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- #25
Scott_Fraser
MyPTSD Pro
Here in the UK when we enlist it is to prepare to get ready to go to war. Even if you are a Sapper, Mechanic, Signaller, Pioneer, Cook or Pay Clerk. You are trained as a soldier first. And then you train for your trade, but you are always a soldier first.
When I went in I did 2 years learning my trade as I joined when I was 16, and you are not allowed to fight until you are 18. By the time I was posted to my unit, I was ready, but my training always continued. I was trained on SLR, Rifle and then SA80, Browning Automatic, SMG, LMG, GPMG and HMG. Also on 80mm Mortar, Gustav, Hand held SAMs, grenades, and then we trained on foreign weapons, AK47, and M16s. I actually found the AK47 a much better weapon than the M16 or SA80. When the battalion became Armoured Infantry we trained on the Warrior, I did a troop commanders course up in Sennelager, in Germany, where we were taught the job of driver, radio operator and of course commander, so that I could do everybody else's job.
Being in the British Army we have the advantage over our American Allies in that because we have so much experience in operations in Northern Ireland dealing with the IRA, that down in Basra we have less casualties because of that, in dealing with insurgents in built up areas.
I agree with Anthony in that no new soldier can even imagine to think about being in action until they actually do it for the first time. Or to make the training as so realistic as possible and I don't know if you can do that without putting them into action for the first time so that they can learn and hopefully come out of it alive and in one piece.
Scott
When I went in I did 2 years learning my trade as I joined when I was 16, and you are not allowed to fight until you are 18. By the time I was posted to my unit, I was ready, but my training always continued. I was trained on SLR, Rifle and then SA80, Browning Automatic, SMG, LMG, GPMG and HMG. Also on 80mm Mortar, Gustav, Hand held SAMs, grenades, and then we trained on foreign weapons, AK47, and M16s. I actually found the AK47 a much better weapon than the M16 or SA80. When the battalion became Armoured Infantry we trained on the Warrior, I did a troop commanders course up in Sennelager, in Germany, where we were taught the job of driver, radio operator and of course commander, so that I could do everybody else's job.
Being in the British Army we have the advantage over our American Allies in that because we have so much experience in operations in Northern Ireland dealing with the IRA, that down in Basra we have less casualties because of that, in dealing with insurgents in built up areas.
I agree with Anthony in that no new soldier can even imagine to think about being in action until they actually do it for the first time. Or to make the training as so realistic as possible and I don't know if you can do that without putting them into action for the first time so that they can learn and hopefully come out of it alive and in one piece.
Scott