Holy crap that was a good week!
I now simultaneously remember what made me want to join the army in the first place, and what made me want to run screaming from it. I joined the rest of my platoon a week late (lab work had taken priority) on the day that was A) our pay parade, and B) 50p bar night. Messy messy experiences ensued (you havent been drunk under the table by anyone 'til you've been drunk under the table by scouse squaddies and students), all whilst in fancy dress (of course). This years theme was 'under the sea' (pics will follow) which of course meant mermaids,pirates, and several bad taste numbers such as a pair of steve irwins (complete with sting rays) and 'the blues brothers do new orleans'.
And, naturally, the morning after this evening of carnage and debauchery was indeed the morning we were to deploy to Dartmoor for our four day field exercise. Someone with a sense of humour drew up the itinary for this camp... The field ex was an absolute knackerer, but fun in the long run (that or my memories just been skewed by the amount of alcohol i ingested after it). To anyone planning on visiting the area- maps mean nothing when the terrain is basically featurless and the mist is as thick as Jade Goody. I managed to wreck my feet on a three and a half hour mystery tour to an ambush that wasn't happening, courtesy of Monty's prowess at night navigation, and then threw up in my fire position before our guns blazing war film style final dawn attack (God damned you ration pack!). Any soldier credibility i ever had is pretty much firmly in the shitter, lol. On the upside i was far from the worst out there, and already knew i wasn't exactly much of a field machine.
Having returned to camp we cleaned weapons and then had an hour to throw ourselves into ball dresses/ dinner suits in time for the company photo (in the rain, of course) and regimental dinner. I was actually rather impressed at the number of my platoon that were in the cookhouse for breakfast the next morning still in their regi dinner garb, lol, i wish i had that kind of stamina after a field ex!
Still no closer to a resolution on wether i'm joining the forces or not, but at least im making some damn good mates and memories on my way
And now for sleep...long, deep, sleep, that won't be interupted by some fucker either waking me up for stag duty, or shooting at me...
I now simultaneously remember what made me want to join the army in the first place, and what made me want to run screaming from it. I joined the rest of my platoon a week late (lab work had taken priority) on the day that was A) our pay parade, and B) 50p bar night. Messy messy experiences ensued (you havent been drunk under the table by anyone 'til you've been drunk under the table by scouse squaddies and students), all whilst in fancy dress (of course). This years theme was 'under the sea' (pics will follow) which of course meant mermaids,pirates, and several bad taste numbers such as a pair of steve irwins (complete with sting rays) and 'the blues brothers do new orleans'.
And, naturally, the morning after this evening of carnage and debauchery was indeed the morning we were to deploy to Dartmoor for our four day field exercise. Someone with a sense of humour drew up the itinary for this camp... The field ex was an absolute knackerer, but fun in the long run (that or my memories just been skewed by the amount of alcohol i ingested after it). To anyone planning on visiting the area- maps mean nothing when the terrain is basically featurless and the mist is as thick as Jade Goody. I managed to wreck my feet on a three and a half hour mystery tour to an ambush that wasn't happening, courtesy of Monty's prowess at night navigation, and then threw up in my fire position before our guns blazing war film style final dawn attack (God damned you ration pack!). Any soldier credibility i ever had is pretty much firmly in the shitter, lol. On the upside i was far from the worst out there, and already knew i wasn't exactly much of a field machine.
Having returned to camp we cleaned weapons and then had an hour to throw ourselves into ball dresses/ dinner suits in time for the company photo (in the rain, of course) and regimental dinner. I was actually rather impressed at the number of my platoon that were in the cookhouse for breakfast the next morning still in their regi dinner garb, lol, i wish i had that kind of stamina after a field ex!
Still no closer to a resolution on wether i'm joining the forces or not, but at least im making some damn good mates and memories on my way
And now for sleep...long, deep, sleep, that won't be interupted by some fucker either waking me up for stag duty, or shooting at me...
what kind of guns you shoot-