Im in

bitemybanger · 10-09-2008 7:27pm #1

Just got notification of my start date for recruit traning.:D
I cant wait but i know its gonna be hell for the first while
Any tips apart from the "mouth shut eyes open do what your told" motto?

newby.204 · 10-09-2008 7:58pm

yea be whats called the grey man, if the cpls cant remember your name off hand after the 6 months and ive seen it happen you have done well!! dont be constantly first youll be a lick arse, dont be last cause means your a bag of sh!te be in the middle the greyman!! oh and dont lie it just makes it worse!!

bitemybanger · 10-09-2008 8:23pm

newby.204 wrote: »

yea be whats called the grey man, if the cpls cant remember your name off hand after the 6 months and ive seen it happen you have done well!! dont be constantly first youll be a lick arse, dont be last cause means your a bag of sh!te be in the middle the greyman!! oh and dont lie it just makes it worse!!

Nice one N, sounds like a good plan,
I havnt the worst level of fitness but i havnt the best either, will be running me arse off for the next couple of weeks. is it long since you did your traning?

Poccington · 10-09-2008 8:45pm

Don't worry about your fitness.

As for the grey man, I do and I don't agree with the concept. You most definitely should not be noticed for being a bag of ****e but at the same time, you should still be trying to be the best at everything you're doing during training. If you are doing everything well, then you'll be noticed by the Training Staff. To be striving to be mediocre is wrong IMO..... If you're good well then you'll be noticed and if you're a bag of ****e you'll be noticed. No matter what by the end of training your Training Staff will know who you are.... You may as well make it be for a good reason.

NoQuarter · 10-09-2008 11:34pm

not a bad point from the above poster, being the grey man is almost the standard acceptable thing to do and if it was ARW selection i would agree but for recruit training i would say try everything as good as possibe but DONT be obvious about it!

as in dont try be the best at everything, like your trying to be great, just do very well on training and pick everything up fast, have your gear immaculate, then when the time comes for the NCO's to test you by lashing you out of it just take it like a man and not personal and thats that!

other than that just remember that its all a game and REMEMBER...the NCO's are just normal blokes too so dont take major sh1t from them, if you wanna stand up about a thing or 2 do it because they might respect you more for it and at the end of the game its just a job and the lads you train with will remember everything that happens during training so man up!

oh..and enjoy it..it will be hard to believe for the next while but its the best time you'll have in the army!

Trust us

petergfiffin · 11-09-2008 8:36am

My 2 cent for what it's worth.....

Be yourself....the training staff can pick up on whether you're putting on an act and you won't be able to keep it up for the full length of training anyway.
Don't EVER lie.....no matter how much trouble you're in telling a porkie will only make it a whole lot worse (a lot of the time they already know the answer, they just want to see what you'll say!)
Be a team player, if they think you're only out for yourself they will crucify you be generous about helping others around you.
It's better to admit not knowing something than to be caught out
It really IS all a game, if a DS is screaming at you it really isn't personal and by the end of the day the probably won't even remember why they were screaming (you will though!!!:P)

Something I was told by an old-timer which helped me is that sometimes you look around at it feels like you're the only one who's down,scared,tired or whatever, you aren't, pretty much every other person there is feeling the same.

I wouldn't worry about the fitness, it starts from a pretty low point anyway (at least it did).

Finally.....enjoy it, it really is a fantastic experience and it'll stay with you for a long time

arybvtcw0eolkf · 11-09-2008 9:14am

Weldone and best of luck.

Now, I won't add to the excellent advice posted above except to say this.

Once training starts, don't come on here posting about your experiences or bad NCO's (or good one's either).

Don't start a BEBO/Facebook.

If you really need advice online PM one of the (PDF) regular's here, we've all gone through basic. We know the mistakes, pitfalls and ball hops (a saying your become familiar with) and we'll try put you straight.

We had a poster here a while back posting about his recruit training which the training staff got hold off and made life difficult for the lad.

bitemybanger · 11-09-2008 10:46am

Thanks lads, appricate all the sound advice and will take it all with me.

Poccington · 11-09-2008 6:09pm

Most importantly though, enjoy every minute of it! Like King Stew said, it'll be one of the best things you'll ever be a part of... Although you may not think it at times

If ya ever need any help or advice, don't be afraid to ask any of the lads here(Via PM of course).... You're one of us now

ex_infantry man · 12-09-2008 4:44pm

Mairt wrote: »

We had a poster here a while back posting about his recruit training which the training staff got hold off and made life difficult for the lad.

ye exactly wat did happen this chap??? is he still in the army or what??

Poccington · 12-09-2008 4:58pm

ex_infantry man wrote: »

is he still in the army or what??

Nope.

Leadership · 12-09-2008 5:16pm

Well done and good luck.

As already stated even in the low times you will look back and say to yourself I enjoyed that!

The tips posted are all valid, to add and validate:

Dont Lie - To the trainers or other recruits, you will only look a dick in the end

Teamwork - Your part of a team now, if one man fails you fail. If your fellow recruit looks like a bag of shoite then help him sharpen up his creases and shine his boots. If he cannot get over the 6ft wall help him over, if he fails any tests help him in your own time etc etc. That said you may have to resort a few threats if they dont shape upe up.

Be clean! Nothing is worse than a minger! Its a sure way to be picked out and a shoe in to get a regimental bath.

Learn to look after yourself now! Make your bed every morning, keep your room clean, surprise your mother and clean the toilets to an exceptional standard etc etc. Buy a very good iron!

Buy a metal mug - I wish I had a metal mug for my first exercises as a recruit in the British army. Cook all your food on it, wash etc and keep your mess tins clean........Oh its all boil in the bag now.......

Electric razor - Great for those first few exercises when its lashing with rain and cold. Saves about 15 minutes when time is short.

Buy nivia cream - Your face will start falling to bits from shaving every day and being battered by wind.

The grey man.....Well dont kiss ass but do your best. I was a grey man during training but only because I was average at everything. I always gave 100% though and this helped me out when I struggled in a few areas as the training staff put their effort into me so I could pass the modules. Once out of training again keep your head down but give 100% for a year or two until get some experience behind you. Then go to town and strive for promotion!

I wish you the best

ex_infantry man · 12-09-2008 6:14pm

Poccington wrote: »

Nope.

what happened???

Poccington · 12-09-2008 6:48pm

ex_infantry man wrote: »

what happened???

He couldn't hack it.

bunny shooter · 12-09-2008 11:33pm

good luck

newby.204 · 13-09-2008 1:55am

Poccington wrote: »

He couldn't hack it.

he couldnt hack it or they made it so he coulnd thack it poc?

Poccington · 13-09-2008 2:31am

newby.204 wrote: »

he couldnt hack it or they made it so he coulnd thack it poc?

He just flat out couldn't hack it. Had nothing to do with what he did, he just wasn't cut out for it.

guinnessdrinker · 13-09-2008 10:23am

Mairt wrote: »

We had a poster here a while back posting about his recruit training which the training staff got hold off and made life difficult for the lad.

Did someone on these boards either willingly or unintentionally inform his training staff of the thread he posted on?

Hagar · 13-09-2008 10:30am

guinnessdrinker wrote: »

Did someone on these boards either willingly or unintentionally inform his training staff of the thread he posted on?

Let's drop this now. Let sleeping dogs lie.

arybvtcw0eolkf · 13-09-2008 11:29am

As Hagar said, lets drop it.

Although its no big secret but we simply don't know how his NCOs came accross his thread, and it doesn't matter as I was only passing on some advice to the OP here and it wasn't mean't to be developed upon.

Sorry to hear that lad didn't make it through.

And although some people might say he couldn't hack it, I'd prefer to say that for some people the army isn't for them, but its like a boxer getting into the ring and getting beat - he still had the balls to try it knowing it was going to be a hard slog.

OP, keep in touch and remember that no matter how difficult the going gets the army will never ask you to do something humanly impossible. And when it feels like that, look around for the fattest fvcker in the bks and think t yourself 'if he could do that, so can I'.

Im in

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