They go from choosing what to wear and eat, when to sleep and relax, and how to live, to taking orders every minute of their day. 

One week after Recruit Cattermole stepped from the bus at Blamey Barracks, he said life had done a complete 180. 

The 18-year-old said he was following in the boots of his grandfather, a former soldier, and the young man’s inspiration to join the defence force. 

Recruit Cattermole arrived at the First Recruit Training Battalion on January 9, alongside 119 other soldiers-to-be. Together, they make up the first two platoons to begin their training in 2018.

Heart racing, the 18-year-old from the Blue Mountains pushed through his nerves, “excited” to embark on a new adventure and re-start his life as part of Echo Company.

“I was nervous but excited,” Recruit Cattermole said. “I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I knew I’d be alright if I put in the effort.” 

It was a rough start to the week, with a bought of gastro sending the company into lock down across four days. 

But intestinal troubles aside, the men and women of 41 and 42 platoons received their induction training, uniforms and buzz cuts across the week and on Monday morning, learnt the safe way to lift heavy objects during a physical training exercise. 

“Getting up at 6am has been the biggest shock,” Recruit Cattermole said. “I used to sleep in quite a bit.”

Living in close quarters with three other young men, the 18-year-old is learning how to iron, make his bed, recognise and acknowledge senior ranks, and march in formation. 

He said you were given a limited amount of time to achieve a number of goals in the morning. 

“The corporals (section commanders) set that time for you to fail so you learn,” Recruit Cattermole said. “I’m enjoying it, but don’t tell the corporals that.”

At the end of 12 weeks, Recruit Cattermole said he hoped to march out an information signals technician, of the Royal Australian Corps of Signals 

The transition into Army life is a culture shock, according to Echo company’s commanding officer Major David Filmer. 

“I had a lesson with them last night and said the first week was always going to be hard,” he said. “They all said: ‘yeah, but this is terrible’.”

As the recruits develop their skills and teamwork, Major Filmer said they would eventually lift themselves to meet the high-set standards. 

“Right now, they are thinking they can’t get anything right … they keep messing up,” Major Filmer said.

"But if you ask them how they are going in three weeks’ time, it will be a different story.”