We select few

the hell weeks

It was only day 3 out of 21 and I was already dead tired from the constant physical exertion that we were being put through constantly during our waking hours. Every morning we would be woken up at a different time to the day previous and go on a pack march that was never the same distance as the day before. We would then proceed to have a large breakfast and the spend the next 3 or 4 hours doing punishing physical workouts that we were instructed to do by the commanding staff. After would follow lunch, another large meal. Then we would either do a pack march or fitness until dinner which was, just like breakfast and lunch, a large meal. This regime continued until day 7. On day 5 there was a mass exodus of candidates, with about 65 leaving, some due to medical issues, others because they couldn't take it and, unless its because of a medical issue,once you sign your release form from the course you can't go back. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity. At the end of day 8, the course staff held a meeting together in which they decided that 5 other candidates did not make the cut. The candidates were told at the beginning of day 9. This meeting would happen 2 more times on the course.

After a day long bus ride Part 2 started on day 11 and was a massive change from part 1 for this course because, instead of doing punishing physical activities, we were given a map and compass, told to find a series of checkpoints over the next 5 days and were forbidden to talk to any other candidates we may run into. I ended up covering 156km over the next 5 days while carrying a 50 kilogram pack. During this phase, 20 candidates were taken from the course. our numbers touched just over 40 people. 3 people were sent home by the staff on day 18. our numbers now were 38.

Phase 3 was definitely the hardest phase. We were given tedious tasks by the staff who were acting as tribal leaders, deprived of food and sleep and had to defuse tense situations that came between the candidates and the tribal leaders. On the 21st day, 2 people were cut from selection and 8 others had left the course, most due to injury.

And there I was, part of the last 28 standing at the end of the course. I was on my way to being part of the legendary SASR. The next 18 months of training I can not delve into for security reasons so I will resume from when I began my first tour with my new unit.