As I mentioned on 6 Jan, I was feeling really down. On the morning of my enlistment, I was nervous. I saw the line of cars goint to the camp. I saw the soldiers on duty there and I saw the red-beret officers there. They were smiling, but only at that time. It was as if I have just entered hostile land. The oath taking ceremony came and gone, refreshments came and gone and my parents came and gone.
The next few days was just checking equipment and teaching us how to do basic stuff. Physical training(PT) also started after a few days. The thing I hate most about PT is the warming-up session. It is so sickeningly long and rather useless other than forcing me to frip tonnes of sweat. Oh by the way, I did lose a few tonnes of sweat inside. No joke. Our PT include weight training, long distance running(4km), push-ups, pull-ups, crunches, sit-ups. All the normal things, just that the intensity is higher and frequency is higher than in school. Also, there will always be some sergeant shouting here and there. Oh yah, there is also this ting called drills. In other words, marching. I went in there without the slightest idea of marching and the commands. Now I have learnt but it is still difficult to react when a very fast string of commands come pouring in.
We also had lectures in camp. Those periods are one of the most torturous times. Well, the officers there are not well-trained in speech so it makes it difficult for us not to fall asleep. But there is always a threat of some sergeant coming by and catching you. This is so especially next week onwards when they can punish you severely(that is when the adjustment period is over). From next week, we will start to have lectures on weapons handling and outfield. Sounds interesting but it is again another extra responsibility and effort to keep awake.
Life is becoming monotonous in camp. For me, I wake up slightly more than half an hour before the official waking time. I don't like to rush to get things done. So I take my time to wash up and pack my things. Water parade will follow. Now, drinking water is a good thing but it's really awful trying to finish up half a FAT bottle of water when you are not thirsty. It takes some skill. However this is the essential factor which prevented me from getting seriously ill in my 2 weeks stay there. Next is breakfast then area cleaning. In between, we have to fall in and march from barrack to cookhouse. I am getting sick of falling in and marching. It's just a waste of time and effort. Normally there are 2 main activities a day and perhaps some lecture or talk in between. PTs, drills, swimming and standard obstacle course(SOC) training are usually the main activities. One in the morning and one in the afternoon hot sun. This means we often have to do warming-up twice a day. I remember the most uncomfortable period was when we did our warm-up on the wet grass in long number 4 uniform. Anyway our day usually ends after dinner for the past 2 weeks. Night training will start from next week and it will burn us out seriously. Military life is very hectic and stressful. The sergeants always give us less than sufficient time to get things done and we have to move with maximum speed, often getting no respite. Our free time in the afternoon is getting shorter and shorter. Training is getting packed and I'm not enjoying it one bit.
I am indeed surprised that time passes so quickly and 2 weeks' of unhappiness have gone. I have been pushing myself every training and telling myself not to give up. My muscles worked overtime and my heart was crying for help. I don't know how to describe the feeling anymore, because it has already become numb. Whatever I need to do during PT, I do my best and no more. I have forgotten what it means to be tired. Nowadays, I don't feel tired even during lights-off. Yes, I have learnt things in the army. I have learnt to treasure things in the civilian world much more than before. I learnt to appreciate the love people give me outside. I learnt the value of freedom and I learnt discipline. With discipline comes many things. I am overjoyed to be back home again with all my loved ones around me. I dare not think of what is coming up in the weeks' to come. It is going to be tougher than the past 2 weeks. Ok, I will just mention there is this night training which will end close to midnight and there is this outfield training. We are going to Tekong the week after CNY for our field training for about 10 days. I have never gone camping in the wild before. And I am not looking forward to it really. It is the same feeling I had 2 weeks' ago, so everything will pass very quickly again I suppose. My aim now is to reach the physical standards to pass my IPPT(fitness test) and SOC. Whether I pass my commando fitness test is another story. Nothing else matters.
I shall elaborate further in my situation now. I am currently training in Pasir Ris Camp. I am in the Basic Tactics Wing of the Special Warfare Tactics School. It is a school of Commandos. We are the only batch of Commando recruits for this batch. Sounds prestigious ya? Anyway we are undergoing basic military training(BMT) just like the people in Tekong. The only difference is that our training is slightly tougher and if we pass the standard requirements for BMT AND also the Airborne Selection Test(only for commandos), we will pass out as commandos. If we do not pass the latter, then we will get posted to other units, like the people in Tekong. If we do pass it, we will go for airborne(parachuting) training for one month and some selected vocational training(signals, medic, leader etc.) for 3 months after which we will be operationally ready commandos. That will be in June.
