As the hair of freshly shaved recruits begins to grow, so too does their confidence as they navigate the harsh new world of army life.
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At least that is how Recruit Benjamin Cattermole is feeling.
It comes as Kapooka’s first soldiers-in-training for 2018, push through a second jam-packed week of lessons, drills, exercises and discipline at the First Recruit Training Battalion – 1RTB.
Recruit Cattermole said a lot had changed for the better across three weeks at the barracks, compared to when he arrived in Wagga on January 9.
The 18-year-old said day-to-day living was still intense, but it was becoming like second nature and his section were becoming like family.
Recruit Cattermole said life at Kapooka had been challenging in different ways to what he had expected.
“The hardest thing would be trying to stick with the times we get set to get ready in the morning,” Recruit Cattermole said. “When we can’t achieve the time-frames we do it again and again.”
Tuesday’s adventure training was also on the list of most challenging exercises to date, following Monday’s first live fire on the range.
Adrenaline coursed through the 120 men and women from 41 and 42 platoons of Echo Company, as they learned to control their fears at the Adventurous Training Wing, conquering the “perceived danger” that comes from working at heights.
Navigated the specially designed high-ropes course, recruits battled through nerves, sweat and tears to “sew the seeds of resilience”, which is what the commanding officer of 1RTB said was the purpose of the exercise.
Recruits learned to operate in the presence of fear, as they fought the raised pulse, shallow breathing tense muscles and limb weakness that comes from being afraid.
Recruit Cattermole said the exercise had helped grow his confidence.
He said he always had a “healthy respect for heights” and was only really scared of falling.
“I was nervous at first,” he said. “But my corporal was up there and he just said to slow down and take a breath.”
The chief training officer of 1RTB, Lieutenant Colonel Roger McMurray said the adventure training taught soldiers how to bounce back in difficult scenarios.
“Resilience is the word of the moment,” Lt Col McMurray said. “The purpose is so (recruits have) got the ability to survive being cold, wet, dark, hungry and whatever else it may be that we throw at them.”
Echo Company’s commanding officer Major David Filmer said gradually recruits, like Recruit Cattermole, were beginning to lift their game to meet the standards.
“Things are starting the gel in the team,” Major Filmer said. “Others may still think life sucks, but as they progress and start getting out and doing the real Army stuff, that’s when things start to click.”