Chevron Slap

Hello... just came out of the island. For the last time. Yes, I think I will never step onto Tekong again.

Last night, the whole BSLC batch marched 28km, which was the graduation march and a very special event of the course. We started marching at 2200, after the CO talked a little cock about what we have accomplished so far, what lies ahead blah blah blah...

The march was actually quite gruelling, but the load of the FBO only bothered me for the front part of the march. After awhile, my shoulders seemed to become numb to the weight load. The more jialat parts were actually the balls of my feet, and the fear of falling asleep. Yes, you can fall asleep while walking. There was one part where I was like a zombie, just walking with my eyes almost fully closed. I was lucky to be able to wake myself up when I notice the distance of my front man getting further.

When all of us neared the end point of the 28km, we were in super high spirits. Everyone was singing their lungs out, clapping their hands in sync. Our roars were like what you would hear in an EPL match... We reached back to camp at around 0600.

The next thing that followed was the graduation parade. In FBO. I think it was quite a stupid idea, to be making us stand in parade for so fucking long, in FBO. And somemore, it was after our 28km march. The pain in my shoulders were almost unbearable. I was always fidgeting around, trying to get the crushing pain away. My shoulders almost cramped at one point. People around me were fidgeting around too, I can totally understand why we still dare to move while in parade. There were a few people that looked as if they were about to fall flat on the ground, their face were pale... And my friend beside me fell asleep... what the fuck...

Finally my PC came up to me and slapped on the chevron rank (Corporal) onto my arms, there was a handshake and then he still had another 30 or more people to my left to go... During this period, my mind was so disturbed by the pain I was feeling in my shoulders that I felt as if my brain forced me to fall out from the parade. I keep thinking of bending down so that the field pack would rest flat on my back, not on my shoulders. But I kept telling myself all this will soon be over, just endure a little bit more... Then after what seems like forever, we started marching back to company line.

Back at coy line, we washed up and did our final packing, cleaned our rifle for the last time. After I finished cleaning my rifle, I laid down on my bed and dozed off...
Suddenly I was awoken by my friend, who told me we are to receive our posting orders. The moment of truth has come.

I quickly put on a shirt and went downstairs together with the whole company. Our OC then read to us our postings. The very first batch was the people that has to stay back at charlie company for ASLC. The suspense for this part was like nothing before, because I die die also don't want to go back to charlie for ASLC. I'm sick of the SISPEC life, because to me it just sucks. So name by name was read, and the majority were malays... it seems that it was a trend. After my name was skipped, I breathed a sigh a relief. I quietly told myself: YES!!!

After a while, my name was called out, and I am posted to ETI, which is the combat engineers training institute. I heard that unit life as a combat engineer is quite good, so I'm very glad. I managed to escape ASLC, and armored infantry (because its madness trying to run behind a tank, and 5 months of training to get 3SG rank). I got the same posting as my buddy and a few of my platoon mates, so I will be seeing them in ETI. Its good to have some people you know in a new place. I wonder how true is it that life as a combat engineer will be good, its for me to find out now, I guess.

Actually last week I forgot to tell you that I was actually called up to go for a selection board by the 36 SCE, which is the EOD (Explosives Ordnance Disposal). I thought that it was a good vocation to be in, it comes with pride and extra 200 dollars pay for the risk factor. I tried my best in the IQ tests, and the physical test.

The physical was very interesting: we had to don the 27kg bomb suit and run up to 4th storey and crawl under a table, do a ring and wire thingy (remember Mr. Bean at the fun fair?) and a wooden puzzle, things like that. I was totally shagged out just from running up to 4th storey with the suit. It felt as if I had just finished SOC!!! But I remained calm and tried my best to complete a small wooden puzzle which I did not complete... I was bombarded with questions like what was my name, which poly I came from and things like that. You had to do the puzzle and answer them at the same time. There was a 10 min time limit for the whole physical. I almost sprained my ankle from running down the stairs... luckily I didn't.

I do not know whether I will still be selected for EOD, because of my posting to ETI. But there is only 10 that will make it into EOD from SISPEC (quite alot of people were chosen to do the selection), so most likely I will be strike off the list. Well, it has been a good experience for me with the bomb suit and all.

Ok I talked a bit too much haha, tell you more next time about my first week in ETI. Adios.