YOU'VE GOT TEN MINUTES.


Raleigh has changed so much over the years. I have spent many days back there over the years doing various courses and it has taken on a different way of teaching new recruits. When I was there it was harsh, just as you would expect military training to be, now it seems to be a little more pink and fluffy. I watched a Phys training session and thought it was easy in comparison to what it used to be. I was quite fit before I got to Raleigh so it was n't a great problem, what I had a problem with is heights. I think the forces are concerned they wont keep the people in if they treat them with anything less than kid gloves, when in reality the enemy wont.

I remember coming off the Parade ground one beautiful summers day and as we were marching up towards our block you could see blankets, sheets and pillows hanging from the windows about 3 floors up and strewn around the bushes below. We had cleanliness rounds in the morning just as we had always done but this time they went to town on us. Bedding was everywhere. You do everything by the clock when you join up because thats the easiest way of applying pressure. We couldn't collect it all and tidy the place and be at our next class in the time we had.
"Get it fucking squared away and get to your next class, you've got 10 mins. Re-scrub tonight at 2000, if it hasn't improved you'll do it again at 2100".
Im sure that instructor's watches only had ten fucking minutes on them cos that's the max they ever give us.

All in all Raleigh wasn't that bad but I was glad to get away from the place. Next stop Submarine training at HMS DOLPHIN in Gosport, Portsmouth which was the birth place of the Submarine.