Good ol' days
I'm hit by a sudden wave of nostalgia.
It wasn't that long ago that I served in 3rd Guards Battalion at Bedok camp. Back then, life was a lot simpler, perhaps physically demanding, but nonetheless happier. We woke up before the sun did, went through a whole day of training and slacking, doing mindless things mindlessly..
The only thing that mattered to us then was the weekend. Everyone would be looking out for what time we get to book out on friday evenings, and hopefully get an extended weekend break, even if it's only a few more hours of freedom.
$550 a month for our expenses, it was more than enough. Occasionally, we have the bonus of a 'Nights Out' in the middle of the week, where most of us will just head down to either Siglap for coffee or Tampines Mall for food.
Every day, from dawn till dusk, we lived in that little block known as Support Company. A mosaic of unwilling-but-have-surrendered-to-fate young men made to live in proximity. Co-existence in harmony was a skill we had to learn, regardless of how much we can't stand others' flaws.
5 different platoons, operating 5 different tasks, yet sharing the same environment. The uniqueness that both separated and welded us. To everyone else, we (Mortar Platoon) were the slackest when outfield, because we sat in vehicles while others walked. But they don't see the work we put in. We are the ones to lug the mortar cannon around and wipe the enemies out for them. We laugh at the Pioneer platoon for amassing a bunch of misfits addicted to gambling. Yet, they too walk for miles and miles clearing mines for the infantry troops. Then there were the ATGM platoon, also vehicle bound and fires missiles that cost tens of thousands each. The Signallers, a crazy and rowdy bunch of party goers. The least disciplined lot of us all, but what will we do without their signal sets hahaaa...and who can forget the eyes of the battalion, our Scouts platoon. True to their learning, whenever there was work to be done in camp, they see but can never be seen. Yet we rely on them to provide precious enemy data.
O how we cursed and swore everytime we had to go outfield, or protect certain places in Singapore. Or even the NDP. At the end of the day, we bled as one, we remained as one.
And how fit we were then. Looking at photos from our Taipei trip, we were visibly much slimmer. hahaa. The neverending snacks, the extravagant buffets, the new year countdown, the relaxing hot spring bath, the shopping~ So much fun, so much laughter.
Let's have a bit of the good ol' days again.
It wasn't that long ago that I served in 3rd Guards Battalion at Bedok camp. Back then, life was a lot simpler, perhaps physically demanding, but nonetheless happier. We woke up before the sun did, went through a whole day of training and slacking, doing mindless things mindlessly..
The only thing that mattered to us then was the weekend. Everyone would be looking out for what time we get to book out on friday evenings, and hopefully get an extended weekend break, even if it's only a few more hours of freedom.
$550 a month for our expenses, it was more than enough. Occasionally, we have the bonus of a 'Nights Out' in the middle of the week, where most of us will just head down to either Siglap for coffee or Tampines Mall for food.
Every day, from dawn till dusk, we lived in that little block known as Support Company. A mosaic of unwilling-but-have-surrendered-to-fate young men made to live in proximity. Co-existence in harmony was a skill we had to learn, regardless of how much we can't stand others' flaws.
5 different platoons, operating 5 different tasks, yet sharing the same environment. The uniqueness that both separated and welded us. To everyone else, we (Mortar Platoon) were the slackest when outfield, because we sat in vehicles while others walked. But they don't see the work we put in. We are the ones to lug the mortar cannon around and wipe the enemies out for them. We laugh at the Pioneer platoon for amassing a bunch of misfits addicted to gambling. Yet, they too walk for miles and miles clearing mines for the infantry troops. Then there were the ATGM platoon, also vehicle bound and fires missiles that cost tens of thousands each. The Signallers, a crazy and rowdy bunch of party goers. The least disciplined lot of us all, but what will we do without their signal sets hahaaa...and who can forget the eyes of the battalion, our Scouts platoon. True to their learning, whenever there was work to be done in camp, they see but can never be seen. Yet we rely on them to provide precious enemy data.
O how we cursed and swore everytime we had to go outfield, or protect certain places in Singapore. Or even the NDP. At the end of the day, we bled as one, we remained as one.
And how fit we were then. Looking at photos from our Taipei trip, we were visibly much slimmer. hahaa. The neverending snacks, the extravagant buffets, the new year countdown, the relaxing hot spring bath, the shopping~ So much fun, so much laughter.
Let's have a bit of the good ol' days again.