Week 4 - Waller Division Intake 267

30 March 2009

Week 4 covered a wide variety of activities including F88 Steyr, adventure training, first aid and character formation.

Since the High ropes course was under going routine maintenance Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Canberra classes participated in Adventure training. They pushed themselves in some cases further than they thought they could and in doing so gained a lot of trust in their fellow classmates.

Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney classes completed the RAN First Aid course where the Recruits have to be deemed competent with administering first aid treatment for a wide variety of circumstances including CPR.

Newcastle, Darwin, Sydney and Canberra classes learnt the correct handling techniques and usage of the F88 Austeyr Rifle. The F88 Steyr is the Australian Defence Force’s choice of small arms, and a week is dedicated to the correct methods of firing and safety procedures involved. The F88 Steyr course consists of hands-on training, and recruits become fully conversant in not only firing the weapon, but also assembling, disassembling and cleaning it. The live fire component enables the recruits to fire live rounds in a controlled environment, whilst learning special sighting and firing techniques to ensure the most accurate shot. With most of the recruits having never handled a weapon before, this was an exciting but also daunting week for some, with the adrenaline pulsing through the veins as the order to "fire" was called on the firing range.

All classes enjoyed the week improving their marching skills and learning more advanced drill. Two Physical Training sessions were held during the week, in which the recruits enjoyed aerobics and resistance workouts. Some classes also spent a day undergoing character guidance which is instructed by the RAN Chaplains and gives the recruits a few pointers and tools with dealing with some of the stresses involved with life in the RAN.

Jack Speak

Gash – Waste, rubbish or anything that is broken or useless. It is a reference to gash coins that were gashed before being thrown into wishing wells so as not to be stolen.

Recruit Comment

"The best activity this week was adventure training because we were out of the classroom and putting all we have learnt into practise i.e. first aid."; RCTET Cameron Baillie from Brisbane, QLD.