Yesterday was the day i officially graduated from my Basic Section Leader Course. We had a simple parade & the hilarious part was that when we were about to sing the Sispec song there was a sudden huge downpour and instead of running for shelter we had to continue singing. We were the first batch to experience such luck during our graduation parade haha. Like they always say the show must go on.
After the parade, we slack & sleep as we were waiting for our posting. We waited for so long till we were sick of sleeping haha. After a couple of hours, finally it was our turn to find out what our posting were. Everyone was freaking nervous but excited at the same time as all of us were dying to know which unit we have been posted too. Majority from my platoon got into Civil Engineering, Field Engineering & the most common one which seldom people wanna go is Advance Section Leader Course(ASLC). Some got into Military Intelligence, Signal, PTI course, Armour Infantry, Guards Recce Spec & Military Police. They informed us the minority unit first and i was freaking shock when they said that i got into Military Police! I have been wanting to go there and i can't believe that it came true! It's a rare chance to get posted there as only 2 from each platoon only got the chance to got there. Me and Qinglong who got into MP as well jump and scream like nobody's business haha! But i was sad though as i was hoping that my 2 other friends who went to the MP interview would get into MP as well as we were planning to be in MP together. Oh well it's not our call to make but i wish them the very best in their new unit.
Thank god i finally was able to pass out as i almost had to recourse for another 5 weeks due to my ippt. We been through a lot and i have experience so much. It's not that easy being a specialist. Now we will be separating again. Everyone is going to their new unit. Guess im gonna miss all the fun time we had during training & in the bunk. First we got separated from Quebec & now Charlie. Life still goes on and i wanna thank each and everyone you guys for all the help you have given. I wish all the very best in our new unit! =D
Here are some of the Journal's that i wrote during my spare time in camp: (Part 2)
22/10/2009 (Gypsy)
Today is the day where we finally had our Gypsy navigation in Mandai Jungle. We didn't really know what to expect but hearing from our Encik's, it seems like it's not gonna be easy & it turn out to be true.
When we got there, we were brief & once everthing was settled they deploy us to our first checkpoint. The terrain there was quite alright except for the freaking sharp torns & the muddy grounds. We had problems finding the first checkpoint as we were suppose to find "Moon" but we end up finding OCS "Moon" instead. We tried looking around but we didn't manage to find it so we decided to head back & check with the instructor's. They told us that the checkpoint that we found was wrong so we decided to search for it again. One thing great about our team was that we had a strong fighting spirit. We are not gonna give up that easily.
After walking & searching for hours, finally we found our first checkpoint. The feeling was awesome & our confidence level grew. We head back to report to the instructor's & took a couple of minutes of break.
For the next checkpoint, we didn't had much luck. We stick to the plan that we felt was the best but after walking through tough terrain's we end up getting lost. Everyone was trying to locate where we were but sadly we didn't know where we are right now. So we took a deep breath & discuss on what's our next plan now. After a while we got a message from the signal set informing us to cut the exercise & head back to the endpoint. Before departing, we met up with our other section mates who was in another team. So we set our compass to North & head all the way to the endpoint.
After bashing & walking for quite a long time, we finally reach the endpoint. Even though we didn't manage to complete all the day checkpoint's, i was glad that we put in effort & did the very best that we could.
Soon it was nightfall & it was time for the night checkpoint. I was kinda worried as the daytime was already tough & now imagine doing it in the night when the visibility is low. But i guess we are not gonna give up without putting up a fight first so we continued with what we have planned. It was really hard walking through the vegetation as it was dark. We even had to walk through a difficult log to cross over the swamp & after being able to cross it, we got stuck as we couldn't continue walking as the place is block with with very thick trees and bushes. We reach a dead end so we had no choice but to back track. Damn, now we had to cross the difficult log again & this time i slip & fell with my butt hitting the bloody log. It was hard balancing as my boots were slippery & the signal set that i was carrying was heavy. Thankfully there wasn't any serious injuries haha. So we continued & decided to go with our plan b which is walking along the side of the tracks and head to our checkpoint as ours was pretty near to one of the tracks according to the map. We walk & walk till it was almost time to the exercise cut timing. So we decided to take a few minutes of break & we found this beautiful place to catch a breather. We did some replanning & one of our team mmembers felt that the checkpoint was quite near to the spot where we took a break so we decided to give it a shot. We walk & bash through the vegetation's but sadly we came to a dead end as there was no way we can continue walking due to the thick vegeatation's. So we decided to head back to the end point. It was a long way back & after walking like forever, we finally reached the place & thankfully we didn't got lost.
It was really hard to navigate this time but it was a good experience. We learnt our mistakes & hopefully we will have better luck on the next navigation which is Wanderer where this time it will be at Tekong Island. Hopefully we won't get lost there haha.
Today we had the gas chamber confidence course. We got to experience staying in a room covered with tear gas & we were gear up with the suit & gas mask.
When we first got in, they made us do 5bx inside the room, we did some changing of filter drills & lastly we had to take off the mask. That was when the bad part began. Our whole face has this burning sensation feeling & when they made us open our eyes & say out our NRIC/name that was when it got even worser. The gas got into our throat & it causes us to have this choking feeling & our eyes hurt as well.
Once we were out, everyone tears & mucus came rushing down. After a few minutes the effect began to slowly worn off. It was definetly an experience imagine with only just tear gas, the feeling is pretty unbearable. I guess the actual harmful gases will definetly be more painful & horrible.
After we were done with the exercise, we got our Night's Out:D. Me & some of my section mates decided to head down to Jurong Point to have dinner & catch a movie. We ate at Thai Express & watch "Imagine That". Though the outing was short but i did enjoy myself. Overall it was a good day & thankfully everything went smoothly.
Today we had to navigate again but this time we had to use the map, compass & plan our Navigation Data Sheet. We will be doing in Section level but too bad our section had to split up & join other sections.
In the beginning, the navigating was alright but going up the slopes was kinda hard & the place was surrounded with so many mosquitos. Once we reach our first check point we had to pause as it was raining heavily.
Finally after a long wait the rain had slowered down so we continued on with the navigation. Now the additional problem that we're facing is the wet slippery ground. It was pretty tiring going up & down the slopes & we had to be extra careful. Navigating in the rain is really a hassle but thankfully the section that i was with didn't gave up & did their very best to overcome the challenges that we face.
Finally we reach the end point. We had dinner & waited for nightfall as we had to do the night navigating as well. Night time came & we continued with the navigating. It's really hard to see our surroundings due to the darkness & we had to climb difficult slopes but this time i felt that we improved compared to the day navigation & everyone moral was high. There was teamwork as well & finally we reach the top. Our instructor brought us to a place where there was a breathtaking view.
What a tiring day it has been but it was a experience one can't forget & overall i really enjoyed myself.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Here are some of the Journal's that i wrote during my spare time in camp: (Part 1)
13/10/2009 (Compass Course)
Today we had the Compass Course lesson. First we learned on how to use the pacer. Finally i know on how to use it while ealking. Once we were done, we march to the next location where we will be going inside a jungle & use the compass to find our way to the location's that we were given. Also we will be doing it individually so i guess this a good time to trust our own instinct & built our confidence on navigating.
So first we started with the day navigating. We were given 4 location's to go to. It wasn't that easy as the jungle area is full of high & down slopes so it was pretty tiring climbing up & down. My first attempt on the first station was a failure as i made a mistake so i had to go back & navigate again. Thankfully the second station i got it right:). I finally got a hang of it & learned my mistake. It was fun but tiring at the same time. Once the day training was over, we took a break & ate dinner while waiting for nightfall as we had one more to go which is the night navigating.
This time for night navigating we had to navigate in the dark using the compass. It was pretty tough as it was difficult finding my way due to poor visibility as it was dark & the fogs on my spectacles. I had to be really careful not to walk on holes or fall over slopes. But thankfully i found my way but i drifted my station by 1.
Overall the experience today was fun & i really enjoyed myself. Though it was tiring but being able to find your way in the night is definetly a good feeling:).
Last Monday was our first field camp in Sispec. I remembered my very first field camp during my BMT days where it was really a challenged not only physicaly but mentally as well. But this time we heard from the seniors that it was better than the BMT field camp.
On the first day, it was pretty hectic & rushing as we kept receiving different information on what to bring for the field camp. I guess next time we should be more prepared and organized. After all the madness finallt it's time to move off to the field camp site. Instead of taking the tonner they actually provided a bus to take us there. I guess the welfare here is better than Tekong haha.
Once we got there, we were brief on the stuff that we had to do for the day. Night time was awesome as we get to experience setting up a real live tripflare & seeing it in action.
The first night was bad as we were sleeping cowboy style without any shelter & unlucky for us it was raining heavily in the middle of the night. We had to quickly pack up & rush to the training shelter.
For the rest of the following days, we did a lot of fire movements. There was lots to learn & the most challenging part was the jungle terrain. The bushes were so thick & there was so many sharp torns not to mention the place was full of insects. I felt that it was worser than Tekong jungle. It was really tiring & we were pretty unlucky as it was a rainy season. It kept raining & our area is always wet & muddy. We really had little rest as it was always raining in the middle of the night & we always have to rush back to the training shelter. Our sleep always got distrupted all thanks to the weather but i guess it was a good experience as even though it was tough, i did enjoy myself & it's nice to experience different kind of stuff in life.
Overall this field camp i felt that it was even more tough & tiring compared to Tekong. The terrain was horrible & so is the weather. Pronning in torns, mud's, thick bushes, bashing through tall bushes & sleeping in a wet area is something one wouldn't want to go through but i guess it's good for us though as it made us to be a more better & braver soldier. It make us appreciate life even more and not take things for granted.
Today we had the normal routine such as lecture's & PT exercises. But in the afternoon, we get to experience something new which was shooting of the SAW weapon. Finally we got to use the weapon & experience the feeling of it's recoil & the automatic function. We also learn & got to try aiming using it's so call "scope".
So first was the day shoot. We got to try the 100m & 300m range. Personally i prefer using this weapon as i find it easy to aim. It was really fun experiencing the automatic bullets shooting out more than once. The recoil was good as it wasn't that strong.
After we were done with the day shoot, we took a brak & waited for nightfall as we will be having the night shoot as well. We began quite late as there was a delay & we wasn't fast & efficient so that affected the actual time plan. So once everything was settled, we began the night shoot. The night shoot was a bit different as this time we only need to shoot 50m & 100m. For the 50m we will be using the LAD light & we had to adopt the standing position. The night shoot was pretty tough for me as i had a hard time aiming as i couldn't see the scope due to the darkness. For the 50m's, it was a standing position & taking aim using the LAD light. I didn't even hit a single target as it was hard to control the weapon as the recoil causes the weapon to move.
So once everyone has completed, we went to pick up the RAI's, did our declaration, pack up & we march back to the company line. We had some difficulties in the company line as we had to sent weapons, clean 10 rifles that we borrowed from another company, distribute the night snack's & we had time constraint as it was already late as it was about to reach our light's off timing. So everyone was rushing & thankfully we manage to bath and sleep by 12am. We learned that if everyone do their part, if there is efficiency & teamwork we could have ended even more early. So i guess we still have lot's to learn. But overall it was an enjoyable day & i had a lot of fun shooting using the SAW weapon:).
Today was the first time we had SOC in Sispec. SOC is a lesson which almost everyone hates as it's not that easy to pass. So when we got there, they brief & taught us again on how to clear the station's & the correct method on how to clear it safely. I didn't had problems with the other station except for the rope station as i still have problem clearing it since in BMT. Our Encik observe & gave up tips but i still couldn't clear it. I tried 5-6 times but i still failed. But im not gonna give up & i will definetly try again on the next SOC.
Today we had our first IPPT in Sispec. IPPT is always the event that i hate the most as now we have to at least get silver to be safe from RT on Saturday's. I'm still having problems with my chin-up. So i guess i will be a RT regular=/.
IPPT test was supposed to begin in the morning but due to the heavy rain it was postponed to the evening so we had some other lesson instead. In the afternoon, we had two other test and lecture's. It's about tripflare & claymore mines. We had the theory lesson first and it was kinda tiring as there was quite a lot to memorize. But during the practical lesson, i had a lot of fun setting up the Claymore mine & i finally get the idea on how it works & how to set it up. Once the test was over, we move on to learning on how to set up the Tripflare. I wasn't really confident at first but after practicing it wasn't that difficult afterall.
Once we were done with the test, we rushed back to prepare for IPPT. I was quite disappointed with the result as i couldn't pass my Chin-up. I guess it was my fault for not training during my block leave. But im not gonna give up & do my best for the next test.
After out IPPT, we had to go back to our bunk and change to admin attire. We had to fall in asap for our dinner but everyone was kinda slow so our Sergeant Major gave us our very first "Knock It Down" punishment in Sispec. During dinner we got another scolding as everyone was too noisy. I guess everyone should try to cooperate as even after getting scolded, there are still people talking and making so much noise. I hope that this will be the last as i have a bad feeling that we will get more harsher punishment if this continues=/.
Today was a tiring day as we had to learn 3 new weapons & other devices for the whole day. First was the SAW weapon. We had to learn on loading & unloading of the weapon, stripping and assembling it & IA drills. There will be a test on all of them & we have to do it within the timing that they gave. Thankfully i pass the test & didn't had to redo it.
Next was the Metador weapon. Before that we had to learn on how to use the GPS device & tested on it as well. I made a careless mitake & becasue of that i didn't get any reading from the system. The instructor taught me and i have realised my mistake. It wasn't that difficult afterall. Once we were done, we continued with the Metador lesson. As usual we learn on how to operate the weapon, loading & unloading & what to do when encountering IA.
Finally it was the last lesson which was the M203. I was feeling really tired by then but i tried my best to stay awake & pay attention to the lesson as it was important. Thankfully during the test I didn't made any major mistakes. Overall i had a fun day learning about the 3 different types of weapon.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
(Click To Enlarge)
Some overdue graphics i made last month. Life in Army has been hectic lately. Will update when i have the time on my next book out.
On the 15th-17th September had a bbq chalet with some of my army mates. I came on the second day. Had a great time & got taken advantage of lol!. The most touching part was during the night walk due to some stuff. Overall i had a blast & im definetly gonna miss you guys:).
We got our posting results & surprisingly i got into Sispec considering i failed my IPPT=/. Im kinda worried & scared but hopefully i will be able to go through it. Thanks to my friends for all the encouragement and im just gonna do my best & just go with the flow. Huge congrats to those that got into OCS(Officer Cadet School). It's really cool seeing so many people in our platoon going to OCS & Sispec. Good job guys! All the best to the rest with their new posting & i hope we will make it through:). I really hope things will run smoothly all the way for all of us till we ORD.
Tomorrow is the last day of fasting and Sunday is Hari Raya. Look how time flies. Well i don't really care about Hari Raya anymore but for the sake of my parents & grandma im going to celebrate it haha. Too bad i only get to enjoy on the first day as i have to report to my new posting on Tuesday. Haha im not going to care about Army for now, i just can't wait to eat all my favourite dishes on Hari Raya! Eating lots of fattening food, sweet goodies & soft drinks is definetly gonna make me more unfit haha=/.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Celebrated Farhana's birthday on the 12th Of September 2009. We had dinner at Bugis Seoul Garden as it was the birthday girl favourite place. Me & Ayu decided to throw a special surprise by inviting some of our long lost secondary school mates though some couldn't make it but overall it was still awesome.
First we met at Bugis & i was late as i got held up at home as i had to do some stuff first luckily there was Azfar & Ayu to accompany the birthday girl. Once i was there we walk around at Bugis and halfway through we parted as Miss Ayu a.k.a as Carol on that day haha and Azfar had to do some stuff so me & the birthday girl shop around at Bugis Street & we chatted all the way till we went to some unknown place haha! But the place we went was a beauty so we decided to snap some pics haha. We continued walking & i had a good time chatting & walking around Bugis till both of our legs were tired haha. After that we met up with the 2 again & we parted again haha as we had so much to do. The Seoul Garden kept calling us regarding the tables that we book, the cake has not yet to be collected & the rest were still on their way. It was hard trying to plan with Ayu as the birthday girl was just beside me so end up i had to lie that i need to use the bathroom lol. But after all the madness, we finally manage to resolve the problem & came out with a plan & hell yeah we did it.
It wasn't easy but thankfully we manage to pull it off. We achieve our goal which is to get that shock, red & tears of joy look from the birthday girl haha. To see the video you can check out my facebook video page. Really had a blast as there was full of laughter, joking around and so much fun catching up with one another. Thanks guys for all your help if not confirm me & Ayu won't be able to pull off such a good surprise plan haha.
The dinner was great as we had so much fun. The hilarious part is definetly our old time secondary school joke haha. The place was like ours as we were so noisy & we took so many photos haha. I ate too much till i was freaking bloated but the champion was Miss Ayu as all the guys has already give up & after eating the cake all of us can't put anymore food in our mouth but she's still eating like nobody's business haha. Like what Azfar said don't know her stomach is made of what tank haha!
After dinner, birthday girl had to go so some send her home first while the rest of us headed to Cathay Cineleisure for a movie. Slack around at the parking lot as we were waiting for a parking space & after a while we finally got a spot. Decided to watch the the show "Gamer" but it was at 12am so we slack around and once the rest has arrived we headed to the arcade to kill time while waiting for the movie to start.
Once the movie was over we were thinking where to go next as our princess says that the night was still young haha so after much discussion we decided to slack & eat at East Coast Park but as were driving along they decided to change it to Marina Barrage haha. Ayu & Alan even practice their driving skills at the parking lot haha. So we chill, slack, chat & took a walk. It was nice and relaxing, the breeze was heavenly. Even met my army friend Richard over there as he was with some of his Night Cycling friends. After about 3am plus Chun Onn & Daniel had to go to Clarke Quay so the rest of us were kinda hungry so we decided to go to Jalan Kayu for supper/sahur haha. Ate quite a lot of kosong but the champion was Alan haha as he ate so much haha. After we were done we finally went home. I got home at 5am+ & i crash on my bed with my clothes on haha as i was already shag before the outing lol.
Overall the outing was great and all of us had so much fun. It's been 5 years since i meet with some of them. Though many couldn't make it but hopefully if there were to have another outing, more would be able to join. It was definetly a memorable day which i will definetly remember haha.
9th September 2009(090909) was my POP(Passing Out Parade). Finally the day we rehearse for 3 days on the hot sun sweating like crazy has arrived and it was definetly a memorable day indeed. Before the parade, we had to wake up at 3.30am to get ready for our 24km road march! It's the most longest road march that we have ever been through so far and let's just say it wasn't that easy. It was tiring as the road was rough due to tons of huge rocks on the ground and going up the hill was tiring as well. The thing that help all of us through i guess was chatting & joking with one another haha. Finally upon seeing the parade area, everyone was so happy and tears of joy can be seen in our eyes as we finally made it and the road march is freaking over! My buddy did something touching that surprised me. The parade was really memorable and i really enjoyed myself & it's pretty embarassing performing in front of the audience haha.
It has been a memorable 3 months in Tekong and im gonna miss the life and especially the people there. Too many names to thank but I was glad that i got into a great Platoon and especially an awesome section. Made lots of great friends. Though there are some bad eggs but overall everyone was great. I would like to take this time to thank all the Sergeants for everything that they have done for us, my platoon/section mates for all of their help and especially to my buddy Mr Neo Wei Lun for everything that you have done. We been through so much together all the ups & down. I was lucky enough to get such a great buddy haha. Im definetly going to remember & treasure my bmtc life.
Well today i went out with a couple of my army mates. Met up with Wayne, Richard & Hai Kuan. We went to Far East first as i was planning to get a birthday cake at Han's but it wasn't halal so we had to go to the National Library branch instead if we were to get the halal ones. So before going there we shop around and went to this place for some cake and light snack. The chocolate durian cake was the bomb haha. Once we were done we head down to Bugis to get my cake. Shop around Bugis street and after that me and Wayne was craving for Chendol as we saw someone eating on the television haha so we went to the Bugis Hawker Centre for some chendol. Went window shopping and there was lots to buy but i just wasn't in a shopping mood haha. After we were done we head down to IKEA as Richard wanna get some stool for his printer. Wanted to get some cactus but the ones that were left on the shelves look so dead so i decided not to get them. Hai Kuan was craving for some Laksa at Queenstown shopping centre so we headed there to satisfy his cravings. We shop around to the shopping centre and we parted off around 7 plus. Enjoyed my day with them today:)
Night time, met up with Ayu, Edwin, Danial & Faris Bajuri at Civic Mac. We slack and chat around till it was almost 1am. Had a lot of fun joking and disturbing each other haha. Well im gonna go crash now as im so damn exhausted! The next post will be about my POP on (09/09/09)! Hopefully=/. I have POP LOH!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
What a great week it has been as we got an extra book out day:D. As usual i took advantage of the whole situation by enjoying it to the fullest. Yesterday met up with Brandon, Max & Jughead at Bugis to shop for some stuff. Bought some accessories and once we were done i had to go to Lot 1 to collect my camera. After that met up with Anna & Ayu for dinner. It's been ages since we meet up. It was fun indeed chatting & joking around haha really enjoyed myself.
As for today, Im going to Geylang Serai with my family later to shop for my Hari Raya clothings and stuff. This time we will be going at night and finally after 2 years, i get to see the lights & decorations as im not a fan of going to Geylang due to the crowd and normally i would go in the afternoon. Im not sure what colors to get this time. I plan to maybe wear a black & red theme or maybe gray & light blue. Hmm will see what's available later. Alright i shall end this short post as im so sleepy now. Gonna crash now and wake up when it's time to break fast haha! Can't wait to eat as my dad is going to buy lots of great food to eat later:P. Yum Yum!
Fasting month is here & it will be different from the other years as i will be fasting in Army. It was challenging on the first day of fasting as we had strength training in the morning and in the afternoon i had Remedial training. The toughest was during Remedial Training as we had to train on the field and we were facing directly on the scorching sun. But thankfully i was able to handle it and not break my fast. I hope i could continue to fast & not break too much but seeing the activities that is line up for us for the upcoming week well let's just see how it goes haha.
2 more weeks to my Passing Out Parade(POP). Look how time flies and soon i will be posted out to some other place. We will be having our last IPPT this Tuesday and hopefully i can pass but i really doubt so as im still having problems with my sbj & chin ups! Before going into Army, i don't mind being a "MAN" but after going through army for 10 weeks now i suddenly felt like i wanna be a commander. I wanna be a Sergeant and help those that are physically weak like me. Oh well will see how it goes i will just let fate decide but hopefully i would get posted to Sispec. Im just gonna do my best & not give up.
I cancelled all my outings yesterday & today as im just so tired. Don't feel like going out at all. Im sorry guys for cancelling but i promise i will make an attempt to meet you guys some other day hopefully on my next book out:). So i end up resting and watching DVD's during my weekend. Finally i got a chance to touch my Photoshop and made a couple of graphics. Alright im gonna end here as i better crash early as i have to book in early tomorrow. First time getting a book in timing at 11.25am! Damn freaking early! Life of a recruit is so.....(-.-")
Last week was our SIT test & im just glad that it's over. The SIT test is a 3 day outfield test conducted during BMT. It is a test that asseses your ability to lead and/or carry out tasks under stress or difficult situations. But before our mission, they would purposely make us shag as they wanna see whether we are still able to think even though we are tired. We will be working with other platoon mates to carry out a total of 12 missions. Each and everyone of us has a role to play. Throughout the SIT test there will be a instructor who is a reservist 1st LT officer from ABSD that will follow us to ensure order, safety and access us. There is also an interview with the accessor at the end of the first day of our mission. On the end of the second day there is a peer evaluation that allow us to grade our detail mates.
Again we had to go outfield and sleep in the jungle for 2 nights. The first day of the event, we had to march a total of 12km and it was different from our other road marches as this was the furthest & we had to wear our uniform. It was definetly tiring and challenging especially the weather as it was scorching hot that day but i was glad that i was able to pull it off. All of us were soaking wet with our sweats. Once we reach the camp site, we started pitching our basha tents. It was hard getting the alignment right as some were align too right and some too left. After we were done, we had dinner and off to dreamland. I couldn't really fall asleep as there was so much noise all thanks to the aeroplanes. I don't know why there was so many freaking planes flying at our camp site in the middle of the night! There was also a hilarious part that happen in the middle of the night. There was this friend of mine who was sleeping next to my basha tent. He was snoring like a wild boar and it scare the hell out of me as i thought that there was a wild boar walking beside my tent haha.
The next morning, we had to do the 4km fast march. Damn this is one hell of a march. We had to march freaking fast and all i can say is that every platoon did really bad. It wasn't easy as majority have not recovered from yesterday's fatigue and our platoon sergeant was moving so fast. For our platoon, only 3 including me were left following our platoon sergeant while the rest were all at the back. Once the never ending fast march was over, we had to endure a harsh punishment due to our bad performance during the fast march. We had to knock it down as usual. After all of the punishment was over, we had breakfast and waited for the instructors to arrive. All the missions aren't really real they are all just simulations.
Once they were here we were brief, group to our details & off to begin our mission. Our first mission was to cross everyone to a quick sand as the enemy is coming in a few minutes times. Second was crossing of a toxic waste land. Third was quite hard as we had to create a ladder to climb on top of a building and also transport a casualty. I was the leader for the fourth missions and we had to clear a mine field & half way through one of the members got "shot" so we had to carry him in a stretcher but unlucky us we had a bit of a problem with the stretcher as it kept opening up and the poor casualty had to drop down twice haha. The fifth was to cross a bridge using a wooden plane and we made a few mistakes resulting in having 2 casualties haha. The last mission of the day was to destroy a bridge and handling of the enemies. Im not able to blog every single details about the mission and all the solutions that we came up with as there's just too many to write out haha.
The Second day of the mission which was our last day of SIT test, in the morning we had our usual 5bx but it turn out to be another horrbile 5bx=/. After that we had another 2km fast march and thankfully it wasn't as bad as the day before. Once done we had breakfast and waited for the instructors again. As usual we had to complete the last 6 missions. The first mission was crossing amo boxes to the river. Second mission was to rescue a hostage from a building while the floor so call has an electric field and there were enemies at the other side. Third was to go down a cliff to rescue a casualty and lift him up with a stretcher and cross him to the other side of the wall. Fourth mission was to build a support so as to support a 3kg amo box. Fifth mission was to go up a building and trasfer down 2 casualties. For the last mission of the day we had to guard the area where the enemy is approaching and we had to carry a casualty using the ground sheet and damn it was really tiring.
Finally it's over. We pack up and back to our company. Once we got back i got appointed to be the next Platoon IC by our Platoon Sergeant! Damn more extra burden on my shoulders=/. I kept making mistakes with the ber-henti command and i need to work on my sedia haha. It's not easy being a IC as it can be hard sometimes getting the strength when some had to go to the medical centre and etc. Getting volunteers and aeroing people is also hard and it's hard to pleased everyone but oh well since i was appointed im gonna do my best and hopefully i won't screw up for the upcoming days.
Overall my SIT test experience is tiring but i really had fun during the missions as i was glad that i got into a good team as we had teamwork, communication and everyone had something to contribute. It was really a fun and good experience and it really thought us some leadership values which i believe that it will be useful in the future.
On the 25th July 2009 was the start of my field camp. On the first day, we had to march to the camp site. It was an 8km march & even though we had marched before, I felt that this was a tiring one as our field pack felt much heavier. Nevertheless, it was fun as we were singing as a platoon and everyone was excited for field camp.
Once we got there, we started pitching our basha tent. I and my buddy had quite a hard time as the tent pins kept coming off because our ground area was muddy. Thankfully, after a couple of tries and with the help of our section mates, we were able to pitch our tent on time. Once done, we were told to candy wrap our field packs in case if there were any wild boars that tries to come and steal our food. After we were done, we were off to our first activity of the day which was our Urban Orbs Training. First, we learn about the movements. We also had to learn about handling certain situations like walking across danger areas, clearing rooms, walking pass a window, walking through corners & clearing room using a grenade. The training was fun but it was really tiring. Everyone felt so shag and weak due to the scorching hot sun and the exhaustion. Some of my platoon mates couldn’t take it anymore and many were suffering from dizziness & some were vomiting. It was really a challenge and I was glad that I was able to survive the hard day of training.
Night time was a challenge as well as we had to learn to adapt to the noise & lights discipline. It was hard walking around and finding our stuff in the dark. I also had to do guard duty even though I was really exhausted from the day training. So I carried out the patrolling duty. It was pretty scary walking around in the jungle area in the dark. But it was a fun experience indeed. Sleeping on the first night was tough as it was uncomfortable and painful as the ground was uneven and hard but after a while we got use to it.
The next day, we had the Urban Orbs test. It was quite challenging and fun at the same time. We had to do it in groups and it was hilarious seeing each other making silly mistakes. But it was really exciting as it feels like we were playing counter strike or like in a SWAT team during rescue missions and shooting the enemies.
The following day we had to wake up really early and pack our stuff as we were moving to the next camp site. As usual we will be marching there but this time it was better as we won’t be carrying our field pack because there will be tunnel to transport our stuff to the next camp site. Once we reached the next camp site, it was different than the previous one as we had a sea view and we will be camping at the top of the hills. This time we won’t be sleeping in a basha tent anymore but instead we will be digging a Shell Scribe. So once we had settled down, we began digging and it was really not easy as it seems as everyone was already tired. It took all of us the whole day but still many were unable to complete it on time including me. Night time we were told that we were the LP, OP post so that explains why we were separated from the rest. So we had to do the 1/3 look out and challenge those who tries to enter the area. Sleeping on the first night was pretty hard as it was uncomfortable as I didn’t really dig it to my height so I had to squeeze in the hole and the smell of the muddy ground was really a challenge as well. In the evening, we had a surprise from our PC. We had letters written by our families. Everyone was surprised and I was shocked that my family wrote one for me as well. Some were in tears including me as we had a hard and tiring day and seeing our family writing inspirational words made us all feel so touched and it was really a great feeling.
The next day we had our battle course training. It was fun and interesting for me as we had to do in groups and they taught us on how to handle the enemy. It was really fun taking down the enemy and planning out our moves. We had to learn how to cross the Y road as well. The following day was the actual thing and all I can say is that it was really exciting and even though we made a couple of mistakes, it was still really fun and enjoyable. It was really a once in a lifetime experience ever and it feels like we were really in a war and doing a mission trying to take down the enemy. After the battle course I had to rush to the MO as my eye had got swollen and turn really red due to the chemo cream. Sadly, I miss the night cooking as I was told that they got to cook Maggi. I also had to miss the Friday activity which was the BIC but I heard that I might need to do it with some other companies.
Well it doesn’t matter but overall the field camp experience was really something one won’t be able to forget. It was really a challenge and I am glad that I was able to survive it despite wanting to give up and I believe that it made me a better and stronger person. It’s something I will remember and keep with me.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
3 weeks of my army life has past & it definetly was a whole new experience for me. It's not something one would go through everyday. I remember the first week where i was still adjusting to the new life & it was kinda hard at first. Firstly was night time as I had a hard time falling asleep even though i was freaking exhausted as im not use to sleeping without a bolster. We also had to wake up at 5am and do some exercises in the morning. The freaking boots gave me so much blisters on my feet & it was freaking painful. There is more like learning all the do's & don't, commands, the marching moves, all the exercises moves & rifle handling etc.
I remember there was this day where they let us rest in our room quite early in the night & well let's just say there was a reason behind it. All of us were happily brushing our teeth & getting ready for bed & out of a sudden a fire drill alarm was sound. So everyone at 1st thought that it was a joke but fark it was freaking real. So everyone was like rushing to grab our helmet, first aid stuff, id tag, pails & the fire extinguishers. These are the stuff to bring everytime there's a fire drill & we have to shout "FIRE, FIRE!" all the way till we reach the ground floor. It was hilarious lol & our timing was horrible. Those that were showering came down with just a towel haha.
There was also a day where we were told to sleep at 8.30pm & everyone was like shock as damn why do we have to sleep so early. We had no choice as we have to obey the lights out time so everyone just went to bed. At around 3am they woke us up & told us to change to our uniform & we didn't even had the time to brush our teeth & wash our faces. To our surprise we had to march to the Ladang as we'll be having our Rifle Ceremony where we will be getting our Rifle's for the very first time. We had to shout "With this, i will defend my country" & we have to snatch it hard from our sergeant. Haha i kinda screw it up as uppon receivng my rifle, i went to the wrong place as i was suppose to line up at the front haha blur cock me.
There's still more like punishment & stuff but one thing good about the platoon that im in is that they are fun people especially the section that im in. There's teamwork & cooperation. There are times where one screw up or makes a mistake but we all learned from it. I feel that it change us not only our physical state but mentally as well. Some days the training can be so tough till everyone is damn shag & there are aches all over our body not to mention training on the bloody hot sun till everyone skin is getting darker & darker. Too bad we couldn't bring in our own food or mp3 but other than that life in Tekong is pretty alright. Everyone is looking forward to our Passing Out Parade(POP) & ours will be on 090909. We got a special cool date haha. 10 more weeks to go. Well i guess i will stop here even though i still have tons to write but i guess that's all im gonna write for now as im so sleepy right now. Have to book in tomorrow so im gonna go to sleep right now. Before i end this post, as promise from the previous post i will show you guys a horrible black & botak(bald) photo of me.
Huge different right? I look like a complete retard now:(. Oh ya i would like to wish Ruii Qiia.k.amonkey a Happy18th Birthday!
Wishing you all the great things in life, hope this day will bring you an extra share of all that makes you happiest. May all the wishes and dreams you dream today turn to reality. May this day bring to you all things that make you smile and every passing year bring you wisdom, peace and cheer. Finally your officially legal haha.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Sunday 28th June 2009 was my first book out day. It has been a new whole load of experience for me. Every single day pack with strength, speed training, marching lessons, road march, swimming lessons & rifle handlings. All of us are always drench with our own sweat. There are days where it can get tiring but it's still fun & i do enjoy myself. There's just so much for me to write out but i don't really have the time as i need to pack my bag now as im booking in today later in the evening. But so far it has been good & hopefully it will continue to stay that way haha. I will post my new hairstyle on my next book out haha & im so not loving it. Miss my hair=/. Alright cya peepz! For more updates follow me on Twitter:).
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Tomorrow is my enlistment date. It's finally here! Im off to the army tomorrow. I won't be in the online world for a while. You can still check out my updates by following my Twitter Updates at the right hand column. I will update there even when im in the camp through the sms. Wish me luck guys~ Tekong here i come=/
Saturday, June 13, 2009
It's a Saturday today & i had to cancel my outing plans all thanks to my back. I guess i strain it during my workout the day before. Crap i shouldn't have over done it & now i can't even bend down. Im going to the Army on Monday and hopefully by than it will be alright if not i wonder how am i going to survive the training with a backache.
Life has been good so far & im enjoying every single day of it. Been going out daily with different group of friends & if not i will slacking at my crib watching my favourite shows or playing games so that's probably while im not blogging much these days as im not online very often now. Well too bad this enlistment holiday is coming to an end for me but im glad i really made full use of it. Look how time flies & my enlistment date is in a day's time. Im pretty excited though & a little nervous as im not sure what to expect but i guess it will be fun & exciting haha. Finally done with the packing & im good to go. Since i am stuck at home today i took the time to play with my photoshop again:
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
It's 5.50am in the morning & instead of sleeping, here i am having my half-boiled eggs with hot peach tea and blogging all due to this random irritating thoughts on my mind. Well i guess it's cool though at least i get to have my favourite breakfast & i better enjoy this while i still can as after this week, i won't get to enjoy any of this as i will be enlisted to the Army & im pretty sure i won't get the chance to do this again.
I don't know why but for the past couple of days, im having a hard time falling asleep even though im exhausted as all this stupid random thoughts keep appearing in my mind. All this flashbacks of the past, present & future suddenly appeared. Im suddenly haunted by the past & a sudden worry for the future ahead for me. I even had strange dreams & it ended in me waking up in the middle of the nigh in cold sweat. I don't know maybe im being paranoid or maybe it's probably nothing. Oh well hopefully it won't happen tonight. Alright im gonna stop here & enjoy my breakfast and when im done i will try to get a shut eye or maybe go for a jog.
Name: Faris Age: 21+ D.O.B: 29th Nov 1987 Horoscope: Sagittarius Email/Msn: Froze_87@hotmail.com Schools Attended:
Changkat Primary
Woodlands Ring Primary
Woodlands Ring Secondary
ITE Ang Mo Kio
Nanyang Polytechnic Currently Serving NS:
BMTC 1/Q
Sispec/C
Everything you see here were made by me using Photoshop CS2 unless
otherwise stated.
Credits to i-stock.
This blog is meant for me to express my thoughts, frustration etc.
Thank you for visiting.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
