The Journey To Officership: Week 7 & 8 | The Ultimate Resilience

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One of the longest period spent inside the army training.

----Exercise Centipede----

Yeah, I finally started one of the highlights of service term in OCS: Exercise Centipede. It's a 7D6N outfield back in Tekong, where majority of the males started their NS journey. 

I'm about to fill you guys up with the experience! Let's go! The experience was surely not a pleasant and easy one. You have to do lots of high kneeling up to a point where your skin just tears even with the knee guard provided. Also, we had to build our own Basha tent to sleep in it for the next 7 days. My buddy and I had totally no idea how to build one as we were not taught how to build in BMT. So we just, "Aiya, all we need is a shelter and off we go!" Okay la, I enjoyed the stay in my own basha. Hahaha

Just like part and parcel of every soldier's life, you will have to camo on 24h the moment you're in outfield, the only difficult part was that you had to do it for 7 days straight. Honestly, I wondered how I survived. LOL. 

I remembered many moments whereby the stupid camo got into my eyes during section battle and I was blinded partially, and I had no absolute idea where I was advancing. HAHA. Aside from the inconvenience brought by camo on me, there was also tons of stores amounting to weight of 10+ kg to carry! "Section advance! Enemy Ahead! Enemy Overrun! Ice! Spider Ice!" were some of the frequently heard commands over the 7 days in Tekong. 

What was the toughest part in exercise Centipede wasn't the section fire movement missions, instead it was the navigation once again! Walking up to 10+ km under the flaring sun with heavy stores was a killer. I suffered severe back pain from it. Luckily, it was only temporary and I recovered quickly. 

TECHNICAL BREAK AT DAY 4! YES! You are not seeing it wrong! It's a break!! Okay, the best part of it was habouring inside a lecture room with AIR-CON watching the movie titled "Lone Survivor". Fresh rations! FRESH! I enjoyed totally! However, the break was shortlived! We were brought back to the harsh reality on the same day. 

Gone was the navigation, now we were left with assessments to assess whether we were capable of being section commanders! My assessment didn't went smoothly and only managed to scrape through it. Oh well, I gave my best and I had no regrets. 

I also found out I wasn't as good as compared to my other section mates in fire movement. I died a few times during my friends' assessment. Thereafter, I was nicknamed "Why I Die" because I always ask the instructor why was I declared dead. My friends would then laugh and just call me a burden. Hahaha. It was really a fun and thrilling 7 days outfield with my section mates! 

We ended off the Exercise Centipede with a 8 km tactical route march back to our last habouring area before heading back to OCS. 

To sum up, Exercise Centipede was an outfield to assess cadets whether were we capable of taking lead to become section commanders. 

----Post Exercise Centipede----

I cleaned my SAW weapon for a good 7 hours to clear off the carbon accumulated over the 7 days. It was like a living hell for me as I had to clean like crazy after firing 200+ blanks. 

We were all definitely shagged out from the exercise centipede ... but what's coming up next was truly a test to our resilience.

We had 6 km endurance run the day after we returned back in OCS. Okay I gave my best and completed with a timing of 30:29. 

The day after our 6 km endurance run, we had our 6 km fast march in the early morning before heading for Exercise Coyote: Urban Operations (2D1N). 

Exercise Coyote was damn fun la! Clearing staircases and rooms were super thrilling. Combat in urban areas were so much easier to me. 

YOU KNOW WHAT'S NEXT? BOOK OUT LO!

- Not enough time to rest at all. 

The Journey to Officership: Week 6 | Section Drills

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This week was a short one! Started off the week on a beautiful Wednesday.

It's a week whereby our physical limits were tested and pushed to the limits. I swear, I almost died from it. It's a totally new level of shag-ness with stores strapped onto your body walking long distances on rocky roads with steep up and down slopes.

This was also the moment where I realized my combat fitness is ZERO, literally. I was constantly grasping for more oxygen every step I took. I was so freaking close to falling out but of course, I didn't because of my friends who cheered each other on.

Yup, so with a unprepared state of mind and combat fitness, we completed a whole day of navigation walking for long distances for numerous hours. Although I disliked combat rations very much, I realized that I was left with pretty not much choice but to consume so as to survive and push on.

Other than navigation, we also had section fire movement drills. Communication was the key to success in every fight. It was extremely difficult to get everyone on the same page initially, however with more practices, we eventually formed a link within our section. Pretty glad that there was not much argument between section mates along the learning process.

With that, we are heading to Tekong for a 7D6N outfield next week!

- Tired, I need some good rest. Haha

The Journey To Officership: Week 5 | Demolitions, Weapons, and PT

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This week was a mad rush!

It's a cycle of learning followed by tests one after another. The tempo was really fast. We had live firing on demolitions, M203 and matadors for this week!

Let's touch on the demolitions first! So it's just waiting for your turn in green uniform the entire afternoon. Door charges, cross charges, claymore and i-chain were the ones we had during our live firing. Only the selected few based on test results will be chosen to do Door charges, cross charges and claymore. Well, I wasn't selected for anything so I only got to do i-chain! Should have studied harder! Haha.

Moving on to the most anticipated and exciting part of the week, the live firing of M203 and matadors! I swear it was damn fun la. Pew --- shoooooo at a rate of infinity ---- boom ... BOOM!! Everything went smoothly and ended by early afternoon. Headed back to wing line for lunch!

IPPT test 3 was also held in this week! I'm happy that I made a big improvement!! I did a total of 60 push-ups, 53 sit-ups and gotten a timing of 10:23 for my 2.4 km run! Like finally!! I'm out of the RT zone!!! I"M SO HAPPY! Hahaha, I guess I will just have to keep fit on my own then!

There was also a 4 km fast march. It would only be so much more manageable if people at the front stayed compact at all times.. platoon 1 has a small gap, platoon 2 widens this gap, and platoon 3 runs up to close up the gap. This is a fast march and not a fast run!! Haha but anyway, good workout on my legs. It was burning after we completed the march.

- Here comes my 3 days rest! :D

The Journey To Officership: Week 4 | Sweat through discipline

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Finally, it is almost a month into OCS.

We had a 5km endurance run and the timing was required to be under 26:10. I was praying so hard to myself that I have to do it under 26:10 because I wanted no more RT on Saturdays. Somehow, the constant reminder to myself about wanting no more RT fueled me to run non-stop! In the end, I made it with a timing of 24:51. I was also surprised how I managed to complete it with that timing. 

This week was also the learning of signals! I have learnt so much about the signal kits as well as on how to use it. It's damn heavy, I swear! Outfield is going to be a challenge to each and everyone's resilience and a test to our team spirit. 

This week was more chill than the others, as I was one of the selected few to rehearse for the change of command (COC) parade for the incoming and outgoing commander of OCS. Practicising under the hot sun for 15 hours is no easy feet. Furthermore, we were wearing ILBV and holding rifles all the time. Fortunately, we made it and we did a good one for the parade! Our peers whom were watching us also praised that we did well! I guess our efforts did paid off after all! 

We also had our lecture on M203 for next week's live firing and technical handling test! 

- Can be considered the rest week before the hell starts. 

The Journey To Officership: Week 3 | Weapons and NAVEX

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First week in Bravo Wing. 

It was entirely a culture and regimentation shock for me when I stepped into Bravo wing. Indeed, I did felt a drastic change in the environment and the way things are conducted.

As part of an official start to service term, we had a change of command (COC) parade to officially welcome the cadet appointment holders. Basically, they are the ones whom will lead and run the show for the next 3 weeks. 

There comes my IPPT test 2 in bravo wing. I did a total of 48 push-ups, 50 sit ups and a timing of 10:39 for my 2.4 km run. The outcome was rather disappointing. I was faulted a few times for my push-ups. In the end, I have gotten silver for my IPPT. Here comes my remedial training (RT) on Saturday. I wonder how physically exerting will the RT get. It seems like I'm still not fit enough to get away!

Remember that I mentioned about how much love I have for navigation? Yes! I'm finally entering the forests to do my solo navigation for the day and night! I would say that one must be careful of the terrain as it isn't a flat ground. It's full of fallen dead leaves and branches as well as big roots with elevated ground at some portions. I fell quite a few times due to carelessness. I did fairly well for the day! The night was the more challenging one as the visibility was constrained and you tend to take smaller steps to avoid falling down. In short, navigation is awesome la! Haha.

Yeah, I'm officially learning my first weapon: Section Assault Weapon (SAW), aside from SAR 21, It was an interesting one and is far more complex than SAR 21. You can go full burst with the weapon unlike SAR 21.  At the same time, many people have warned how SAW is prone to negligent discharge (ND) if not handled carefully. Technical Handling Test (THT) and theory test were conducted before we went for our live firing the next day!

Yup! The live firing was an awesome experience la! You really got to try the power and speed that SAW has to offer you. I had a great time although I missed all my bullets on the target. HAHA. I guess the bobo legacy still stays in me.

- Adventurous weeks ahead

The Journey To Officership: Week 2 | The Initiation

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Second week of confinement over in OCS and I'm already missing my loved ones, but at least my time is considered better to the three weeks confinement in the past.

We had 4km endurance run and the timing must be kept under 22 minutes. Through that run, I guess my fitness wasn’t there yet as I failed to meet the timing. Over in OCS, majority of the people can really run, and I mean for real. Their 2.4 km running timings were really fast, not forgetting to mention their endurance run as well. Gym orientation was also conducted for us. I must say that the gym facilities in OCS had so many more varieties for people to choose and work on their muscles.

Next up! It's time for my leadership field camp. Throughout the leadership camp, it was quite a pleasant experience! We played games which required team effort to accomplish it. As we did meet the timings and so we were granted the privilege to wash up before insertion into the woods for our solo night camping.

And once again, we had lessons and tests on Military law and navigation. I must say that the favourite part of the CLM term was navigation. Although the technical part of it was dry, but navigation is fun and a useful skill to acquire, I swear!  Very soon, I’ll be inserted into the forest for day and night solo navigation! :D

Yup, as the title speaks for itself! It's the moment where we had our initiation ceremony to receive our two white bars! Welcome to service term! Yup, more responsibilities would naturally come with the rank and seniority vested on our uniform. I'm looking forward to it! At this point of time, I'm already transferred to Bravo Wing. So, I'm a Bravo warrior now. :P

YES! The day where every cadet dreaded for after a good 15 days of confinement! Family day! :D We, cadets, were the tour guide for our loved ones on that day! I toured around with my loved ones and you know what's next? I'm out of the camp! Hahaha back to civilian life for 2 days!

- Happy week !

The Journey To Officership: Week 1 | The Introduction

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Hello people! It’s been awhile since I updated everyone what I’m up to! So right after the posting, I got into Officer Cadet School (OCS) and I felt that it will be worth penning down the memories along this journey of mine. Bear with me as I share all the NS related stuff. Hopefully, this can be a countdown timer to my commission! 

Got into Charlie Wing for my CLM term! Supposed to have an orientation run around SAFTI led by seniors from Delta Wing, however it was raining so we did not get to do so. We ended up learning more about the culture and history of OCS. On a lighter note, I miss my bed! As part of the orientation phase, we also had many lectures on safety, the do-s and don't-s in OCS, the appropriate haircut and so on. I really had difficulties trying not to fall asleep. :P

Subsequently, I also had my first IPPT in OCS that week. My results were 57 push-ups, 48 sit-ups and a timing of 11:06 for my 2.4 km run - it's rather bad. Oh well, that just meant that if I don't improve in my second IPPT, I'll face remedial training (RT) on Saturday. I have heard that it isn't a pleasant experience, they will really push you out of your physical limits.

We were also taught on chemical defence during wartimes. Yup, wearing those masks were part of the learning plan. I swear the mask was so so so uncomfortable for me, because if you can imagine now you're breathing through a confined hole provided by the mask..

Finally, it was time for us to do our 5M confidence jump followed by 265 steps stairway tower climb. I thought 5M confidence jump will be an easy one for myself because it didn't look so high to me. This is where shit gets real. As I arrived at the 5M platform jump, I was "WHATTTT". I swear it was damn high! I was like okay if I don't do it, I'll be screwed. So I just shouted what was required, "To lead, To excel, To overcome" and I took the leap of faith and leap off while closing my eyes. I swear the hanging time before you get in contact with the pool was awful. LOL. Somehow I felt that it was better not to close your eyes the next time round. Not to forget, the view from the tower was breathtaking! You can even see lights of changi airport if you're there in the early morning hours! 

- Not a too shag week