Rizza RGDT

[Alex Himself]

Hi mate, hows it going, you home this weekend?

Hope you enjoy your GDT Phase which is starting monday, im on my last week of it now, 2 more days of rifles then on to CPT exercise which is going to be fookin freezing.

At first when you get down there it will be a bit weird, you have to run everywhere, make sure you fill your water bottle to the rim, they like catching people out on that. You don't get fed well down there either, make sure you have a good breakfast, and don't fall asleep.

Probably see you in the mess monday then.

Alex

[Rizzarazzu]

Hello mate - went home quite early on Sunday so missed this.

Just finished week one GDT. Yeah, a few people got caned for not filling their bottles - those bottle slide quite far, don't they ? !

Passed my NBC theory and practical this week with flying colours, it was a very tough week, very tiring in those noddy suits and running around in a respirator ain't fun. Glad to see the back of it and move on to First Aid to be honest.

I saw you yesterday after CPT, most people looked knackered mate.

Anyway, i'll see you around mate, good luck.

[Alex Himself]

hi mate, you back this weekend? Fed up of marching down to RGDT with those hefty bergens on yet, and Rat packs?

how did you do in first aid?
Don't expect to fire a rifle until the tuesday before CPT, so on the 14th Feb, when ill be passing out hopefully. You'll be learning how to load, unload, make ready, clean dismantle a rifle, different stances, types of fire etc... all this week, still quite interesting, the practical should be on monday, 2 people got reflighted beacuse they failed it twice. it's all quite straighforwad though.

We had our day 51 inspection yesterday, this is where ALL the kit you've got needs to be presented, also the first time we've been in our number ones. the Sergeants do the inspection, took over 3 hours to do 4 rooms.

Got our GSK final exam on monday, which i need to revise for this weekend, i failed the mock yesterday as did quite a few.

Did'nt get let out base until 6:30 yesterday, made us do arms drill until 5.

Speak soon.

Alex

[Rizzarazzu]

Hello mate, yeah i'm back.

Passed the First Aid 100% mate, no problems as i've been qualified for some time now so i managed to get quality sleep time in at the back of the class ! A lot of the rifle will be pretty old hat to me as well as i am already qualified on it and the A2, but there will be some stuff on there that i don't know. The 2 lads that got reflighted from your lot are now in my flight and have been on RDF - they start training again on Monday.

The bergans don't get any lighter, do they ?

Anyway mate, get that revision on this weekend and knock 'em dead in your exam - good luck with it mate.

[Alex Himself]

hey, hows it going mate, passing out next Tuesday, been doing parade rehersal most of the day for the past week, good fun, but tiring.
Had a mock parade yesterday, with music, loads of Officers about. It was probably the worst performance we have had, mainly due to the Officers not knowing their drill.
We are having a Queens colour parade. Hopefully it will be warmer than the past few days so that it's an outside parade, and then on wednesday to friday i hope the temperature stays well below zero for your CPT exercise.

Found out yesterday that my CIS OM trade starts on the 23rd Feb, so i'll be on ADF for a while. So i'll still see you about no doubt.

Hows the rifle drill going, and how did the camp out go?

Alex

[Rizzarazzu]

The camp out was fine mate. Those sleeping bags are alright, aren't they ?
I managed to draw the short straw and got the 2am shift for fire picket so it wasn't the best night's sleep Did 'Aggression Day' yesterday. Great opportunity to crawl around in mud and act like a kid again, ain't it ? It was knackering, but enjoyable.

So, you're the one's that got the Colour Parade then ? Our Flt. Staff told us it was going to be the last flt. to pass out, then it wasn't, they then said it might be you or us - so it's obviously you !

With regard to the weather, the forecast says it could rain all week, so that's bad news for the both of us. I don't mind the cold, but rain just ruins my day big time !

Have you had any news on your flypast and what it's going to be, should you be parading outside ?

[Alex Himself]

hi, the pass out before our one was also a colour parade.

they won't tell us what aircraft will fly overhead, however i have heard rumours that its a Tucano, i hope its something a bit more interesting however.

those sleeping bags were about a foot too short for me but just slept on top of it most of CPT. You should get taken back to Hatlton via a Chinook.

Hvae a good time on CPT, my favourite part of the course so far.

Alex

[Rizzarazzu]

Oh right, so ours could a be colour parade as well !

The last outdoor parade had a Tucano also - darn cutbacks

We had a few guys with the same problem with the sleeping bags being too short, but you know i'm a shortass so it wasn't a problem for me.

Did you guys get helicoptered back to Halton, only i heard you were the unlucky ones who missed out ? Is that true, or is it the trustworthy Halton inter-flight rumour mill working overtime again ? I suspect if you missed out, we will also.

If i see you in the mess before Tuesday i'll collar you as i've got a few q's to ask about CPT, if i don't, all the best for Tuesday mate - have a good one.

[Alex Himself]

alright, yeah we didn't get a chinook back to Halton, although there was one flying around the CPT area most of that morning, we all had our hopes up.
The tab at the end was the most difficult part, try and make sure you're up the front. Its about 2 miles with your bergens and you have to keep up the front with the Cpls, and the rest have to keep the gaps closed, you walk in twos, so the ones at the back, and sometimes the front, run more than walk, its quite tough.

Do you know about your charity weekend yet?

Rumour mill states that you may get the chinook, apparently its every other course, which will be you.

Im heading off at about 2.30 i might see you at dinner tonight?

Alex

[Rizzarazzu]

Yes mate, our charity weekend will be a 'Superstar Gym Challenge' for the Stoke Mandeville Baby Care Unit, but it's not happening on the weekend, it's happening on the Tuesday after so we should get the weekend off, but we haven't got our hopes up as a few from our flight have been 'naughty' and they've threatened us with a working weekend unless we show a drastic improvement by tomorrow. We've been working hard to rectify it, but we just don't know.

I probably won't be in the mess tonight but if i spot you tomorrow i'll give you a nudge.

Safe journey !