Tuesday, March 18, 2008
AIRBORNE!!!
Today is one of the days where you go "why did I ask for this" kind-of-days.. Today I went for my Airborne selection at Hendon Camp. (Home of the commandos), where we were put through a fast-and-furious pace of several physical tests. It's basically the first physical fitness test to weed out the weaker ones and though I was physically psyched up, mentally I wasn't.
The test was quite insane, we were fighting with the commandos, Gurkhas and NDU for places, the fittest of the fittest in the SAF inventory and the moment you fail one station, you're out. The requirements weren't hard, the standard sit-ups, push-ups, chin-ups and a 2.4km run, but everything to be done in full combat attire, the Long-4. Not the PT-kit that you're all accustomed with when training. It was crazy, we were competing with other commandos, NDU and Gurkhas, and the Gurkhas are like Ferrari's with legs.
By the time I had finished the run, I was completely exhausted, I remember a long long time ago I came here for the commandos selection, I breezed through the physical tests, but I didn't make it because I was myopic, but that was a good thing too, I am now not doing so bad in the Airforce. But that was almost 5 over years ago, when I was still young and energetic. Now I am old! And slow! Too much paper work and pushing pencils in the office has made me weak and to think all these people here are the best of the best from their respective units that's why their respective units have pushed them for this Airborne course.
This physical test today for the Airborne selection was just completely exhaustive. There's this aura of decrepit sense of "toughness", like the air was harder to breathe, the 2.4km route was definitely longer and all the commandos around me looked as if bullets will bounce off their torso. Don't get me wrong, not everyone were commandos, but everyone represented a high level of fitness from their respective units to even be able to get here today, but people were dropping like flies at all the static stations.
Though the requirements weren't tough, the method of testing was harsh and grueling. You gotta do ultra-standard-commando-style chin-ups and push-ups, (cut my everyday regime by half and you got an idea), and every time you do barely right, the instructors will go "NO COUNT!!", straighten arms and everything else..
The minimum requirement for the 2.4km plus run was 12.30mins. I barely made it below 12mins, guess the long-4 really restricted aerobic movement. However many clocked below 11mins or so, those people here must be clocking under 8 or 9 minutes for their regular IPPT 2.4km timings.
People back in my unit I am one of the fitter ones, but after coming to Hendon I am but a mere weakling! How disappointed they will be or even think if I told them I didn't make it! 8 in my whole unit applied, 4 got it, 2 failed the selection, 2 more to go. That's just me and another one of my guys representing my unit for this Airborne. 4 of us came here, only 2 made it for the first round of selection.
After this, priority will go to the commandos, NDU and Gurkhas, then only 40 slots will be allocated for the rest of us, mainly almost a hundred of us, ½ of us will be kicked out first, then they will look at the scores and select the 40 fittest. Of all of us that applied, the 192nd Airborne, only 40 will get in, and out of this 40, not everyone will pass the course and get the coveted badge.
I used to think the Airborne badge was the easiest to get compared with the Jungle Survival and the Combat Skill Badge. Now I think otherwise, the number of hurdles and obstacles we have to get through was taxing enough, definitely done to weed out the weaker ones.
When I was running the 2.4km+ route, I was wondering, I am so close to ord, why do I want to put myself through this?! Isn't it just a jump!? Okay, that was wishful thinking, the Airborne badge is really a prestigious thing, just how many NSFs can even dream of getting it?
Can you imagine if you are considered fit enough and good enough in your unit to be considered for the Airborne, then once you're here you find out that you're not cut up enough for it? The people here are damn fit. If you think I was fit, oh man you should see the people here at Hendon, they're aren't really human. The commandos, NDU and Gurkhas are really tough.
If I hadn't spent all my time in unit pushing pencils and paper, maybe I would have stood the slightest chance.
I have gotten through the first level of selection, only 2 left in my whole unit! If we don't get in man, we've got no face. We've got a reputation to live up to man. The commandos of the army are here, the commandos of the Navy are here, so are the police, and I am an ADA! Commandos of the Air-force, are we not good enough for the real commandos!
If I get in, hooray, 3 weeks of training, being whacked left-right-and-centre all over again. If I don't oh well. I don't think its because I wasn't fit enough, more like I was lucky enough to get into the 40 slots allocated. This will well be the epitome of my physical fitness in the 2 years of my NS cycle. The summation of my physical fitness all tested today.
But the people here are really fit. Commandos man! It's Hendon camp all over again.
Completely exhausted now. Sigh. Discouraging day.
Posted by MK at 3:28 PM
