Mobilised for the 1st time

When I knew about my ops manning period, seriously I don't give a damn about it. Firstly, when I 've ORDed, they didn't even tell me which unit I'm posted to (I'm a HQ medic, so instead of my going to the unit where the guys I knew go to, I'm possibly posted to somewhere else). Secondly, there's no information about what I should do, other than to ask my friends. OK, I'm so can't-be-bothered that I've only asked Zhiye, since he's the only one out of us who did went back for ICT. He told me there should be a letter, but I did not receive it (either that or it's lost in that heap of unread letters, which are mostly bills). My first ops manning period was last December, and before I realise it, it was gone as soon as it comes. Again, due to my uncaring attitude. The second one was scheduled for this week, and as much as I'm anxious as to what I'm supposed to do, in reality I couldn't even be bothered to pack my duffel bag. Yes, all the stuff I have stuffed into my duffel bag remains unpacked til this day, ever since I've ORDed in December 2005.

On the fateful Saturday, as I was going into the computer lab to do statistical stuff, my phone rang. And it was by an unknown number. I listened and the familiar pre-recorded voice
informed me that I was mobilised. Meaning, I have to report to some destination in my No. 4, helmet, SBO and field pack. Boy, was I shocked, given at a time when I got lessons. I tried to look for contact numbers to call through the NS Portal website, and eventually I found the 24 hours contact centre. I called them, and the operator told me to call this certain number, which is fine, until my HP went out of batt. Crap, I should have charged it the day before. Oh well, in the end I borrowed Melvin's phone and tried to call, but the number is always busy. It wasn't until the end of lesson before I finally got through the line. As I was explaining to the operator that I wasn't going to make it in time (as I thought I have to get there within 4 hours), he told me that the time limit was before 10pm (so it's actually within 8 hours), so there's really no hurry. It was a relief after I have confirmed the place I have to report to. Luckily, it's the same old camp that I've been for 1+ years.

Since there's no hurry, I just hang along with the foundation guys (and gals) who are going to watch Spiderman 3. I was thinking, as luck have it, I did not promise to watch with them, or I will feel very bad because of the mobilisation, since it will cause a lot of stress for me.

After I reach home, I proceed to salvage my duffel bag for the SBO and stuff, and it was only then that I realise there's a lot of memories in it. I found a black bag which I always bring along with my medic bag (MOP) to put in my personal stuff (my mp3 player and GBA, haha), additional medical supplies as well as "unauthorised" medical stuff. I say they were unauthorised because they are not supposed to be found in my standard MOP, but they are actually much more useful. Examples include Axe brand medicated oil (风油), Qing Cao medicated oil (青草油), Mopiko, muscle rub ointment, muscle spray, op-site spray (to form a thin layer of plaster over the wound). Qing Cao medicated oil is my favourite weapon, since I can use it to "tekan" whoever comes to me. Ok, that was half true, since many trainees I've known are pretty cool about it, as they know it's good for them (Applying this oil to the wound causes pain worse than applying salt to the wound, for those who are ignorant of the effects of this oil).
My superiors were also supportive of my methods, and let me do whatever I want, and my CSM gave me a op-site spray as I suppose he thinks that I will have better use for it.

My SBO with the water bottle pouches removed remind me of the time when I was involved in the SAF Day parade. Yes, I was part of the marching battalion representing the Medical Corps in 2004 (around the end of my Medic course). Those days were gruesome, as we have to practice marching from day to night, sunny or raining. It eventually paid off, as I train my endurance and willpower, though it eventually turn out useless as I slacked off after that.

As I keep reminiscing about the times in army, the period in BMT was the most unforgettable. Firstly, I got into the company, Foxtrot, known at that time as being one of the top 3 "siong" companies in Tekong, and possibly the worst in School 1. The training is terrible plus horrible. Just ask Fred, who was in the batch of Foxtrot before me. Although he still bitched about how bad his BMT days are, but non-training welfare was acceptable, and both of us agreed that our OC is respectable, even though he's the mastermind behind the gruesome training. Why is this so? Because he's the type of person to lead by example. He's the only OC in the whole of School 1 who lead the whole company on route march, while carrying a field pack that's easily twice the size of ours; OCs normally do not march with their men, instead they will be on the land rovers acting as the supervisor.

Secondly, before I went into army, I was in a melancholic state, who just dropped out of JC, and breaking off all contacts. The vigorous training allows me to forget everything and focus on what's ahead for me in army. Sweating out helps to distract you from whatever problems you are facing, and at the same time trains your body and mind. It's also through the buddy system that I realise what are friends for, since in BMT, we have to rely on each other and help one another out to pass this difficult period. Although BMT for most people is a f***-up period, for me it's actually enjoyable as I felt myself returning to the person I'm really am, temporarily cured me of my depression, and for the first time I've felt a positive change in myself. Perhaps this is also because I prefer to follow orders, which doesn't give me much to think about, and instead allow me to focus on caring for others. This might be the reason why I ended up as a medic (though it might be related to the fact that I was randomly assigned to be a medic in the SITEST, which test your aptitude and sort of decides which vocation you should go to). It was also during this time when I resume contacts with Zhiye, Phil, Fred, eventually linking back to my sec sch friends. It came about when concidentally Zhiye went into tekong one day after I went in, and because his company (Griffon) was next to mine, sooner or later we are sure to bump into each other (ok, it was like within one week I remember...)

Anyway, i got a bit off-topic. I wore my No. 4 which was like collecting dust in my wardrobe, and I was quite delighted that the pants got too big for me. Without a belt, it will be sure to drop down any time. As I stuff my SBO and helmet into my field pack, I proceed on to go. Seletar Camp was one of the nearest camps for me, and there's also a direct bus which stops outside Seletar Camp, though I have to walk 10 mins to reach the bus stop. As I alighted at the main gate of Seletar Camp, I still have 1+ km to walk before I reach the main gate of Seletar East Camp. You see, Seletar East Camp is the military installation, while the rest of Seletar Camp have been converted to civilian use, where there are houses and stores around. There's a bus that goes right in, but normally to save money, I will just walk inside. The route is a straight road, but can be very eerie for people who's been there for the first time, especially at night. Although there's a golf course to the right, and houses to the left, there are few people I've passed as I walked. The lights were very dim, and there's a lot of trees around, big trees. But the place is so dark that you might mistake branches for human figures, provided that your imagination runs wild. Since Im not scared of ghosts in real life (however, I'm afraid of watching ghost shows), I won't allow my imagination to go wild, and to think that I'm already used to the place, so why should I be afraid? If it's a certain person I know, Im sure she will get VERY freaked out, most likely because of her vivid imagination rather than the actual presence of ghosts.

After I passed the main gate of Seletar East camp, it gets even more eerie as I walk along a path in the middle of a grass field. There's even less dim lights, and in the silent night the sounds and noises of crickets and frogs/toads surround the air. The cricket's cry somehow remind me of the psycho-thriller horror anime "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni", whose title directly translate to "When the Crickets Cry". Luckily I get over the thinking, or I will get quite freaked out remembering the various brutal scenes in the anime. From the main gate of Seletar East Camp t my destination, it's pretty much another 1 km. When i reached the place (after going to the wrong place and having a LTA directing me to the correct place), I went in and have my ID scanned.

Apparently, because it was very late, they have already started to pack up. There's even the COL and MWO (i think that's the rank, din see properly) standing outside to wait for anybody who are still coming in. The biggest mistake I probably make that day was that I forgot to salute the officers, which I dunno whether they mind, since I've been too used to civilian life. Actually, when I was an NSF in Seletar Camp, when I met officers, I only greeted them without any salutes. This was the norm in HQ. They did ask me for my unit, which I do not know, as firstly I'm not told which unit i will go to when I've ORDed (they also tell me that I will know sooner or later), and secondly it's not shown in the NS Portal site. They were initially quite stunned that I do not know my unit (I must have seem very blur to them), after which a LTA offered to check my unit before I go. In the end, I was part of 356 SCE, but it was unknown which company I belong to, so I'm probably still in HQ i guess (or rather they guess).