Coming out of the civilian closet

[shotdown 8]

Good luck Macelena. If you can make it, then I'll know at least a little fraction of the taxes i pay will be well used

[macelena 1,070]

I wish i could. In Spain, the armor is divided in Cavalry and Mechanized Infantry. Surprisingly, there weren´t vacants for either, only Light Infantry and Sappers. Anyway, if i get into the Marines, i would go for the Tank company, wich operates those. But i would definitely have gone Cavalry. Centauro VCR crewman, however.

 

Indeed, i got a friend who joined a couple of years ago, who finally asked for the Royal Guard, despite i told him Cavalry was the way to go. Now, both him and the Psychologist told me to try for the Guard, wich is most likely where i could end up. But man, i would have loved to be a tanker. Shame we don´t have those cool M41s anymore. 

Edited July 30, 2013 by macelena

[macelena 1,070]

I PASSED THE FIRST PHASE OF THE SELECTION!!!

 

Only 4.500 out of 42.000 applycants did. I´m getting to fight for one of the 1500 vacants on the second. Getting the last exams on Sep 18, people accepted on Oct 11, reporting for basic on Oct 21...Yikes!!

[+CrazyhorseB34 937]

Congratulations! Keep pushing! Go do 50 push ups and go run 5km hard until you think your heart will bust. PT clears the mind and strengthens your resolve!

[macelena 1,070]

You know, the best part is i already did the push ups to celebrate it lol

[+whiteknight06604 934]

Congrats. I just know you will do great in the upcoming challenges.

[macelena 1,070]

The recruitment servers are saturated, but i managed to take a swift look. My quals are good enough to depend on myself, so if i pass the hardest fitness tests, wich i´m sure i will, i´m going to be a Royal Guardsman. If i don´t, i´m going to be systems operator at an AEGIS frigate.  Looking good. Thanks everybody buds :D

[+pcpilot 181]

Please keep us posted Mac. Dying to hear how your doing. By the way, Ive been to Rota where my liberty boat almost ended up on the rocks at the mouth of the harbor. We also saw Palma De Malorca and I remember the Plaza Gomila. And Ive had the pleasure of visiting Malaga. Of course this was 1979 and I was on a Med cruise so don't remember as much as I used to. But Spain was sure a sweet place. The Spanish Navy was very professional and seemed to really like us. Not that Im trying to get you into the Navy or anything...lol.

[macelena 1,070]

Please keep us posted Mac. Dying to hear how your doing. By the way, Ive been to Rota where my liberty boat almost ended up on the rocks at the mouth of the harbor. We also saw Palma De Malorca and I remember the Plaza Gomila. And Ive had the pleasure of visiting Malaga. Of course this was 1979 and I was on a Med cruise so don't remember as much as I used to. But Spain was sure a sweet place. The Spanish Navy was very professional and seemed to really like us. Not that Im trying to get you into the Navy or anything...lol.

 

Thanks for the cheers up. So far, my options are Royal Guard as Air Force trigger puller if i score the max in the Fitness Trials (wich i seem to be about to do) or Navy in "Operations and Systems" in Aegis frigates at Ferrol if i pass with a lower qual. Probably the same as my father served aboard until a couple of years ago.

 

About the 1979 Spanish Navy (and the Air Force, for that matter), for being a conscript and non-Nato force, they were quite hardcore, unlike the Army, wich fortunately has gone quite better. My father hadn´t entered service yet, but my grandad was an old NCO (I think it was what you call Master Chief Petty Officer). He had worked with the USN during the 50s, being stationed on San Diego for months for training and transfer of a minesweeper. He sure as hell loved the place, talks about it often. Consider yourself invited to come back, i´ll introduce him to you if you don´t mind spending hours talking abour Navy, Ethics-Politics, sports and movies.   

 

Rota was short of US seamen for a while, but i think we are getting a DESRON as part of the ABM shield. Indeed, last time i was in Cadiz there was a Wasp class ship hanging around. 

[macelena 1,070]

Alright, it seems i got full-retard this evening. I performed a multi-stage fitness test, wich consists on doing 20 meter runs in the time it takes for a record to beep, getting faster as minutes go by. I had to make a minimun of 6.5 minutes.

 

Long story short: I was doing 32 meter runs instead of 20, so i got myself eliminated at the end of minute 4. Came home all depressed about not being fast enough until i found out. Now i´m depressed because i´m a dumbass.

[macelena 1,070]

I´M FUCKING THRU!!! 

 

Passed all the tests with highest qualifications, going to be a Royal Guard Airman!!!!

[+daddyairplanes 10,253]

Congrats!

[JediMaster 451]

Is the name "Royal Guard" just a holdover from the past or is it a literal description like the RAF/RN? My knowledge of current Spanish gov't is a bit thin.

[macelena 1,070]

The Royal Guard is an interservices unit wich garrisons the royal palaces, provides escort and security, deploys overseas as an elite security force and serves as a representative and honor guard unit of the armed forces as a whole. It includes, besides different service details, three companies, (Marines, Army and Air Force Security)

 

It is the only unit of the armed forces with the "Royal" branding. In fact, opposite to many other countries, despite Spain being a Kingdom, we tend to avoid using "Royal" out of looking British-like. (A healthy traditional rivalry is not bad)

[macelena 1,070]

Well, today it was confirmed,  Air Force, Security&Defence, Royal Guard. Have orders to report for training Monday 21st. I've been told training is going to be harder than other stations of my speciality, but honestly i can´t wait.

 

As a sad note, a would-be air force security mate died today after tripping off a cliff while on patrol guarding a Radar Station in the mountains, a few kilometers away from here. I hope i can live up to him and all others.

Edited October 11, 2013 by macelena

[Peugeot205 2,745]

Spanish armed forces are not going through its best moment, and I still don't know how they manage to have a relatively good forces expending only a 0.6% of the GDP . Anyway, enhorabuena y que tu estancia por esos lares sea exitosa y duradera.

[MigBuster 2,884]

Well, today it was confirmed,  Air Force, Security&Defence, Royal Guard. Have orders to report for training Monday 21st. I've been told training is going to be harder than other stations of my speciality, but honestly i can´t wait.

 

As a sad note, a would-be air force security mate died today after tripping off a cliff while on patrol guarding a Radar Station in the mountains, a few kilometers away from here. I hope i can live up to him and all others.

 

All the best Macelena - hope it goes well.

 

Sorry to hear about your colleague.

[macelena 1,070]

Thanks a lot. Today it was October 12, National Party. Besides the usual parade, the "Escuadrilla" (Company in the Air Force) i´m being sent to was the one to fire the salvo during the "Homage to the Fallen", probably the most important event of the day. For once, mom seemed more proud than concerned, but yesterday´s casualty of another Air Force "defender" the same morning as i told the news creeped her out a bit. "Hi Dad, Mom, i´m back from the MoD office, i´m in, Air Force, Royal Guard" then Dad said "Hi Mac, congrats, you know, one of yours just got killed today, RIP". I still don´t know how to tell her when i do the Paratrooper course.

 

About how we keep up on a low budget, and this is just my own opinion, we use to spend the money on stuff that works. There are many things i wish were better, but i guess that right now, the best way we can defend Spain is to make do with as little as we can need to keep our capabilities, both structurally and operationally. And people works really hard on that, from enlisted to flag officers. I´ve been quite lucky to get a vacant, with the current downsizing, there was one for every 28 candidates. 

[+CrazyhorseB34 937]

Good Luck!

[macelena 1,070]

Back from first week, got a pass. I´m not allowed to post pics nor discuss anything about the job, but so far, i´m loving it. 

[macelena 1,070]

Feeling pretty fucked up now. I injured my leg badly, kept going for a couple of days, and messed it up so bad i´m out of the game now. I´ll be able to reenlist wherever i apply in three months but so far, this is the end of my service in the Air Force and Royal Guard. 

[+whiteknight06604 934]

That is bad news my friend. I hope you heal up fast.

[MigBuster 2,884]

Feeling pretty fucked up now. I injured my leg badly, kept going for a couple of days, and messed it up so bad i´m out of the game now. I´ll be able to reenlist wherever i apply in three months but so far, this is the end of my service in the Air Force and Royal Guard. 

 

You are joking - what happened? is it torn muscles or ligaments?

[macelena 1,070]

Torn muscles, i was too screwed up to stay as it was meant to be kind of a pussyfied hell week and we were in a semi-abandoned training base, so sick bay rules were more strict. I had pushed it too much by that time. Will try again ASAP, anyway.

[MigBuster 2,884]

Ah sorry to hear - well at least nothing has totally ruptured - so hopefully just rest

Edited November 13, 2013 by MigBuster