From my experience you get a mixture of people joining up. Some come from families where there has been strong discipline and values, or previous working enviroments such as police etc. These people tend to follow orders. Some who come from different backgrounds tend to gob off alot more and question things.
Its hard to generalise a persons character based on this alone though. It comes down the the person.
If you argue or question the basic orders then the whole troop will get a beasting until matey clicks into the understanding that not everything can be questioned. At the end of the day the ones with the rank that will be directing the order of battle wont have time to give full explanations over a hot wet when you have rounds incoming.
Orders are there to ensure the unit remains effective and tasks are carried out in a disciplined professional and effective manner. Someone gobbing off at the wrong time could mean you all get shot.
As training progresses you start to understand the whys and why nots and as your experience develops you feel at home with the way things are done. Its all for a reason, the key is to appreciate that in training that reason may not always be obvious. You have to trust the NCOs and officers above you.
Saying that there are like in any walks of life bad eggs who abuse their power, but as with everything else these twonks become apparant and there are measures in place to help. The problem with training when everythings new is understanding a beasting with purpose and bullying and if it is bullying having the confidence to speak up.
When you begin to fully understand the system and how things work you will realise bullying is rare and not tollerated, but a bollocking may well be a beasting when warranted. No decent NCO just beasts people for no reason, there is usually a learning curve but it wont always be apparant straight away.
I once got in the shit and my SSM said theres the paperwork way that will cost you money or you could come round the back of the building, except a thump and we'll all put it down to experience. I took the thump, from a bloke I respected and for something I knew I did wrong. So sometimes its better off to except the way things are done.
Ive also been in a troop where we took a right gobby twat outside and kicked into him, he sorted himself out and became a star. Sometimes w4nkers are unaware they are being w4nkers, until Mr fist explains the situation.
Ive always appreciated honesty and upfront black and white decisions, its alot better than the long winded route where you end up hating the very bloke that was trying to help you get a grip with things.
If anyone thinking of joining up questions how he may react to a thump from his oppos or a beasting from his NCO's then the forces aint for you as you will also question things at the wrong time and die, or even worse get others killed.
Theres a huge difference between a beating and bullying, if your being bullied smack the twat back..........endex.
Remember sometimes what you read in the papers is fueled by more than a particular incident in most cases. and we know neither the bloke whos claiming or the people hes moaning about.
The forces is hard work, hard play and a great life. You could have a beasting before breakfast, cracking up at a joke at lunch and drinking a pint or 4 that evening..........all with the same bloke.
I do however believe that the installation of good discipline, trust and uniformity makes for a more effective unit and soldier, beasting is a means to an end to achive that.
Also remember the guy beasting you has also been beasted more times than he cares to remember.
Also remember beasting is a term people use sometimes without a clear understanding of what it means. Hence some of the confusion.
A gym beasting is a farking horrible experience until it ends then you feel great. A beasting out in the field with full kit, stays a tad longer as your still working hard until you get back to camp. A beasting in the guardroom because your kit was shit during morning parade makes you turn out spot on from that day on. Makes you a better person and nine times out of ten the people who havent had many beastings turn into knobs in a unit, and the ones who have been through the mill become a better man for doing so.
Once your in a unit, you still get beasted but you know why and you call it warming up or constructive bollocking as oppossed to beasting.
Honestly dont worry about it, you'll hate guard duty and drill practice alot more
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