Medics ready to serve

Saturday the South African Military Health Service (SAMHS) training centre in Lephalale held a graduation parade for the 2013 January intake at the Mogol club sports field. Their five months intensive training to become soldiers have come to an end and now they are ready to join in the working world of the military.
Colonel Willie Nieuwoudt said that 316 recruits all completed their academic course, but not all could finish the physical training, some due to injury. “They are required to come back and finish off what they have left so that they can complete their year,” he said.
“The plan now is that they will be taken to different stations all over the country to study, some will be nurses, medics, data captures and so forth. Recruits together with the SAMHS decide who is suited to go where.”
At the training they are taught basic physical training, how to read a map, carry a gun, perform a drill and navigate. If you are interested in joining the military and you are younger than 24 you must have a matric certificate and be physically healthy, and if you are 26 you must have a post matric qualification, a diploma or a degree and also be physically healthy.
“You have to want to make the military a career, not just a job. You sign away your life and you have to be prepared to die for your country,” said Nieuwoudt.