My rendezvous with Air Force Academy
What seemed to be a dream has been a reality....without wasting too much time….. let me begin with my experience…..
It was July 4th when I first left my family and Bangalore for a long stay of 4 months….. Reached Academy on 5th July by 0830hrs (I've stopped 8.30 am stuff, symbolic to my being at the Defence Academy)…. Allotted a cabin F-29 (Fox-Trot-29) I first met the "pop of the Academy" my ACC i.e Academy Cadet Captain….. he just asked my to get on hands…. Within next 10 minutes my hands,shoulders started aching and then was I told that it was the resting position in the academy…..
The next 3 days went around in logistic issues(Clothes,equipments etc. etc.) for us, during which we were standing for the whole day, by night we had sore back and paining legs. The Seniors, were just 6 months senior to us. Now it seemed that they had something to prove. It simply meant screwing the juniors, reason or none, things never mattered.
My day began at 0330 hrs, followed by a quick shave (daily…!!!). Then we used to fall-in in front of ACC's cabin or the Shamiyana for morning muster at 0400 hrs…. biting cold…. to top it all mosquitoes….. it has always been and will always be that as juniors we never stood in any fall-in. It was either "murga" or "on hands" or "Maharaja" and many such poses…. for those wanting eyes of the seniors…. they had done it and so will we….
0545 hrs- Health run for about 4-5 kms, it would then be followed by drill… for a layman it simply means parade and for us it meant drudgery. What else could it be with rifle overhead and running about…. push-ups, going to zero-point for those "up-down" sessions.
0745 hrs we would be let off (officially)… we then had to assemble again in front of ACC's cabin…. He would leave us at 0800 hrs giving us time till 0815 hrs to leave the mess after having a bath, change into a "perfect" uniform and to have our breakfast…. If it was a second after 0815 that we were seen in the mess…. We would "crab-walk" till the cycle stand, and then lift the cycles above our heads and move to the faculty for studies.
We would blissfully sleep during those interesting lectures by the instructors…. Of course this privilege continued only for a month…. Then we were punished in the class for sleeping. Back to mess by 1320 hrs for the next set of punishments followed by lunch. And back to faculty by 1420 hrs. 1630 hrs we would assemble for the games return back by 1800. This would be followed by push-ups in the beginning…. Later higher forms of toughening exercises would follow… till 1900.
15 minutes for bath change into whites, tie and blazer for study period from 1915 to 2015 hrs. Academy Fall-in (again no junior used to be on his legs / standing at this time) Dinner at 2030 then it was all ACTION again till 2155hrs
2200- Lights out… the much awaited time of the day…. When we used to just lie down, and sleep instantly…. Not even having time to think of your family and friends…
I was a part of a "Commando" squadron called BRAR squadron…. And my squadron colour was aptly red. It is a tradition and will always be that BRAR juniors have been the most screwed up cadets in the academy…. How and what I'll tell you later….. We were best in taking "Ragda" (a Hindi slang). First in "Patti-Parade" . Showed best reactions during any from of punishments….. Above all none of us were disgusted. Though we never even smiled in open. We would enjoy life at academy when we were left all alone, in our cabins and with seniors who had the maturity to treat us like friends. I was lucky to have 2 such seniors in the same corridor(flank), who behaved gentleman like…. That doesn't mean that I was excused for any fuck-ups…..!!!!
What has taken a lifetime for me to earn friends in my civil life here, I have done it in just plain 6 months. The amount of squadron spirit we had in us never made us give up our mates for the mistakes they made …. We collectively took punishements however harsh they were…. if it was genuine we forgave them…. if the mistake was knowingly done…. It was his turn for a "Kambal-Parade".
We had a josh type SCC (Squadron Cadet Captain), the attachment he had for the squadron cannot be explained in words…. In the meanwhile, I earned my academy name "Metallica", for I sang those evergreen songs whenever I was asked to… I was such a shy character before….. but here I've danced on stage not once but twice….
Things that I took here for granted were all rules there….. Always wish a senior the time of the day whenever he crosses you. Never wish a senior at his back. Follow proper table etiquettes. Ask for permission before joining the table and before leaving the table (Or rest assured that you'll have food in a different posture…) Move in flights of 6 where ever you moved round in the Academy be it on cycles or on foot. Always pay respect to any officer. Do not stand on one leg, no lethargy to be displayed anywhere. To top it all we were excused from walking… it was doubling for juniors. Since we belonged to the "Commando" type squadron… we were excused from doubling….. we had to sprint anywhere in the mess.
Initially for a month or two we had ACC's "sessions" for 2-3 hours squadron by squadron which would be for "Bajax" (Academy terminology for screwing session.) He was the terror of the Academy but on the whole a gentleman to the core. He always made sure that he would fuck us when it was needed…. and would used to take care when it was needed.
Days passed by and all of us got used to it. We now had reached a stage where punishments had become a part of our lives and as usual I would gel with a group of like squadron mates who used to smile and sing through the turmoil we would go through.
The Academy was divided into 4 Squadrons, Aquino, Brar, Chitnis & Katre. Katre for now are the champion squadron. They for one are our rival squadron. If it's a fight its best between BRAR and KATRE…. The tempo is high and charged up environment is always ensured more than a India-Paki cricket match….
Its competition to the core anywhere and everywhere…. And points gained for every competition determine the champion squadron…. We, were last in the previous term…. We had to come up this time…. Our Squadron Commander for one wanted us to do it…..
Competetions would range from games, Camp Harvard (Only for Juniors) , Athletics, Cross-Country, Drill-competition, Swimming, Manoranjan (Comprising of skit, song and dance), debate, quiz.
I participated in Volleyball and Handball, of which my contribution in Volleyball was significant…to an extent that even after losing matches, I was not touched even though the whole team got fucked royally. We stood 2nd in the 18km cross-country competition for which we ran like horses day after day…. Practicing like psychos… after the competition I can't forget what my SCC told us. He said "….As Juniors you have proved yourselves, you have proved that you are better than us…you have proved yourself better as a course… Your performance has shown it and the academy knows it…"
Athletics we won individual medals, but couldn't get that 1st place. Swimming we stood 3rd. Manoranjan we stood 2nd. I participated in a group dance….for which we practiced for just 2 odd days, when our exams were just about to start the day after the manoranjan competition…. It was really draining, in managing costumes, finding a non-filmi song to sing and one to dance. But we had ppl who could play drums, guitars, synthesizers, good singers and dancers. It simply happened to us. We lost the first place by just 0.5 points. That's the closeness of competition here. Debate we stood third and Quiz we stood first.
Camp Harvard is one part of the training which no junior would ever forget in his life..for this is one psyching event where cadets live in field conditions to put it short in "forward area" conditions.
A lot of things are learnt here like camouflaging, PAD-GD (Passive Air Defence and Ground Defence ) exercises for air-strikes. Fire-alarms, general recall procedures which take place at 0200hrs or so when every one is asleep. We need to assemble in next 30 seconds in full camouflages/dangri's. It is not fathomable that we never removed our DMS shoes or anklets or our FC caps even when we slept. We used to hug our rifles even when we slept… to loose a rifle invites trouble from the GTI (Ground Task Instructors)… if the Guard duties that we were allotted we had officers trying to breach them using the cover of darkness and with the help of ex-NDA cadets…. We had the power to use abusive language and any form of physical measures to counter them… We proved to be a major success. We never let our camp get captured…. Which is a record compared to our senior batches.
The camp had lot of competitions like Tent-pitching, Tent-layout, Bayonet fighting, Cross-country with rifle and haversacks, Obstacle course, Day-route march with josh run, night route march. We were stretched to our limits here, people fainting enroute, where other squadron mates would lift them up…. Run with double haversacks of tired mates….. just because everyone mattered in the final destination countup. We lost by close margins of 3 seconds in obstacle course, 40 seconds in Josh run…. And small fuck-ups in competitions made us come fourth overall at Camp Harvard…. But above all we learnt how everyone mattered, we could go to any extremes for the sake of our mates, we could really do anything for them.
A ten metre dive at the swimming pool was most dreaded…even by swimmers…. I don't know what's the reason even to this day. For me it was just blocking your mind for just a second nothing more… However sissies were taken to task later….by seniors who felt that swimming trophy would be lost because of them…. J
Another thrilling experience was the sortie in HPT-32 aircraft, which was a culmination of our AMF (Air-Mindedness Flight) course. This sortie included aerobatics at a height of 1.2 km. The loop, roll, barrel roll, spins just bound me with awe. Flying inverted and looking at the world was a different kind of experience. It is interesting that to note that none of my squadron mates puked during aerobatics….thanks to "water sessions"… I can't explain what it means neither can you imagine what it is…do mail me if you need further details about it.
To this day all my ego is gone…. I never feel sad or bad about things that happen to me…..I am proud that I have endured it all, all of us had swollen and locked up knees, burnt hands, bruised backs, blood clots on shoulders which we call "Academy stars"….everything makes me proud. No wonder people can lay down lives for the sake of the country….. it's a honour to represent a nation in its defence. Its not a way of life for a person in defence….it is life… and that is what he is proud to do.
There are lots and lots to speak about.... this comprises only 25% of whats happened to myself.... I thought of uploading a few training pics... but I didn't load 2 films properly on to my camera.... so 72 pics just got washed away. I just have only 2 pics....Any way I have video clips of Camp Harvard and Manorajan.... should find a way to upload them.... Any one with any ideas please mail me....
All in all the life in academy was enjoyable….. By the way have I told you the unofficial training motto that we juniors have "If you can't prevent the rape….just spread your legs and enjoy it….."
