The end of another stage of Life

I will be Operationally Ready [ORD] by 2nd June 2005, which also means that i'll be serving the Army as a Full-time National Service man for the last time on that very day. Having acculmulated 23 days of leave, Wednesday, 27th of April was my second last.

It was a fantastic feeling to be packing up my bags and equipment on the day before 27th for the long long break well deserved. I went outfield for the last time, on the 27th's morning, to help provide enemy simulation for my company's platoons for their battle course. Army Training Evaluation Centre's [ATEC] is looming large in the horizon and the battalion's really feeling the heat - training has been stepped up, outfield exercises are constantly rising, and i'm ORDing! =P Though i'm out of the physical actions, i'm still in for the planning portion, which i was tremendously thankful for. It will be such a waste should the skills that i've learnt in CTC were not put into use. I was also glad to be contributing right up to my very last few days.

Everything went well until my unit's Commanding Officer [CO] decided to drop by our training area to 'observe' our training. He ended up punishing the troops and berating the commanders, the officers included, for demonstrating lousy standards upon contact with the enemy. But c'mon man, the guys have just finished their Protection of Installation duties at Jurong Island, Changi Airport and Keppel Wharf; a mundane 12 hours daily patrolling duty which lasted for a month. Obviously, their fitness and their basic soldiering skills have deteriorated much. Furthermore, this platoon training course was designed to precisely to get the troops back into shape. Give my Company Commander and my fellow platoon commanders some leeway man, it is our company's platoon training after all. We ended up returning to unit at 2100 instead of the projected 1630. Thanks eh boss.

My CO may have gotten a degree with good honours, and did well on courses, but he really, really has lousy EQ. Why? Because not one single officer in the battalion feels comfortable with him around, nosing into our businesses and breathing down our necks. He may be an outstanding student and officer in his younger days, but running a battalion of 700 odd men is a different matter all together. We need a mentor, a good coach that can bring out the best in us, not a disciplinarian and a slave driver who focuses on errors and shortcomings. Well, i've got to tell you, i'm damn glad that i'm out of his ATEC programme. I don't think i'll enjoy fighting ATEC with him one bit.

That said, i'm still rather melancholic about leaving my company and my company boss behind. I enjoyed my time in Alpha Company; talking to the men, listening to their concerns and hopes and dreams; being appreciated by my boss and peers for my contributions; making good friends all round, with the Sergeants and Officers alike. Sadly, everything good has an ending. As i wave goodbye to the guys before i go on my break, the dudes wanted a speech from me, but i think i'll reserve my speech on my ORD day. Anyway, i've already given one to the company on the start of the first day of back to basics training, to spur them on, so there was no real importance to give one on the 27th. I left after some little chats, and in a hurry too, you never know what tricks those mischievous devils have up their sleeves. I don't need no ketchup nor soiled water all over my body!

After much toil over the past 2 odd years, i'm gonna treasure my leave by just chilling at home, doing things that i really like, playing the sports that i really enjoy and catch up with my family and friends. The end of another stage in my life, the beginning of the next - Back to school!