₦airaland Forum

KODACK:
Kindly correct your grammar, don't be in a hurry to reply. Calm down.

I don't understand Abit of what you just sent.

Like I told you......you choose to believe what you believe. OYO 4 YOU


wannan mutumin ba ya samun kwakwalwa….

ni dai mamakin me yasa yake tayar da hankali da ni kamar haka.

Ugo4u ka roƙi wannan mutumin ya bar ni....haba

odimbannamdi:
Gentlemen,

Its been a while I commented here. I have been on the sidelines reading the interesting discourse and banters going on since registration began. It is impressive to see that our morale is as high as ever.

In my usual attitude of giving back to Nairaland, the community that has helped me achieve most of my professional/career feats, I want to drop a few nuggets culled from my attendance of the SSC course 44 and course 45 screening exercise.

1. Don’t burn those bridges: With the registration period over, a lot of lobbying is going on at the higher echelon and big men will assure candidates of making the first shortlistment. I repeat, even if your godfather is the COAS, don’t get your hopes overly high. It is not 100% sure for anybody. Go on and pursue the goals of your current career path, while you wait/hope for the best.

Apply for those other jobs, keep being serious with your present employment, write that certification exam, apply for that study program, pick that postgraduate form.

The first shortlistment for 2016 came out the week I was to purchase the Unilag postgraduate form, which happened to be last week the form would be on sale. When I saw my name in the list, I didn’t even bother buying the form anymore as I was so sure of making final list. But alas, I didn’t get in, and I also didn’t make that educational advancement I would have loved as well. I lost out on both ends

2. It is better to be overqualified: This is to our DSSC aspirants, most especially. Get those extra certifications, whether they were requested for or not, and as long as they are relevant to your course. The competition for DSSC is fierce and you need all the leverage that you can get

3. You are a soldier. Zero your mind: Whether you get in via DSSC or SSC, or you are a male or female, you are first a soldier before anything else. Insurgency, violence and terrorism is not stopping anytime soon. Read the news. So zero your mind and be ready for the worst as you embark on this journey

4. Passion is not enough. Is this really your calling?: Everybody attributes their interest in the Army to passion. Even I did. But trust me, it takes more than passion. It also involves it being God’s ultimate plan for you.

As you speak to the God of your realization regarding this journey every morning, appeal to Him to make it come to pass IF it is His perfect will for you. Otherwise, pray that it doesn’t work out and that He gives you the fortitude to move on, for your own sake and those of your loved ones. Apologies if I sound religious or sanctimonious, it just that I learnt a lot on this journey.

Let me indulge us

In 2016, I was evicted for having a flat foot, shortsightedness in my right eye and umbilical hernia. Read details here: https://www.nairaland.com/3319739/nairalanders-experience-army-ssc-course. Obviously, two of these defects are irreparable and a layman (and maybe a spiritual discerning eye) would have dismissed my military ambition based on them. But I thought they were just obstacles that I could surmount. So, in December 2017, under the encouragement of explosiveskull (brother, how have you been?) I went under the knife and repaired my umbilical hernia. I was ready for course 45.

In October or so, in 2018, course 45 form came out and I applied again. This time, I had very senior men strategically stationed to help me pull through. They all gave unflinching assurances of assistance. There were all indications that I was going to get in. You guys needed to see me at the airport, about to embark on the journey from Lagos to Abuja. My morale was roof-breaking. Signing was done at MS office, Abuja. Soldiers just dey pay me compliments as they thought I was a young officer, with my well-shaved face. From Abuja, I took off to NDA to report with very high morale!!

Barely 3 days into the screening exercise, on the night of the day we wrote our exam at Command Secondary School, NDA, I encountered a mysterious catastrophe.

We were on the parade ground, in the bone-chilling cold till around 11pm or so when we began filing up according to our states to go back to our hostels. Sergeant Dauda then ordered us to look around and pick up any dirt on the parade ground and dispose it off. Being from Abia state, Adamawa happened to be closest to us. A candidate from Adamawa state then picked up a PET bottle, and in a bid to dispose it off, he flung it towards me and it went straight into my left eye – my good eye.

The force was so much that I lost vision in the eye immediately. My life replayed before me in split seconds and I saw my loving family and fiancée, and colleagues at the office. I wondered how I was going to face them back home with one eye. I screamed and began begging them to take me to MRS, but the soldiers refused that an officer must sign for me to go for treatment. Sgt. Dauda thought I was pranking. He even gave me a dirty slap across my face for shouting, but when light was shone on the eye and saw it, he shouted. Two of my good friends had to hold me by the hand and led me back to the hostel as I am severely short-sighted in my right eye. I refused to look in the mirror at the hostel coz I knew the sight would haunt me forever. But people who saw the eye said my eyeball rescinded and my conjunctiva was blood red and sunken

That night, I couldn’t sleep. I wept like a baby. The Army dream didn’t matter to me anymore. I just wanted my vision back.

It was until the next morning I began to see little flickers of light. But I had now become acutely short-sighted in the affected eye because of what I later discovered to be an inflammation of my optic nerve due to the blunt trauma I suffered, plus my pupil was severely dilated that I was very photo-sensitive. My friend had to give me his sun-shades to protect the eye from light. I was in excruciating pain. For those of us who began course 45 screening from day 1, you will remember a big guy that wore dark shades the morning we began medicals. That was me.

So that morning we began medical screening and we were taken to Afaka in that long bus. Godfather was on ground to waive my flatfoot and blood pressure (which had now developed because of the incident). But they gave me some drugs for my eye and directed me to return the next day so that they will conduct screening on both eyes

The next morning, there was little to no improvement in the eye, plus I was now feeling very sick because of the pain I was passing through. I just couldn’t go on with exercise anymore. I needed to treat my eye before I lose it completely. So I dropped a note for the board that morning, carried my kaya and left NDA by 5am. I first went to National eye centre or so at NDA bypass, from there I returned to Lagos. Senior men are still angry with me, that I am a runaway cadet…lol.

I suffered that period and spent a lot of money treating the eye. The eye has improved, but it is a little smaller than the other one now; the pupil is still dilated, and I have to wear sunglasses when the sun is scorching and I occasionally see flashes of light from the corner of my eye. The eye consultant said I could be at risk of retinal detachment, but I pray it doesn’t deteriorate to that level. Amen.

In retrospect now, I think the Military wasn’t my calling at all. I was just being desperate, under the guise of passion, even though I was not doing badly in my civilian life. God placed those physical impediments (flatfoot and shortsightedness) to deter me from the career path, but I was very hellbent so He let that very mysterious incident happen to me. The question I kept asking myself was

- Why didnt that bottle hit me on the chin or forehead or nose or just somewhere else? It went straaaaaight into my eye. My eyelid wasn’t scratched one bit. Just straight in my eye
- Why did that incident happen a night to medical and not the next day so that I would at least do my eye test and move on?
- Why didn’t the bottle hit me in my already weak eye (right eye) so that the eye test would be done on the good eye and it will be assumed that I am shortsighted in my right eye because of the trauma?

Many many questions rampaging in my mind! But I suspect that if that incident hadn’t happen, I would have encountered a worse one during training and maybe on the job itself.

Before now, I doubt I ever pursued an ambition as resolutely as I pursued the Army ambition. I was not even up to the minimum age when i applied in 2016. For 5years of my life, I lived, breathed, dreamt the dream. I don’t exactly have regrets, I just feel sad that it ended the way it did.

In all, I have come to appreciate my life more.

Again, I apologize if I scared anyone. That wasn’t the intent of this tip. The aim is for you to do a lot of soul-searching as you embark on this journey

5. Move on. It is not the end of the world for you: In the next couple of weeks and months, the Army shortlistment will shatter a lot of hearts. The heartbreak will be worse than the one your first girl/boyfriend gave you, especially if you reached the final stage of the interview with high hopes but did not make final shortlistment. But try to move on, It is not the end of the world. Better things await you.

Finally, as I drop my pen, I want to render a heartfelt appreciation to Ugo4u. The benevolence of this young man transcends beyond the posts he makes here. His nature is just kind-hearted. I was stressed when I got into Kaduna, and he harboured me for a few hours. That evening, we even went to town to photocopy my documents before I entered NDA. Bro, I saw the sparkle in your eyes as you bade me farewell just when I boarded that bus to NDA. How you wished I got in. I apologize for not living up to your expectations, bro. The higher powers didn’t want me to. Please relay my regards to mumsy.

PS: I didn’t apply for course 46. The Army dream is now dead and buried. We have dreamt new dreams and we are now chasing them. For as many that applied, I wish you what I would have wished myself. For those who will eventually get in, I earnest pray that God preserves your life as you navigate through the uncertainties of this career.

Amen.

Damfostopper:
Nawaooooooo....... Local man is flabbergasted........ The only thing killing the soldiers is that it has been compromised...... Other than that even the 1972 AKs still dey blow person head comot....

Winning a war when the inside has been sold out is hard...... You only try to survive against all odds....... Afterall people are there who are still up and kicking..... If you can't beat them.... Crave out ur own survival method..... When the 5years is out you will be posted out of there to another place ......

But I keep wondering why those light army hilux are still in patrol in Red zone areas in Borno..... When we have armoured vehicles being assembled by Pro Force..... But Las Las those jihadist d snatch everything...... Armoured vest nko...,,,,,,,, Maybe it's because of the heat but the extra weight of the vest....army officers no just send the vest.....



Anyways.... I decided to start jogging today........after my pop in March... I had stopped jogging............

My experience today was funny..... Was expecting to complete my 3.2km less than 30minutes like before...... But I ran out of gas at 1.5km....i was even seeing stars sef and one yeye shit come dey hold me...... Chai.... I come take break siddon reason my life for like 15mins...... After regaining strength I come begin run again...... Las las na 40minutes I use finish am........ I don slack..... Maybe na because I had stop for so long........

Well na to keep practicing till am closer to the required time.....

The funny thing be say.... As I come back the shit no come worry me again until this evening

ugo4u:
First of all you have no business being in this thread in the first place if you ain't an aspirant, and secondly you didnt ask any questions rather you already concluded that I'm supporting the dearth of modern fighting equipments in the army, which is totally false. Some people on this same thread know how vigorously I do campaign/solicit on other military thread for the authorities to see to the modernization of our military equipment-wise.
The fact that I said some people are ready to join even if it means them fighting with a cutlass doesn't suggest or mean that is what they will be going into battle with, any discerning mind will understand my drift, when I only meant that people that go into the NA with such mentality won't find anything they encounter in the army strange because they are psychologically prepared for the task ahead not the hoards of lily livered sissies that only want to join the military to intimidate civilians and helpless citizens, the military as an institution is far above that and is reserved for the most noble men.

olawaleseun:
Making reference to last year SSC/DSSC recruitment, the application portal closed in the 11th of November and the Shortlist Was released January 28

KODACK:
You dey beef me for jhennie matter.

I give her to you....and I give you my blessings..... I no want quarrel with you. Biko.

Take her, i dash you

shobroy10:
When jogging never open ur mouth, never run and try as much as possible to complement ur speed with relief or terrain. Let ur target be ur push.

iamawara:
Prospect048 gud morning boss, please can we discuss this here?

ugo4u:
And to those making noise about obsolete weapons is it not some of the so called obsolete "vehicles/equipment" Bokoharam stole from the military during raids/ambushes that they're also using to attack?
when cowards find their way into the military even if they're trained and equipped with the most modern weapon like the US Navy SEALs they will always find one reason or the other to runaway from battle.

Prospect048:
there is no any issue, wanted to have a private discussion with u thinking we are from same state nii and it seems u attended last screening... But never mind boss, we will gather meet for Ib by God grace

durella32:
bro..the best form of breathing when running is through the mouth and nose..more oxygen, more gas.. mind you am a marathon runner bro

Jhennie:
Una no well.. Na me una dey pass like ball? if i catch you, na frog-jump una go do

sikowitz17:
please tell them ooo..I just see people say many things here and I will be wondering... Breathing slightly through the mouth actually helps circulate more oxygen and keeps you running...
I run 3.2 every morning and I breath through my mouth and I'm fine with it...mind you, this doesnt hinder me one bit..the image was from this morning... I even shaved off 10 seconds from Sundays own.

Jhennie:
Hahahahahahaha... and in the end, You with 2.1 or 1st class will not be shortlisted..

Obere nsi!!!!

Jhennie:
Hahahahahahaha... and in the end, You with 2.1 or 1st class will not be shortlisted..

Obere nsi!!!!

Jhennie:
Hahahahahahaha... and in the end, You with 2.1 or 1st class will not be shortlisted..

Obere nsi!!!!

durella32:
people wan join army but them know fit chop human being meat.. my dream na to use person ear or nose do dog tag...imagine killing a captured terrorist with your teeth... devour the oesophagus..then proceed to other parts...i pray God grants me my dream

KODACK:
The painful part is they will invite the whole youths in Nigeria for the test and won't mark the test.

I applied two years ago......and while writing the test, they will be telling you to your face that y'all are just wasting your time say them don pick the chosen ones already.


I have never heard a testimony of a nairalander getting into the navy without a strong gFada

Ada05:
them dey mark am oh seriously

Ada05:
them dey mark am oh seriously

KODACK:
The painful part is they will invite the whole youths in Nigeria for the test and won't mark the test.

I applied two years ago......and while writing the test, they will be telling you to your face that y'all are just wasting your time say them don pick the chosen ones already.


I have never heard a testimony of a nairalander getting into the navy without a strong gFada

Dammysmart:
Please justify how 10,000+ script was marked within 3days last year to release list of shortlisted candidates just 4days after test. I'd be glad to have your input sir!

KODACK:
God bless you for this accurate and exact question.