The NCC camp just finished today. We had a Meet-the-Parents session too, with a buffet lunch to boot. The lunch was a bit expensive as there were too few dishes. Oh well, can't expect much from $5 per pax.

The camp attendance was not very high. And Part B and C's Total Defence tests have not been done yet. And the camp absentees' drill and IFC tests? At this rate, we may not get Bronze next year!

I think we must improve our training. We must position and train ourselves as a SpecOps outfit.

Today, my class had their class BBQ. Originally, I had thought a chalet would be more appropriate, based on my experience. Well, they did not want to pay, so I coughed up $90 and with the remainder of the class fund, they put together a BBQ.

Well, that's another batch of students. Hopefully, they'll grow up to be nice people and always do the right thing.

I can't believe that I went for the Mt Ophir trip again... The other teacher did not want to go due to family committments and asthma. Sigh, so I was the one who went.

This time, the field toilet was much better but there was only one. A squat toilet. The ranger had initially told us that when doing major business, the first piece of toilet paper could go into the toilet but the subsequent pieces had to go into a plastic bag. Now who would want to bring that out down the mountain?! Our frame did not bother and there was no plastic bag.

When the other frame arrived, and on our last day at the campsite, I noticed that there was a plastic bag in the toilet! Horrors! The other frame actually took the ranger's words for real?! Now the last frame would have to take this back!

I looked into the bag expecting to find soiled toilet paper, but was relieved to see that it contained used sanitary napkins instead. The second frame had some girls and obviously at least one of them was having her period the day before -- and could probably still be having her period then. I was impressed that the girl(s) was/were quite good not to throw the pads into the toilet -- after all, who would know? The pads would be buried. But that's wrong as sanitary pads are not biodegradable.

I hope everything turned out fine for her though. Very inconvenient.

And of course, some girl would have to take the sanitary bag down the mountain at the end... (I'm sure the boys wouldn't want to help and it is the responsible thing for a girl to do.)

I just came back from Reservist. An ATEC-1 for Infantry battalion. I've been committed since 19 Oct... What a long stint. But I only moved out for exercise twice. Next year's will be tough.

I'm going for Mt Ophir next Monday. Well, at least I'm conditioned...

Special Ops

During my 2nd instalment, I was part of an op -- yes, op (not an exercise) -- that was quite interesting. I can't divulge too much, but a little is appropriate to give confidence that the SAF is really ready and good.

I had been selected to be part of the standby force. I had an Exit Permit with a validity of 1 year and to all countries -- we were ready for anything, anywhere. One fine evening, they activated us through our pagers. I was attached to our BRC at SMI then and the staff there and I thought something great had happened. On checking with them, the guy deadpanned "... Blah blah Exercise blah blah..." So it was just an exercise! Anyway, I was at Place A in no time, and we were orientated to vehicle B -- the main transport and base of some teams, but not mine. No, there would be no orientation to vehicle C, which was what I would be in if I went for an op. Some other members of the standby force were actually to report to Place D with vehicle E as their main transport.

Nothing happened after that day. There was once I went for an exercise with our BRC in Pulau Tekong and when my S2 heard that I was on the standby force, he got annoyed and tried to pull me back to mainland. If I was activated, there was no way I could respond like the wind if I was in Pulau Tekong. "Suck thumb" was the word he used to describe the situation should I be activated. He had a point. I should have raised it but being the soldier that I was, I did not mind going to Pulau Tekong and did not want to be seen as wanting to keng. So the S2 went personally to Pulau Tekong to take me out of the training back to my unit on the mainland.

One fine day, they did activate us. Not those who were supposed to report to Place D -- just us who were to report to Place A. Apparently, Country F had some developments and we were activated as a precaution. I had heard the news over the radio and the next thing you know, I received a call with some guy deadpanning " ... blah blah Operation blah blah ..." I went to my bunk to pack with mixed feelings. This was it -- an op, no joke, probably to country F. The Scout PC heard about it and came over to see me reminding me not to be a hero there.

I was with Place A for 2 days before we were stood down and I returned to my unit on the 3rd day. Incidentally, my unit BRO confused me with another serviceman (a VM) and it said that he went for an op, causing some confusion. Maybe that was to cover up the fact that I went? And when I reached Place A, the CISCO guards told us that we were going to Iraq as there was some problem there at that time. Yeah, right -- we knew they were clueless. At the briefing, the LTC confirmed that it was Country F.

Well, I can't describe the op for obvious reasons. But those guys for vehicles B only packed stores (and we helped them). They did not go. There were four teams that work on vehicles C -- and one team went out. Not mine though. Let's just say that the type of team that we were on (vehicle C people), we were ready for anything as we had XX number of people (led by a Major) from various vocations -- combat or CSS. But the team that went out did not participate in any direct action as it was not needed.