Name: James Elliott
Rank: Midshipman, RNR; 2d Lt, CAP
Spec Ops ID: Jimmy the Chin
Thousand Yard Stare Rating: 904
Quote: "Smithers, get the ray gun."

"Having done an aircrew survival course with the Royal Naval Aircrew Survival School (HMS Sultan), I signed up for the Hawk trip with no preconceptions or a nice warm fuzzy image of survival training.  In a survival situation you would not have the tools that make life in the field comfortable (tents, sleeping bags, etc.); you have to get on with what you have at hand and make do. On the Hawk course we were permitted the luxury of Gucci equipment which does not necessarily aid true survival training. If you really want to see what survival is really like, get into your normal clothes and go and sit in the cold for a couple of days, build shelters and carry out all the other tasks needed to keep you alive (Editor's note: If you can possibly avoid it, don't actually do this!).  Instead I went to the course well aware of what I was getting myself in for and was not surprised at what I found. I was certainly not pushed to my personal physical and mental limits, there simply was not time in a weekend course, the course was moderately demanding, from my own point of view.  Others may have found it harder.  If I could afford the time off work I would be happy to attend the nine day course in July which I feel would push me a lot harder."