Posted: Mar 17, 2010 11:59 am
8 years, The Royal Australian Regiment (Infantry).
Australia (NSW and NT), East Timor, Solomon Is., Iraq, Afghanistan. Rifle and Support Companies (Mortars) Pte and NCO.
Did what grunts do.. Guards, walking, digging, more guards, walking, guards, walking some more, digging, guards, parade... ah.. did I mention guards, walking and digging.
I joined 'coz it was a good pay and it was something to do.
Also, being an immigrant to Australia I figured that if I join and serve, maybe get some medal, I can carry on like a pork chop and ask everyone what they did for the country... also, deserved an excuse to get pissed like an idiot on ANZAC day.
Plus, of course, you get to shoot and blow shit up.
I would do it again and I would recommend everyone to do it. There is a lot of crap, but it is a great experience.
I met some of the best guys that a man can meet (and some of the biggest assholes too, but fuck them).
And damn, had cooked meals too
(and contrary to popular belief army 'fitters and turners' (i.e. cooks, 'coz they fit the food into pots and turn it into shit, are quite good... better than anything I can do... ). Also, learned how to iron like no woman can (actually when I met a female that can iron better than me, I'll marry her ).
Finally, army helped me realise how fucking lucky I am to have a job that I have now.. and enjoy it. I am a bit older than people of my work grade, but fuck it.. I really did do some crazy shit most of people watch in movies (like being yelled at and doing lots of pushups coz the fat fucks cant run very fast ).
Memorable experience - being charged (prosecuted) for "utilising service communication technology means, in an area of operations, to obtain information material for purposes other than those specified in Section xxx of the related rules of duty, unbecoming an NCO of the RAR (i.e I got sprang using military computer to download porn, whilst on operations, in Iraq - yes I jerked off in Iraq). I got charged but charges were dropped because the commanding officer thought it was hilarious and that (and all the concerned agreed) it was done "in order to maintain morale on the high operational level". I was shitting bricks at the time.
Also, one night in East Timor, now many years ago, the whole section was sleeping in this little hut and someone saw a scorpion running on the groung. We all run out like little girls and slept outside, in the rain. It was bloody hilarious. Here is a hard hitting infantry section of 9 guys, with enough ammo and weapons to start a bloody war, sleeping in the rain because of a 4 grams scorpion. Pussies.
Finally, during first tour in Timor, all we got for reading was fucking Woman's Day. Here you got 90 blokes in the rifle company sitting around and reading "10 secrets to the best make up" (but fuck we knew everything about who is fucking whom in Hollywood that year ).
And lastly, my ankles, shins and knees are fucked because of bad weather on a few drops.
Apart from that, it was a good going.
Australia (NSW and NT), East Timor, Solomon Is., Iraq, Afghanistan. Rifle and Support Companies (Mortars) Pte and NCO.
Did what grunts do.. Guards, walking, digging, more guards, walking, guards, walking some more, digging, guards, parade... ah.. did I mention guards, walking and digging.
I joined 'coz it was a good pay and it was something to do.
Also, being an immigrant to Australia I figured that if I join and serve, maybe get some medal, I can carry on like a pork chop and ask everyone what they did for the country... also, deserved an excuse to get pissed like an idiot on ANZAC day.
Plus, of course, you get to shoot and blow shit up.
I would do it again and I would recommend everyone to do it. There is a lot of crap, but it is a great experience.
I met some of the best guys that a man can meet (and some of the biggest assholes too, but fuck them).
And damn, had cooked meals too
(and contrary to popular belief army 'fitters and turners' (i.e. cooks, 'coz they fit the food into pots and turn it into shit, are quite good... better than anything I can do... ). Also, learned how to iron like no woman can (actually when I met a female that can iron better than me, I'll marry her ).Finally, army helped me realise how fucking lucky I am to have a job that I have now.. and enjoy it. I am a bit older than people of my work grade, but fuck it.. I really did do some crazy shit most of people watch in movies (like being yelled at and doing lots of pushups coz the fat fucks cant run very fast
). Memorable experience - being charged (prosecuted) for "utilising service communication technology means, in an area of operations, to obtain information material for purposes other than those specified in Section xxx of the related rules of duty, unbecoming an NCO of the RAR (i.e I got sprang using military computer to download porn, whilst on operations, in Iraq - yes I jerked off in Iraq). I got charged but charges were dropped because the commanding officer thought it was hilarious and that (and all the concerned agreed) it was done "in order to maintain morale on the high operational level". I was shitting bricks at the time.
Also, one night in East Timor, now many years ago, the whole section was sleeping in this little hut and someone saw a scorpion running on the groung. We all run out like little girls and slept outside, in the rain. It was bloody hilarious. Here is a hard hitting infantry section of 9 guys, with enough ammo and weapons to start a bloody war, sleeping in the rain because of a 4 grams scorpion. Pussies.
Finally, during first tour in Timor, all we got for reading was fucking Woman's Day. Here you got 90 blokes in the rifle company sitting around and reading "10 secrets to the best make up" (but fuck we knew everything about who is fucking whom in Hollywood that year
).And lastly, my ankles, shins and knees are fucked because of bad weather on a few drops.
Apart from that, it was a good going.