Tough time ahead...

I WANNA LEAD A RIGHTEOUS AND FAULTLESS LIFE.

Everywhere i go and whatever i do, I feel I have been mistaken for no putting my best effort and showing lots of commitment.

Stand out, be proud, laugh it all out. :) random.

Training school

Reflections of aBrMmTy

Before enlistment

Having worked in a company doing administrative work, Army to me was just exciting phrase of my life that I was looking forward to simply because I get to meet new people in a totally new environment.

Enlistment Day

It was an exciting time for me as I knew that I would be able to be in a new environment. Coming with my relative was also a memorable experience, departing them at that exact place and taking the oath was another proud moment. I envisaged a change in me, to become a more independent person, one who would finally start to follow rules perfectly, not get uneasy conforming to rules and routine but rather start to humble myself to be submissive in following orders.

First Friend

The first person I got to know is CS. Well, it happened that I saw him every morning in the restroom that I started talking to him. It was also comical to see that he always mixed up my name with one of his platoon mates, hence the confusion. Well, it’s easier to remember names than recognizing the person, especially so when one has to start recognizing 50 other people that you do not know.

Section Mates

I really feel blessed to be commune with a group of fun-loving people who is able to talk and listen to each other freely. I suppose there would be more outings to come.

Platoon Mates

Section 1 is the movie gang, section 2 is the food gang, section 3 is the club gang and section 4 is the jean gang. Somewhat a simple categorization of the make-up of our platoon.

Confinement Week and Book Out Day

It was a hectic week for me as it was also the period of change for me, getting used to the set of rules and routine of the school. Examples were the arrangement of the cupboard, the marching and the preparation to be done every morning. It was also the period when I committed the most mistakes as I was not prepared for the standard procedures of everything. It was rather demoralizing as failing to do them would mean that you get fucked by sergeants. But I was glad of the initial harsh treatment as it has allowed me to be less complacent and more careful.

Field Camp

12km Road March is the most Siong Road March in my opinion. Probably it is due to the heat and humidity at that period of time, so much so you would feel drained and tired with every step. Even being as the pace-setters in the front, I was still struggling to maintain that slow pace and would move slower after that. Without the encouragement of my section mates, it would have indeed become a demoralizing march.

The activities I like in field camp were the fire-movement drills and the Immediate Assault drills. Especially when you are the I/C, it is fun being able to simulate an attack on the enemy. However, there are heavy responsibilities that you are supposed to be carrying out and if there happens to be an IA, the group is unlikely to proceed. It was also the first time I had put on the camo-cream on my face. It felt uneasy at first but I got acclimatized to the feeling. After all, everyone else has camo-cream!

The last unforgettable thing was the stunning of rifle. Either the Sgt’s “pro” at stunning rifle or I’m a heavy sleeper. Can remove my rifle from my buckle some more!

Sit Test

The road-march was manageable after all, probably because we were walking on Tekong Highway. I was in a group which I feel is able to cooperate and work well together even though we were not familiar with each other. I’m also heartened to see the way the group execute their duties so seamlessly as if they had done it many times. I’m also satisfied that I had completed my mission decently and working with my mates was not a problem.

Signing On As a Regular

Going through BMT, there were times when I had dreams of serving the Army, availing myself for the specific vocation that I was interested in. However, after much consideration, I have decided that signing on to the Army as a regular was not my calling after all, probably due to my inclination towards a more flexible environment and my attitude; that is my reluctance to succumb to conformity. I prefer flexibility and less of a routine as one of the things I cannot stand is the orthodoxy of thought and behaviour, hence it swayed my decision in the end.

Rifle Handling

Our batch will be the last to use the M16 rifle. I felt that it is easy to handle after much familiarization. However, the learning came at the expense of much drilling everyday.

Grenade Throw

The highlight of the BMT had to be the Grenade throwing session. It was the most relaxing event I had experience so far, one that I had much fun with.

24km Road-March

It’s comforting to see that my body’s regulating temperature system was working during the match as it seemed that many people started to feel feverish during the march. I’m equally thrilled to see the whole company passed with no fall-outs. Few honourable mentions were the few people who managed to struggle through to the end even when they felt feverish. One thing I learnt is that when you have company to struggle through a difficult task, it is much easier with the tremendous support backing you up.