It follows that physical training and conditioning of those recruited for military service must be the foremost concern of any realm at war. A course in field training must aim to attain the development of a recruit’s physical attributes to their fullest extent possible, not only so that he can fight well, but to instill confidence, so that he will be trusted to carry out his duties under any and all circumstances. I was cautioned by Lieutenant Handelen to keep the exercises interesting for my brother, as he feels Parnard would do better if both his spirit and body were engaged. I think we have been dry-nursing our recruits from the start, but I have taken his suggestion into account, and created a variety of exercises for Parnard: marching uphill in quick time, vaulting over barrels, and running courses around the camp, all while wearing full armour. My brother has not the stamina to bear a shield just yet, and he has not gained the strength necessary to leap over even a single barrel; neither is he fit to be trusted with a weapon in his hand, for he does not understand that the design of this training is not to hazard his own life, but to teach him combat and sword-play. His blood gets hot, and his swings grow ever wider and wilder: he is far more a greater danger to himself and his comrades than to any enemy. So we must begin at the beginning, by first ensuring that he develops discipline and that he is capable of performing his duties with confidence. The sad fact of the matter is that his physical condition and mental perception are not up to the requirements, nor is his education, but I will see that he is made ready for battle.
Some say that short exercises and frequent rests are useful for the deconditioned, but I do not think it so; in fact, the longer the drill, the quicker a recruit will be successful and fit for a place in the company. It is a consternation when Parnard flops down on the ground and begs for a respite - he complains that I am exercising him to the point of exhaustion! He does not know what it is like to feel exhausted. I tell him that he is becoming familiar with the toils and fatigues of war, and he best get accustomed to it; lying in the mud is no way to acquire the knowledge and the skills necessary for battle. Careful, intelligent, and untiring individual training on the part of the officers is the best preparation of the soldier for his duties in war, and I am doing my part; he should uphold his side of the bargain. My brother has required more urging than any other recruit I have ever trained, and often needs reminding that he is embarrassing not only himself, but the family name, by showing such aversion to his field training, which he refers to as a 'weird nightmare,' regardless of my admonitions to stop. I regret that I have had to drag him to his feet in front of the company, but if he will not get up voluntarily, it must be done. It is necessary to drill, drill, drill, and train, train, train, every day, all day. If he had not spent so much of his time in idleness, this would not be such an onerous task for the both of us.
