Thursday, March 31, 2005
Army Daze

I've just returned from my annual ICT on Monday and spent the entire Tuesday at home resting.The camp was supposed to end on Tuesday but owing to the fact that those army buggers had us stay back on a Saturday to do live-firing,we were released one day earlier...but even that came with a condition.

The condition was that people who wanted to out-process on Monday evening had to either have obtained silver or above (there's only gold left) at the earlier IPPT held on the 18th or for this subsequent retest,have to at least complete the entire test (that is,no forfeiting of the 2.4km torture).So that meant that I ran my first ever 2.4 in over a year.Ok so it didn't really kill me because I was jogging at an extremely leisurely pace but the temperature was still pretty infernal.And just for your information,I clocked 16:54...stop sniggering,you buggers.

The real "highlight" of the ICT wasn't this of course...so many things happened throughout this ICT that I'd count it as one of the most frustrating and "siong" ones I ever had.First off,before the live-firing FATEP (it's some kind of an examination for artillery units),we had a three day two night exercise...which was the most "siong" exercise we ever had as a reservist unit.Mind you,we were actually allowed back to camp on the first night to bathe and rest.The catch was that we had to draw arms and move out at 3-4 plus in the morning the next day.By the time,we came back to camp,it was close to 12...you do the math.

The FATEP dry exercise that followed was "siong" not in the sense that we had loads and loads of deployment.It was for two other reasons instead.First,our unit is a towed mortar unit...but this time,they simulated heli-borne.This meant that instead of having a tonner tow the mortar to our deployment sites,the men had to manhandle (in layman's term:push) the 2,000,000kg mortar to the deploymnet sites instead.Keep in mind that each mortar is handled by a detachment no more than six in strength...or less,if you had men who deferred from this particular ICT which a large number of men did.There were not enough signallors,storeman,drivers,mortarmen and yes,even officers.That should tell you how bad it was,yeah?

The second reason was the temperature.The second day wasn't that bad but the third day...phuah.It must have been about 36 degrees or something.And we were deployed in areas where there were no shade at all...open ground that left us to the mercy of the sun.And the sun showed no mercy.One after another...the men were struck down by heat exhaustion.It's no laughing matter because I happened to be one of them...but I stand proud that at least I was only the fifth one to be struck down in my company...hahahahah.I'm only the fifth weakest there.

I don't know whether I should bother you guys with details of the story but anyway,I was also deployed to an unfamiliar role.I am usually a HQ signallor assigned to the QM.In other words,I bring food to people,go back to camp and bathe and then go out again to deliver food and so on,so forth.This time,I was assigned to be C Coy Recce Officer's signallor.WAH LAU EH!A recce officer's signallor's job isn't really to mann comms.It is to do measurement taping for deployment and draw local defence maps.It was my first time doing it...I did a decent job...but I wouldn't want to do it again.Let me deliver food anytime.I'm a F&B guy.

It was also the camp where people lost a lot of things.My signallor platoon lost a walkie talkie pouch.An officer got a handphone stolen and still another officer lost...of all things...an army laptop.Wah lau eh...you know how dua zhong such a loss is?We had our bunks as well as our bags searched.And they delayed our out-processing for 3 hours...from 6 to 9.WOOOOH...

The thing nice about going back to the army is that you get to meet old friends again.People getting married,people getting desperate,people getting migraines,people getting best soldier awards.Very interesting.I'd leave it at that.

Happy April Fools' Day!!!