Wat is Nasionale Diensplig ?
Nasionale Diensplig moet beskou word as 'n geleentheid vir elke jong Suid-Afrikaner om lewenservaring op te doen, wat nerens anders verkry kan word nie. Dit is ook 'n voorreg om militer opgelei te word om 'n positiewe bydrae tot die beskerming van ons land, Suid Afrika, te lewer.
Waarom is Nasionale Diensplig Nodig ?
Dit is die onbetwisbare voorreg en plig van elke burger om in tyd van nood beskikbaar, en in staat, te wees om sy land te verdedig. Dit is die Weermag se plig om, met die oog op die aard en omvang van die moontlike bedreiging, elke weerbare man op te lei, om sy plek militer te kan volstaan. Slegs hierdeur kan ons 'n parate weermag opbou wat as 'n afskrikmiddel in vredestyd kan dien en wat, indien 'n werklike aanslag op ons land gemaak word, behoorlik rekenskap van homself kan gee.
The Beginning/Die Begin.
One has probably come across the above words in many pro-Army books and magazines. You realise your time has come nearer, and soon you will be joining thousands of other young men, for two years National Service. Your friends fortunate enough to have completed their two years, sketch the most unimpressive pictures from their recent experience. Stories abound, such as : "You'll probably get this over-weight sergeant-major, who enjoys watching guys push Buffel tyres all day long." , "The corporal has fun messing up your almost perfect inspection, and expects it to be ready in minutes.", and "Boy, do not even try to GYPO or you will ....... ". Listening to them describing their experiences one realizes that if they lived through the Holocaust, then you will make it too. Two years is a long time, but if one has to go, then you go ! !
Die eerste kennismaking met enige Weermag dokumente, vir die meeste van ons, was in 1984. 'n Groot bruin "AMPTELIK" koevert het in die posbus beland. Geadresseer aan : JOU. Versigtig is die koevert oopgemaak en na die inhoud daarvan gekyk. Onmiddelik was daar 'n verandering op die gesig en die oe het so groot soos pierings geword.
The instructions were for the elite unit : Personnel Services School (aka P.D. Skool) in Voortrekkerhoogte, for a period of two years commencing July 1985. The call-up instructions were then put away and everyone enjoyed the last few months left of Civvy Street. Towards D-Day a person became more aware of the fact that soon he would be leaving home. The news programme on television a few days before announced that over 20 000 recruits would be clearing out soon, and the newspapers displayed pictures of recruits throwing their berets into the air the day of their clearing-out parade.
Selfs die radio stasies het saam gespeel. "Hierdie plaat word vir Boetie Bester van 7 SAI op Phalaborwa gespeel, wat eersdags uitklaar." 'n Paar minute later besluit die omroeper om 'n plaat te speel vir die manne wat "eersdags" inklaar. Sy keuse is toe, "You're in the Army now !".
By die huis is ma en suster besig om verskillende lekkernye te bak, omdat ma weet dat die 'army' se kos sleg is. Boetie kan nie wag dat ouboet weg gaan nie. Hy wag al maande om in sy kamer in te trek om met ouboet se 'HiFi' te speel. Pa, na die slegte gedrag van die matriek afskeid partytjie, hoop die 'army' sal 'n man van sy seun maak.
That morning in July comes, and everyone arrives at the various departure points. The first thing one notices, is that you are not the only one to be going to the 'pits'. Soon the train arrives and a bellowing voice reminds you that you only have ten minutes left before departure. From the compartments' window you hug and kiss everyone who came to see you off, assuring them that you would be back soon.
Finally after hours in the train, it comes to a screeching halt at Voortrekkerhoogte.
Die eerste paar dae - na die inname en nadat jy by 'n peleton ingedeel is - sal jy egter nie maklik vergeet nie. Jy word medies gekeur (by die SAGD Kollege), saam met 'n klomp wildvreemde ouens in 'n slaapkwartier of tent ingeprop en die hele spulletjie is vir jou maar vreemd en anders. By die huis is ma en pa bekommerd, jy verlang na jou meisie of jou vrou, en boonop moet jy na almal se pype dans. As jy egter eers aan jou nuwe omstandighede gewoond geraak en 'n paar vriende gemaak het, vergeet jy sommer gou van die swaarkry.
The stay at Voortrekkerhoogte was unfortunately short-lived. 239 recruits were drawn from the overflow of P.D. Skool, and were now enroute to 3 SAI Potchefstroom. They were soon joined by another contingent of recruits who were also overflow from 7 SAI. This group of recruits would be 3 SAI's first July intake in many years. The company was henceforth to be known as BRAVO Company.
3 SAI Potchefstroom : Basics/Basies.
After the welcoming speech by the 2 IC of the unit, we were redivided into six platoons. Later that afternoon we received all outstanding kit, bedding, etc., and were allocated to various bungalows. The last bit of administration was attended to, and the new platoon sergeant informed us that BASICS would commence on 15 July 1985.
Die daaglikse roetine het om vyfuur die oggend begin en die res van die program het so gelyk :
| 5H00-5H45 | Opstaan, was en skeer |
| 5H45-6H15 | Ontbyt |
| 6H15-6H45 | Maak reg vir Inspeksie |
| 6H45-7H15 | Inspeksie |
| 7H15-7H45 | Administrasie en Siek-rapporteer |
| 7H45-8H00 | Bidparade |
| 8H00-10-00 | Driloefening |
| 10H00-10H20 | Teetyd |
| 10H20-12H00 | Lesings |
| 12H00-12H45 | Middagete |
| 12H45-16H00 | Lesings |
| 16H00-16H45 | Ligaamsoefening |
| 16H45-17H00 | Posparade |
| 17H00-18H00 | Aandete |
| 18H00-21H00 | VTB of Nag-opleiding |
| 21H00-21H15 | Appel |
| 21H15-22H00 | VTB (Vryetydsbesteding) |
| 22H00-22H15 | Stiltetyd |
| 22H15-05H00 | Ligte uit. |
Gedurende basiese opleiding is die troepe op die volgende aspekte opgelei :
The soldier also had to be fit, so as to perform his task effectively. Therefore the SADF had a fitness programme devised which made you fitter as BASICS progressed. At the end of basic training it was expected that each member of the company be able to do the following five exercises in the relevant times :
BASICS, the horror everyone else was talking about, was not such a terrifying experience after all. There were days when one had had enough and felt that AWOL was the only way out. Amazingly, everyone managed to survive. It was natural for a corporal or luitenant to blame or find fault with you and to give you the necessary punishment. It was usually blamed on "nie genoeg samewerking nie". If there is a lack of "esprit de corps", then the men had to sweat and suffer a bit to rebuild the lost team spirit.
The methods used to achieve this much needed team spirit were at times, very unconventional. One soon discovers that to avoid such experiences one does as one is told. Those who err soon discover that their friends do not like their negative attitudes, and in time they change, or their friends "change" them. One lives for the day and one does not give a hoot about what will happen the next day. It is a case of "vasbyt manne, dit kan nie vir ewig aangaan nie".
Ons eerste ouerdag was op 10 Augustus 1985. Die eerste dag wanneer familielede, vriende, en eggenotes die eerste keer die eenheid mag besoek, is vir elke troep net so 'n aangename vooruitsig soos sy eerste naweekpas. Dan span almal op die besoekers park uit. Party gesinne braai vleis, ander hou piekniek, en ander gesels. Gesprekke soos : "My aarde, leef jy nog?" en "Kyk net na die hare!" word orals in die park gehoor. Maar die besoekersdag is gou verby en skielik vind jy jouself terug in die daaglikse roetine.
Dit is op sulke dae dat jy ver van jou ma, en nog verder van jou meisie af voel - wanneer die sersant-majoor se gebulder erger as donderweer klink en inspeksie en ligaamsoefeninge jou lewe versuur. Maar dit is ook tyd wanneer jy leer wat spangees, samewerking, en dissipline is; wanneer jy selfbeheersing en verdraagsaamheid aanleer, en aan die einde van drie maande besef dat dit amper die lekkerste tyd in jou lewe was !
BASICS was over by 4 October 1985 when we spent the day at the stadium practising the parade. The next day parents, friends, wives, and girlfriends gathered early in the stands. Soon, to the beat of the military band and precisioned marching, we were paraded in front of them. The marching must have been excellent according to the continuous applause from the stands. One was happy to know that it had all come to an end. BRAVO Company could be proud of its performance over the past three months. No other previous company at 3 SAI could boast about its results. The company received the following outstanding percentages for the following sections of training :
URBAN COIN.
After another weekend pass we returned to base and started training in the various methods of URBAN COIN.
Gedurende hierdie fase van opleiding het ons die volgende aspekte behandel en prakties geoefen.
URBAN COIN training lasted three weeks. The training was intensive and included night training. During the last week of training the company was invited by the Potchefstroom Police to give them support during one of their cordon and search operations. The operation needless to say was perfect and we were praised for our performance. The company was fortunate enough to be filmed for the television show "NETWORK" - footage taken during one of our training sessions was used for the programme which discussed the role of urban coin operations.
Met evaluasie het die kompanie weer nuwe rekords gemaak. Die evaluasie uitslae het soos volg gelyk :
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