Physical Privacy

[Mr. Ted]

Have recently entered this board as the DND site has closed down.

Just curious. Previously in reserve infantry, thinking of one day rejoining.

What is the current situation like for physical privacy, i.e. showers, section tents etc.

The reason I ask is between my former short lived military career and now, I have a couple of pretty vicious post operative scars I am somewhat self conscious about. One large one on my abdomen and a couple of puckered ones from G.I. tubes being inserted.

Just curious if there is more/less privacy for a grunt compared to 1990. I‘m assuming it will never change, but have to ask.

Mr. Ted

P.S. Only upside is the scars tend to like quite "bad ***" - looks like someone sliced me open with a bayonet and the G.I. tube marks look like bullet wounds. He he, that‘s me being positive.

 

[Danny]

Always look at the good side of things!!

 

[Da_man]

you mistakened the prison for the army.

seriously, your scaring me... what are G.I. tubes?

 

[Tpr.Orange]

most facilities are a bunch of showers in one room with a curtain...for each one...other then that ... theres not much military privacy...

 

[Pikache]

Some bases have open showers. No stalls or curtains or nothing.

 

[Padraig OCinnead]

In other words, not much has changed since ‘90. Most barracks (4 to a room style) have the stall shower with curtain. the condo style share 1 or 2 per level in a single room.The gyms are the open style. On ex if you are lucky to get the MLBU it‘s open style. Overseas there are stalls, if an established tour otherwise open.

 

[teltech]

Originally posted by Da_man:
[qb] you mistakened the prison for the army.

seriously, your scaring me... what are G.I. tubes? [/qb]

GI - Gastro-Intestinal tubes - for feeding people who cannot eat of drink as opposed to IV - intraveneous feeding through a needle straight into the bloodstream. (I knew watching E.R. had it‘s benefits!

As for privacy, depends on the situation - on course, in garrison, in the field, on ops - what situation were you thinking?

 

[Armymedic]

Depends where you are...But no, it really hasn‘t gotten any better for the men in regards to privacy. Still have open showers, mod tents, and plenty of spacious changerooms. Just tell all the kids it was when you were in the Bos, Sol, or Wand, and they‘ll be truely awestruck.

 

[Mr. Ted]

He he he, figured about as much.

Yes, G.I. tubes are gastrointestinal, in this case for drainage. You wouldn‘t believe the colour of the stuff that slides out of your stomach from one of those things.

And the scar up the abdomen has actually been corrected once, but buddy didn‘t do much of a job on it - still looks bad.

And of course, it would be impossible to avoid the occasional shirts vs skins football game, to be quite realistic.

Either I‘ll get the scar re-done with some new miracle laser procedure, or continue to put off rejoining.

Thanks for the replies,

Mr. Ted

 

[combat_medic]

When I was in Wainwright for my basic and for my leadership course, all the washrooms still had what we call affectionately the "concentration camp" showers. That is, one big room with showerheads attached. There is very little privacy afforded, which can often be unsettling, but eventually you just get used to it.

 

[Mr. Ted]

What about Mudford these days? I assume that‘s where I‘d spend most of my time if I reupped with 4RCR.

What‘s the situation like there? When I was there we were in section tents on concrete pads with a crappy little concentration camp style common shower area adjacent to our course area(FMC DVR WHL)

I shudder to think what kind of comment I‘d get - something along the lines of, "What happened to you buddy? Bayonet drill gone wrong?"

That might get to me after a while and I‘d wanna crack some heads together to make that satisfying coconut sound.

I remember one guy on my course who received quite a few uncomplimentary remarks regarding his ...uhhh...block and tackle and he lost it quite dramatically one day. Crying and screaming and freaking out. Guess that hit him where it hurt. This common shower thing probably has a lot of people worried, for a variety of different reasons.

Mr. Ted

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Why worry what anyone else thinks?

 

[shaunlin41]

Meaford still has the back yard hooch and if you are lucky enough to use the shower in the buildings, they are all open as well. What a f88cking horrible place that was

 

[Mr. Ted]

Well Dorosh nice to know you are completely unaffected by what anyone else says or thinks(he said, sarcastically)

Try walking around with an 18 inch scar up your gut on the beach and see what you think.

And born military, I couldn‘t agree more. Mudford was horrible.

Ted

 

[combat_medic]

Mr Ted: If you have a GI tube scar, then it should be plainly visible if you even took off your shirt. In all the courses I‘ve ever taken, in Edmonton, Borden, Wainwright and elsewhere, I‘ve never had a room to myself, and have had to learned to change in front of others, whether or not you‘re showering with them. People are going to notice any obvious scars, tats, back hair, birthmarks or anything else. It‘s something you‘d be best off to explain right from the get go. Many people have appendectomy scars or other scars from abdominal sugery. It‘s far from uncommon.

Michael Dorosh: If you don‘t understand why guys are sensitive about that, read Freud