or beds after each gruelling day. Each year the sequence of what "tests" will be done to get the strongest out of the "wannabees" changes, so it comes as quite a surprise each year. Due to lack of sleep, hunger and extreme physical tasks many of the men give up. After all the above tests, the few remaining soldiers head back to camp where they have to complete an obstacle course called the "Elephant". Some foreign Elite soldiers claimed this to be one of the hardest bone breaking obstacle courses ever. Again, this is a timed exercise, which has to be completed several times, it is also done with full battle kit. Again the instructors are looking for any hesitant students during the high obstacles and underwater swim through a narrow tunnel. At the end of the "Elephant" several more students drop out due to injury or not completing the course in the required time. At this point the course has been completed. However, there is always the 'bad surprise" which has historically become part of the Selection Phase. After a six-month ordeal, the selected few (about 40% of the original intake), make the 12 jumps required to obtain their wings. During this time, the chances of being disqualified are still very high. This phase is followed by some advanced individual training, during which such subjects as advanced driving, demolitions, tactics and patrolling, unarmed combat, survival skills, escape and evasion, aspects of guerrilla warfare, tracking, raiding, counterinsurgency operations, fast rope skills, ambush and anti-ambush techniques and foreign weapons and techniques are covered. Their instructors, however, always find that something is left to be desired with the inspection which invariably follows. To harden their muscles, trainees are made to carry a telegraph pole for two days, at a rate of daily. Back at base, the 'marble', a stone weighing about which the soldier must carry wherever he goes, is used as a substitute for the same purpose. The detailed training programme is listed below: Basic training – 10 weeks Musketry Field Craft Drill Map Reading Buddy Aid Physical Training – Very important Parachute qualification training – 5 weeks Parachute Selection – 2 Weeks (8 hours Physical Training every day for 2 weeks) Running and more with boots Running up to with logs Battle PT with Logs, Concrete Blocks and Rifles Route Marches of with full kit Boxing, Soccer, Wrestling, Rugby with