..:: 350. The One With Ex UNICORN ::..

Kaoz... so long never update... Have to go way back...

Before Ex UNICORN started, i had to retake SOC... the other time i got 8:10 but water bottle leaked. damn du-lan. but luckily this time, i got 7:51, my PB considering obstacles in SOCE much tougher due to the adjustments.

Ex UNICORN was more exciting than MUSANG... firstly, we had an enemy platoon... Duno whether am i unlucky or it was on purpose that they put me in platoon 1, its kinda farked up... store inspection, my platoon got to load and unload all the stores inside the tonners for 4 times cos some stuff were not arranged up to standard.

slept at 1+ and had to wake up ard 5 cos i was advance party. sian. the deployment phase almost killed most of us. For the first time, i felt so breathless and the sun didnt help at all, it made the weather even worse. on the verge of evaporation...

halfway throught the deployment phase, i was called out to be the runner to the next PC. According to the trend, those who are 'runners' would be PC for the next mission. With that, i was feeling weird for the rest of the day, anticipating what mission i had to undertake. Being a runner to a PC whose mission was to clear obstacles enemy has set up was a siong task. had to run around following the pc when most of my platoon mates could at least rest and take a nap while waiting for their turn to clear obstacles. Got screwed a few times cos i was not briefed properly the job of a signaller (aka runner). The signal set i carried had a long antenna that kept hitting people around me.

the mission was kinda disastrous... PC not very sure of navigating and section comd dunno how to clear the obstacles properly. The first obstacle we got stuck like 6 hrs, damn ridiculous. The instructors did their very best, i think, to 'kao-bei' and scream at us throughout the mission. It was a mentally shack mission as we started clearing obstacles from midnight till the next day 4pm! No sleep! Worse,PC and i didnt bring along our ration so we had to share with others. Then after everything, we had artillery bombardment so had to run for 1 km+ with casualties whom we had to carry and run along with all our equipment. almost died.

When the 2IC read oout the appointment for the next mission, i was surprising not the PC for the next mission but a section comd. I was relieved yet pondering why i was not a PC. My mission was to set up minefield which turned out to be disastrous too...

The other two sect comd were PCs of platoon 1 for minefield camp a few weeks ago and that infamous platoon 1 got to re-do their minefield for 5 times. Hence i was the inexperienced one. Damn frustrated with one of my course mate... after having done so many minefield, there was this traffic line which was supposed to be marked out by him. Instead, i ended up marking and got screamed at by him (???) for marking the lane so slowly that he could not set up his sector.

I almost died of shock from my sector. We dug fast enough with help from others but aiming of mines was shocking. firstly, i gave them sandbags of mines for their particular row, instead they used them to reinforce other rows. Secondly, they didnt tell me which holes they didnt lay the mines due to waterlogged areas. Hence, i had difficulty in accounting for the number of mines and the location of every mine which were critical information.

safety line was not removed by one of my pioneer which happened to be from platoon 1 (*faints), i think they too shack. In the end, we went to clear the white tape and as a section commander i got screwed damn badly for it.

Instructor: did you ask your pioneer to go into the minefield to clear the white tape even after warrant choy asked you not to?

Me: (feeling doom's day coming) yes sir

Instructor: £%$"% Do you know you have risked the life of your pioneer just to cover your ass? Who is going to be responsible for it? How are you going to answer to his parents? loved ones?

Me: (still feeling stunned)

Instructor: Recite the officer creed

Me: ...

Instructor: i lead my men by example. i answer for their training (??), morale and discipline..... i serve with pride, honour and integrity (??)... I will overcome adversity with courage, fortitude and determination (??)

Me: (thinking) he must have thought i asked my course mate to clear the white tape so i would not be scolded... but he was wrong... it was a common consensus among my section that we should clear the white tape. It was a mistake we realised and wanted to correct but in the end i was thought not brave enough to admit mistake??

Instructor: So u tell me should i pass you from this course?

Me: (eyes wide open)


after a long talk, i was finally let off.

After setting up of the minefield, we had 1 hr + to rest till it was about 5am, we were made to fall in. Then they read out the appointment for the next mission which was the live arming of mines.

PC for platoon 1 (+ enemy platoon): OCT Chong Chor Ming
PS for platoon 1: OCT John Chen



stunned. again.
I only got 45 mins to gather all the stores required and get the whole platoon convoy going. It was kinda messy cos most of the instructors were sleeping in vehicles and i had to get everyone to shout for the instructors.

forgot a few things like field latrine and signal set. but luckily the conducting was a nice guy... kinda happy when my chief instructor praised me for being forward looking... the convoy movement was smooth and i was glad everything went smoothly. The effects of mine were jaw-dropping.

Then we went back to recover the minefield we laid. It was a frightening experience. The instructors went around the minefield to check our positions of all the mines... Lucky he didnt come to my sector... i think he would faint if he saw my sector.

We reached back our wingline around 3am+.

tue. supposed to have half day off but dunno why eaten up. While moving stores with one of my platoon mates, he got a bad cut that ended up a mild fracture on his finger cos 5 x 1.8m iron picket dropped on his hand. was disappointed with one of my course mate who asked me not to report to the instructors cos they think they can handle at our level. It proved to be wrong. My friend had to be sent to TTSH for scan. Before the CO evening that day, all of us were called up to the discussion room and had a serious lecture.

fri. it was SOCE anniversary at sentosa. had a great time playing volleyball and eating... suddenly we were made to fall in and pumping postion at the sandy beaches.. damn malu... we were told by our OC to throw all the instructors into the sea. then later one instructor went bonkers and our task was to rip of underwear of all the male instructors. sick but we all had fun. it was a day of 'bo cheng hu' aka no government.

sat.sun.it was live firing for marksmanship... sadly, my shooting skill dropped. too long nvr shoot liao. shall try next year. 200 bucks... haiz. now really nothing to make my no 1 nice except IPPT gold badge.

i was the RSM (range sergeant major) for second day. wah the men really made me puke blood. damn slack and attitude problem. had to shout at them. lucky i love shouting at people, if not OC see liao confirm think pioneers can climb over my head. was damn pissed with my wing SM. i am the cadet RSM so i got the initiative to task organise the whole range on how to clear the range... instead he told me off and said i didnt follow his insructions. damn fume sia.

anyway, just glad i got my monday and tuesday off. must catch up on sleep liao. i think my life has been shortened quite a bit for the sleepless nights and stress. Almost everyone experienced foot rot, aching body...

kinda excited who will be the CWC for Ex CRESCENDO... cos the person will bring the cadets and coporals 100+ together to thailand and then see the whole EOCC commissioned... damn memorable and shiok la... somemore the person would be fighting for sword of honour... i am hyped up man... :)