Week 5 saw our first proper time out in the field. 'Exercise Quick Cover', from the Monday to Wednesday, everything we leaned put into practice including field craft and close quarters battle, in addition to the daily morning inspection of kit, the wet/dry routine, sentry and patrolling. Thursday was all about preparing for the Friday, which was the end of Foundation Training. Of the 60 that had arrived on that first day, one recruit had abandoned training due to injury, two others had handed in their chit and left. But that didn't matter. What mattered on Friday was that it was also Families Day.

My grandparents and Hannah drove all...