Week 5 - Getting Division Intake 268
4 May 2009This week sees the recruits of Getting Division reach the halfway point of their initial training at Recruit School. The recruits have all thoroughly embraced the customs traditions and lifestyle of the RAN and have all made significant changes to personal habits, having to adapt to the long hours required and to stay focused throughout the day. The recruits continue to improve at the CO’s parade which is held each Wednesday morning. This introduction to ceremonial parades brings all the divisions together and the recruits can compare the standard of their drill to that of other classes.
The classes continue on with their external instruction. Ararat and Armidale classes are undertaking Survival at Sea and Corrosion Control at the Seamanship school, Bataan and Bathurst are practicing blocking holes and fighting floods at HMAS Cerberus’ School of Ship’s Safety and Survivability, whilst Broome and Bundaberg are completing their Austeyr familiarisation. These few weeks of external instruction are vital for the recruits naval career, as it provides the grounding for what will be required of them in the future. Safety is a number one priority for the Navy, hence Survival at Sea and Damage Control are practiced regularly on board HMA Ship and weapon training is taught to the recruits as they could one day be involved in a boarding party team on board one of the future ships.
Week five has been particularly successful for the recruits, and the instructors are happy with their progress. They should be extremely proud of the distances they have come to meet these standards, and so should the parents and loved ones of the recruits who have supported them thus far. The recruits must be careful to not get complacent in their success and strive to continually improve.
Another outstanding highlight of the week was the announcement of the ten recruits that have been chosen to participate in the first Submarine familiarisation to be conducted for recruits. This familiarisation will take place during week ten of recruit training and will be conducted at HMAS Stirling, Garden Island, Western Australia. The ten participants will be flown to Perth to commence a week of intensive submariner training. Participation is not a mandatory start to a career in the submarine arm of the navy, but is an opportunity to reward recruits that have performed well and give them an opportunity to gain insight into the life and conditions of submariners.
Jack Speak
Brew - A cup or coffee or tea; one may go on a brew break.
Recruit Comment
"I joined the navy to experience training that I can’t get anywhere else. So far it has been great and the teamwork and challenges have been very rewarding";RCTCSO Jessica Smith , 25 years old from Toowoomba, QLD.
