To ask what's it like when you first join the Royal Navy?

[incognitomum]

Ds2 is joining. He's passed everything and just waiting now.

I know it's going to be very tough. Especially the first few weeks. I was wondering if there's much for them to do? He enjoys playing pool darts ect is there a sports room? Or is it all work sleep and eat?

I think I'll feel better if I have some idea before he goes in. He's not worrying just me

Is he going to HMS Raleigh?

Yes

I joined the raf.
The first 4 weeks was ironing and uniform , fitness , lots of marching and general military drills like the rifle.
Also cleaning of the barracks was every evening and uniform inspections and other inspections like the barracks and your locker was most days.
There is so much to learn in basic training. They literally give you lessons in everything including ironing and polishing your shoes.
He will be knackered and sick of his instructors shouting. They generally shout at everyone though as a group rather than individuals as they like and encourage team work.

Thanks he knows to expect being shouted at. Dh is going to give him some lessons in ironing before he goes. He's much better at ironing than me.

There is info for parents online, they're used to worried parents! Phase 1 is very intensive, lots of teamwork, physical stuff, hard work, but there is also plenty of oversight by their officers who do actually care about their development.

He should be able to call you briefly on a Sunday, if he has permission. Do NOT let him or encourage him to call you or go on social media without permission - he WILL risk being kicked out. A friend's son was kicked out for Facebooking after he'd been told not to.

Thanks for the info AutumnCrow.

Have a look at YouTube, there have been a couple of documentary series about RN training.
Also there's a website for the RN called Rum Ration, might be worth a look.
Good luck to your DS.

Thanks Chinook.

The start of military training is hard. It has to be to change them from civilians into military personnel. Our son went as a schoolboy straight into training. He didn’t have much time for anything except learning, sleep, eat.
He lost about 2 stone and was never fat in the first place.
Use of mobile phones was very restricted.
Food was encouraged, in large quantities.
He learned to live with thirty others in very basic conditions.
He learned to iron, to make beds properly and to shine his boots.
He learned to be exhausted but still find the grit to run another mile in wet clothing. He grew up.
There were times he felt he couldn’t do it or didn’t want to but something stopped him giving up.
His passing out was incredible and a very proud day for him and us.

The other thing we found when one of ours was down there, is that you have young men and young women mixing from such different backgrounds. Some have two very worried parents, some have one parent who cares immensely, some have involved siblings and other relatives ... and some have absolutely no-one. That's why the team matters so much. They become a kind of family for each other, for those intensive weeks.

And yep, they learn to iron and clean!

After my brother joined the armed forces he became a perfectionist ironer, to the point where my mum would pay him to do the family ironing pile when he came home on leave. He loved it, and even ironed this horizontal pleat thing on the back of mine and my mums work blouses to hide the bra strap!

As a PP said, it did him the world of good to mix with others who were different - the number of lads who had joined up because they had no-one and nothing really shocked him, and he brought a couple home with him on weekend leave so that they had somewhere to go. It was a compassionate side of him I’d never really seen before.

My brother is army rather than Navy and joined 21 years ago at just 16. The first few weeks of training are tough -lots to learn, very physically demanding and a tough schedule. It isn't for everyone and there is no shame in changing your mind. My brother completed basic training and I can still remember his passing out parade and what a proud day it was.

21 years on, the army has been a wonderful career for him. He has gained so much confidence, has many wonderful friends, has completed qualifications and travelled the world. He has just been promoted again and I still feel as proud as I did the day he passed out.

Best wishes to your son! I hope he enjoys his experience.

@incognitomum,
No dramas, my pleasure. I think one series was called "Nozzers" & one was called "Royal Navy school".
Also look for a book called "Jackspeak" by Surgeon Commander Rick Jolly. He was a legend in the Falklands, ran a field hospital & later wrote Jackspeak - it's a dictionary of naval slang and terminology.

Thank you everyone. I'll pass the information on.

Get up, make bed, wash, get dressed, get moaned at because your things are untidy and put them back in order, eat, exercise, eat, exercise, wash dry and iron uniform, polish boots with a penny in a duster, eat, mess Hall, bed. Pastoral from CO. Very second you step out of line, there's a ton of bricks on you. Rinse and repeat for 6 weeks then off to specialist training.

That's what I remember from 1992.