PGAC Diary
Posted: Thu 30 Apr, 2009 8:51 pm
As promised, here's a run-down of PGAC from start to finish. Take note the course IS now different to what AFCO's might be telling you in terms of fitness standards and actual content. It's a long one so if mods want to move it to articles or whatever, feel free! Here we go:
MONDAY (Day 1):
Arrive at Bury St Edmunds by train, you'll probably bump into other lads on their way to PGAC somewhere along the route, loads of us all got the same train from Peterborough to Bury. There's a pub over the road where you can wait for the transport to turn up, also a McDonald's, etc if you don't mind carting your luggage around the town whilst wearing a suit and getting stared at. The course staff arrive and do a quick roll call, then you all bundle onto a coach for transport to RAF Barnham. There'll be 45 lads max.
Once you get to Barnham you'll each be assigned a number for the course, then sown into your room where you have a numbered bedspace. Drop off your kit and quickly make your bed then it's into the briefing room. You get a quick intro to the course and the staff, then make your way to stores and get a helmet, set of coveralls, DPM jacket and boots if you need them. They have plenty of boots so don't worry too much if you can't get hold of your own, be prepared to get blisters though as the ones they lend out obviously aren't broken in properly for your own feet. You also get a water bottle, and a bib with your number on to wear pretty much all the time. In your room you get a rucksack issued to lug everything you need each day so no need to bring your own daysack. Lights out 11pm, you won't sleep well!
TUESDAY (Day 2):
Get up at 6am, ready for breakfast at 6:30. All dress up in your coveralls, jacket and boots. The course staff will tell you to be 5 minutes early for whatever timings they give you. Make sure you are! Eat a big full English if you like, as there's nothing physical until the afternoon. After breakfast is block jobs, basically hoovering, dusting, cleaning the bathrooms, etc, etc. The accommodation is pretty basic, bunk beds allocated according to your number, with seperate toilet and shower rooms at each end. There's a locker room where you can hang suits, etc and they also have irons and the like. For a quid each you can chip in for a brew fund which basically gets you an unlimited amount of tea and coffee for your free time in the block. Well worth it if you're a tea lover like me! After block jobs the staff will have a look to see how you've done. As long as everything is clean and tidy they don't get anal about it. Aim to impress though!
You'll get on the coach after this and move to Honington, they'll tell you exactly what you need to bring with you so don't worry, just make sure you listen and you'll be fine. Don't be the one to forget/lose something that you need! You have a quick look around various things at Honington, they'll show you the trainee's accommodation, squadron hangers, classrooms, etc, etc, and you'll also have a briefing off the Sgt and F/S about what they expect, and some more on the RAF in general and the Regiment. Also a boring talk about pay and conditions, etc. After all of that it'll be lunch, then straight after lunch you go over to the gym and meet the PTI's. Some of them are nice, some of them are t**ts, just listen to what they say and do what they say, don't give them a reason to pick on you or you'll be doing pressups while everyone else laughs at you. You'll do the bleep test first, although the pass in theory is 9.1, you NEED to get over 10.5 if you want to pass, this is straight from the mouth of the Cpl who did my final interview on day 4. After that it's into pressups and situps, you'll have enough time to recover after the bleep test so don't worry over that. Aim for AT LEAST 30 of each, much more if you aren't as strong on the running as you could be (my bleep score was 10.10, 59 pressups, 43 situps). In theory after this you should do the swim test, but the pool was broken so we ended up not doing that. No skin off my nose, I hate swimming!
Next is the absolute killer!! They call it the Skirmish Exercise. You'll change back into coveralls and boots, plus helmets and move out onto the field. After a warmup of running, pressups and stretches you split into 3 groups. You go EVERYWHERE at a jog in this stage. Water break? Jog to your bottles. Changing groups? Job between activities. Throwing up your guts on the sidelines? Jog back when you're done!! The groups rotate between 1) A stretcher race, where your group is split into 2 teams and each team has a 75kg strecher. Only 4 people can touch it at once, one on each corner,those not carrying it run alongside ready to take over lads who need a break. You do one short practice, then a timed lap of the rugby pitch, a short break (about 45 secs) then another lap. Just work hard as a team and you'll be ok. Then on to 2) Log Exercises. The group is split into 3 this time, each team has a log with ropes attached. You'll pick up the log between the team, run to a certain marker, and do some sort of exercise with it (bicep curling it, shoulder pressing it up, and doing situps with it laid on your chests). Then the finale, once you've done them idividually, you'll do a race where you're constantly moving back and forth,l then doing the exercise, then repeating with the next one. Last team back on every run gets pressups. Then when you've finished throwing up (i'm not joking!) on to 3) Buddy-Buddy exercises. You'll start off with a nice easy (ha-f***ing-ha) run out to every line on the pitch up to the halfway line. At each line you have to do 5 pressups, then run back to the touch line for 5 more, before running out to the next furthest line, and so on. Then the PTI will stand you in a line and teach you to leopard crawl. He tells you to crawl out to hin, the catch being he walks backwards so the slower you crawl, the further you have to go! When you reach him, you stand up and run back. Then its back in the line and you do 'Sprint/grenade'. Whenever the PTI shouts sprint, you run like your life depends on it. Whenever he shouts 'Grenade' you have to dive down and crawl at top speed. This goes on for at least 3 times as long as it needs to to make a point! Then you pair up and have to alternate between doing a fireman's lift, dragging your partner along the floor whilst you run, and then the hardest of all, dragging your partner behind you while you crawl! It's knackering basically, but there's nothing more physical for the rest of the day, you just go back to Barnham, have dinner, and chill out a bit.
WEDNESDAY (Day 3)
Don't have a full breakfast today, as soon as you've eaten and finished the block jobs you move to Honington and go straight into the 3-miler. We still did it in ranks with PTIs setting the pace, about 23mins. This might be changing soon to a best effort without the PTIs, but nobody really seemed sure yet. If you do run it with the PTIs, all you need to do is tuck up behind the bloke in front and keep moving. if you've prepared it's really not that bad. The run is 6 laps of a big field, but DO NOT stop after the 6 laps if the PTI keeps running. You'll fail even though you got the 3 miles under 24 mins. he'll probably only go a couple of hundred meters extra, and you'll look like a quitter for not sticking in the group.
After this you'll get back into coveralls and helmets and move to the assault course. A quick warm up of running and stretches, then a few wrestling-type games to get you aggressive, etc. Then you'll be shown the course and practice the obstacles a few at a time. After this, you line up in pairs and each pair is started at 1 minute intervals, you have 5mins 15 seconds to finish. The hardest is the 9-foot wall, which you have to climb without assistance. if you can't do it KEEP TRYING, don't just give up. After a few attempts a PTI will come and give you a leg up, if you quit you just don't look determined. I failed the assault course, because i took a bad landing off one of the walls. I kept at it but another jump finished me off and I quit before I injured myself badly. Assuming you don't pick up an injury like I did it's pretty easy, nobody who managed everything else dropped out or failed to get under the allotted time. Just keep moving as fast as you can, after this you don't have to do ANY physical stuff at all, so throw everything you have at it!
Weds afternoon is spent in suits and ties in a hot stuff computwer room while all you want to do is sleep! You do a few tests to check your key skills and see if you might have any learning difficulties, etc. The Sgt in charge of this is a good laugh, but the subject is boring. Watching everyone get up with all their aches and pains after sitting down for a couple of hours is pretty funny. You also get measured for kit and try on boots today. If you're successful at the end they give you boots to take away and break in. You get free socks if you pass or not. haha. You'll move back to Barnham after dinner and start sorting out all the military kit you won't need anymore, then iron your shirts and chill out all evening.
THURSDAY (Day 4)
Breakfast and block jobs as normal, then into suits. The blocks have to be immaculate as you won't come back again, work together to get everything done in time, and dont just slack off and do your own kit, etc. You'll get formed up outside and they'll read out the names of those who passed, they get on the coach and go off to Honington. Most lads fail because they drop out of the bleep test, 3-miler or skirmish, they get sent home ASAP. If there's any of you left who don't pass on thursday it'll be because you met the minimum but weren't quite good enough to pass straight away. I was in this group due to my injury. You go to Honington too, and spend the morning waiting to have a one-to-one with the course staff. They'll tell you why you didn't make it this time, and invite you back in the time period they think you need. It's emphasised that unlike the drop outs, you've only just fallen short and that with only a small amount of work for next time you WILL pass. Those that have passed have their own interviews, get boots issued, and live happily ever after or something.
MONDAY (Day 1):
Arrive at Bury St Edmunds by train, you'll probably bump into other lads on their way to PGAC somewhere along the route, loads of us all got the same train from Peterborough to Bury. There's a pub over the road where you can wait for the transport to turn up, also a McDonald's, etc if you don't mind carting your luggage around the town whilst wearing a suit and getting stared at. The course staff arrive and do a quick roll call, then you all bundle onto a coach for transport to RAF Barnham. There'll be 45 lads max.
Once you get to Barnham you'll each be assigned a number for the course, then sown into your room where you have a numbered bedspace. Drop off your kit and quickly make your bed then it's into the briefing room. You get a quick intro to the course and the staff, then make your way to stores and get a helmet, set of coveralls, DPM jacket and boots if you need them. They have plenty of boots so don't worry too much if you can't get hold of your own, be prepared to get blisters though as the ones they lend out obviously aren't broken in properly for your own feet. You also get a water bottle, and a bib with your number on to wear pretty much all the time. In your room you get a rucksack issued to lug everything you need each day so no need to bring your own daysack. Lights out 11pm, you won't sleep well!
TUESDAY (Day 2):
Get up at 6am, ready for breakfast at 6:30. All dress up in your coveralls, jacket and boots. The course staff will tell you to be 5 minutes early for whatever timings they give you. Make sure you are! Eat a big full English if you like, as there's nothing physical until the afternoon. After breakfast is block jobs, basically hoovering, dusting, cleaning the bathrooms, etc, etc. The accommodation is pretty basic, bunk beds allocated according to your number, with seperate toilet and shower rooms at each end. There's a locker room where you can hang suits, etc and they also have irons and the like. For a quid each you can chip in for a brew fund which basically gets you an unlimited amount of tea and coffee for your free time in the block. Well worth it if you're a tea lover like me! After block jobs the staff will have a look to see how you've done. As long as everything is clean and tidy they don't get anal about it. Aim to impress though!
You'll get on the coach after this and move to Honington, they'll tell you exactly what you need to bring with you so don't worry, just make sure you listen and you'll be fine. Don't be the one to forget/lose something that you need! You have a quick look around various things at Honington, they'll show you the trainee's accommodation, squadron hangers, classrooms, etc, etc, and you'll also have a briefing off the Sgt and F/S about what they expect, and some more on the RAF in general and the Regiment. Also a boring talk about pay and conditions, etc. After all of that it'll be lunch, then straight after lunch you go over to the gym and meet the PTI's. Some of them are nice, some of them are t**ts, just listen to what they say and do what they say, don't give them a reason to pick on you or you'll be doing pressups while everyone else laughs at you. You'll do the bleep test first, although the pass in theory is 9.1, you NEED to get over 10.5 if you want to pass, this is straight from the mouth of the Cpl who did my final interview on day 4. After that it's into pressups and situps, you'll have enough time to recover after the bleep test so don't worry over that. Aim for AT LEAST 30 of each, much more if you aren't as strong on the running as you could be (my bleep score was 10.10, 59 pressups, 43 situps). In theory after this you should do the swim test, but the pool was broken so we ended up not doing that. No skin off my nose, I hate swimming!
Next is the absolute killer!! They call it the Skirmish Exercise. You'll change back into coveralls and boots, plus helmets and move out onto the field. After a warmup of running, pressups and stretches you split into 3 groups. You go EVERYWHERE at a jog in this stage. Water break? Jog to your bottles. Changing groups? Job between activities. Throwing up your guts on the sidelines? Jog back when you're done!! The groups rotate between 1) A stretcher race, where your group is split into 2 teams and each team has a 75kg strecher. Only 4 people can touch it at once, one on each corner,those not carrying it run alongside ready to take over lads who need a break. You do one short practice, then a timed lap of the rugby pitch, a short break (about 45 secs) then another lap. Just work hard as a team and you'll be ok. Then on to 2) Log Exercises. The group is split into 3 this time, each team has a log with ropes attached. You'll pick up the log between the team, run to a certain marker, and do some sort of exercise with it (bicep curling it, shoulder pressing it up, and doing situps with it laid on your chests). Then the finale, once you've done them idividually, you'll do a race where you're constantly moving back and forth,l then doing the exercise, then repeating with the next one. Last team back on every run gets pressups. Then when you've finished throwing up (i'm not joking!) on to 3) Buddy-Buddy exercises. You'll start off with a nice easy (ha-f***ing-ha) run out to every line on the pitch up to the halfway line. At each line you have to do 5 pressups, then run back to the touch line for 5 more, before running out to the next furthest line, and so on. Then the PTI will stand you in a line and teach you to leopard crawl. He tells you to crawl out to hin, the catch being he walks backwards so the slower you crawl, the further you have to go! When you reach him, you stand up and run back. Then its back in the line and you do 'Sprint/grenade'. Whenever the PTI shouts sprint, you run like your life depends on it. Whenever he shouts 'Grenade' you have to dive down and crawl at top speed. This goes on for at least 3 times as long as it needs to to make a point! Then you pair up and have to alternate between doing a fireman's lift, dragging your partner along the floor whilst you run, and then the hardest of all, dragging your partner behind you while you crawl! It's knackering basically, but there's nothing more physical for the rest of the day, you just go back to Barnham, have dinner, and chill out a bit.
WEDNESDAY (Day 3)
Don't have a full breakfast today, as soon as you've eaten and finished the block jobs you move to Honington and go straight into the 3-miler. We still did it in ranks with PTIs setting the pace, about 23mins. This might be changing soon to a best effort without the PTIs, but nobody really seemed sure yet. If you do run it with the PTIs, all you need to do is tuck up behind the bloke in front and keep moving. if you've prepared it's really not that bad. The run is 6 laps of a big field, but DO NOT stop after the 6 laps if the PTI keeps running. You'll fail even though you got the 3 miles under 24 mins. he'll probably only go a couple of hundred meters extra, and you'll look like a quitter for not sticking in the group.
After this you'll get back into coveralls and helmets and move to the assault course. A quick warm up of running and stretches, then a few wrestling-type games to get you aggressive, etc. Then you'll be shown the course and practice the obstacles a few at a time. After this, you line up in pairs and each pair is started at 1 minute intervals, you have 5mins 15 seconds to finish. The hardest is the 9-foot wall, which you have to climb without assistance. if you can't do it KEEP TRYING, don't just give up. After a few attempts a PTI will come and give you a leg up, if you quit you just don't look determined. I failed the assault course, because i took a bad landing off one of the walls. I kept at it but another jump finished me off and I quit before I injured myself badly. Assuming you don't pick up an injury like I did it's pretty easy, nobody who managed everything else dropped out or failed to get under the allotted time. Just keep moving as fast as you can, after this you don't have to do ANY physical stuff at all, so throw everything you have at it!
Weds afternoon is spent in suits and ties in a hot stuff computwer room while all you want to do is sleep! You do a few tests to check your key skills and see if you might have any learning difficulties, etc. The Sgt in charge of this is a good laugh, but the subject is boring. Watching everyone get up with all their aches and pains after sitting down for a couple of hours is pretty funny. You also get measured for kit and try on boots today. If you're successful at the end they give you boots to take away and break in. You get free socks if you pass or not. haha. You'll move back to Barnham after dinner and start sorting out all the military kit you won't need anymore, then iron your shirts and chill out all evening.
THURSDAY (Day 4)
Breakfast and block jobs as normal, then into suits. The blocks have to be immaculate as you won't come back again, work together to get everything done in time, and dont just slack off and do your own kit, etc. You'll get formed up outside and they'll read out the names of those who passed, they get on the coach and go off to Honington. Most lads fail because they drop out of the bleep test, 3-miler or skirmish, they get sent home ASAP. If there's any of you left who don't pass on thursday it'll be because you met the minimum but weren't quite good enough to pass straight away. I was in this group due to my injury. You go to Honington too, and spend the morning waiting to have a one-to-one with the course staff. They'll tell you why you didn't make it this time, and invite you back in the time period they think you need. It's emphasised that unlike the drop outs, you've only just fallen short and that with only a small amount of work for next time you WILL pass. Those that have passed have their own interviews, get boots issued, and live happily ever after or something.
