Trades Course!

After adjusting to life in my new unit, we were embarked on our Trades Phase. This meant that we were to undergo vocational training in the areas we were assigned to. For myself, that meant a 2 month long driving course in how to operate and maintain a tank.

The course required a lot of lectures on the components of the vehicle, its systems and parts. All of which we had to sit through in a cold air conditioned room. Honestly, it felt like I was in school again. Thick manuals, long lectures and food coma all brought back memories of student life. We had theoretical tests, driving tests as well as vehicle maintenance tests throughout the training phase to qualify us for the vocation of an AFV Operator. Driving an AFV was an interesting experience. It felt like driving a go-kart. Despite the vehicle being allowed to travel at only a maximum of 20km/h in training areas, it felt a lot faster when I was in the vehicle. We were tasked to navigate obstacles both in the night and in the day which really tested our confidence and capacity to perform as drivers.

Maintaining an AFV was another eye opening experience. Seeing what gives this massive vehicle the muscle to move, and how keep it healthy was something that few of us would imagine doing. Spending hours in the workshops, sweating and contorting into awkward positions to replace engine parts is something I will always remember. Also, getting our hands covered in grease and our pants wet with mud. It was a tiring experience. Yet it was fun at the same time.

Working with the armored vehicles gave me a sense of belonging in the Armour vocation. If I were in any other role in my unit, I'd doubt that I would feel the same about my appointment.

After 2 months of training, we passed out of our trades course as Operators. Being awarded our Black Beret, a universal sign of the Armour vocation, we were now officially ready for our operational training. Our first test however, was not of military nature. Instead, our first task after our trades course PoP was helping out in SG50, NDP 2015.

Next time: Mobile Column! NDP 2015

A New Beginning

After our graduation parade, we were given a week off. Needless to say, I enjoyed it to the fullest of its potential. Spending time with friends, gaming and going for university admission interviews - you name it. Thursday morning brought new surprises.

Our posting order.

I logged online to retrieve my posting order. I was surprised to receive my unit allocation - the Singapore Armour Regiment, which also meant that I wasn't going to command school like much of my friends. I felt slightly disappointed being left out. But then I changed my mentality towards NS as more of a job instead. That made me view the army and NS in a different light.

I was posted to the Armour as an Armored Fighting Vehicle Operator. (sounds step right?)

After learning about Armour and being in the unit for a few weeks, let me answer a few questions regarding Armour and straighten some misconceptions.

1. What is Armour?
An Armour basically means any armored vehicle. This can include Battle Tanks, Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV), Armored Transports and Armored Amphibious Vehicles.

2. What kinds of vocations are there in Armour?
 Armour is split into 2 kinds of vocations. Main Battle Tanks as well as Armored Infantry

Main Battle Tanks consist of large heavily armored tanks with high firepower. These are tanks like the Leopard 2SG. A German tank modified for Singapore

Armored Infantry is in its most basic sense of the word is an infantry unit (ground troops). The only difference is that AI units are transported by IFVs instead of walking on foot. IFVs can include the Bionix (BX for short)

Hence, as an AFV/IFV operator, I'm the person driving the vehicle, transporting the infantry.

Next time: Getting a driving license for a tank!?

Writers note: the posts over from now into the future are going to be less frequent. That's because things are going to be much slower in unit. I'll still keep this blog active till I finish my service and maybe even update it during my reservist years

POP Loh!

We woke up at 6 in the morning, just four hours later. Rested but still aching all over, we were ready to give our all for our graduation paarade. At the sound of the horn, we marched together as a commpany for the last time . The atmosphere was indescribable. With the crowd cheering , and all of us standing together as one, we threw our caps into the air and celebrated the end of our BMT

My thoughts on BMT

BMT was an experience that really was, once in a lifetime. The adventures, antics and people that I met really shaped and defined my time during BMT into a memorable and enjoyable experience. The platoon, the commanders and even Tekong itself remains dear to me today. I do miss the faces in Tekong, especially the commanders. Seeing unfamiliar faces in the unit I am in now, instead of my commanders and friends, really made life seem empty. With the end of BMT, marks the start of unit training based on your allocation by HQ. That, will be talked about some other time.


But now, a summary of BMT over the 9 weeks

Week 1-3: Confinement/Adjustment week, Rifle presentation, Talks
Week 4: IFC
Week 5: Live Firing
Week 6: Field Camp
Week 7: Hand Grenade
Week 8: Urban Ops/BIC
Week 9: 24km Route March/ Graduation Parade

The order of events can/will change according to scheduling, it's not set in stone

Next post: A New Beginning

The Last Hurdle of the Start of a Long Journey (Last week of BMT pt 2)

With all of our high key events over, there was only 2 things left on our list. Firstly, to practice for our graduation parade, and secondly, the "legendary" 24km route march. This was the last and final week here on Tekong, and the days to POP started to slip through our fingers. But first, we had to practice for our graduation parade.

On the actual graduation parade, due Saturday, we will march in, onto the floating platform as a company. This meant coordinating 200 people to walk in step and turn at the right speed and moment. Moreover, 23 other companies were also graduating on that same day. Meaning that this was going to be a colossal event to organize. Many many hours had already been devoted to arms drills throughout the 9 weeks to familiarize ourselves with the commands used during the parade. What was left, were rehearsals.

Our days from Monday all the way till Wednesday started at around 5:30 in the morning. Breakfast, drawing our rifles and reporting to the parade square, all done by 8am. And from 8 till 5, rehearsals. With an hour for lunch and roughly 20 minutes between each rehearsal, we spent about 7 hours under the unbearably hot Tekong sun. Clouds seemed non-existent on this island, and when there were clouds, they never went anywhere near the sun. Through midday, the scorching sun was out there, roasting recruits, and many a number decided to fall out because of the heat. By just the end of the first day, many of us were red with sunburn. Two more hot and grueling days awaited us and all we did all day was sweat.

 And sweat, and sweat.

Ironically despite making us sit through the heat for 3 days in a row, we had a safety talk on the last day of our rehearsals, awarding personnel with safe practices. Ha ha, while many were falling out left, right and center during the rehearsal in the afternoon heat.

The Last Leg

The 10th of April marked the final day on Pulau Tekong, and also the day we would embark on our 24km route march. This was a symbol of initiation for a soldier as proof of completing his Basic Military Training. We packed our remaining belongings for our route march and cleared all our lockers, leaving the bunk just as it was when we went in for the first time. Taking one last look at our bunks, our home for the past 2 months, we closed the door behind us and walked toward the future ahead of us.

Our field packs were heavy, some much heavier than the standard weight. With all of our belongings on our backs, we departed from the island to make our way to the starting point of our route march at the ferry terminal. As we started the march, everyone was in high spirits. The weather was great and a light wind was blowing as we walked through the road illuminated by the rays of the setting sun. \

Long, narrow and straight walkways greeted us as the first 6km if the journey was along the runways of Changi Airport. Most of us engaged in conversation to keep our minds off the fatigue. As we cleared the runways, we approached the start of the East Coast Parkway coastal route. By then, the sky was starting to darken and what felt like an eternity seperated us from our third checkpoint. We walked continuously for more than 45 minutes, covering way more than 3 clicks at our walking speed, before reaching our 9km mark. Many of us started to feel the pinch; fatigue setting in. One of my friends looked like he could barely take it anymore,

And that was only at the 9km mark.

As we continued along our journey, we past people spending their Friday night at the beach. Some were shocked at the phenomenon they were witnessing. Others waved, smiled and encouraged us to push on. I remember at one point, kids lined the pathway on our journey. The kids, having a camp nearby. It was then that I actually felt proud as a soldier, to serve the country (something only you have to go through to describe)

Kilometers after kilometres rolled past like a blur as we continued our journey into the night. Our breaks grew incredibly short as we had.to keep up the pace to make timings. This, of course, had an impact on all of us, and our morale.

But finally, 21 km later, we reached the edge of the central business district. Walking down a pedestrian bridge, only 3 kilometres seperated us from our destination. We were all tired -- it was 1 in the morning. But at this last and final pit stop, our commanders gave us the last pep talk of our BMT. Downing our cansometimes of ice cold isotonic drinks, we crushed the cans underfoot in unison. With slightly renewed vigour,we continued the final leg of our march. As we crossed the marina Barrage,we saw a stunningly illuminated Singapore skyline.

This was what we were protecting. Why we were in the army.

Reaching the platform at a quarter to two, we put down our field packs for the last time. Many of us were at our limits. Trust me, I was too. We changed into a new set of uniforms and went to sleep on the.hard floor of the floating platform. 

We.didn't care. Our march was over.

And all that's left, was our graduation parade.

Out With a BANG (Last Week of BMT pt1)

We booked in on a Saturday afternoon, the last time we take a ferry into Tekong for BMT. A short wave to my parents and a "see you at the floating platform", and we were on the boat heading towards holiday island for the last time. This week was going to be very packed. There were many lessons that were missed out or postponed due to the events that had happened the previous week. Thus, most of the items were pushed to this week. High key events such as grenade throwing and the Battle Inoculation Course (BIC) were due to happen this week along with our Graduating Parade (GP) rehearsals as well as our 24km route march. It was an exhausting week indeed.

"Grenade prepared and ready to throw, sir!"

Sunday marked our live hand grenade throwing. We were transported to the live throwing site where we were taught the basics on emergency drills and the latter in the case of an emergency. We had already practiced using dummy grenades the previous week, but nothing could prepare us for the real thing. Some handled their grenades feverishly, like a hot potato, ready to go off at any time, anxious and worried. While others kept calm while handling their explosives, knowing that that thing in their pouch won't go off until the rings are out and the fuse is off. While waiting for our turn, we heard grenades those throwing go off. Its loudness could be heard from more than a length of a field away. A low, but loud bass drum "boom".

As my detailed was called up, we were moved to the ammo collection point where we drew our live grenades. Weighing in around the weight of a can of cola, I pocketed the grenade in my left grenade pouch, just as instructed. We were then moved to the grenade throwing bay where we would meet our platoon commanders, in charge of the safety of their recruits. Once in the bay, we waited one at a time for the other recruits to throw their grenade, before my turn arrived. As instructed, I took out the grenade and prepared it with a twist and a tug of the safety pin.

"Grenade prepared and ready to throw, sir!"

"Throw grenade."

"GRENADE!"

I barely saw where it landed before I was pulled down by my commander. A safety procedure. After about 5 seconds. Boom. We both stood up, and all that remained was black smoke.

That's it folks, grenade throwing.

Honestly, it was not something I imagined. From far, the force and impact of the explosion seemed very large. But when I was at the bay, it fell far from what I expected. Perhaps it was because we were bracing for the explosion, or whatever.

Battle Inoculation Course (BIC)

The very next day, we were scheduled to go through BIC, which in short, simulates real battlefield conditions. Live rounds flying overhead, explosions and chaos. As recruits, we were supposed to clear the course, take down a few targets and most importantly, do all of these while leopard crawling. We were scheduled to do BIC in the afternoon and it was to our horror that it started to pour a few hours before our course. And of course rain means mud.

"Environmental effects for added realism"

By the time we reached the course, the have rain had become a drizzle. But the course, however, was all squishy. Nevertheless, we started the course.

BIC is approximately 100m long, with obstacles such as a tunnel, a car and even a trench right at the end to crawl through. In the meantime, our commanders were on a 5m elevated platform, shooting live machine guns at a target board above us. Also, there were large covered up speakers on the grounds mimicking grenade explosions, enemy sirens and even screams.

As realistic that I had painted it out to be, the actual course run through was far from what I had expected. Yes, MG rounds were flying "Above our head" but you will never really be in any danger of getting hit. I heard from commanders that in order to get hit, you probably need to stand up and jump. Far from where we were, leopard crawling on the ground. The battle noise simulators were just, well, noisy. Perhaps I was expecting too much from something like this, haha. But by the end of that 4 minutes on the grounds, we were covered in mud. I remember, while heading through the tunnel, water from the rain earlier, was sloshing at my knees and arms. The experience, in my opinion, did not felt worth getting this dirty. Long showers and hard scrubbing of our clothes awaited us back at bunk.

With these two high key events over, there left only 2 things in our way, our Graduation Parade and the grueling 24 click route march.

Project White Star

Coming back to civilization after 5 days outfield, was a surreal experience. Buildings, lights and beds were like a fictional fantasy. As field camp ended on a Saturday, we had to be "confined" till the next weekend as it probably made no sense to make us book out on Saturday only to come back hours later on Sunday. Many of us were weary after FC and wanted to go home. We started to feel the strains of an incredibly regimented life on our shoulders, and we yearned for just a bit of freedom.

Sunday was labelled as a "rest day" so we were not scheduled to do any physical activities. We didn't do anything physical at all. Instead of catching up on sleep or giving us admin time, our commanders tasked us cleaning with cleaning our rifles for almost the entire day. We joked that our rifles were cleaner than us. That same morning, we learnt of the passing of MM Lee. 5 days outfield meant that we were cut off from the outside world, no news or internet whatsoever. However on day 3 of our field camp, we heard whispers between our Sergeants and Officers about our late minister mentors' declining condition. And as we came back to Ladang, it was no surprise when we saw the latest news reporting MM Lee's condition. His passing meant a few things, firstly, that a state funeral by the military was going to be held, and a rumored "Project White Star" was going to be in effect. It was rumored that all high ranking personnel in the army are to be mobilized for the funeral which means that training could be disrupted. For many of us, it got our hopes high for an early book out. No higher ups would mean that training could be cancelled right?

Wrong.

Training was disrupted, yes, to some extent. All live firing activities were cancelled, including our Battle Inoculation Course as well as our Hand Grenade throwing. But that did not mean that we were scheduled to book out. Instead, we had to stay in camp doing things that didn't involve live firing, like practicing for our Graduation Parade and taking our final IPPT. Things moved really really slowly and we were kept busy with minor and sometimes unnecessary activities, so that we weren't left alone doing nothing; Something we really wanted to do.

Urban Operations

Towards the end of the week, we had a taste of combat in a more realistic setting; in an urban environment. All that we had learnt so far, was combat in a jungle or forest setting. But this felt far from relevant. We were protecting Singapore, a concrete jungle. A place where there were no trees to take cover behind and no enemies camouflaged in green. Urban Ops finally felt like something realistic that we could eventually apply in a real scenario. We were brought to a cluster of buildings where we were taught how to clear rooms and maneuver through and around them. It was an interesting experience. We felt like a special ops team infiltrating buildings and shooting at enemies, like those in movies! Naturally, watching other people screw up and get scolding also provided entertainment for all of us. We fired blanks during the exercise, so it was not disrupted by the state funeral.

As we approached the end of the week, we were waiting in anticipation. Letting one day after another pass through, it was not long before we were on the ferry back to freedom. Temporarily.


Next Post: Out with a BANG! (The last week of BMT pt 1)

The End. (FC Day 4 / Situation Test)

I probably slept well on the third night, as I almost overslept. Much to my surprise, as I was sleeping in a hole I dug in the ground the previous day. Perhaps it was the fatigue from the past few days building up. Nonetheless, this morning marked the last and final day of field camp, as well as the second last day out field. The activity for the day was GBC or Group Battle Course in short. This entailed applying what we have learnt throughout those few days at field camp, as well as IFC a few weeks back. A test of sorts.

So, everything went along as usual, falling in, eating breakfast, and applying camo cream. For 4 days since the start of FC, we have been wearing a permanent facial mask of green and black camo. Except, our pores were no where near cleansed. The familiar burning sensation of face paint felt all too routine by then.

By the time the sun was up, the GBC had started. Each group of 3 recruits are to follow a path through the site where they will be attacked. The group has to react to the enemy fire and choose whether to advance or retreat. Being the last section of the last platoon, we were naturally, the last to start on our course. It was about 11 in the morning when we were about to proceed with our course.
However before we could even make our way past the second checkpoint, the exercise was called off. Apparently someone in another company nearby suffered a heat injury, causing all other activities to be suspended for that afternoon. For the rest of the afternoon, the majority of us were just, sitting around. For the first time in 4 days, enjoying the nature and the quiet around us.

As the sun started to set, we transitioned to our situation test site, via bus. Air conditioning never felt so good! The sit test site was located just off the coast, with a view of the control tower of Singapore Changi Airport. Before the end of the night, we were greeted by yet another surprise. Dinner was... instant noodles! Cooked with our mess tin and solid fuel in another hole in the ground, the taste of instant noodles was one that could bring tears to your eyes.

I jest .

But after dinner, we settled down to rest for our last and final day of outfield, the famous, Situation Test, or Sit Test for short.


The Last and Final Day

The Sit Test was a set of 10 missions which involve teamwork, coordination, and a good knowledge of knots. The goal of the Sit Test was to identify recruits with leadership capabilities and those that can function well under stress. Recruits that do well in the tests will have better chances of getting into command school, making the test a known requirement for qualification. During the Sit Test, an assessor along with his assistant will be assigned to each group, comprising of people in other sections and platoons (Strangers). The assessor, is an officer in the army, and he will observe and assess each individual throughout the course and score them according to their aptitude to lead. Whether the group manages to clear the mission or not, it doesn't matter. Because the assessors are looking at the effectiveness of the group leader.

Throughout the entire day, we were put through many different scenarios. Some include transporting cargo across the river, protecting an important landmark from enemy attack, or evacuating casualties from precarious scenarios. At the start of every mission, a new group leader as well as an assistant group leader are appointed, to lead the group and plan the course of action. These people are paid special attention to, when they are in charge.

My turn came at the 7th mission. The mission was to evacuate a casualty through a 3m deep sewer on one end and up through the other end, within a 15 minute time limit. Needless to say, a seemingly impossible task within that time limit. But 12 minutes into the mission, we were already lowered into the sewer and attempting to raise the casualty out of the sewer. However, before we could evacuate the casualty, time ran out. But instead of feeling sad or disappointed, we all felt that we did a great job making it this far into the mission before time ran out.

Sit test ended at around 4pm and we were ready to go back to our bunks. As we were waiting for our transport back, I realized the itch that began somewhere on the 3rd day of FC started hurting. It felt like hundreds of needles piercing my back, my scalp and my chest. That itch, was heat rash in action. It felt like hell.

As we were boarding the tonner back to our bunks, I looked at my hands. Covered in a layer of dirt for the past few days, I realized that I have never been through such an experience like FC before. I've never been this dirty before, I've never felt so hot and sweaty, and happy to go back to civilization. A shower, a comfortable bed and some internet was all that I wanted to feel satisfied for the rest of my life. Field camp was finally over, but we were not allowed to book out until the next week, which was another 5 more days. All of us felt weary, and all of us wanted a break.

NOPE



Next time: GRENADE? And Project White Star.

Blood, Sweat and many many Tears (FC Day 3)

Day 3 was the much awaited shell scrape day! A shell scrape is essentially a hole in the ground in which a soldier can take cover in to prevent them from going SPLAT when under artillery fire. Day 3 of field camp day was dedicated solely to digging one of these beauties, (Yes, it took the whole damn day) along with other surprises.

But before all the digging starts, we had to rise in the morning, eat breakfast, collapse our tents and do some field PT. Nothing very special happened that morning... well, except for taking a poop in the forest. It was 4:30 am in the morning, and all of us were already awake, getting ready to start the day. I, on the other hand wasn't ready for the morning. Since the last potty break was about 2 days ago, I really didn't have a choice. You know, when nature calls, you can't exactly put it on silent. So, I, along with another friend attending natures' call went to the latrine set up by the commanders. It too, was basically a hole in the ground (I shit you not).

I feel don't need to describe the rest of it to you, but after that morning, rations didn't make me full anymore. Even the smell of rations made my stomach turn on its side.

T'was around 8:30 am when we were allocated our spots to dig. I felt ready to start the day, finish digging the shell scrape in about 2-3 hours, and call it a day. But nope, the ground had other plans for me.

As I swung my ET blade, into the soil, all I felt were roots. Many many roots. The first 2 hours worth of digging was spent to digging the outline of the shell scrape. With relatively fresh batteries, the stubborn topsoil outline was carved out, in a painstakingly slow manner. Digging didn't just take your arms, it took your legs, and your whole core to drive the blade into the ground, pivot the blade, and loosen a chunk of soil. Every hour or so, our commanders gathered us together to conduct their hydration routines, along with good swings of "tekan" (punishment) as we were moving sloppily due to fatigue. Even my buddy, a much fitter soldier, looked like he could see a distant light calling him toward.

As the morning thinned and the afternoon crept upon us, the heat started to intensify. Digging started to slow as the sun rose higher in the sky. Our LBVs (Load Bearing Vests) became saunas, as they covered most of our upper bodies on top of our uniforms. It was not long before we were sweating buckets. As lunchtime drew near, I dreaded the sound of another round of combat rations. I just couldn't eat another bite of that without becoming sick. In fact, I was preparing to survive on the biscuits provided in the snack pack for the rest of the camp. But before lunch, our PC (Platoon Commander) asked us to gather. He sat us down and said "If you've watched Ah Boys to Men, you'll know what's coming up". Some of us were looking around for a sack of letters, notes which were written by our loved ones many miles away. But there were none to be seen. Instead, one of our commanders sat down and told us this:

"All of you here, seated now are here for what? Is it because you have no choice? Is it because the government said you have to serve?

No.

You are here, not to protect the country. You're here to protect your families. Every night, your parents, your loved ones, sleep easy because you are here. While you're protecting them. Do you understand the power of family? Of love? No matter what your parents say to you when you're at home, they still love you. Even if they don't openly say that they love you, they still do. If your mother were to be here right now, seeing you so filthy and tired, how would she feel?

Her heart will break. She would cry for you.

If she were here right now, she would take the ET Blade out of your hands and tell the commanders, "Commander, its ok, let me dig the shell scrape for my son."

The one thing that you never want to do is to make your mother cry. When I was younger, I was bad to my mother. I would always make her cry. I used to steal, I use to do bad things. And because I was caught, I made her cry. You will never know the pain, the pain I made her go through, begging the lawyer not to send her son to jail. I told myself that never wanted to see her cry again, so I went to push myself in the army. In the army, I wanted to go to OCS (Officer Command School) to prove to my mother and to make her proud. But I didn't get in and because of that, I freaking cried. But it's okay. I know I did my best, and no matter what she is always my mother, and I love her."

As the words sank into our hearts, many of us poured our emotions freely. We shed tears for our loved ones, while we were here, on a small island, isolated from home. As we collected our letters from our Commanders, many couldn't hide our teary eyed faces. No, it wasn't embarrassing for any of us. Because as men, it is okay to shed tears for our family. My parents, being less expressive folks manifested their affection in a short note to tell me to press on and achieve (sigh... how classic of them) but that nonetheless, made me tear up too.

After the letters were given out, we were greeted by another surprise. Instead of combat rations, (which I was now thoroughly sick of) we were greeted with out-rations. (dabao food from the cook house) After 3 days worth of eating rations, the sight of a hot meal made my insides tear up too.

With warm food in our bellies and invigorated spirits, we continued the rest of the day digging our shell scrapes. Finally at around 4pm, I was finished. We spent the night in our newly refurbished real estate complete with well... nothing. I am sure that day was special not only to me, but to the rest of my friends as well. As day 3 went by, we prepared for our final day at FC, Day 4.

FLFC! (First Legit Field Camp)

Finally at last, we've reached one of the highest of high hey events here in Basic Military Training. Field Camp! In short, field camp or FC for short is a 4 day 3 night stay in a classy resort where you will get closer to nature, allow yourself to know yourself better and also make friends with the birds and the bees!

If only life were that easy going. Haha

Day 1 - Long relaxing walks!

The first day of field camp started at around 4am in the morning. We were awoken by our alarms as well as our dread. Some of us went to the loo or took a shower, knowing that this will be the last time for almost a week, that they will enjoy such comforts. I on the other hand, was still sleepy. Tossing and turning around in bed, I didn't have a good rest at all that night. Nonetheless, we prepared our gear and made sure everything was in order before embarking on our first activity of FC, the 12km route march.

All I can say, is that route march, was like a highway to hell. Being near the back of the group, we were forced to run every 2-3 minutes or so, to catch up with our group. It didn't feel like a route march. It felt like interval training. If you thought that was bad enough, imagine a 17 kilo backpack on your shoulders the entire time. As we approached midday, the sun grew higher in the sky, making the last few kilometers of our route march that much harder. Throughout the march, I was constantly egging on my fellow platoon mates, encouraging them and asking them to push on.

To be frank, I felt just as close to giving up as they did.

We reached our field camp site just before lunch, and we could not expect the sights greeting us. When people talk about FC, they think about camping in the dense tropical rainforests. With thick vegetation, hanging vines and muddy terrain.

Hardly.

The sight that greeted us was not an entrance to a thick forest. But this...

A palm plantation

Then again, instead of feeling shocked or surprised, I was feeling hot and cold at the same time. I got chills on my skin, and I could feel my heart rate racing. No, I wasn't talking to some hot chick. It was the beginning of heat exhaustion. In a slight daze, I went along with my buddy to build our shelter for that night. Moving much slower than I normally would, I struggled to hammer the tent pins into the ground. Stopping to catch my breath from time to time. (Yes la, I sound damn weak ok. But 12k was no joke) If that wasn't enough, our Sergeants were rushing us to gather on the other side of the site. Realizing that I dropped one of my elbow guards on the floor, I reached down, picked it up, and turned to sprint to the gathering point.

I took one step after turning. My foot got caught on something and the next thing I knew, I was on the floor with a very familiar sensation. A sprained ankle.

Shit. Injured on the first day of FC.

I limped over to the medic tent and iced my injury. Still feeling the effects of the heat, I took a half hour over there to rest. As I was sitting in the tent, I heard the lunch bells ring. And one of my friends handed me a green pack labelled "Combat Rations". Opening up the packet labelled "Chicken Macaroni" I had a bite of FC cuisine for the first time ever. The taste...

Was not as bad as I thought! Granted, it looked nothing like what it said, it was edible; which is all that mattered. Upon finishing lunch, I rejoined FC, with a slightly swollen ankle. Hoping not to injure it further, I tread lightly. The rest of the day was mostly devoted to lessons involving tactical movement and so on. Much similar to IFC.

Day 2 - FIGHT BACK!

The second day of field camp was filled with more lessons. At that point of time, field camp felt more like outdoor lessons than a camp itself. We spent most of the morning listening to lessons by the SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) on fire movement (Advancing and defeating an enemy in a group). It was only in the afternoon when we managed to practice what we learnt. Most of the time however, was spent waiting around for our turn and talking cock with the Sirs and Sergeants.

Another large portion of the day was spent watching and laughing at some of our blur section mates getting scolded by the commanders as they weren't following instructions properly. Which provided entertainment in the otherwise disconnected world.

My ankle didn't seem to worsen since the previous day, much to my relief. But I still tried to be careful whenever I was walking. Lunch and dinner were both combat rations as usual. Curious to try other flavours of rations, I dug in to flavours such as "Lor Mee"and "Nonya Curry Rice" which neither looks nor tastes like what is labeled. Nonetheless, we were still in high spirits for the rest of the day. But at the back of our minds, we knew what was looming ahead. Day 3 was the infamous "Shell Scrape Day". Expecting the worst, I retired for the night in my basha.

Next up: FC Day 3 and 4. Blood, sweat and many many tears.

Real Life FPS!

Week 6 was the start of our live firing exercise of our Basic Military Training. Only after 6 friggin' weeks than we can actually use our rifles... "Military Training" huh?

Anyway, before we headed over to the range and pumped holes into a few targets, we had to go though the Individual Marksmanship Trainer (IMT). The IMT range was some high tech stuff! Located in a building a short walk away from our bunks, the IMT range was a large, long and dark room filled with projectors and simulator rifles. The purpose of the range was to train and teach recruits on handle the rifle, familiarize them with the targets, along with the procedures to take in the event of a rifle malfunction. 

On top of that, the equipment at the range can track everything! From how steady you hold your rifle, to how you squeeze the trigger. The simulation rifles there were even able to deliver recoil, making the simulator that more realistic

Chilling in an air conditioned room for the whole day, shooting digital targets. Of course damn shiok la.

Towards the end of the day, we were required to pass an IMT test. In short, we had to shoot in all positions (Standing, kneeling, prone and foxhole) and in both day and night conditions.

I hit everything. 32/32, earning an easy marksman. I thought to myself, "Shooting no kick la! If I can ace this test, firing will be just as easy". Hah, I was so wrong

BTP - Live Range (Day 1)

Day 1 started real early. We took a bus towards the 100m range some 20 minutes away. I was quite excited, ready to hit as many targets as I could that day. The previous day, we (my section mates and I) found out that we were the last detail of the entire exercise. Settling down just after 8 in the morning, we sat down and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

T'was 1pm, while the rest were having lunch, when we were called up to shoot for the first time that day. At IMT, there were 6 ranges of 12 lanes each. Which means 6 details worth of people could shoot at the same time. At the range, there was 1 range of 12 lanes. Holy... That wasn't even all! We had 3 shoots that day too! Anyway, the first shoot was a zeroing shoot, meant to adjust our scopes to our aiming style. The targets were big, and easy to shoot. They were meant to be. Still feeling confident, we waited for the next shoot later that afternoon. 

After lunch, things seemed to move faster, after about 3 hours, we were back at the range for our familiarization shoot, (A test shoot in the day). Ready make another flawless run, I steadied my aim. 

My target came up, I took a breath, aimed and fired.

The target remained up (I missed)

Pulled the trigger yet another time, and the target still stayed up. All around me, targets were being shot. Flustered, I fired again, and finally the target went down. Hoping I was unlucky. I shot my last round in that magazine, and missed again. That was just the first out of 3 magazines. For that shoot, I hit 5 out of 12 targets. Not even near the marksman score. Lol, my ego fell so hard it shattered to bits. I was at a loss as to what happened. Was it my aiming technique? Was my rifle zeroed properly? Maybe I was too full, or maybe I was just unlucky. I didn't really know and it bothered me. Later in the night, I had a slightly better, but still unsatisfactory performance at the night shoot. Struggling to get a marksman, I hoped the next day was going to be better

BTP - Live Range (Day 2)

The next day, started similar to the first. we reached early and got ready for the shoot. This round was the real deal. Day 2 determined whether you could earn a marksman achievement; rumored to be a criteria for admission to command school. This time, I was worried. If I didn't get my marksman today, it's gonna be that much harder getting into command school. But instead of feeling flustered, I told myself to take it a shot at a time.

The first shoot came at us quickly, and before I knew it, I was already in the foxhole. I calmed myself down, and got ready to shoot. 

The first target came up, and got shot.

The second target came up and also went down

This happened again, and again for the rest of the day shoots. I hit 16/16 test targets, and 16/16 practice targets. I didn't just perfect my test shots, I also hit all my practice shots too. Suddenly, my target wasn't for marksman anymore. It was for company best shot, the best shooter in the company. With a full IMT score, there was a very high chance I might be able to achieve it if I could shoot everything today as they ignored the fem shoot the previous day. That was when the pressure started to pile up. Between the day and night shoots, we had 5 hours to wait around for nightfall. Trying my best to keep shooting out of my mind, I talked a lot of cock with my friends around me till night came.

Night came, and it was the moment of truth. The first 6/12 rounds hit their targets, and when the 7th round flew out of my barrel, it missed its mark. 

Ah well. So much for the high hopes.

Then again, I still walked away with a comfortable marksman award. Happy but a little disappointed, we left the range and headed back to our bunks

Next post: FIELD CAMP!?

Sorry guys and girls for the late posts, I'm really busy with BMT now to do the posts as regularly as possible. In fact, I'm now behind in writing. Hope ya'll don't mind - Matthew

Becoming fabulous

The highlight this week featured Field Craft, also known as IFC (Individend Field Craft) is centered around skills that will be required during field camp, such as building shelter, camouflage, tactical movement as well as combat drills. In short, we spent almost an entire day rolling around the ground, building bashas (tents), and most interstingly, applying camouflage and concealment

Applying Makeup, Soldier style

Ever wanted an all in one concealer, foundation and lipstick? Well, the army has exactly what you are looking for! Also known as "Leaf Green Camouflage", this revolutionary beauty product will conceal all of your flaws like dark spots, scars and even unsightly blackheads! Your face will be transformed into a sight to behold, so much so that everyone else's faces will all be green with envy. Try it today!!!

I kid

Away from the witty advertisement, applying camo was not exactly the best experience. With the order for camouflage to be on in 5 minutes, all over our face (including neck, ears and lips) we literally had to eat camo, smear it all across our faces and sometimes into our eyes. Yes, even lunch was camo tinted rice. Applying camo was easy. Squeeze a generous amount of camo, slap it on your face and eat it. But getting it off at the end of the day felt like scrubbing a stubborn coffee stain off a white shirt. The camo also had a biting sensation a while after applying it. Also, I've never tried lipstick before but green lipstick, will do the direct opposite to lip balm/gloss/stick/whatever. My lips became dry. And green.

Arti! Arti! Arti! Incoming incoming incoming!

Movement and combat drills were another part of our training. These included reacting to contact from enemy soldiers to artillery fire. For someone watching from afar who doesn't know what's going on you might think us crazy. These drills mostly entailed rolling on the ground, getting up and getting down; basically looking like clowns. 

IFC in short, was an interesting experience. For the first time, I understood that physical fitness and combat fitness are worlds apart and, I got a taste of what life is going to be like in field camp. I apologise for a sub standard post this week as uni open houses burnt most of my precious weekend (I wrote this from my bunk on tekong). Next week: live firing!

Signing on, signing up, and so on...

This week was primarily centered around talks by the Air Force, Navy and Army to sign on to become regulars. In short, they were 'sales' talks by the Ministry of Defense to recruit people to join the SAF. This means that those who sign on, are contractually bound to the SAF for a number of years. In return, the SAF pays for your education and provides you a stable salary. In return, you are bonded to the Air Force, Navy or Army (depending on which one you sign on to). Obviously, the offers presented seem very very attractive. The talks and speakers were engaging and there were many cool videos that were shown to us, advertising life as a regular in the army. To put it bluntly, ah gong (the Gaarment) throws money at you to help him protect the country. Sounds good right? In fact, many of the contracts feature a pay-as-you-study scheme, where the government gives you your standard pay (2k+) per month as you pursue further education. Alternatively, you can defer your studies for a on the spot payment of $20,000. For a 19 year old kid, $20,000 seems like such a large sum of money right!

It got me thinking, "perhaps, if I don't do so well for A's... sign on la". The thought kinda bounced around the back of my head for a while. With the A level results day looming around the corner, a job in the army seemed like an option that may become attractive (should the circumstances become a reality). Thus, I decided to sign up for some of their additional thoughts, just to... keep myself informed and to listen to what they have to say.

On top of signing on, this week also marked the first EI (Express Interest talk) where the CO (commanding officer) talked about the leadership programs in the army. During national service, recruits are given the opportunity to rise to become commanders. Essentially, leaders in the army. These come mainly in the form of Sergeants or Officers that attend the Specialist or Officer Cadet Schools respectively. The gist of the talk was centered around the fact that it is up to you to express your interest to be a commander in order to be considered for selection. This means that regardless of your BMT performance, as long as you do not tell your commanders that you aspire to join command school, you will never get in.

In short, throughout this entire week of talks and thoughts, one thing stood out to me. If the person entering the army is exactly the same person when he leaves the army, then it means that he/she has wasted their time. By going through NS, we're supposed to grow as individuals. To change and transform. Since we're given a free chance to change our lives, might as well go about it!

Getting Married! (Confinement Week Part 2)

The Rifle presentation ceremony marked the start of the second week of confinement. We were all issued our SAR21s, and from that day onward, we were "married". Sworn to protect our newly wedded wives with our lives, I felt... a sense of pride to receive my weapon (sounds damn fake, I know). To me, it felt as though I have officially started becoming a soldier. Although we have yet to test or fire it. And thus, incidents of recruits losing their rifles and magazines during training started. Rifles were stolen by sergeants when they weren't locked up properly in our bunks and magazines were taken when recruits slung their rifles on their backs, out of their sight. Luckily, only warnings were given this time. At the back of my head, I know that punishments are going t o be way worse.

Dealing with Fatigue, Illness and Injury

As confinement week dragged on, we soon hit a stretch of about 4 days of back to back physical activity. Basic close combat training (BCCT), Standard obstacle course (SOC), strength and speed training and so on. That, coupled with 5-6 hours of sleep, made many of us very fatigued. Cough and flu were also spreading around the company as a result. Injury also became an issue during this period as accidents, especially during SOC caused a few of the recruits to be relieved from duty for a few days.

My advice in short
1. Sleep as much as you can when you need it, but keep alert. (sounds contradictory, but deal with it)
2. Bring cough syrup, Strepsils, vitamin c pills, whatever. You'll need it!
3. Be careful! Assess the possible dangers of any activity, and stretch properly! Warmup conducted before physical activity are not enough in my opinion 

Wish me luck and safety! I'll see you all next week

First and Subsequent Days (Confinement Week Part 1)

Hi, everyone! Confinement period is over and I can finally taste a little bit of freedom in the form of the Chinese New Year holidays. Before sharing activities that I've been through these past few weeks, let me tell you a little about what it is like on the sunny island of Tekong.

Pulau Tekong, where the sun is too hot, and the showers, too cold,

is how I would describe Pulau Tekong to family members asking how it is like over there. The afternoon and evening sun over there was mostly scorching, with cloud cover almost non-existent. So much so, that sunburns and sweat are a daily routine for any recruit in Basic Military Training (BMT) on the island. Aside from the weather, Pulau Tekong also seems to experience time dilation (Interstellar!), where time moves much slower on the island relative to mainland Singapore. Simply put, what felt like 2 months on the island was actually 2 weeks in real time.

Many also ask about the conditions in BMT, like the food, facilities and what not. Do not be concerned! Because Pulau Tekong has extremely... mediocre amenities. Without leaving anyone to their own imagination, the bunks, toilets and facilities are all accurately captured on film, in the Ah Boys to Men series. The food, is also very similar to the meals served to parents for food tasting on the island.

In short, with regards to the conditions on Tekong, I would say that it is pretty "habitable" and "Sufficient to survive". After all, its BMT, not a 9 week holiday retreat.

Adjustment Week

Within the first few hours on the island, after saying goodbye to our parents and freedom, we were assigned to our bunks. There, I met the people that I would be spending the next 9 weeks with. Unlike the drama depicted in many NS movies, my bunk mates are all nice people. My buddy is also the direct opposite in terms of me, in all ways. So, meeting new people from all walks of life kept the first few weeks much more enjoyable that it could have been.

The activities done during the first week of BMT centered mainly around orientation lectures on conduct and behavior, which lasted for the first 3 days. It felt like I was back in JC again... Physical training (PT) only began from the fourth day onward, with an introduction to the training routines (like warm ups and stretching). 

The rest of the time was dedicated to dealing with bureaucracy and red tape. Filling up a one page form took almost an hour! By the end of the first week of confinement, I was still feeling quite excited for the activities awaiting, which brought me to the next week of confinement

Preparation!

Firstly, a disclaimer: I do not feel I am prepared for NS AT ALL

Quite frankly, whatever I’m going to share with you here will sound much more than it actually is. That’s just a fact. Furthermore, I can be very sure that no one can say that they are 100% prepared for NS. No matter your physical fitness or mental fortitude, I’ll wager that they’ll be pushed to their limits. Heck, I’ve not even enlisted yet and I’m already spouting nonsense.

So, to prepare myself for the arduous journey ahead, I’ve been running 5k twice a week, lifting weights once a week and playing Ultimate Frisbee pickups thrice a week. Once again, in my honest opinion, far from enough in terms of training. On top of that, I’ve been eating mostly homecooked food, and avoiding fried stuff.

Stuff I’m bringing with me on my “vacation”

Preparing for NS includes packing all the essentials required for survival. This will include: 50 packs of instant noodles, a bottle of tequila and Fifty Shades of Grey.

I jest

I decided to make a trip down to the Beach Road Army Market to see if I needed anything outside of the blue list that was mailed to me by the SAF. Turns out, some of the shopkeepers suggested I purchased a few extra things that I might need, or receive too little of, from the items issued upon my enlistment. These include:

an extra set of Gutters (something used to keep your pants tucked underneath your socks)

Zip Lock bags of various sizes

Some black tape

Prickly Heat powder

a Zebra Marker

an extra army shirt and singlet

a pair of army issue white socks

All of these items costed just a little over $20 but TAKE NOTE! These items are what the shopkeepers recommend you purchase. I don’t know as of now if I will really put all these items to good use. I’ll edit this post again after a few weeks in the army to tell you guys if these items are worth the purchase.

These, along with everything else in the blue list, is packed into a compact foldable bag, labelled with my initials and I'm good to go!

My First Post on the Blog

So it’s the final week up to my enlistment date and I’m quite sure anyone who reads this might be wondering, what’s up with this blog and who in the world I am. So, before I start sharing my deepest darkest insights into my life ahead, let me tell you a little bit about myself.

I was born in the year 1996. And obviously, because I’m serving NS, I am a guy. I’ve just completed my A’s at JC and I’m nervously waiting for March, which marks the arrival of my results. My hobbies are stereotypical of any teenager: Spending time online, hanging out with my friends and playing sports. I'm currently classified as combat fit

For those of you out there interested in knowing how relationships fair in NS, I’m sorry but you’re gonna have to find someone else for that (not attached xD)

The Final week before enlistment

As my countdown to enlistment shortens, I feel a mix of emotions. For one, I feel excited as I await a new chapter to unfold in my life, and at the same time I feel a sense of sadness as the holiday life for me is ending. Perhaps I had enough of waking up late, spending hours doing nothing productive. But honestly, who wants to give up living the life of a post A’s student? But  don’t get me wrong, I’m not dreading the thought of enlisting. But neither am I overly elated for what’s going to happen in the coming days. Maybe this outlook will change in the coming weeks. I can’t very well say at this moment. But that’s why this long chunk of text exists. To document the changes that I will go through in the next coming months!

Gonna become a dog of the military (In a good way) And I ready to take on the challenge

-Black Hayate from FMAB-