Sniper Elite by Rob Maylor

Author:Rob Maylor
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 2010-08-23T04:00:00+00:00

11

Making the Grade

As soon as I got the posting order I applied to do SAS selection. I had a friend in the regiment who was trying everything he could to give me a heads up on what I needed to concentrate on for the best chance of success. But in reality there wasn’t a lot he could do. I began completing the paperwork, stringent medical examinations, written tests and psychological evaluations.

First came ‘barrier testing’ back at Holsworthy, the physical endurance work that gives the training staff a good idea if you have the makings to attempt selection. What worried me was that I’d hurt my knee running around Moleana and it wouldn’t heal. By now I was pretty sure I’d beaten the malaria off and I trained hard for the barrier testing with a mate–RS–who also wanted to join SASR. The barrier was a combined test with 4RAR and, as it turned out, RS did his barrier testing a couple of days before me and he passed with flying colours. In my group of six candidates for SASR only two of us got through. Step one down and dusted!

3RAR was winding down for Christmas leave, and I had my sights firmly set on Perth and selection. I continued a tough training regime I designed for myself interspersed with organising our relocation to Perth, although I did slip over to New Zealand with Lee for one week for a hunting trip.

With George and the girls, I arrived in Perth on a Saturday and our first impressions were good–it seemed clean and quiet. We stayed in a hotel until we could move into a defence house close to Campbell Barracks. Early the next day we went for a walk around the CBD until lunch time then caught a train to Swanbourne and walked to the married patch to check it out. It was very hot and the girls–by now three and four–were getting tired and grumpy, but we gained a good idea of the area, which was close to the beach. When our gear arrived we moved in.

I had a couple of friends from 3RAR who were also posted to 16RWAR including their training warrant officer. When I told them I was doing selection they let me do my own training, which I was very thankful for. In fact, I was only at 16RWAR for five weeks before I started selection.

Selection began on 18 February 2003. I met up with RS and a couple of others from the old battalion and we were transported to a hangar in the training area at Bindoon where we and our kit were thoroughly searched. We didn’t get much sleep that night due to nerves and the bloody snorers, and were woken at 0400 hours to start the 15-kilometre timed pack march to another camp.

During this walk a huge blister developed on my right heel. I was surprised this happened as I had walked a lot of miles wearing the same boots and never had a problem.

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