A Recruit's Field Camp Through the Eyes of a Driver.

6 Feb, Pre-field camp
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Supposed to park down my Landrover at 1500hrs, but realised my vehicle is down from the previous batch's field camp. Desperate for a new vehicle, reeling from the shock that the remaining vehicles are LRI-freezed vehicles or V.VIP vehicles. Gah.... Waited and waited, and finally got a Land Rover at 2200hrs.

Parked down the vehicle at 42SAR at 2300hrs, with shagged face and a few trips after attempts to get a signal mounting board and attempts to tell the specialists there that there's no signal mounting board (and from there, thoughts of "what the fuck is the ACMTL store doing" flows through my mind. Just what the hell is the store doing...)

Got all stuff prepared, but needed to pack all of that into one field pack, and two plastic bags... Stuff are mainly:

-3 sets of No. 4s
-Numbers of Underwear
-3 tins of snake powder
-2 packs of mosquito coils (and each pack has 10)
-Mess tins
-Archived 8-Days Magazines and a bloody fiction novel
-Medicine
-Samples of Centrum Pills (7 to be exact, from Sing Opens 05)
-Towel / Soap
-No toothbrush / facial cream
-6 packs of Koka Instant Noodles
-A Tin of Biscuits, Mainly Choc Chip Cookies (And crackers, and choc cream cookies)
-2 cans of luncheon meat

By the time everything is packed, it's already 0100hrs and everyone is asleep. Grr...

7 Feb, Field Camp Day 1
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It's so predictable. I'm fucking late for the field camp. Commencement at 0500hrs, reached at 0515hrs. Drove via PIE to SAF Ferry Terminal, to Pulau Tekong. Took a RPL (holy shit vehicles crossing the sea on a float raft!!) to Pulau Tekong, reached the campsite. Drove back and forth to recce abit, and the recruits were already hit with a surprise: after a sleepy trip on a commerial bus from west to east, and a fastcraft trip (and probably the first one for them by the way), they are greeted with a 8km route march to the campsite. Tsk Tsk Tsk...

Already, at least 5 people in one company reported sick after the march, but alas, the highest form is medical help is a Medic. Okay.... two medics. Permission to the Medical Centre (the highest form of a luxury point) is only available through the OC, and the OC is a damn GARANG person. Later you'll know why....

Lessons are taught, Tekan-ing is already underway, Land Rover Recce with my Encik is on the way. Went through and forth between lotsa places, but the main places are always BMTC (where all the specs say about receiving the CO, RSM, HQ CSM, Explomo, Insert Important Persons here, but always doing you-know-what), and the campsite. And the trips on Tekong Highways always garners the most mileage... muahahah....

I thought all the Men (which means, the soldiers with ranks other than Recruit) can get fresh food rations, but no.... the OC demands that all of us eat Combat Rations. Thank GOD I had my tin of biscuits with me, and a extra big pack of sugar crackers. Noodles are a bit of a hassle to cook... since i'm always shuttling here and there.

It was basically a peaceful day, and damn satisfied driving like crazy for the whole day.

Got enlightened on the best sleeping posture in the landrover, and had a good night.

8 Feb, Field Camp Day 2, Grenade Day
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Yes... the recruits actually go to throw grenades during the field camp, saving them the torture of outfield training. Damn the recruits, now who says that the Mono Intake of recruits are bad?

Ok lah... the training they received actually differs a bit from SOP BMT @ BMTC.. the recruits are actually trained for their future vocation: most likely Armour Men @ 42 SAR.

E.g. : Bashas are not set up just for accomodation, but for tactical reasons too. Tsk Tsk Tsk...

Anyways, it's only the second detail of the Grenade throwing and already there are blinds. Explomos are already laughing their way to the bank as a total of 3 blinds are made.

No 5tonner transport was offered by out unit, but they got the help of Tekong 5 tonners to get the recruits around. And the recruits were actually late for the transport. Higher Up politics are already underway...

9 Feb, Field Camp Day 3, Super Shiok Day
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Today was a normal day, aside from the fact I finally cooked two packets of noodles, and got a few nice extras from my superiors. Shiok...

10 Feb, Field Camp Day 4, Super Suay Day
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We got Fresh Rations! Yeah yeah that's good news, but when compared to the fact that the recruits ALSO got Fresh Rations, we go "WHAT THE FUCK!!!"

Now that's what I mean by damn welfare.

It's raining like crazy. Sure, it feels great when a Land Rover splashes into a big puddle of muddy water. Constant Recce-ing of Pulau Tekong has got me close to 600 km of mileage, including 52 km from the West-to-East Trip.

Then it happened. The Si-Bei-Suay thing happened.

My vehicle wanted me to recce around the the reclaimed land area... well to be exact, the trench digging area.

The rain just stopped. The land is soft and muddy, the Perfect Ground for planting Padi.

The Perfect Ground for getting a Land Rover Stuck in the Mud.

My Land Rover got stuck in the mud.

That's nothing... We got another rover to try to get the stuck rover out of the mud.

THAT Rover got stuck too.

Attempts to contact my superior was in vain: no reception, no phone call made.

Attempts to do the different drive mode are made. Four-Wheel Drive, Low Range Gear Ratio, Differential Lock, you name it, I did it. The damage got worse. And night time has already arrived.

I spent the night like a soldier without a M16 Rifle.

The other soldier ended their day with a barbeque of seafood caught on Tekong, and meat from Mainland Singapore.

11 Feb, Field Camp Day 5, Super Sian Day
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Turnout happened. The recruits were given a dose of reality. Even the medics, who are sickened by the increasing number of recruits reporting sick, joined in too.

I didn't really care. I was too worried about getting my rover out of the mud. To get it moving again.

The recruits went for their BIC. I continued my rest.

After which is the Trench Digging. The scorching made Heatstroke victims out of recruits. Desperate, the Remaining Land Rover was summoned to get water.

Crazy Ideas to get the Landrover out of the mud was made.

Using a 5 Tonner to tow a Landrover from afar, using 16 toggle ropes and a tow bar.

Failed. Two toggle ropes actually snapped.

Attempts to dig out a deeper trench to get the mud under the Vehicle out, much like a underground carpark, was made.

Failed. Oh come on, I'm not a OCS Infantry Trainee loh...

Attempts to anchor grip on the wheels using the spade, wooden branches, stones, and plastic lids were also made.

Failed. We smell smoked rubber.

12 Feb, Field Camp Day 6, Super Pissed Day
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Trouble is brewing. I finally contacted my MT WO and MTO about my situation. Sensed reluctance to send help from their side. I smell politics again. Grr....

And to think my MT WO actually suggested staying by the vehicle until it's recovered. WTF? and get bitten by the mosquitoes and sandflies again? See my people book out of camp? See the Police Gurkha Land Rover Drive Past Me??? KNN CCB lah...

Now in camp... with nary a chance to book out, much less get a new change of clothing.

And with my vehicle in the Mud, in the Trench Area, in Pulau Tekong.