declan_murphy@hotmail.com wrote:
> B Robson wrote:
>>John W. wrote:
>>>declan_murphy@hotmail.com wrote:
>>>>Michael Cash wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>Anyway, I think he's over the age limit for joining the Army.<snip>
>>>>
>>>>Why is there an age limit for the sepponian military? We get a steady
>>>>stream of physically fit, active 40-something sepponian students
>>>>tromping through Okazaki doing courses here, any of whom would easily
>>>>outperform most of their 20-something lard arse compatriots who
>>>>struggle to pick up anything heavier than a playstation console. If you
>>>>can have F-15 pilots with tits, why the hell can't you have a 60 year
>>>>old REMF?
>>>
>>>I had a friend who went in the US Army in his early thirties; his
>>>instructors were all younger than he was and he set the benchmark for
>>>whatever activity they were doing ('Grandpa did the obstacle course in
>>>X minutes; that's the time to beat.'). I'd personally give my left nut
>>>if they'd let me in.
>>
>>Go out to your garden and stand at attention for 4 hours, then when it's
>>  dark crawl under a bush and stay there all night watching for the
>>enemy to sneek up on you. For breakfast have a survival biscuit with
>>some jam and lukewarm instant coffee. Keep doing this under you decide
>>it's a stupid idea.
> 
> Survival biscuit with some jam and lukewarm instant coffee??? Luxury. I
> dreamed of survival biscuit with some jam and lukewarm instant coffee.
> Actually I mostly dreamed of smuggling a bottle of overproof rum into a
> 16 day exercise in mid-winter, which I managed to do eventually. But
> John shouldn't worry, the seppo army has hot meals and clean water
> helicoptered in 3 times a day. Lets an enemy party know exactly where
> they are, and goes well with the white "aim here" t-shirts.

Having flown for a US Army arctic combat unit, where we got to wear 
white on white and live out on the tundra without tents for two weeks at 
minus 40C in midwinter (not to mention having to keep oil-fired heaters 
burning under our helicopters so the oil wouldn't harden), the 
combination of the terms "Australian Army" and "winter exercises" 
conjures up visions of having to don long pants, roll down the sleeves 
on your fatigue blouse, and button your top two buttons.

But, I do recall seeing in a National Geographic article that you had a 
mountain there that got snow on it part of the year ... it was many 
years ago, mind you ...

CL