At 23:00, it was lights out. We slept in the sleeping bags that are part of our equipment kit. Those were placed on the kit air mattresses which themselves lay right on the armoury floor. The vast majority of us didn't get good sleep that night. It's hard to sleep in such an odd place as an armoury especially when surrounded by 36 other people and when an extremely noisy heating system kicks in and out every five minutes. All nights, two recruits must stay awake to perform "fire picket" duty (that is, to keep watch). The recruits are relieved by two others every hour. This isn't too bad if you get the first or last shift, but totally disrupts your night otherwise.
Saturday, we were given an extra half hour of sleep and got up only at 5:30. We had a morning inspection to make sure we were properly shaved, groomed and dressed, and that our kit was in order. Given that we only have two showers for 36 guys (the single female recruit gets a bathroom to herself), I just skipped my shower that morning - as many did for that matter. After the inspection, we were told to wash our hands and to line up for breakfast. Before getting breakfast, we had to do five chin-ups. For the vast majority, that was nothing. But for some it was clearly a challenge. For them, basic training will be hard and long (if they make it through). Breakfast was pretty hefty and was served by the training staff. When it was my time, I was asked whether I wanted pancake or French toast. I said "French toast" but the master corporal gave me a pancake. When he was giving me the pancake, I thought he was making a mistake and I repeated "French toast". He didn't change a thing, just smiled and said "Here's your French toast". I wonder if the reason he purposefully gave me the pancake was just to randomly screw with me or whether it's because I only said "French toast" instead of "French toast, master corporal".
After breakfast, we had classes on the rights, obligations and objectives of military personnel in Canada; on the rank structure and on what to do in case of fire. Those falling asleep were instructed to follow the classes while standing at the back. We were also introduced to the notion of rotating section and course seniors, who are recruits with increased responsibilities with regards to the flow of activities of the course candidates. Lunch was again very generous. The portions given are always bigger than what I generally eat. However, I haven't taken the chance not to eat my whole plates so far. Despite that, I have always had dessert because there are so many options to choose from and I have a sweet tooth. We were also told that if we left an empty juice container at the drinks table, it would be 100 push-ups. After lunch, we practiced drill. I now know what part of basic training I like the least. After dinner, we were each issued a C7 rifle (a variation of the M16) and were told to memorize its serial number and never let it get out of arm's reach. All recruits had one-on-one meetings with their section commanders or second in commands to discuss the contents of the autobiographies and exchange feedback. After the lights were out, I went to shave (so as not to have to do it at the same time as everybody else in the morning) and then managed to find a thermostat that controls half of the heating system in the armoury. However, with one half shut down, the other half was still more than enough to be disturbing. Undisturbed, though, was the guy sleeping right next to me. He was snoring, which only compounded my personal difficulty to fall asleep.
At 5:00 on Sunday, it was time to wake up. We put on PT clothing. I had a t-shirt and sweat pants on. Others had similar outfits or were wearing shorts. Then, when we were told we would start PT with a run outside, I understood we wouldn't get the chance to put more clothes on before doing so. It was the first time I ever ran a few kilometers in a 3 or 4 degrees environment. At first, it goes without saying that it was chilly. After a while, the running itself gave me enough heat to tolerate the cold better. Still, next time, I'll put gloves in my sweat pants' pockets and will wear something with long sleeves rather than a t-shirt for PT. Back from the run, we did as many push-ups as we could in two minutes, then as many sits-up as we could in two minutes and then planked for as long as we could. This was to assess our fitness and, I'm guessing, to use as personal benchmarks for future comparison. After PT, we were ordered to take a shower, shave, dress and be ready for breakfast. We were given 30 minutes to do so. There are only two showers. We are 36 guys. Needless to say, this was a massive dose of unsought "intimacy". Also, with so many people taking showers, the hot water ran out. Even if you had all the time in the world to shower, you wouldn't want to take it. At breakfast, there was a choice of pancake and waffle. I wanted a waffle. But I wasn't asked for my preference and was given pancake again. With rifles assigned to us, meals are different. Every time there is a meal, we all line up our weapons in one area and two recruits are posted as weapons sentries to watch over them. Two relief sentries are chosen and eat before everyone else. As soon as they finish, they go replace the first sentries who can now go eat.
After breakfast, my favorite part of the weekend came around. We had training on the C7 rifle: its specifications, how to handle it, how to ensure it contains no bullets, how to disassemble it, how to re-assemble it, and how to ensure it is in working order. After that, we had to clean the bathroom and do drill again. Finally, we cleared and cleaned the armoury (so that it can be used by its unit during the week) before being dismissed until the following weekend. The first weekend was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Then again, the instructors did tell us they were trying to assess whether being relatively permissive and lenient on the first weekend would lead to better outcomes in the future weekends, when they will turn up the heat. After leaving the armoury, I felt free like a prisoner would feel when being released from jail. Walking back home, the next thing I noticed is how many (beautiful) women there are in "the real world".
These are the main points of the weekend's schedule. However, a big part of what made the weekend special was the interaction with the people. First, there is the staff. They obviously are there to instruct you and give you a harsh time. I am happy that my section's staff is focused more on instructing than on giving us a hard time. Some instructors are tougher than others and we get flak for an increasing amount of reasons from most of them. Meals are nice occasions to socialize with fellow recruits. I can see myself becoming friends with many of them. Going to the bathroom can also present a social aspect. We are 36 guys and there is only a single toilet bowl. Once I went in the bathroom to pee and this guy was taking a dump and being very loud and vocal about it. Others in the bathroom peeing or brushing their teeth had various reactions. The whole thing felt like a sociology experiment. One guy said "Dégeulasse!", which is French for "Disgusting!". Originally being from Montreal, I talked to him in French. I didn't expect to meet another guy from Quebec in my basic training. He's the only one I know in Vancouver. Our whole group is blessed by the presence of a man who already served in the Canadian Forces decades ago. He decided to come back and has to do basic training again because his former training lapsed. He's a treasure trove of helpful hints and indications on what to do to smoothly perform during training and beyond. Another person who stands out is the only female recruit. I'm afraid she doesn't stand out for the right reasons. She's in her mid-forties and was way behind everybody else in the morning run. She's training to be an officer but doesn't seem to have the combination of energy, motivation, stamina, knowledge and leadership to fulfill that role properly.
Of course, the closest relationships are those with members of one's own section. The guys in my section are pretty much all decent. Most are actually pretty cool and would/will surely make great friends outside training. We are nine in my section. If I said pretty much all are decent, it's because one isn't. He's the class' "Gomer Pyle". He can't dress properly no matter how many times he gets his appearance flagged and no matter how much the section tries to help him. Despite the instructors repeating many times for him, he cannot strip/re-assemble his C7 rifle properly. He's often missing or late when his presence is required and seems to be overwhelmed and lacking in motivation. On the second night, before falling asleep, he told me he was homesick and missed his mom! (I am not kidding) I doubt he will make it through basic training. In my opinion, the sooner he quits the better. He is currently a liability to the section and the whole class. Also, I absolutely would not feel comfortable with a guy like him carrying weapons or representing the Forces. Still, as long as he's in my section, I'll try to instill some sense into him and limit the drag he brings to the group. That being said, I have to reiterate that the vast majority of the guys in the class seem like capable, hard-working fellows. I even overhead one instructor saying to another that our class was pretty good. So, with some effort, the wrinkles will get ironed out, and this will prove to be an enriching experience.
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