50 battleblock thoughts

A day in the life of Battle Block

1.

Right. This is it. I’m gonna SMASH this battle block. I’m going to be the next Rommel, the next Bridges, the next Governor genera…

2.

 SHIT. Where’s my rifle?

3.

I’m so glad I have this section. I like them all so much. We work so well together. I can DO this.

4.

 We all ready to go? Good. Wait. Where’s Noi?

5.

Quick Attack orders, go! Go! GO!

6.

STOPPAGE!

7.

Oh man. Leopard crawling HURTS.

8.

Why is there water all down my back?

9.

I was SO sure I screwed that waterbottle lid on properly.

10.

I do NOT remember the patrol out taking this long

11.

Was that 78 steps or 68 steps?

12.

Fuck. Am I lost?

13.

Please don’t be lost, please don’t be lost, please don’t be lost…

14.

HALT! Check nav

15.

Thank god. We made it back. I am amazing. I will henceforth demand that I am known as the exalted COMMANDER GLY…

16.

...Fuck. Where’s my rifle?

17.

Do up your pouches idiot.

18.

Damn. Why are my pouches always open?

19.

Piquet again?! I feel like my life is one dirty, great big piquet.

20.

I’m hungry.

21.

It’s getting dark, and I’m hungry.

22.

I hope someone’s cooking me food.

23.

Someone had better be cooking me food, goddammit.

24.

Honest to god, how long does it take to do a clearing patrol?

25.

All these people are idiots.

26.

Where’s my rifle?

27.

Where’s my night weapon sight?

28.

Why do I have SO much shit in my pack? I can’t find anything I need.

29.

Is it too soon for a baby wipe shower?

30.

Am I already starting to stink? How is that possible?

31.

I don’t want to start stinking before everyone else.

32.

Piquet again!? Already?

33.

It’s so cold. Should I take my sleeping mat out?

34.

I don’t want ask if I can or not, in case they say no. I’m gonna just take it anyway.

35.

Oh god, what was that? Are we gonna get contacted?

36.

WHAT IF THEY CATCH ME ON MY MAT?

37.

I’m gonna put my mat back.

38.

What if they come when I’m gone?

39.

OH GOD. I’M SO CONFLICTED. DO I LEAVE THE MAT OR NOT?

40.

What was that?

41.

Bloody Sergeants

42.

STAND TO.

43.

Hah, at least if I have to be awake, everyone else has to be too.

44.

…bloody Sergeants…

45.

‘How do you know if a young frog is from Eastern Europe? 

It’s a Tad-pole’

- Go away Burley.

46.

Okay. Nope. That’s definitely me. I definitely stink.

47.

 I really hope I don’t sprain my ankles, just so the medic doesn’t have to look at my hairy legs.

48.

Chocolate for breakfast tomorrow? Yes. This is a lifestyle choice I can wholeheartedly support.

49.

OH LORD. BED IS SO GOOD.

50.

Oh god. Where’s my rifle?

The Bayonet Assault course

Something was definitely afoot.

After weeks of strict orders, sharp timings to be met, and the constant demand to maintain a 'sense of urgency' from sunrise till bedtime, there we were at 9pm, watching a movie.

It was weird, and initially people couldn't relax. Everyone was glancing over their shoulders, keeping an eye on the SGI's for any suspicious activity...but there was nothing and gradually people began to enjoy the evening off. The movie was Gallipoli and they sent us to bed just before the Australian soldiers were about to charge over their trenches to certain death.
'Go to bed' the instructors told us. 'We'll finish it in the morning'.

Oh boy, did we ever.

20 minutes before reveille that next morning they hit us.

Covered in cam paint, screaming like a maniac, as though he was on fire, one of my sergeants came bursting into the room.
'GET UP! GET THE FUCK OUT OF BED!!!! GO! GO! GO OUTSIDE NOW!!!!!"

I almost had a heart attack.

We raced outside our cabins, pulling our sheets out with us as we'd been taught, and we were deafened by the sounds of gunfire and explosions erupting all around us. There was smoke everywhere, it was pitch black, and someone had rigged up an extensive sound speaker and was blasting dramatic, war-y, music. Very much Two Steps from Hell-esk. It was absolute sensory overload. The sergeants were running up and down the corridors screaming at us to get back inside, that we were being attacked, that we had exactly 6 minutes to get ready but we couldn't stand up, we had to crawl on our stomaches back in and somehow, in amongst the darkness and confusion, find our clothes, find our weapons and put cam paint on our face. GO! GO! GO!

Sweating, stressing and swearing, us girls finally made it outside and were lying flat on the concrete breathing hard. We were herded like cattle back into the main hall and from there watched the next 3 minutes of the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0Ankn-AzC4 then we raced off down the path to the bayonet assault course.

'FIX BAYONETS'

The whole point of bayonet training is this: if you're in a war zone and you're down to just you and your bayonet, something has gone horrifically wrong. The only thing you have left going for you is the tiny blade at the end of your rifle and your aggression. The sergents wanted us to channel that aggression.

We began by running at dummies.
Screaming till our voices were hoarse we ran and slashed and stabbed at the figurines. I don't know about the others but in my head was every angry thing that had ever happened to me at training so far. All the times me or my friends had been unfairly yelled at, embarrassed, tired and stressed or just not coping.
After we finished with the dummies we were put through the actual obstacle course.

We jumped into bear pits full of water, crawled under barbed wire, jumped off walls and ran through tyres, after each obstacle we ran at a dummy and screamed as we charged it. It was the most manic and psychotic thing I've ever done, and it was incredibly bizarre and frightening to see the calm, smart, rational people I'd been training with up until this point completely let loose in such an aggressive way.  It was a definite reality check I suppose. That behind the ironed uniforms and the strict discipline...this is the army, and the training we're all given has an ultimate purpose.

We were all absolutely shattered by the end, emotionally and physically. It was definitely one of the most intense things I've ever participated in however I'm glad I did. All of this training so far has been challenging in different areas and doing this course made me realise a few things about myself, perhaps the most important of which is that I discovered that I can keep my cool in these sorts of situations, and that psychotic, crazy anger definitely does not come naturally to me. Both good realisations.

Ladies and gentlemen: the bayonet assault course.