Oh diddums

The SMH has run a story today on abusive Army training. Oh boo-hoo. What are these precious little creatures going to do when someone starts shooting at them? Cry that it isn't fair? Run home to the Equal Opportunities and Human Rights Commission?

Or fix bayonets and run the bastards thru?

In my day, which is now long passed, the purpose of training appeared to be to toughen up wet young civilians and make fighting men of them. That meant hard, aggresive training and hard, aggresive instructors. A bit of blood was not a bad thing - it showed commitment. A broken bone was not a reason for an inquiry - it was an excuse for a few beers and the telling of tall stories. Coming back from an exercise with a black eye or torn clothing or whatever was a good thing. Getting kicked around by a non-com was also a good thing as it taught you not to take cover where there was none (important stuff when people start shooting real bullets) and it forced the lazy and the lame to get moving.

And yes, it was always mandatory for any asians in our regiment to play the part of the enemy (especially since we were re-fighting the vietnam war). They seemed to relish putting on the black pyjamas and the conical straw hats, since it gave them the chance to "kick our stupid round eyed arses". Vietnamese soliders would routinely be addressed in a comradely fashion by non-coms as "Luke", as in "Luke the gook". "Luke, go over to the crappers and tell Major Disaster that he's wanted at HQ". It was no different to calling red heads "Blue".

I particularly liked reading the comment about "put your wanking wrench in the air", as it brought back fond memories of loud, profane, nasty little instructors that worked you to death day and night. Crikey, anyone that can't take a comment like that won't be much good when they're stuck in a mud filled pit on the front line and it's pitch black and some bastard on the other side is calling them names through a loud speaker. Christ, whatever happened to intestinal fortitude. I met chaplains and salvos who were tougher than this lot of pussies.

Frankly, all those who complained should be tracked down and dishonourably discharged. They are good for nothing wimps. The Army Reserve must be scraping the bottom of the barrel and finding recruiting to be tough.