every veteran or soldier out there knows that basic training in the army is the worst, but also to see if the soldiers are fit and ready for the task.
Basic training broke a soldier down untill he feels like nothing and worth nothing, and from there,that's where the RSM (Regional Seargent major) builds up those soldiers into battle hardened warriors
The few people that had the balls to try out for PTI or a stripe as the vets called them had to go through even more shit to prove themselves fit for the rank.
This veteran told me his story and he said...
"The worst part of basics was when we had to do a Teerpaal draf and when you run as one to the destination some bastard slacks off. I remember me and my buddy usually got to the destination with the rest of the guys then the RSM would do roadcall and if he calls a name twice he would walk up to us and look us down and up and search for the missing men that arrive just too late. The RSM would say julle maaitjies het julle genaai!!!! SAK BLIKSEMSSS!!!(your friends fucked you over get down for PT) I got my Medic rank also known as OPS MEDIC
after me and a group of 5 me included we're set stranded in the bush for a week and our objective was to carry each other on a stretcher and full back pack from point Alpha to point Bravo whilst trying to survive in 7 days with limited food and water. When we got to point Bravo we were starving. The RSM had loaves of bread on a wooden palette for us. We thought he gave us food after the test, but as we got there he asked us if we were hungry and all 5 of us looked at the bread in hunger. The RSM grabbed a Jerry can of diesel and emptied it on the bread and said he wants us back at base ASAP and got in his willys jeep and left us there to walk all the way back. The bread couldn't be salvaged or eaten because of the diesel. "
remember when i said that they broke you down untill you feel like nothing...
that's what you had to go through to achieve a rank or even worse for second stripes
YOU ARE READING
The War story of a South African Veteran
Adventurethis is the story of a South African veteran, he served in the Angolan bushwar as an Ops medic and the tales he used to tell me about he's days on the border... enjoy
