It’s the beginning of the end for the Kapooka’s first platoon of the year.
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Benjamin Cattermole and other recruits from 41 and 42 platoons of Echo Company can finally see light at the end of the tunnel.
But they had to get through this week first.
Braving the elements, the recruits spent 10 days “out bush”, honing the skills they’ve learned across 11 weeks of intense training.
Their final challenge on Friday saw them trek across the countryside to navigate an obstacle course, advance on an unseen enemy, save mock casualties, attack assailants with fixed-bayonetes and conduct a live fire simulation.
Recruit Cattermole said even though march out was only a week away, he was taking it all one day at a time.
“We’ve come pretty far since we got here,” Recruit Cattermole said. “It feels like a long time ago now.”
Despite the gruelling nature of the final challenge, he said it had been a fun 10 days.
Recruit Cattermole said being outside and working with his section in a more relaxed environment had been great.
“I’ve loved it,” he said. “It’s good to hang outside of the barracks.”
He said he was excited to see his family next week.
“It feels like forever since I’ve seen them,” Recruit Cattermole said. “It’ll be good.”
Echo Company’s officer commanding David Filmer on Friday said the 105 recruits would be “shagged” at the end of the challenge.
But, he said it was the last and biggest activity they would need to complete before next week’s march out.
“They just want to get it done,” Major Filmer said. “A lot of them have been waiting ten days to get to the challenge, others have been waiting 11 weeks.”