).I traveled on the day on PGAC glad i did because the guys who went down the night before found it boring just waiting around. Look around for guys on your train or at the station who look like their on PGAC as well, get talking to them - chance's are you'll be roomed together.
Disipline is fairly strict (sorry but i've no frame of reference), i.e. you always address the NCO's by rank, no back chat etc.
When the coach picks you up at the station (be on time, one guy was late and got an earfull over the phone) they will take you to RAF Barnham where you drop you kit off, put your PT and swim kit in your day sacks. Then it's back on the coach and off to RAF Honington.
First up is the educational assessments, basically they test if you have learning disabilities or if you were lucky on the day if apptitude test at the AFCO. To put it simply this is very boring and can take hours of just sitting in one of the lecture halls.
The fitness tests follow:
Level 9.1 on bleep test:
Easier then i imagened, 3 guys didn't finish.
10 Press ups and 25 Sit ups:
If you can't do this then there really is no helping you.
Swim test:
2 lengths of 25m pool any front stroke (one guy left it till he was about to jump in before admiting he couldn't swim)
Then it's off to get something to eat, the food is great especially when you consider the numbers they have to prepare for. Back to Barnham where you will be showen how to make your bed and arrange you kit for the inspections that would follow. Pay Attention!!! You also get chance to meet some of the 'old and bold' and ask them questions. I learnt more about what the gunners do here then at any point since i discovered that they exsisted. Got to bed about 2330 but sleep was very difficult because the matress was like a marshmellow.
Reville at 0600 shower, shave, kit\bed prepare, clean room and barrack block for inspection at 0630, then it's off to the I'M A SCAMMER SPAMMER!!! for breakfast.
Later on is the 3 Miler, after a warm up it's 6 times round the playing fields (800m circuit) in 24 minutes and then a warm down. Like i've said before this seemed really easy to me, alot of the other guys thought so too. However one fella stopped after half a lap into it (it's quiet a range of levels of fitness down there).
After showering you'll go and see the "Training Display" which shows the type of stuff you'll be doing in training and whats expected of you.
Then you go back to Barnham to prepare for the night exercise. You'll change from your civie's into the overalls and smock they give you and pack your bergen with all your kit ready for the TAB.
That's have no illusions, if your not used to running with weight then this will be hard, get to the front or you'll fall behind. It's 3km of torture, I managed to come in first (was well proud of myself
) but I was hanging out and it's the hardest thing i've ever done. 27 started - 9 finished.Next you'll establish the harbour area and the night exercise begins. Im not going to give too much away about this because it's fun, but very tiring (I got about 10 minutes kip).
When you arrive back at the barracks (bit of a jump in time) you'll shower, shave etc then prepare bed and kit for inspection, as well as clean corridors and toilets. This will all be inspected by the Sergeant, who in his own words is 'a pedatic twat' he will pick up any detail what ever it is. This for me was one of the worst bits because your shitting yourself.
Then its off for food and afterwards is a brief interview, questions like 'Why the RAF Regiment?' after which they will tell you if you've pass or failed. Then it's back on the coach and off to the train station.
At the end of it all it's well worth it and seems like a good insight into training. You will have a great laugh with the guys down there.
29 started, 3 or 4 failed fitness tests (not sure) and a few binned it. So 22 passed in all.
I went down there wanting to to be a Rock. Now i want it even more!
Tips:
1. Take a pen, or if you can a box of pens. Not only will the Corprals be impressed you'll be the most popular guy there!
2. A touch would be useful, not sure if it's allowed on the night exercise but you could always sneek it out.
3. Cig litter. Again very useful. Will make you numero uno.
4. 1000 Mile socks, these saved my feet.
5. On the TAB just grin and bear it
! You will question your own commitment more then once.6. For any guys who were in the cadets etc. Save all the bollocks, sorry but some of the guys down there were sparring off all this shit and they just sounded like a c@#t.
7. Have you PT, swim and shower kit in the top of your bag. Easy access for when you first arrive, trust me!
8. On the second day get up early to give you more time to get sorted.
9. The woods at RAF Barnham are haunted! Just something to think about
.
