'Lo all!
Dunno why I'm really writing this; it's got no real point and has absolutely nothing to do with aviation. Still; I'm in a writing mood, and I was poring over an education thread on this forum that got me thinking a bit; and tomorrow is sort af an anniversary of sorts; so I'd like to write a bit about the hardest course I've ever taken: ISCC - the Infantry Section Commander's Course.
Tomorrow will be my 14th anniversary of graduating from that hellish school.
LOL - I've taken I don't know how many advanced combat courses; from Airborne to Recce to Unarmed Combat Instructor, etc.; for sheer 'hardness' nothing even came close to 'The Course'. Physically, yes - but physical difficulty can be endured.
An ISCC diploma isn't simply the rank qualification; it's also the combat arms equivalent of a teaching certificate - all instructors in the CAF (barring specialized trades, like fighter pilot) are Master Corporals, and all Master Corporals teach.
ISCC is required for a Candian Forces combat-arms soldier (i.e. one that actually does the fighting; not one of the REMF types) to reach the rank of Master Corporal - it's why more than not stay at Corporal for their entire careers as well.
First; it's a recommendation-only course - you can't just sign up for it. You must be recommended by your platoon officer - who's therefore putting his own good name on your success. In other words; those that go to ISCC are those who already demonstrate a high level of ability in leadership, command (two different things), combat skills and teaching. The candidate will be already doing the job of a Master Corporal in all but rank.
This is one of those courses that isn't there to teach you; but rather refine you. You're already expected to know the material before you go; going there is designed to make you understand the material. That's why you generally get a 4-week pre-course before you go.
It's the only combat-arms course I ever took where the instructors didn't insist on sticking to rank structure. No bellowing "YES MASTER CORPORAL!!!" at each question. Much of it was on a first-name basis.
Why?
Easy - we were already there; we had the goods. While students, we were also peers, and besides ISCC doesn't give you the kind of time you need for that BS.
There was no time - ever.
How much do you learn in an 8-week course? Easily as much as a year-long course at a University. People scoff when I say that; until I tell them the schedule:
10 1.5hr. classes daily. Up at 4; first class is 6am. Last class at 10pm. In between, dashing for meals, changing and frantically preparing for tests. 6 days a week. Sundays reserved for frantic studying, kit cleaning, preparation for the next week.
First two weeks were all strictly leadership and instruction training; tests daily. Pass mark 80%.
Third week, things got a bit more difficult. See; ISCC has to teach 3 things: 1) how to teach. 2)how to command. 3)the specific combat skills required for Section leaders.
How do they do that? They combine them, by having the students teach the combat skills to the rest of their fellows.
Before the course; you're given your choice of which skill you want to teach. If you're lucky; you get your choice; a skill you're already familiar with. If not; you'd better start learning in a hurry because they'll assign you one. You are assigned a day in which to teach that class (you might be told as late as the night before; never more than 3 days early though) you must prepare your lesson plan; assemble training materials and write a test for your course. You give the course - an all-day event; it's almost always classroom in the morning and fieldwork in the afternoon - and hand your prepared test to the instructors.
Now for the real nasty part: failing. There are a lot of ways to fail. If you fail even one test; you fail the course. If you don't meet the requisite skill level as determined by the instructors; you fail. And here's the kicker: Every man there earned his way in. There are no slackers, no riders. Each person does his utmost; knowing even one downcheck means failure. So; if a student fails a combat-skills test; it's not simply that he wasn't prepared; it's because the teacher didn't teach well enough. In other words; if someone fails your test, you fail too. (And God help you if you made the test easy. That was my mistake - got hauled out at 10:30 the night before my course (Urban patrol operations) and forced to rewrite it until it satisfied M/Cpl. Rideout. I said earlier that things were slightly on a first-name basis. That didn't make them any less tough.)
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Studying, studying, studying. Running frantically around to other students; asking them to clarify points in their skill-courses. Holding imprompteu classes, same reason. And lastly; getting about 8 hours of really solid sleep - 'cause it's gonna be needed.
And of course just so you know why I laugh when some university kid complains about school being 'too hard'. 
