ARmy Rumour SErvice

The problem, IMOHO, is not with the RTC instructors, and here is where I alienate myself from all the guest instructors, is that the standard of instruction isnt always the same as at the RTCs but mainly that instructors are not used to dealing with recruits and what you can and cant do.


Dons Mk6 and waits incoming

FFBox, please see your PMs

now, im informed that since the wm challenge is new; standards are not as high, and although i would be a trained infantryman faster via this route i might not end up at the same standard as i would doing the normal route.

You were informed wrong. Certainly at least one TA CO involved wanted a lot of weeding out done, as he wanted troops ready and prepared and committed to go operational in due course.

Training is continuous. You may pass Phase 2, but then you build on that.

Seems to be the general concensus from the instructors and squaddies I've discussed this with.

Were any of these instructors or squaddies actually on Midlands Challenge?

The CIC part was being overseen as I remember, by Regular CIC instructors, they were happy with what they saw.

There are certainly instructors who were present at MC who use Arrse , and they didn't give the candidates a particularly easy ride, certainly not from the parts I saw. How much phys can you do in a day, how much sleep can you do without? They were worked hard especially in the Swynnerton/SENTA phase.

Most of the people unsuited to were weeded out during MC. The remainder who had given up 4 weeks of their Summer, looked proud and pleased to have stuck it all the way, as they should have been.

I'll post this thread to one of the PC's who was on the ground instructing, he may wish to dispel any notions you have that the instruction or indeed MC was under par.

Footnote...
There are some 30+ individuals who decided to go FTRS after Midlands Challenge 07 , a large chunk of them had not even been in the Army before March 2007.

Get on the Challenge and see for yourself, rather than listen to Wiwi crap in the bar.

If you can get the time off and can get on one of these beauties do it, I would say the training is better as its constant and there is less skill fade from the weekends, the only way the w/es would be better is the inbetween training on the drill nights, but that really is up to your unit.

Training done in double quick time, adventure training and a car licence as opposed to 6 months rocking up to your RTC, having your kit checked and spending half your time waiting for everyone else to turn up, I know what I would choose





Actually I chose 20 odd weeks in depot, but thats another story

Speaking as someone involved with the particular event, i'll put my two pence in.

Its a great idea for who its directed at, i.e. unemployed and students, for normal recruits (full time work or a family) not that suitable.

Correct the 5 weeks constant training is good, the skill and knowledge are drummed into you without a week or two gap between the next training weekend.

Standards are the same as normal training, there are levels that have to be met and majority of the time were adhered to (tongue in cheek).

A big thing with this is that you really need to do some pre training, unlike the normal route where you can train in your own time to bring up your fitness level, your straight in to it until end of week 5 when you pass out.

CIC personally i don't think its a good thing for the TA to do this part, we need the exposure to the Regular training teams, talking from experience just the trip up to Catterick was a scary thing, being based in Swynnerton for 5 weeks doesn't really have the same feel to it.

Going back to something I said above, the standards were high most of the time, Chaff was cut, if you failed fitness test (RRR) or medical then you handed your kit in a was returned home, not sure what happened to the biffs, if they reapplied after getting fitter not sure?

But guys got on to the Phase 2 part that could not pass a WHT, almost failed a RRR and struggled like hell on the initial Loaded speed march, but when it came to binning them we were told could they either do a different job in the regiment or be brought up to the level with further training, Catterick would have simply RTU'd them no question.

The standards were assessed by Catterick to the extent where one platoon was closed down due to the crap instructing the guys were getting, but they were happy that the syllabus provided was being followed.

Speak to the lads on it for the best idea on what they thought.

is anyone on here taking part in the nesscliff summer challenge thing?
are there any places left?
my sergeant is currently making enquiries as to wether i can get on it, he says theres probably a selection day/weekend to get a place on it at the start of june. anybody know if this is correct?