Gentle advice for recruits.

[Chas]

Most people,who subscribe to this forum,in my opinion place
far too much emphasis on the physical side of CTC. Of course
you have to be reasonably fit. However CTC will build you to the
required standard. Even more important, I believe, is your own
'Personal Admin'. Without this self discipline you will not succeed
and you will be back trooped. If you allow your personal admin
to go into what is known as an 'admin vortex' you will be in deep
shit and become indeed an unhappy Nod.
Chas.

[mm1306]

There's always the cold too, you could be a fitness machine but if the weather affects you then you would be in the wrong place. Some people I've met really do have their mood affected by the weather. Also haven't they got that stuff that causes a rash in Dartmoor?

[chak]

That would be Woodbury rash you're thinking of nasty stuff

[misterpurple]

Admin! I'm already ironing like a 50s housewife and watching telly in the reflection from my toecaps. Carlsberg don't polish boots, but if they did...

[Chas]

We were never affected by Woodbury Rash,
circa 1950s'.
I wonder when this affliction was first noticed.
From what I have ascertained it is extremely
unpleasant.
Maybe we were tougher and it did not dare to
invade our evil bodies. Perhaps it was our
diet of WW2 rationing which gave us a metabolic
immunity.
I have never forgotten tinned sausages dated 1945
and chocolate that had gone grey through old age.
And don't anyone dare say just like Chas now.

[Dangermouse]

Until you've lived with 7 uni students who don't know how to take care of themselves and don't wash up, you don't know the value of admin!

Probably not true, but I like to think it is. Gives me a smile when scrubbing 2 inches of fat out of a grill pan.

[woody72]

Yeah it isn't the fitness that worries me about starting RT but the lifestyle. Away from home for long times, lots of admin, rough sleeping and the general lifestyle is more intimidating to me than meeting fitness standards.

[gleneagles]

Dangermouse, I second the university lifestyle being appalling. I only live with 4 others but believe me that is bad enough. It takes a lot of self control and motivation to get down the gym when the xbox 360 with pro evo 2008 is going and they are all having so much fun. But they're all top lads in the end so it ok.

I'm sure CTC is as much mental as it is physical!

[JCAP3]

Dangermouse, I second the university lifestyle being appaling. I only live with 4 others but believe me that is bad enough. It takes a lot of self control and motivation to get down the gym when the xbox 360 with pro evo 2008 is going and they are all having so much fun. But they're all top lads in the end so it ok.

I'm sure CTC is as much mental as it is physical!

Phys is easy, everything else can quickly become an absolute nightmare if you dont get your ironing/admin skills squared away quickly - learn how to iron and fold a4 size like an expert before you get to CTC and save yourself alot stress.

[Starwon]

I plan on getting used to all the admin in the coming months before RT

[Artist]

I plan on getting used to all the admin in the coming months before RT

Never happen. During their first few weeks most recruits will be up all hours trying to do what their Section Cpl and DI told them to do after the workday has finished. Polish Boots, polish Locket Union, scrub white belt and white rifle sling, clean and iron dry all their kit whilst it's still wet, sort out their affairs book so it's bang up to date (your going to spend a lot of time in classrooms being taught the wheres and whyfores of soldiering and the History of the Royal Marines, so best you ensure your up to speed when it comes to writing notes and drawing diagrams in class), scrubbing the mud n stuff of their Fighting Order, making sure that the rig for the morning (0600hrs turn to) is ready, as in ironed/polished and spotless, ensuring that all the gear in their lockers is in the right place neatly folded or neatly stowed away in the case of boots, shoes and suchlike. And thats only the tip of the iceberg! Because one thing ALL training teams dislike is manky accomodation so once you have sorted out your personal admin get ready to turn to along with your fellow recruits to clean your grots, (Rooms) the Heads (Toilets), Baths, showers, dhoby rooms and drying rooms.

During the daylight hours you may have just come back from a session on the bottom field, your covered in crap, knackered and wanting a break. "Right! you've got five minutes to sort yourselves out then I want you fell in, in the correct rig ready for drill" will be the only comment from your DI. Blokes will all go "Arrr Christ!" but as we all know a good Marine is always five minutes early so RUSH! RUSH! as you have zero minutes to Shower, change and turn to five minutes early like a good Marine should........ You lucky lucky Barstewards!

The only time you will have an easy time during the early phases of training is when you visit the Padre (it does get easier later on for the simple reason of you slowly becoming adjusted to the RM way of doing things). So don't tell your training team that you don't believe in God or you will find yourselves doing exciting stuff like cleaning the decks of your grots or doing a spot of ought your training team fancies making you do whilst the rest of the Troop ZONK OUT for 40 odd minutes in the Church.

Artist

[misterpurple]

Don't ociffers have orderlies to do such demeaning physical labour for them?

[Artist]

Don't ociffers have orderlies to do such demeaning physical labour for them?

Not in training, they work as hard if not harder than the recruits. Cheeky Scrote!

And they are called MOA's (Marine Officer Attendants). Was once "Volunteered" as an MOA, I lasted one lunchtime. I was Injured at the time so me trying to carry some Pigs scran to his table whilst using crutches was deemed a bad move. Next day I was a Gash Hand in the Bedding Store making wets for the QM and his reprobates.

Artist

[Starwon]

I plan on getting used to all the admin in the coming months before RT

Never happen. During their first few weeks most recruits will be up all hours trying to do what their Section Cpl and DI told them to do after the workday has finished. Polish Boots, polish Locket Union, scrub white belt and white rifle sling, clean and iron dry all their kit whilst it's still wet, sort out their affairs book so it's bang up to date (your going to spend a lot of time in classrooms being taught the wheres and whyfores of soldiering and the History of the Royal Marines, so best you ensure your up to speed when it comes to writing notes and drawing diagrams in class), scrubbing the mud n stuff of their Fighting Order, making sure that the rig for the morning (0600hrs turn to) is ready, as in ironed/polished and spotless, ensuring that all the gear in their lockers is in the right place neatly folded or neatly stowed away in the case of boots, shoes and suchlike. And thats only the tip of the iceberg! Because one thing ALL training teams dislike is manky accomodation so once you have sorted out your personal admin get ready to turn to along with your fellow recruits to clean your grots, (Rooms) the Heads (Toilets), Baths, showers, dhoby rooms and drying rooms.

During the daylight hours you may have just come back from a session on the bottom field, your covered in crap, knackered and wanting a break. "Right! you've got five minutes to sort yourselves out then I want you fell in, in the correct rig ready for drill" will be the only comment from your DI. Blokes will all go "Arrr Christ!" but as we all know a good Marine is always five minutes early so RUSH! RUSH! as you have zero minutes to Shower, change and turn to five minutes early like a good Marine should........ You lucky lucky Barstewards!

The only time you will have an easy time during the early phases of training is when you visit the Padre (it does get easier later on for the simple reason of you slowly becoming adjusted to the RM way of doing things). So don't tell your training team that you don't believe in God or you will find yourselves doing exciting stuff like cleaning the decks of your grots or doing a spot of ought your training team fancies making you do whilst the rest of the Troop ZONK OUT for 40 odd minutes in the Church.

Artist

Ah seeing as you put it like that.

[Artist]

Ah seeing as you put it like that.

You can get your shit together doing certain things like washing and ironing your own gear, bulling up your boots n shoes, making your own bed prior to joining. Back when I joined quite a few of the Junior Marines and Recruits had lived the life of Reilly as in Mummy had done it all for them. And I dare say it's still the same now whatever part of the Armed Forces you join.

Now I Proffed a bit you see as my owd man was a Bootneck until his eyesight went tits up. After that he joined "CRABAIR" (The RAF) But he never forgot his time in the Corps and he was all for giving me the odd bit of 'advice' from the minute I could walk and talk. Normally along the lines of "Sort yer room out Pronto Sunbeam! Or else!".

It's just that when you join up for real all you pre-conceived ideas ref Personal Admin tend to go flying out of the window as you don't know whether to wind yer arse or scratch yer watch once the Training Team gets their sweaty big paws on you!

Artist