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Hi , how much Corps knowledge do i need to know before going down there? Also how did u find the fitness etc?
Hey, it's not a prerequisite that you know much when you go down as you'll be having lectures about the corps etc. However I would have tried to commit everything about the corp dates to memory before I came as you don't exactly have much revision time during the day when you get down there. There are two types of test which I have had so far, first aid and military knowledge, basically the military knowledge will encompass everything you have had lectures on, NBC, signals, corps history, fieldcraft etc.
Fitness level is very individual, some people come in super fit and some less fit. My troop has been complimented on our fitness level, our first 1.5mile test run, which is in the first week, everyone got between 7:30 and 9:30, anything under 10 mins is acceptable. Also try to be able to do more than 5 pullups when you start, as you'll no doubt put on some weight during the first half of training and you don't do pullups that often. I'd suggest when you get out of your accomodation and into a block that you get your room to chip in for a pullup bar that you can place on the door, I think it works out at like 2 quid a piece from Argos. You might want to ask the training team first, but it's generally allowed. For the first 9 weeks you'll be in the gym doing your phys circuits then you'll move onto the bottom field at week 13.
The first couple of weeks in foundation were pretty boring to be honest. All you do is either work on your locker layout, or listen to pointless lectures, like how to service a fire extinguisher!! And dont expect to wear your training uniform until the 4th or 5th day. Can't really think of much more at the moment, if you have any more questions i'll be glad to try and answer them.
Well i did 4 miles the other day in 29.24, i think its like 7.31 min mile so from what you'vesaid that seems ok. My weakness is Pull up, i can manage 3 easy but i have no where to practice them really well. Do you get tests to move on to the next phase of training? How hard are the test and what do they involve?
How often do you get in to Exeter? What are the locals like? Any info/tips would be great! Also when do you go back?
You'll get a gym test, similar to Gym test 1 on PRMC, except it's just to see what your initial fitness is like, not a test. At the end of week 9 you have Gym Passout where you'll have to do it again, you have to reach lvl 11 on the bleep test and 5 pullups, can't remember the pressups and situps reqs, but they're pretty low. Only one guy in my troop failed Gym Passout, that was because of pullups, but you shouldn't have any probs if you get a pullup bar on your door, even if you don't you can always go over to the technogym in the evenings for 5 or 10 mins and do some over there. After the Gym you go onto the bottom field and after which there is bottom field passout.
Exeters a pretty good town, it has everything a modern cosmopolitan Nod should need. Bars, clubs, porn shops and outdoor shops all on the same street . You'll soon find out what exeter is like yourself, I think you're let out for a few hours on the first weekend to get some kit for your first exercise. After you get out of foundation you can go in every weekend, at differing times each day. The only bar you're gauranteed to get into if they know you're a nod is turks (nods) head which you'll get to know as home. If you want you could go abit out of the way and try to find better bars, with better women and less Nods, which there are plenty of, but if they think you're a nod they won't let you in, same goes for clubs. Basically all the civvies keep their hair pretty long as if you have short hair they generally classify you as a nod and don't even bother asking for ID. Oh yeah, if you're going out get a taxi back, it's only 15 quid and if there's a few of you it only costs a few quid each. That way you can stay out till about 23:30 and make it back for 23:59 whereas the other guys who insist on getting the train have to leave at 10:20 or something ridiculous like that . The rule is, you don't have to report back before 23:59, but you have to be inside the gates before 23:59.
cheers. Have you met any of the others from the forum? J90 & jamie? How many peolpe have dropped out so far? What are the training teams like? If you fail gym test do you get back trooped?
also ive beenwearing in my boots and ive managed to scratch the tops, will they go mad?
Soz bout all the questions trying to get as much info as possible!!
Haven't seen any of the other guys from the board around camp, there's a hell of alot of Nods, and we're always in a rush so I haven't bumped into them.
My troop started off with 64, which was a huge number, now there are 51 I think with about 3 backtroopers, so about 48 originals at week 12. That's about the same trend as other troops too. What i've heard though is at week 15 you have the phase 1 test exercise, it's only one day long but i've heard of troops loosing anything from 20-50 percent of their numbers
on it, due to injuries, failing tests etc, so as you can imagine i'm looking forward to that exercise
The training team you get will dictate how your training will be, i.e hard or not as hard. Your training team members will be made up from chefs to mountain leaders, however they all are pretty experienced guys and will know their stuff, normally there will be a couple of platoon weapons guys too to balance it out.
My training team is actually pretty cool, they're constantly taking the piss out of us and fooling around, but they know their stuff. One's a sniper, 2 PWs and one's going for SB after our troop passes out. However there are extremes and you might be unlucky as there's one troop on camp who have 2 or 3 mountain leaders
on their training team, fun I think not LoL. Rather them than me though. Basically your training team will decide everything that happens to your troop during training, they decide how many beastings you get, whether you get extra privileges like t.v.s and game consoles in your accomodation, everything really. You won't see much of your training team during the first couple of weeks,
you'll see your DL every hour of every day in foundation though.
If you fail the Gym Passout pushups, pullups, situps, bleep test etc, they'll probably give you another go the next day or whenever, but they don't have to. Gym passout is a criteria event and if you fail, you'll most likely be put into hunter to improve your fitness then you'll join at the week you left, so yes you'll be backtrooped.
No, they won't give out about your boots, as long as they're polished with no mud on then you're ok. My boots looked like they'd gone through a shredding machine before I went in because i'd done so much training in them. The boots you have now will probably be your field boots, you'll get another pair, whenever your DL decides, try to keep one pair decent for camp though, both of mine are pretty wrecked, hehe.
Is there any pieces of kit you'd advise me to take? I'm gna bring 1st aid kit etc. Also what about civvie clothes, i took too much on my PRMC, what did you take? How are you finding weapon training? Do you get on with the other troops on camp?? when do you get back from leave?
There's not much in the way of kit i'd advise taking. Everything that's on the list you got from your careers office should do, as everything you need to get is in exeter and you'll get time to go in and buy it, they'll even give you an advance on your pay to do so, how kind!! The first aid kit should be ok, just make sure it isn't too big.
Don't bring too many civvies. For foundation bring 2 shirts and a pair of trousers, you'll only be allowed to wear smart civvies i.e. trousers and shirt for the first week at least and if you bring two you'll have one you can wear while you wash the other one. Bring a pair of shorts and swimming trunks (briefs), some t-shirts and about 1 tracksuit bottoms. After foundation , for the most part you'll wear jeans around, so bring about 2 pairs of general use jeans and some to go out in, when you get out at the weekend. hmm, ok i'll make a list, i''m getting confused here lol!
foundation:
2 X Smart Civvie Shirts
1 X Smart trouser bottoms
1 X Running shorts
1 X swimming briefs
1 X tracksuit bottoms (top too if you want)
a few t-shirts.
Runners.
Shoes.
after foundation:
2 X general use jeans
1 X smart pair of jeans to head out in exeter to pull whose royal sluts!
couple of shirts (same reason as above)
Couple of jumpers.
Jacket
You only get a tiny box type civvie locker (like the ones in Full metal jacket) in foundation, so only put the stuff listed under foundation in it + the no brainer items like socks and wash kit. You can keep the rest in your civvie bag in the bag storage room. All the stuff above is only stuff that i'd have definitely brought if i'da done it again, DON'T forget to bring all the stuff on the kit lists you got at your careers office.
We've only been taught on the SA80 and LSW so far, but you get taught on loads more later on, grenades, 51mm mortar, LAW and GPMG (gpmg is up to your training team), might be some more.
Yeah, you'll meet other troops on nights out in exeter and you'll get to see what's ahead in training or get to tell horror stories to lower troops. There's no inter troop rivally really, because we're all at different stages in training. We don't really like the pongo troop though, although we do get to skip them in queues hehe.
take it the pongo troop is people on the All Arms course? How did you find foundation and the fitness you did, was it easier or harder than expected? I'vs always been curious, in a Troop who gets the LSW?? When is your first exersise? Have you had any luck with the girls down in exeter?
Yeah, the pongos all arms course.
Foundation was pretty crap, but essential, the fitness is easy in it, the only hard thing you'll do is the gym test again, even that is pretty easy. You'll be shown different routines in the gym, but you won't really do much.
Everyone in the unit gets to do LSW rounds on an exercise, although our troop haven't taken any on exercise yet, heard that info off another troop.
One of my training team said that in a unit, normally the newest marine gets the honour as no one else wants the weight, how nice
You first exercise is first step at the beginning of week two, it's one night and it's piss easy i.e. "this is how you wash in the field..."
I've pulled a few girls in exeter, but haven't bagged off yet, that's the trend with most nods lol. We just get too pissed too fast, i'll put it this way, i only think I remember reporting back in once so far, the rest of the time I don't remember how i've gotten back to camp, but we always seem to get back in time hehe. There are plenty of good lookin girls in exeter, but you'll have to figure a way around the bouncers to get to them!
What happens if you dont report back in time, what do you do to report in? I take it all the birds are in the clubs the Nods aint?!! Well if you think of anything else i should know before going please let me know!!
If you're late, your name is taken and you might be charged. Serveral guys in my troop have been late, by a max of 30 mins I think and nothing was done. If you're late by a few mins and you produce a trophy of a pull i.e. a g-string maybe and the duty NCO approves that it is authentic he might let you off!
To report all you have to do is go into the guardhouse and report who you are requesting permission to come aboard.
There are girls in some of the nod pubs, but they're probably abit too worn in e.g:
Nod 1: "So who did you bag off with last night mate?"
Nod 2: "She was hoofin! Lisa ***** I think her name was."
Nod 1: "A ol'Lisa *****. Welcome to the club mate!"
How do you find the ironing and folding? I've tried folding my clothes A4 size but they always come out creased anyway. Whats your typical day like eg what are the lectures like compared to the practical side of learning? How good was your fitness before going in?
I only briefly iron my clothes before I fold them. The whole shirt should in theory be a4 i.e. length and width, but you generally only do it width wise (small side) as if you fold them too much they become thicker and all your clothes won't fit into your locker. It doesn't really matter if they're creased when they're folded, as long as it looks good when they're stacked.
1) Lectures are normally preceded by the lecturer threatening you not to fall asleep, 2) 2 mins later you are asleep anyway, then you do some pushups and you stand up and fall asleep standing up, 3) lecturer will take pity on you and let you sit down, 4) repeat the above steps from step 2 until lecture ends.
You don't have that much time to learn stuff off, basically no one studies for tests, it's just what you have taken in during the lecture, which probably isn't alot.
I actually lost fitness going in because I had to take a couple of months off due to shin splints. As long as you're near your PRMC level you'll be ok.
I'll figure the ironing thing when i get down there! Do you get any comforts in your room? What do you find yourself doing on your weekend leave? Do you really get that tired?
You're normally allowed radios CD players and maybe a kettle in your room, other than that though your training team will decide whether you can get t.v.s , playstations etc. At week 12 alot of troops are allowed to get tvs, but our troop isn't yet, again it all depends on the training team.
Most people don't go out friday because there's normally drill or something sat morning. Most go in sat evening and do some kit shopping then go out sat night. Then on sunday you might go into exeter to get some more kit or just stay on camp and go and watch a movie at the church or do some kit, packing bergens etc.
Yes, you will get that tired. My notebook is a mess, in the last few weeks i've started to fall asleep mid sentence while writing it in my notebook and it might take like 3 or 4 goes to get a comprehendable sentence down. I've even started writing a sentence, then go into a trance and start writing some gibberish totally off topic. Most the time I find it impossible not to start nodding off during a lecture, most people don't actually fall asleep, they just do the aul head falls and you wake up routine, pretty funny to watch. You don't actually feel that tired when you're doing other stuff like drill or phys, you get used to working through it.
What do you do when your home on leave? Is there much time for you to go out and see your friends etc? What times have you been getting to sleep, i.e. from foundation until now?
Well I'm doing quite abit if running, pissed running home from a nightclub mainly, but still running! Sleeping, not yomping, getting pissed etc! I'm at home now so I see my mates alot.
In foundation you'll probably go to bed around 11:30-12:00 and wake at about 5:30. Once you get out it's up to you, you'll get to bed between 1000/0100 and wake between 0500 and 0545 depending on how lazy you are! The least sleep i've gotten yet has been about 1 hour, who needs insomnia when you have the Marine Corps!!
What are the Cpls like during training towards you? Do they become more 'friendly' after they have got rid of a few recruits? What were your PRMC scores?
The corporals are supposed to get more friendly as training goes on, once you've passed phase one i''ve heard they ease up alot, or in some cases not, depends on the training team! I've even heard of the training team taking guys to the whorehouse in exeter for passout lol.
PRMC was 5 pullups 46 pushups 94 situps and 12.8 on the bleep.
No, you don't get issued underwear, except for thermal long-johns that some guys like to wear alot . We were told to tuck our shirts right into our boxers/pants as it stops them coming loose. For pt you can use boxers or pants. I think you'll be wearing the new shorts for pt, i've seen newer troops wear them and they're abit longer so it shouldn't be a prob.
For parents day we had to run through our MSC (Military Strength Circuit) and intro routine and a few rope climbs for the parents. My parents weren't there, so I wasn't in that much pressure lol, some of the other guys were sweating before they got into the gym.
What would you recomend? Boxers/pants? What do you get upto on the weekends where you dont go home for leave??
Bring a mixture, I mainly use boxers though. Also buy some cycling shorts for going on exercise, they dry pretty quick if you get wet and they stop chaffing when on a yomp or speedmarch, generally you yomp back from an exercise and later on you'll yomp to it and during it! Good buy and saves on the vaseline.
Well, this is my first time home for leave, unless you leave really close, like 1/2 hour away no one goes home at the weekend, there's still stuff to do like pack your bergen clean out your lockers, and getting pissed!
How many exercises have you done? How did you find and what did you have to do?
You'll go on exercises about every 2 weeks. They'll be speant learning everything you need to know i.e. personal admin, navigation, stalking patrolling, CQB, everything really.
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Well that's it, it ain't the bible, and it was a year since I was at CTC, so take it as you will. Brought back some good (and bad) memories when I read through em again, hope you guys find it useful in some way!!
-Jagger
