and lockers, along with all the contents, down three flights of stairs, and set everything up perfectly as though it were in the barrack rooms still.
Being turned out of our beds and told to parade in 2's down outside the duty bunk when one of our section commanders was on duty NCO overnight. At 2am we were lined up in a narrow corridor, dressed in our best kit, marking time for about 15 minutes. Whereupon the Cpl in question came out of his bunk and gave the order "Troop. Troop, Halt!" Then he stepped toward a window, now completely steamed up, and wrote his name with his index finger, spelling it out loud as he did so. "T - I - M - Tim!" he said, then fell us out and yelled for us to "Get away!" to our beds.
Having to parade our "best boots" on the windowsills of our rooms during room inspections. Then praying that you wouldn't be asked how fast you could run. The sash windows in our 1930s era barrack rooms were always open at the bottom. No matter what your answer to "How fast can you run?" you knew that what was coming next was your boots being lifted by the toe and tipped out of the window, while you were sent running down three flights of stairs and round the back of the block to "Catch the bloody things then! Whoops. Too slow..."
I can't say whether it made me a better person. Or even a better soldier. But it was a pretty damned horrible way to treat a fellow human being. Although it did have the desired effect of beating individuality out of us and molding us into a team.
😎The one thing they got right in 'Royal Navy School' which was on tv recently following some phase 1 recruits, was telling a young lad who was keen but couldn't be arsed with the admin to go away and come back in a year.
If your lad were to go back in a year keen as mustard and his admin in order, having already been through the training regime he could easily end up top student.
nb. being top student carries its own perils. Do not arrive at unit and announce to all that you were top of your recruit class.
admin tips for rifle. Cheap 5.56 boresnake is a massive time saver. When it comes to gas parts, oil the crap out of it before you fire it.
If your lad were to go back in a year keen as mustard and his admin in order, having already been through the training regime he could easily end up top student.
nb. being top student carries its own perils. Do not arrive at unit and announce to all that you were top of your recruit class.
admin tips for rifle. Cheap 5.56 boresnake is a massive time saver. When it comes to gas parts, oil the crap out of it before you fire it.
Not sure what it is like now but when I went through Basic training 8 years ago (I know I know sprog/crow/nig etc but at least I scrapped a 252 number, I'm no spartan!) You could only use the issued kit and nothing else, how that works with the new cleaning kit needing its own Bergan!
As I am sure he and you have been told a thousand times, basic training is not the real Army, Phase 2 will be a little more like it but it is when he gets to his unit it actually starts!
I am the worlds worst at admin in unit and at home but in the field I manage to flick a switch and get it together. I have known someone in my intake who had to be dragged through the field element kicking and screaming by the rest of the section. Might be an idea if your son has something else he is particularly good at and help the others in his section out then hopefully they will return the favour on the field element!
ADDSVRS I would have seen your son practising, I was in Tidworth on a course last week and saw all the feather dusters practicing, looked inpressive even in barrack dress.
As I am sure he and you have been told a thousand times, basic training is not the real Army, Phase 2 will be a little more like it but it is when he gets to his unit it actually starts!
I am the worlds worst at admin in unit and at home but in the field I manage to flick a switch and get it together. I have known someone in my intake who had to be dragged through the field element kicking and screaming by the rest of the section. Might be an idea if your son has something else he is particularly good at and help the others in his section out then hopefully they will return the favour on the field element!
ADDSVRS I would have seen your son practising, I was in Tidworth on a course last week and saw all the feather dusters practicing, looked inpressive even in barrack dress.
The Assessment Soecification (ASPEC) for that particular test say that the rifle should be battle cleaned and to the standard where it will still function.
eg a tiny bit of carbon (it is a blank firing exercise) under the magazine feed lips shouldn't be enough to fail the test and be backtrooped. It may be enough to earn you a thrashing though.
On the other side, many recruits do very well in Sword Coy (where he may go for retraining before moving back to a mainstream troop) then come very high in the rankings when they return.
eg a tiny bit of carbon (it is a blank firing exercise) under the magazine feed lips shouldn't be enough to fail the test and be backtrooped. It may be enough to earn you a thrashing though.
On the other side, many recruits do very well in Sword Coy (where he may go for retraining before moving back to a mainstream troop) then come very high in the rankings when they return.
We are in East London, so Colchester is probably closest, but the boy now goes back this coming weekend as he decided (wisely) that he didn't want to be home for 3 weeks and took an offer to go back earlier in the process.
I had a good chat with the former Section CO yesterday, and the feedback was very positive, except that he "doesn't appreciate what clean looks like" and I think the rifle was a culmination of other admin tasks (e.g. boots) that just weren't good enough. The CO pointed out that the rifle is one of the easiest tasks, and once he failed it first time they just made him work harder. As someone has said, normal standard is 'battlefield clean', but once he failed they upped the standard and wanted more from him and he couldn't do it in time. While on Ex. they eventually gave him extra time to clean it and he ended up with "a high standard of cleanliness" but clearly this was just to check he could get there in the end - but the damage was done.
She felt that if he were to retest again now, under the proper criteria, he would probably pass.
I want to thank everyone for their help and suggestions - it's great that there are some many positive responses. It would be easy for the Army just to boot him out and tell him to come back, which I know people think it is how it should be, but supposedly he will make a good soldier and he just has to knuckle down. I had him cleaning my football and walking boots last night, and we can see what the issue is so we just need to give him an extra kick up the arse, as has been said it is his life to fk up.
I had a good chat with the former Section CO yesterday, and the feedback was very positive, except that he "doesn't appreciate what clean looks like" and I think the rifle was a culmination of other admin tasks (e.g. boots) that just weren't good enough. The CO pointed out that the rifle is one of the easiest tasks, and once he failed it first time they just made him work harder. As someone has said, normal standard is 'battlefield clean', but once he failed they upped the standard and wanted more from him and he couldn't do it in time. While on Ex. they eventually gave him extra time to clean it and he ended up with "a high standard of cleanliness" but clearly this was just to check he could get there in the end - but the damage was done.
She felt that if he were to retest again now, under the proper criteria, he would probably pass.
I want to thank everyone for their help and suggestions - it's great that there are some many positive responses. It would be easy for the Army just to boot him out and tell him to come back, which I know people think it is how it should be, but supposedly he will make a good soldier and he just has to knuckle down. I had him cleaning my football and walking boots last night, and we can see what the issue is so we just need to give him an extra kick up the arse, as has been said it is his life to f
k up.I just wanted to update and bring this thread to a happy conclusion. Tomorrow we are attending our son's Pass Off parade after another emotional couple of months.
He really knuckled down when he went back, passed all of the remaining tests first time and has generally shown exactly what the staff were asking for. I really didn't want to think too far ahead, we have known this date was coming all along, but planning for it has, I'm embarrassed to say, not been something we have committed to as we just didn't know how it would turn out.
We clearly needn't have worried, in the past 7 weeks we have had nothing but positive news fed back to us from our son. We couldn't be more pleased, and I wanted to thank everyone for the advice, all of it was used in some way or another and hopefully had some effect.
Looking forward to the long drive tomorrow in the Golf R Estate, just to give this a proper PH link...
He really knuckled down when he went back, passed all of the remaining tests first time and has generally shown exactly what the staff were asking for. I really didn't want to think too far ahead, we have known this date was coming all along, but planning for it has, I'm embarrassed to say, not been something we have committed to as we just didn't know how it would turn out.
We clearly needn't have worried, in the past 7 weeks we have had nothing but positive news fed back to us from our son. We couldn't be more pleased, and I wanted to thank everyone for the advice, all of it was used in some way or another and hopefully had some effect.
Looking forward to the long drive tomorrow in the Golf R Estate, just to give this a proper PH link...
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