Our People in NSW
Daniel Kelly - Nambucca Heads
This February Nambucca Heads’ Daniel Kelly, 18, packed away his red, white and blue League shirt, farewelled his parents Alison and Christopher, and headed of to start a new life.
The former Nambucca Heads High School student is now being tested to the limits at the Army’s recruit training centre at Kapooka near Wagga.
“I have an uncle in the Army and my step-father Gary is an ex-Royal Marine,” said Daniel. “Thanks to them the military was always a career option — and it’s completely different from most jobs.”
All soldiers below the rank of officer do their basic training at Kapooka. It’s an intense eleven weeks including weapon skills, combat first aid, navigating, and platoon level tactics.
The day starts with a bang at 6.00am and ends at 10.00pm. The recruits have 15 minutes to wash, dress and make their beds then, after breakfast, they could have PT, weapons training, pack-marches, and a lot of lectures ranging from Army Law to radios and night vision goggles.
“It was a shock the first week but you quickly get used to it,” said Dan. “Two things have really surprised me — how low the average age is, mostly under 20 — and what good mates I have already made.
“I enjoy the weapon drills so much I’ll probably specialise in the infantry. That means my specialist training will be at Singleton and I’ll be home for weekends.
“All the family are coming to the march-out parade, then it will be home to see my girlfriend Brianna Gray and have that first beer at the V-Wall Tavern.
“But first I have to get through Kapooka.”