He smirked, probably hearing the same self-confidence from many a potential recruit, no doubt all of us unaware of what we were really going to face. All the reading and researching probably didn't give an inkling as to what we would be enduring later. But he accepted my application, so explained the process further.

"First, you'll undergo a Naval Service Recruiting Test. It's a test of your general intelligence, but looking at your scores from school, I think you'll be just fine. As your HSC is equivalent to A-levels, and your marks are... great, to be honest, you may be selected for officer training." I tried not to grin as...