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.
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.
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