Army Days - The Highs
This entry is about the high points of my stint in 46. There aren't many actually so I just picked up top 3.
No 3 - End of ATEC.
Actually the end of any outfield excercises was high points by itself. We can finally go back to coy line and change out of our dirty and disgusting uniforms. We don't need to eat any more combat rations and can look forward to more (slightly) palatable food. Get out of the hot and humid jungle infested with creepy crawlies. Not forgetting that the end of outfield excercise usually coincides with book out day. ATEC is the outfield excercise which will end all outfield and supposedly we will not have anymore after that. (Turn out to be false for most people.)
No 2 - NDP 2004 + 2005
My unit was involved in both parades and I was put on the front line on both occasions. In 2004 I was part of the marching contingent. Well I would say the rehearsals were tough and our weekends were burnt as a result. However it's once in a lifetime's experience so I was glad I'm part of it in the end. I was hoping that we would not be involved in the following year's NDP but sadly it was not to be. This time I got a much cooler job. I got to drive my armoured vehicle in front of the Padang for inspection by the President during the parade. So the same thing happened like the previous year with the weekends burnt and hours put inside the preparation. I would say that although it wasn't as tough physically as in 2004, it was much harder mentally. Compared to other people in the company involved in other aspects of the parade, I felt that we were not given a fair deal for the efforts we had put in. In the end there were animosity between the different groups. I believed that all these should have been managed better. But despite of that, 2005 Parade was a blast. I got to pilot my vehicle from National Stadium to Padang and then from Padang all the way to Tampines through Geylang, Eunos, Simei etc with people lining the streets waving at us along the route. Going to Tampines was like a homecoming for me as I stay in the east. The crowds present was unbelieveable and people were busy taking photos of us as if we were the European Champions. Simply incredile.
No 1 - ORD
No one will disagree with me on this. This is the moment everyone is looking forward to since the enlistment day. End of slavery and start of next chapter in life.
Look out for the next instalment - The Lows.
No 3 - End of ATEC.
Actually the end of any outfield excercises was high points by itself. We can finally go back to coy line and change out of our dirty and disgusting uniforms. We don't need to eat any more combat rations and can look forward to more (slightly) palatable food. Get out of the hot and humid jungle infested with creepy crawlies. Not forgetting that the end of outfield excercise usually coincides with book out day. ATEC is the outfield excercise which will end all outfield and supposedly we will not have anymore after that. (Turn out to be false for most people.)
No 2 - NDP 2004 + 2005
My unit was involved in both parades and I was put on the front line on both occasions. In 2004 I was part of the marching contingent. Well I would say the rehearsals were tough and our weekends were burnt as a result. However it's once in a lifetime's experience so I was glad I'm part of it in the end. I was hoping that we would not be involved in the following year's NDP but sadly it was not to be. This time I got a much cooler job. I got to drive my armoured vehicle in front of the Padang for inspection by the President during the parade. So the same thing happened like the previous year with the weekends burnt and hours put inside the preparation. I would say that although it wasn't as tough physically as in 2004, it was much harder mentally. Compared to other people in the company involved in other aspects of the parade, I felt that we were not given a fair deal for the efforts we had put in. In the end there were animosity between the different groups. I believed that all these should have been managed better. But despite of that, 2005 Parade was a blast. I got to pilot my vehicle from National Stadium to Padang and then from Padang all the way to Tampines through Geylang, Eunos, Simei etc with people lining the streets waving at us along the route. Going to Tampines was like a homecoming for me as I stay in the east. The crowds present was unbelieveable and people were busy taking photos of us as if we were the European Champions. Simply incredile.
No 1 - ORD
No one will disagree with me on this. This is the moment everyone is looking forward to since the enlistment day. End of slavery and start of next chapter in life.
Look out for the next instalment - The Lows.
posted by shyh jie at 1:42 PM
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