All you auzzie guys serving

[kommando]

right its official im off to kapooka in june
i know its gunna be massively cold (mates telling me from past experiance you break ice on the combat course)
but what i need it tips!!!
and not anything physical (not trying to boast but i am seriously in top shape)
more hints and tips and how to train for some stuff i dont know about yet.
It would be a great help and many thanks in advance, i really cant wait atm.
Also what gear should i take down that they dont tell you to and what should i leave out that they do tell me to.
and do they search your bags? hehe (not nething illegeal just cheast ive heard about)

again many thanks
Nathan

[Hellman109]

Well if it's freezing cold there, try to wear a jumper as little as possible this summer (even though Aus in general isnt too told :/) so your body gets a bit more used of it.

[RoBBo]

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12705&highlight=kapooka

alota helpful tips in here, i was gonna be going to pooks soon aswell but my recruiter said i should go for the commandos so ill prolly be hittin pooks around september time.

good luck with it all mate...

[kommando]

yeah thtas good robbo
yeah read that other forum post gives only a few hints
but dude think relaly seriously about commandos
i know we all wanna do some special forces type thing,
but your chances of getting in would be so slim, and it would be so hard to adjust
liek youll be going special forces without even being a soldier first

and how fit are u man
pm me with what u do for fitness
liek to prepare and what standards you are at

again thanks for ne tips nathan

[kommando]

bump

[digrar]

Get a sense of urgency.
Manage your time well.
Stay out of trouble (when you are in trouble the punishment is generally a CSM parade which goes for about 4 hours after dinner, there is about 40 minutes of drill in full field gear and then the rest of the evening raking leaves and sweeping paths, you would be better off using this time to get your gear squared away and preparing for the next days activities).
Be prepared to do what ever the NCOs say as quickly as possible. Learn the rank structure, don't call the NCOs sir unless they are a Warrent Officer, learn their ranks. There is going to be a lot of yelling and being told to hurry up, don't worry about the yelling and do things as quick as you can.
When you get to Kapooka the MPs are going to hook into you before you even get off the bus. (I got in at about 0100hrs, which I think is about normal) They take all medicines and any knifes and guns that you have (even panadol and diflam or deep heat). If you need that sort of stuff you have to go off to the RAP to get treated. Only multi tools or small bladed pocket knives were allowed when I went through.
Be prepared to have your watch taken off you. They will also take you off to the barbar in the first day or so to have your head shaved regardless of if you have shaved it already, which you also have to pay for (it's a #2 cut If I remember correctly).
If you are doing 60 pushups, 100 situps and your 2.4km in under 9 minutes you will be near the top group physically, I went through with a few blokes who were doing high 7s, low 8s for the 2.4km which is reasonably sharp.
Get your field gear squared away so it doesn't fall apart on the assult courses or during a pack march. Heaps of cable ties and black tape are the go.
Get your mum to teach you how to iron. Take a good iron with you and don't ever put water in it, that way the steam function will never blow a heap of crap all over your number 1 uniform.
They will teach you everything you need to know, all you need to do is bring a positive attitude, a willingness to learn and a sense of urgency. Be prepared to have very little time to your self and remember it's only Kapooka it's not the Army and in a few weeks time you will be out of that environment and into the real Army where things are a lot more relaxed and soldiering is the name of the game, not having shiney kit and bracing up for Lance Corporals when they enter the room. Most of all enjoy the experience. Good luck.

[Caribou Kid]

Glad to hear you're off to 1 RTB; you are in for a life-altering experience!

Winter is a bastard of a time to be at Kapooka, but at least it isn't on the waterfront like the Navy! :P Think of that when you are shivering in the hallways with a sheet draped over your shoulder, okay?

A common problem that is encountered with male newbies is prior firearms knowledge. If you have any prior knowledge of shooting, be it from Army Cadets, Civilian Sporting shooters clubs, or plain old simple country farmhand familiarity with firearms, (dunno if you're the city mouse or the country mouse type..) do NOT try and be the ballistics and tabulated data wizard of the platoon. You know ZERO about the correct and precise terminology used for the principles af Marksmanship, as far as the Recruit Instructors are concerned. Smart arses will feel the wrath of the Small Arms Training Team descend upon them from great heights should they profess to being some regional small-bore target shooter of note, or such. The best way to impress the instructors is with RESULTS. (Try winning the the top shot award for your platoon at your march out parade, for example.)

As mentioned by Flagg in the earlier post, you are gonna get a crash course in time management, in a big way! The new mantras you should memorize are: "Attention to Detail" and "Get a sense of Urgency about you!" This is usually best demonstarted by having to be ****, showered, shaved and shampooed in 15 minutes each morning immediately after revelie. (Yes, that includes making your bed and room up to inspection standard, of course.) You do the math: 30 people, 1 bathroom, 8 sinks, 4 toilets... By the time you march out, you'll think that civvies must watch DVD's in the Bathroom of a morning as they get ready, 'cause they take so long! :lol:

You will make new friendships there that may last a lifetime. You may also meet some supreme ****heads. Know when to differentiate between the two.. (this is a skill that is lost on some people...)

Oh yes, I almost forgot...
Your keys to your locker padlock will become an almost obsessive-compulsive habit to check/make sure you locked up. Woe be to the poor recruit that leaves his **** unsecured; it is an absolute FAVORITE among RI's to catch someone out on this "little" oversight. They will walk down your Platoon halls during the day while you are away at some lecture and see who forgot to do it in the mad rush to assemble outside in formation that morning.(see...it's that time management thing again..) If you can't remember to keep your valuables secured, then how can you be trusted to remember to apply your safety catch/pull the pin/cover your buddy yadda yadda yadda. You get the idea. Meal times are another good time for this mental slip-up to occur, as you are probably tired, hungry and distracted. ALWAYS keep your locker secured, and your keys handy. You'll see...It only takes an extra second to do, yeah...

Another hint is labelling your socks and uniforms. As an example, after coming back from out bush, 30 recruits will try to wash 60 identical olive drab socks and 30 sets of identical Cam uniforms and then hang them in the drying rooms (Remember, it's Winter there, not much in the way of sunshine to dry your gear with) and not get them mixed up. It ain't gonna happen. Mis-matched odd socks suck, mate. Find some easily recognizable, distinctive way to mark your gear that isn't obvious, and it will help to keep all your stuff together. Some NCO's instruct their squad on where to put their name using marker pen(under the flap of a breast pocket is most common, or under an epaulette) but this isn't as easy with socks/trousers. Oh, and by the way, Remembering where you hung them up to dry won't work either, because once your things are 95% dry, they'll get moved by someone who has just done their load of washing and needs your slot on the clothes hanging line for their dripping uniforms, and your freshly dried(?) clothes will be chucked on the nearest countertop in a loose pile, along with every other dry garment (and about 13 odd socks... :roll: ) that are taking up precious drying-line space.
Not sure when you'll get issued name tags to sew on, but again, that really only applies to the helping you find your shirts. Little tags like mum can order from the back pages of Women's day or New Idea will only get you laughed at, too.... :)

Get used to having no hair. At least for the short term, anyways. Don't go down there with a chrome dome unless you are already bald, 'cause they'll still shave you even if you have a #1 blade haircut, just for the sake of uniformity. Nothing looks more obvious than a new arrival on day one with a freshly shaved, un-tanned head, trying to be ahead of the game. It's been tried many, many times already....Don't do it.

Sorry if this has become an essay :oops: Hope this helps your prep.

[kommando]

guys thank you soso much
that is heaps of help
just a few things to clear up
what do u mean by squaring your gear away?
do i bring the cable ties with me?
do they search your bags for those items?
and also do u bring your own iron and padlock?
and no essays are fine with me i need all the knowledge i can get
ill take some photos and post em up here when done should be sweet
are any of you guys serving is brisbane?
thats where im headed
ill see u there if u are
OOO
just one more thing
sorry for being long winded
but is there anything on the list of what to bring they have given me that i dont need to take
or is there nething on there that they dont tell me to take that i should

thanks nathan

[USMarine3521]

err what hell is an auzzie guys??? did you mean ozzy guys?? :lol: ;)

[Ballistic]

err what hell is an auzzie guys??? did you mean ozzy guys?? :lol: ;)

Nah, Aussie mate. :)

Good info here, thanks heaps. Should help in alot of ways if I actually have the brains and brawn to pass the aptitude tests and physicals... :|

[kommando]

nemore help
please
hehe

[Michael RVR]

I dont know what you're on about drying racks.. when i went though (2000) we had clothes dryers.

You dont really need all that much from what i can remember. They wont issue you with underwear though so remember that, and take a good iron (i dont know about not putting water in it, i think i always did, they iron better with steam).. cable ties and black tape would definitly have been usful though.

As the other boys have said, remember kapooka is not the army. It will be tough because it's meant to be. But as long as you're up to the challenge physically (and able to stay awake during mind-numbing lectures) you'll be fine ;)

[Mark_Aspen]

Oy. Sounds the ****in same, just a different language, and we've never heard of irons.

Good luck to you, and remember, it does end sometime.

[digrar]

Calcium and crap builds up in your iron if it has water in it. At the worst time it will shoot out and destroy your march out uniform you have been working on for weeks. Guaranteed. We used to use a squirt bottle if we wanted steam, you can get them at woolies or coles for a couple of dollers. I think they used to sell them at the canteen at Kapooka as well.
The padlocks were issued when I went through. Insecurity is a big thing at Kapooka, try not to do it and help your room mates out and check their lockers, trunks and tables personel whenever you all walk out of the room.
We got issued kahki Y fronts when I went through. They were a trendy set of underpants :oops: . Save yourself some pain and get half a dozen pairs of underpants that won't raise any interest from the corporals. The last thing you want to do is stand out during a locker inspection.
When you get into your platoon they will give you a locker layout and all your gear. Getting it squared away is getting it all put in the right spot and getting it all set up right. It's also called getting your **** in one sock.
We didn't get searched for contraband but the MPs on the first night asked for medicine and weapons. If we were found to have that stuff later on the **** would have hit the fan then. I think you will be right with zip ties and black tape.

[kommando]

thanks heaps for info its gunna come in really
handy

if u can think of anything elase fell free to post

and yeah i know its only basic training but it strats there
if u cant get your act toghter there hows it going to help when u go rifleman aye or any job :backhand:

[garoco]

Best of luck in your 're-socialisation' course ;) I went through the system in 1995 so be thankful you don't have Pooky for more than 13 weeks :lol:

Advice in one simple line:

BE THE GRAY MAN

[kommando]

are you saying dont come first in stuff but dont come last
never appear to talk it up
finish high in stuff liek acamdemic but never whizz it?

what do u clal the gray man haha