Flying High

Basic

"ATTENTION YOU PIECES OF SLIME AND FILTH! I WANT YOU ALL TO RUN OFF THIS BUS AT THE SPEED OF MACH JESUS IN SINGLE FILE! YOU ARE TO LINE UP IN TWO LINES NEATLY ! NO FOOLING AROUND!"I feel myself running without speaking everyone's tripping over everyone, it's complete chaos, there are drill instructors yelling orders around me I'm responding to them without thinking it's like someone has taken control of my body I am compelled by shock and fear. We make it to a room just like the others cream polished concrete walls very large rows of desks with high sides line he room we are told to empty our belongings and await orders. "Oh no" I drop everything this is a mistake I regret "WHAT ARE YOU DOING RECRUIT PICK UP YOUR BELONGINGS AND IMMEDIATELY THIS IS NOT A CASUAL STROL" I finally get my belongings onto the table and step back, I'm flung back arms flailing as a drill instructor barges in to check my belongings placing my phone, wallet and sunglasses into the bag. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON THE GROUND RECRUIT! DID MUMMY SAY YOU COULD LAY DOWN! GET BACK UP AND STAND LIKE A MAN" I had never been disrespected like this but I knew any retaliation would result in injury. I pack my belongings and stand to what I thought was attention but boy was I wrong "STAND LIKE A MAN" everyone was getting the same treatment. We are marched into an introduction room "RIGHT YOU IN COMPETENT IMBECILES! I AM YOUR COMMANDING OFFICER, I AM IN CHARGE OF GETTING YOU SCRUBS READY FOR COMBAT, FROM HERE ON YOU WILL ANSWER TO RECRUIT AND RECRUIT ONLY YOU WILL ADDRESS ME AND ALL DRILL SERGEANTS AS SIR DO NOT DISRESPECT MY AUTHORITY! FORWARD TO THE DORMS LETS FIND YOU BABIES A PLACE TO SLEEP." The dorms were digesting and run down, they had no decorations just straight bare necessities I lay down on my bed recruit baker is assigned as my roommate, "we signed up for hell didn't we aye" I turn my head to face baker I really didn't feel like talking now, I just nodded my head and dosed off to sleep that was a decision I came to regret as drill sergeant Hightower walked in "WHAT ARE YOU BABIES DOING MAMA HASN'T TUCKED YOU IN YET GET YOUR ASSES UP AND START CLEANING THIS PIGSTY" the room wasn't very messy there were a few creases in the bed from where I had layer and our bags hadn't been put away. Sergeant Hightower emptied our bags onto the floor baker and I scrambling to pick it up. Ah finally the we tidy up our stuff, "is it just me mate or do you think they're gonna kill us one day" "nah mate they won't" I replied, I was wrong, very wrong the next few weeks were spent doing drills these included holding our rifle by the barrel and placing our finger in the trigger guard we would stand there for hours and if we dropped the rifle oh by God were you done, they also made us do stuff like holding a pen for hours I never knew pens were so heavy. Finally after 4 weeks we were moving on to some more advanced stuff we were introduced to our rifles the Steyr Aug, it was a little bull pup rifle that chambers in .306. First we started doing dry fires just practising firing our rifles without rounds it was boring but it gave us a break from the normal stuff like drills. BANG! Holy shite I pulled the trigger my shot was way off but at least it was on the target at the moment we are just getting used to firing our rifles soon we'll get to making our shots closer to the target but after all I was going to the airforce to train as a pilot I don't need these skills. "PLATOON ATTENTION!" Phew, finally the day has come I am graduating from hell, we are all now part of the Australian Defence Force, but more still comes I must face the airforce training where I will be tested and 8 out of 50 people will be chosen for fighter pilot training. "AT REST", "General Salute." Our CO walks onto the stage he gives a speech asking us to stay safe, remember our training and he hopes that we all are successful in whatever path we take. I can't believe it I've graduated, now to get wings.