2nd Phase

2nd Phase fun

Razor wire training

The major part of this stage was learning the art of "Fire-and-movement". This is a technique used to advance while under fire from the enemy while supported by covering fire. Basically, you ran forward until you were 10 yards in front (and slightly to the side) of your "buddy", while he squeezed off single rounds to cover you. When you dived to the ground and were ready to start firing, your buddy would do the running and you would try not to shoot him in the back when he was in front of you.

 

Camo and Fire and Movement training

There were endless combinations and scenarios to be practiced - section level, platoon or company level, no cover, obstacle (minefield, barbed wire, swamp) crossing. The instructors favored the scenarios which required "leopard" crawling as the method of advance, this enabled the instructors to walk at a steady pace, yell and blow their whistle occasionally. This is an extremely exhausting exercise, but is a critical life-skill for the infantryman. I know I crawled for miles, along paved roads and through mud, I grew callouses on callouses and ingested a lot of sand! I think this was the most physically demanding phase of my training.

 

2.4km run with full kit in under 10 minutes

We also graduated from doing PT in running gear to battle PT. The 2,4km test run was now also run in battle dress (BDUs and boots) plus your staaldak, webbing and geweer (helmet, combat webbing and rifle.) Trained in basic survival techniques and camoflage. One of most exhausting days was bayonet training, we ran all day, screaming and yelling, and bayonetted foam-filled sacks from sunrise to sundown. Only one injury, guy put the bayonet through his boot and foot, and into the ground! Sleep deprivation was a major part of "training" in the bush. All sorts of creative ways to deprive you of sleep.

 

Typical Bungalow

Since you knew you were going to the bush for 5 days, but would have to walk/run back (carrying whatever you took with) you packed the bare minimum, this meant that you got wet if it rained, and almost froze to death in winter. 

 

Samil Tyre PT

Water was also hard to come by, water truck was available to fill your water bottle in the morning and in the evening. Bathing was not an option. Summer and thirst was your constant companion, winter had freezing nights sleeping on the frost laden ground (if you didn't want your rifle to rust, it slept in your sleeping bag with you.) Physically and mentally exhausted after 5 days of harassing, trench digging, running for your meals, training and other mind-games designed to ensure that you never slept for more than one hour in any one place.

Samil 50

Example of activities in the bush: if someone took a shit and did not bury it and it was discovered by an instructor, the company would have to line up and pass the turds from hand to hand until the dump reached a freshly dug hole. There was a lesson in this exercise, hygiene around the camp, but it was lost in the pomp and ceremony of the turd funeral. Also, our minds were not focusing on the crime, but how to clean up our hands without using water - and stay healthy. Sand and damp toilet paper worked for me. This lesson seemed to bring great joy to the instructors, and there was always someone stupid/lazy enough to provide the material. Shaving considered very important part of hygiene. Cold (icy) water and facial cuts were ok in the pursuit of a close shave! Sheer lunacy in a dusty, grimy world with very little water.

Rat Pack Contents

When you were not in the base and there was no field kitchen, "hot" meals were brought out to your temporary base in insulated metal containers. I cannot ever remember the instrutors saying, "Okay, get your eating utensils out and line up for your meal."

 

The whole camp running back to base

The arrival of the food was the signal for the games to begin. Generally you spent the next 30 minutes running from landmark to landmark, with no discernable goal other than make sure the food was covered in dust from our pounding boots, and/or allow the food to get cold. In winter this made the food harder to eat as the "gravy" would congeal and solidify into a white, fatty gel with pieces of meat hidden in it. You were forced to eat large quantities of fat to obtain any protein. The other problem was cleaning up without hot water and detergent. A smart soldier would always have Glad plastic bags to cover his dixies and dispose of after the meal.

Mood Picture - what a sunset 

Back from pass, seen the girlfriend, mates and my folks, now pretty depressed on speculating what the next 3 months will bring.

We are now allowed to wear our browns (combat pants and a shirt) and we get issued more kit.

Other : Towels Towels Mirror Seep Bakkie Toiletries Bag Shoe Brush ID Book Cover Dog Tags Sewing Kit	Large Hand	3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Equipment : Rifle Magazines Cleaning Kit Kevlar Helmet - Staaldak Balsak H-Frame Groot Sak - Rugsak Ground Sheet Bivvy Chest Webbing Battle Jacket Dixies Waterbottle Spoegbakkie Varkpan Pikstel Firebucket & Waterbottle Sheets Pillowslips Pillows Blankets Pisvel Trommel Hangkas Bed Sleeping Bag & Inner	R4 or R5 2L 1L	1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 set 2 1 1 1 set 1 set 1 set 2 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 set

List of kit issued to you 

Back on the parade ground, we are now introduced to the second torture tactic being a lone dead tree on the hill behind the camp called Boompie Alleen (Tree Alone) and again we have to run, only this time our whip cracking masters have made this task more interesting in asking all of us to return with a leaf from this really dead tree that has no leaves - go figure!!

Punishment run up to Boompie Alleen

Ok, we do start having a bit more fun, today is the day I get to meet my first wife, this being my rifle (R4 5.56 Nato). Hey, no bullets, don't trust us yet hey. Oh well still pretty cool, we get issued this and have to sign for it, we are told lose this and you go to prison - great where do I give it back.. The staff sergeant takes mine out of the crate totally covered in grease and oil, I'm given a cleaning kit and told make this thing shine.

 

Necklace Training - Without the petrol of course

As it turned out I wanted a divorce from this new wife she was a curse, i had to carry her around everywhere even when I went to take a dump or have a shower.

R4 5.56mm Rifle

Weapons training on R4 (Copy of the 5.56mm Galil), hand-grenade, rifle grenade, 88mm bazooka, Uzzi (9mm), flame thrower, Browning machine gun (7.62mm and .50), Bren machine gun, MAG machine gun. We did a lot of shooting usually at 50 and 100 meters, occasionally we did Table2. Table2 is an exhausting format where you started on the 600m mark and shot 5 rounds, sprinted to the 500m mark and fired 5 rounds, repeat until you reached the 100m mark and fired 10 rounds. Your score was then tallied up - it was usually bad, due to your gasping for breath. This was a good indicator of how accurate you would be under battle conditions.

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