Thread: RMAS in 5 months too ealry to start running with boots and combats?

Originally Posted by Ratty22

Xoums

Running in boots before you're properly prepared is a virtual guarantee of a deferral of entry resultant upon eg. shin splints or other similar. A quick search will throw up other threads which will tell you the same. When people who know, tell you not to do it, they're offering the results of hard-won experience. Now I know that you've spent money on your new toys, but be advised. Leave them in their box. You know better? You want to chance turning a January entry into May? You choose.

Oh yes, congrats on passing.

Old Rat
Out

Could not agree more.

RMAS will (as all training establishments do) put you through a structured PT programme of training in boots to accustom your body properly - fear not you will be getting thrashed before you know it!

Going out and thrashing yourself in new boots is a pants idea - just walk in them, polish them back up and they will be well broken in by the time you get there.

If you choose to ignore those on this forum please at least place your post in the APTC forum and take the views of the SERVING members in there.

Remember, if the Army wanted you "boot fit" they would test you wearing boots prior to accepting you!

Good Luck

Point taken regarding the boots, I will put my news toys away...

Originally Posted by Switchback

That's an interesting way of looking at it, could you expand a bit? I would have said that it was essentially his account of his time in the army and his experiences therein; quite hard to do that without focusing on himself. I don't think that could be called selfish as such, more the inevitable outcome of such a book. I certainly don't think he ignored the guys on the OMLT team he worked with in Afghanistan or indeed the Afghan soldiers in his book.

If you read 'Sniper One' for example by Dan Mills he doesn't spend a great deal of time explaining how the officers role in the defence of CIMIC house; his book focusses on his platoon and the job he did. That's fair as well I feel.

If you want something which deals with a wider view of the situation you'd be better to look somewhere like Richard Holmes 'Dusty Warriors' as he comes to the situation from the outside of it and so is able to give a better overview of the whole PWRR battlegroups tour of Iraq, from the perspective of everyone from the CO to the RSM down to the Private soldier, all of whom he spoke to for the book.

I have read "Sniper one", and thoroughly enjoyed it too. Regarding "The junior officers reading club" comment, I would like to retract ithe comment I made about it being selfish. It is indeed meant to be his own subjective experience and as such it does a great job.

I have just bought "Bugles and a tiger" and have only yet read the first chapter. However, the author makes a very interresting comment regarding the "Pathan" tribes that resided (resides?) in the regions between what was at his time India (now Pakistan) and Afghanistan I quote, " The task of disarming the tribes might have cost about twenty thousand lives and taken ten years of all out campaigning"(p17). Pretty accurate call made over 70 years ago.

I thought Hennessey, while undoubtedly a witty, entertaining, honest and informative writer, needs to rein in his style a bit. His prose strikes me as a bit flabby, with long, run-on sentences and unclear construction. You get a sense of the power of his Oxford English degree without any tempering of clarity.

You get issued Goretex boots at RMAS. Fact.

Originally Posted by Major_Clanger

You get issued Goretex boots at RMAS. Fact.

Nice - when did that start? We just got the Gore-Tex socks.

At least before last September for the Winter boots.

You get boots instead of socks now although you can wear your own sealskins (DS dependent). Jan 09 got Goretex boots.

Originally Posted by Major_Clanger

You get boots instead of socks now although you can wear your own sealskins (DS dependent). Jan 09 got Goretex boots.

Does this mean I can finally start mumbling 'Back in my day.....gibber...real commissioning course...mumble..piss'

I hope so!

Originally Posted by Timble

Does this mean I can finally start mumbling 'Back in my day.....gibber...real commissioning course...mumble..piss'

I hope so!

Oh God, don't start that or I'll have to go on about Rowallen Company back in the day (when Pike was the Comdt).

Food for thought ref Goretex boots.

Yes, they are good at keeping you feet dry whilst the water stays below the top of the boot. Once the water goes over the top and into it, they are a bastard to get dry again! LFTT - wear your normal boots as they will dry out far quicker!!!!

Is it just me or are the issue Goretex boots a lot lighter than the cbt Assault Boots?

Most people had the Goretex for spare or used for Battle PT as you were generally soggy for the whole hour anyway!