Chapter 9-- They say that in the army....(part 2)

"Purple light,
in the valley
that is where, i want to be,
infantry,
close companions,
with my rifle and my buddy and meeeee.
SOC sibeh jialat,
IPPT,
lagi worse,
everyday,
doing PT,
with my rifle and my buddy and meeeee"

OETI( 16-06-2003--27-10-2003)
As the name OETI suggest-- only eat,talk and idle. This must surely be the most relaxing phase of my own army "career". Not only to we get to book out every day as it is also a stay-out camp, the training there is really laid-back and relaxing as we practically go to camp for chit chat session and to eat the fried chicken wings there(they used to sell one of the most delicious chicken wings) only. Nevertheless, it was here that I was "supposed" to learn how to repair and trouble shoot 'A' vehicles' problems although I still feel like I learned practically nothing there. The vehicles there are all so-called "prostitutes vehicles" because they have been stripped and assemble so many times that most of its parts are loose and doesn't require much effort to remove or assemble unlike those in unit whereby sometimes you really have to use your "nine cow two tiger" effort to remove a bloody component. The instructors are also generally nice people who jokes around with us and there was this master sergent Lau(although now he is a warrant officer already) who is really an old man 'kid' whose mind set I think is even younger than me. Miss those 4 and a half month of slacking....


46SAR( 29-10-2003--12-04-2005)

Once armour always armour.... This is possibly the place where I feel the most emotionally attached to since it is here that I spend the rest and most of my military life. 46 SAR(Singapore armour regiment) is the place where I learned to both love and hate. To be honest, it really brings me a totally new and different arrays of experiences quite different from what I experienced before coming here. If BMT is said to provide me with the infantry experiences, then 46SAR must be say to have provided me with the armour experiences. In particular, I must say that I am quite privilege to have the opportunity to participate in a few major events in 46 SAR that are and will always truly be memorable in my life.In fact, I am going to subdivide this section into more headings due to the enriching times that I spend here.


Low key period

Firstly, to begin with, I was assigned to repair Bronco company's vehicles by my workshop 2IC the day I arrived at the unit. My boss during that time were an plump indian man(Bala) and a "siao" chinese guy(Ke bing) who always cracked jokes. I also have 3 other colleagues working along with me with one(Loh) going to ORD soon( and which by right means that I am supposed to replace him), one(Eng Huat) who just come back from his studies and will also be ORDing in a few months times and one(Christ) who always enjoyed "bullying" me. This period could be called the 1st generation of the Bronco coy mechanic squad. As the time when I went into the unit was considered low key, we have plenty of time to fool around one another as there was practically nothing much to do since we do not have new batch of recruits coming in yet and therefore the vehicles seldom have much major problems as they do not have to endure outfield conditions yet.A normal day in camp includes completing with the then support tech-squad on who went for tea breaks first and gossiping during these sessions. All in all, this blissful period lasted for about 6 months.

BMT mono-intake

With the arrival of the new recruits, my destiny took a major turn as it signify the start of the high key period. I was involved in both the PTP and BMT mono intake mainly as some sort of RP role( I was assigned to help my S2 branch) as I am tasked to check vehicles entering the camp for security threats such as bombs and to direct vehicles to the appropiate places. Then came the driving course at SOA which I had to attend to learn to drive the M113 vehicle in preparation for further outfield exercises when the BMT ended and the recruits were classified as armour infantry personnel. Lastly, I was also involved in my first ATP at Pasir Laba camp(i think) whereby they would be innumerable HUGH mosquitoes at night that really distract you. It was to be the worst shooting experience I ever had as I was totally a bobo shooter during that time as I just couldn't rise to the occasion as I did during my BMT which is to CONCENTRATE.

High Key Period

Things really started to get into gears when the recruits have POP. A number of drivers and VCs were posted to Bronco company and were therefore be working alongside with us tech squad since they themselves have to help out with maintening their own vehicles such as BOS and 50th or 100th hour servicing. They are also expected to know how to perform some minor repairs on their own such as changing of tracks and wheels. All these are crucial for their "survival" outfield as they cannot afford to always wait for the tech squad to arrive to solve their vehicles' problems as it would seriously tamper with their operational missions. The first real outfield exercise begin with an "outing" at area D whereby the whole battlelion was involved as we learned how to set up the camo-net for the various vehicles and to learned some basic outfield techniques. This is to prepare us for future outfield exercises and oversea trainings. The first major exercise that I can still remembered is a 4 days 3 nights exercise(should be at battlelion level) at area D whereby I truly had my first opportunity to work along side with Bronco company outfield and man that was quite tough as I still had difficulty setting camo-net at night and having to follow my company flight of vehicles at night. Luckily, the path at night in Singapore forest are still quite visible so I do not have much problem with that. However, I was, unfortunately bitten by sandflies(which was by the way my first time!) when we have to help Attila company towed out one of my coy vehicle.


Exercise Wallaby

Exercise Wallaby was carried out for about 3 weeks during October in 2004 at Australia Shoalwater Bay in a small town called Rockhampton and prior to that trip, lots of preparations were carried out to ensure that we could enter the country as it is said that that the Australian are quite particular about cleanliness and they do not want us to introduce any forgein materials into their country. Therefore, vigiorous inspections were carried out by the senior commanders to ensure that that our stuffs were quite free from mud, dirt and dust. All these means that we have to ensure that even the bottoms of our boots are kiwi black so that it looks clean and new SBOs are given to us to spare us the trouble of washing our already battled SBOs. A briefing at ATC was then conducted to help us have a feel of what Wallaby have in store for us and all the precautionary actions that we should take to ensure our own safety.
The training at Wallaby was in my opinion really tough as it involved the whole battlelion when carrying out missions.( luckily I was not the advance party or I would have to set up all the tents) Our base camp at Shoalwater Bay is at Sam hill where delicious 'super" dogs and flies can be savour. Here, we have one of the better toilet facilities where we can bath and do "big business" although if you want to bath, you would have to collect water either warm or cold from the tap first before pouring it into a large pouch fitted with lotus head. This means that we would have to bath relatively fast otherwise the water in the pouch would be emptied as there is no way that we can control the flow of water from the pouch as the loctus head cannot be fully closed. It is also here at Sam hill that we prepare our vehicles before they move out as the next time they returned to Sam hill would be when the whole exercise had ended. It is also the base for GSMC people to work on some of the more major faults of the vehicles.
The first night outfield at Wallaby was especially memorable because it had just rained that faithful afternoon and it was freezy cold at night even if our jackets on. I was practically shaking from head to toes thoughout the night as we set up our camo-net in the freaky cold and dark forest. The ironic thing is that during the briefing, it was told to us that the weather would be sunny and warm as it is summer time in Australia but yet it rains quite a few times during the whole of our training there and I really hate the rain as being VC of the recovery vehicle, I was not shielded from the rain unlike those people in BV206 and the weather would also get fucking cold(not those rainy temperature we get in Singapore) even in the day.
Halfway though the exercise, we camp at Dion camp before continuing the second part of the exercise. Here, all the vehicles were checked by us and any problems rectified immediately before embarking. The one important thing worth mentioning about Dion camp must be its toilets as unlike Sam hill toilets which have flush and everything like what we have at home, the toliets here are really one of the more primitive types whereby there is a small hole just big enough for our ass and of course there are no flush( it is said that that there are shit-eating worms beneath). Basically, you yourself have to cover up your shits with the sawdusts provided just outside though I have to admit that I never do that because just too lazy lah. Dion camp is also the place whereby we can finally have a respite from combat rations as fresh rations were provided for us. We can also buy the popular "super" dogs from the vendors when they come to visit us occasionally.
The second part of the exercise was also spend outfield as the battlelion go about doing its missions which are typically attack,defend and delay missions. The last exercise was the live-firing exercise whereby only the junior regulars and NSFs tech squad were involved as part of the CSS. Only one vehicle(from Bronco haha) was completely down and have to be towed back otherwise the live firing exercise would be a perfect ending for all our training. Hmm remember that we were towing back the vehicle in the evening with the sun starting to set down and all I was thinking of during that moment was how the R&R would be like.
With the end of the training came the highly anticipated R&R. Unlike most of the combatants who spend their 1 night stay in a motel, we were treated to a really posh resort-like villa with a nearby beach and swimming pool. It was really one of the most comfortable "hotel" that I had even been and it was a bit if the pity that it was only for 1 night. As we booked into the resort during the afternoon and that is no other official activities til the next morning, we have quite some time to plan what we want to do for the rest of the day. In the end, we decided to just chill out in one of our room with a few packets of potatoes chips and beers but the trick was how to get these items. As it is famously known, Australia stores closes quite early and we have to find out the nearest place to get these items. In the end, we( Dong Yang, Ah Lau,Ah Kong, me and I think Yong Jian) hopped onto a free shuttle bus from the resort that brought us to a small town where we brought all our items. We also discovered that that is this particular brand of honey soy favour potato chips that was so tasty that I brought quite a few large packets home from one of the supermarket there. The official R&R started with a trip to a place like tourist attraction whereby we have our lunch in a buffet-like style. This was followed by a trip to a shopping mall in Rockhampton whereby we have a few hours to shop. Here, I purchased a billabong wallet for myself and also for one of my friend whose birthday is also coming during that time. The memorable R&R ends with a hunt for the lengendary target supermarket whereby one of our senior whom have been to Wallaby before said that we would be able to buy an extra long Toblerone. Seaching through the sheets fractically with time running out, we finally manage to locate it although we later realize that the extra long toblerone was really well, hust made up of a few normal toblerone arranged in a linear line... So much for all that effort of finding it...However, at least it does drawn attentions from some ignorant people and even from one air stewardness for me!


LRI/ 4 NTM

Our annual LRI during 2004 was held in Demember in conjuction with 4 NTM after our trip to Wallaby so you can imagine how sian it is to have to work overtime again within such a short time frame. Nothing much to say about this 2 events except that for LRI, we score a low result after one of the inspectors found out that we were hiding spare parts in one of our BV206. The exact details I not sure because I was on leave during that day haha. Oh ya, also during one faithful night during LRI when both my IC and 2IC were busy repairing one of the SM1 vehicles, I was so tired that instead of helping them, I sneaked off to a bv206 and hide inside there to sleep. For 4 NTM, the various company except Scorpion rotates to do standby duty. we just have to ensure that our full pack is there and to do BOS and some minor repair only everyday since the vehicles used in 4NTM were supposed to be already in tip-top conditions and ready to move outfield anytime should the need arises. The troubleson part is that we have to book in and out of the vehicle shed during that time but fortunaely, we were not activated.


Exercise Babina

Exercise Babina was held in India and instead of being on a battlelion scale, it was only on company scale. Therefore, I followed the Bronco company which my tech squad is based on to India in February after Cheethas company had completed their training. Unlike Australia where stringent measures were taken to ensure cleanliness of our items, India do not have this rule so we were spare the prospect of cleaning our items. The training at India also were not that tough compared to Australia because we do not have to set up camo-net(finally!) since most of the exercise were be taking place in desert-like place with no forest cover.Also, unlike Australia whereby there were lots of movements, the exercise in India were mainly live-firing and so to tech-squad like us, we do not have to move much since we are only stand-by during live-firing. In fact, we have so much free time during training that we were always playing card games and cooking maggie mee to satified our hunger instead of eating combat rations. Haha perhaps it is here that I developed a liking for luucheon meat since we were eating so much of it during that time. The facilities at India were also slightly better than those in Australia beacuse we finally have bunks to sleep in at night and proper toliets with warm water and shower heads! Perhaps it was also because I was so in ORD mood during that time that I really heck care quite a lot of things like repairing vehicles. In fact, my responsiblities during that time was only to be the driver of our recovery vehicle and to ensure that our recovery vehicle is in good conditions.
However, unlike Australia, the R&R in India were also considerately less fun mainly beacuse the rest of the companies tech squads were not there and that only the Taj Mahal stands out as the only place worth visiting. Also, it could be that the effort used in training in India were so much less than that in Wallaby that you do not really feel the instant relaxness. Finally, there was really nothing to shop in New Dehli...at least in parts where we visited. I bring back almost all the cash I brought there less those that I spend on a few packets of potatoe chips and bottles of pepsi.


Conclusions
The 2 years and 4 months that I spend in the army were really in a way very meaningful and memorable because I really do learned quite a lot of things inside there from the moment when BMT starts right to my ORD day. The valuable experiences were really also worth all the blood, sweat and tears and I relish these experiences so much that if you ask me if I willing to go through all these again, I would have say yes.


"Booking out,
see my girlfriend
saw her with another man
KILL THE MAN!!
rape my girlfriend
with my rifle and my buddy and meeeee.
Purple light,
at the warfront
that is where,
my buddy dies
if i die,
would u bury me with my rifle and my buddy and meeeee"

Yours Sincerely,

Yongster