Cpl Jacqui Marshall's story...

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS/EXPERIENCE:

• So far my career has been great.
• I got posted to RAF Leuchars which is in a good location for doing Adventurous Training after completing the 9 month Basic PTI Course at DCAE Cosford.
• The highlights of the PTI Course were the 2 weeks we spent at the Joint School of Adventurous Training Instructors (Llanwrst), and completing a Static Line Parachute Jump at Weston on the Green.
• Since being posted to RAF Leuchars I have experience Bobsleighing. I did this for the RAF and also had the opportunity to travel with the Great Britain Bobsleigh Team.
• I have also competed for the RAF Cycling Team winning two Inter Service Events, 10 mile and 25-mile Time Trail.
• I am also currently in the process of joining the RAF Mountain Rescue Team.

Day 1 - 1st July 2008

Day one is complete and all the drill we have completed in the past is rapidly coming back to us. The main challenge for us guys coming down from Scotland was the high temperatures and brilliant sunshine blazing down especially whilst we stood to attention getting inspected in our number one’s! Moral is doing good as there is good food on offer and in the evenings there is a wide range of activities for people to do.

Day 2 - 2nd July 2008

Feeling positive after today. The progress we made was good and we could see it all coming together nicely which helped with the motivation.

Day 7 - 7th July 2008

Since my last update things are progressing nicely. We have completed a full run through with the RAF Regiment and band at Innsworth, this helps us understand how it is all going to finally fit together. Today was the first day of our trips to Fairford to rehearse where parade will actually take place. The band was bigger, the parade square was bigger and the rain drops were bigger! We got absolutely drenched! The only reaction was to laugh as freezing cold rain filled up your shoes and created a sheet in front of your face! Luckily we were near the end so proceedings were quickened up and we headed back for cover.

Day 9 - 9th July 2008

Today is a slightly different format to the other days. We are travelling to Fairford at about 1645hrs and completing our last practice run through of the parade during the evening. It was originally going to be a full dressed rehearsal wearing number 1 uniform, but due to the constant rain and bad forecast that is now not the case. We are now in normal working dress so we don’t ruin all the hard kit preparation we have all ready completed.

Day 10 - 10th July 2008

Well we travelled to Fairford last night and were all formed up and ready to go in the rain when we all got told to go back and take shelter in the tents. The evening’s practice had been cancelled due to the bad weather and that meant it was now rescheduled for following morning. The general feeling at the time was just to do it in the rain as we had got used to it, but surprisingly this morning did bring us sunshine! The final practice unfortunately had to be scaled down to a practice at Innsworth but it was the final chance for all to rehearse the order of events for the big parade on Friday!