Limited Service Volunteer (LSV) transcript - part two

Part two

Army personnel: Remember this time...47:17.

LSV participant: Cross country, that was pretty good because I bet most our boys in our platoon. So yeah that’s a big achievement for me.

Army personnel: 47:43 well done miss.

LSV participant: The females shouldn’t be afraid of coming down here. Some probably look at the military and think “I can’t do that”.

Army personnel: Don’t let him beat you...hurry up! Remember your time.

LSV participant: More females should come down here and give it their go and show the boys that it can be done.

- Go Megs...woohoo!

Army personnel: It doesn’t matter whether you’re a staff member or a Limited Service Volunteer, we all participate. You’ll find a lot of the instructors will get involved with the activity that the trainees are doing. It’s good for the trainees to see that we’re not just standing to the side with our arms folded telling them what to do, we need to be in there and we are in there with the trainees doing everything that they’re doing as well.

- Just leadership by example, if they see you doing it then there’s no reason they shouldn’t be doing it as well.

LSV participant: A week ago I was going home but now I’ve changed my mind and thought I’d stick it out. Every day we have different activities and I find it fun, I’m enjoying it. Yeah I have a different attitude now.

- 1..2..3...!!

Army personnel: We encourage competition. But it's competition in a good sense. Still competitive but fun. A pat on the back to the person that you played against at the end of it, it just lets them know that hey you’ve played a good game.

- One of the things about the course is we try to push their boundaries and push the envelope for them.

- Now this is where team work and also like good communication skills come into play.

LSV participant: I reckon we start with that one because of it’s shape...it’s not so easy.

- How are we gonna get all these people through?

- Get into a press up position bro and I’ll wheel barrow you.

Army personnel: It’s really good to see the change. And they change from someone who can be perhaps quite shallow, quite withdrawn, doesn’t really have a lot to say and is perhaps quite nervous.

LSV participant: The way we do it...like around there.

Army personnel: It’s good to see them come out of their shell.

LSV participant: See that’s the rope there...coming around the sides.

Army personnel: And start contributing towards various activities.

LSV participant: There...and then pull it up like that.....nah....no tie a knot.....can we go and try that way?

Army personnel: A lot of them have some very valid ideas and have a lot to contribute. They just don’t realise it because they haven’t been given the opportunity.

LSV participant: Just work together guys, we can do this together.

Army personnel: Constructing the ammo boxes into a pyramid, it’s like a puzzle.

LSV participant: You’re doing good mate.

Army personnel: And it challenges the trainees physically and also mentally as well.

- All the activities are designed to get the trainees to start working together as a team.

LSV participant: We could chuck the plank over and get someone to hold it while one person walks over and then start it from the other side.

- If there’s enough weight on here it should stay up......who’s gonna run across? Yep that’s the way guys, stay there, stay there.....she’s nearly there....yeah, one person over!

Army personnel: We emphasise a lot of the teamwork throughout the course because when they go back out into the workforce, there’s a pretty big chance they’re going to be required to be working within a team environment there.

LSV participant: It’s as far as it can go.

- How will we get all that water out?

LSV participant: Here everything’s in teams. It’s teamwork, helping each other out. Trust and teamwork is a big thing here.

- I fully trust yous know aye.

- That was cool.

- And I’ve developed in both those skills quite well.

- At the end of the day we’re one group, we’re not just individuals.

Army personnel: These are the qualities that they need for when we go on FTX3 which is the main exercise for the course.

FTX3 is just the three days in the field, marching 50km walking with a pack on your back. And it also just encourages teamwork. Working together in a section helping each other out.

LSV participant: The 50km tramp...I thought I couldn’t do it. When I finished I was really proud of myself.

- I really didn’t think I’d be able to push myself that hard but I made it.

- The finish line, it was the most awesomest feeling I’ve ever felt.

Army personnel: A lot of the trainees come here and they have lived off fast foods, basic foods and their health reflects what they’ve been eating. What we try to do here is combine healthy lifestyles with healthy food. The healthy food does have an effect on the trainee’s wellbeing.

LSV participant: The food’s awesome. I only used to have one feed a day but now I’m having three feeds a day...so yeah loving the food. Hopefully I can buff up, put on a bit of weight.

- It’s a good kai.

Army personnel: The staff always eat last. By us standing off and watching and waiting we can redirect them back to the food press and suggest that they start eating some vegetables.

LSV participant: Don’t get caught without vegies.

Army personnel: We run a lot of seminars and the seminars are designed to educate the trainees once they get out into the workforce again. We try and put in a lot of seminars that cover things that matter in life. Family planning, because a lot of them will have young families. First aid, very handy in any walk of life. And drugs and alcohol, what it can do in the future if you continue to abuse those sort of things, is an eye opener for a lot of them as well.

- Benzylpiperizine...what is that stuff used for?

LSV participant: To worm cows.

Army personnel: To worm cows...exactly.

- We show them how to take care of their money. How to like, make sure that their bills are paid. Rent, pay for their accommodation and also do their groceries as well.

- You must learn to stick to a budget, it’s your money, your life and you’ve got to make sure you do the very best with it.

Ends.