The Day Before Sleep was definitely not enough for me since after the turnout the day before. We had a turnout at 3am plus with banging and knocking of our room doors by the instructors. We were kana like "activated". 2 min to fall in to the platoon common area. Check strength. Most of us are like still in zombie state, movement were naturally slow. With that, we were pumped by the instructors, had the most siong jumping jacks (I lost count how many we did). Switch to Full Battle Order with field pack, SBO, helmet on, draw arms from the armskote. Fall in the parade square to sit for weapon handling test. Damn sian. After which we went in platoon formation to do platoon drills. My section mate, Bernie, the heavier person among us was announced "injured" by the instructor. Artillery coming at about 5 min time to bombard us. Kao, bo pian, die die have to carry his load, carry him in the sketcher to siam the place. We took turns to carry him, marching around the SAFTI MI including the Discovery Centre and back to our Wing line. At the end, all of us are seriously shagged off. To me, this is not my firs time. I had the same experience in SPA also but that one not so siong.
Day 1 On the first day of the platoon field camp, we had to wake up earlier to perpare our stuffs and draw arms. The only time we can sleep is to take a short nap during the bus ride to the marsiling area. Upon reaching, camouflage-on and we started to move into platoon level (file formation). Along the way, we had a few danger areas and some enemy contact points. During the platoon battle course practise, I was quite loss. It seems different from the section drill. Our section commander was somehow unsure of the situation. I think we didn't have a tied down among us before the camp start. If only we had rehearsals or a set of standard operation procedure. I think it would be better than going for a "fight" without physically and mentally ready for the battle course. The terrain was hard to bash through and at one point of the time, the slope was steep for us to climb to do flanking on the enemy. Instructions were not pass down properly or can't be heard properly during the fire fight. Pingshen, the cadet platoon commander had the hard time to organise the platoon, giving cadets to the three section commanders.
After the lunch, I became the enemy for the actual platoon battle course. Two of the other "enemys" and myself were deployed on a higher ground. We waited for almost half a day for wach and every platoon to pass by. I felt very hot at that point of time, ants were almost seen everywhere on the ground. The area that we deployed to does not have enough cover and concealment. It is easier for the platoon to see us if they were to advance up near to our area. The main purpose was to contact the rear section of the platoon and get to do Immediate Attack against us. As an enemy, I learnt alot of things by looking at all the three platoon's mistakes, their way of attacking and overcoming the enemy. In the evening, we did platoon harbouring drill. Everyone was assigned a spot to guard the harbour in the all-round defence. At all times, one third of the platoon must be in alert mode.
Day 2 EXERCISE ZEBRA, the next day. The whole day was basically doing planning work. We also recce the enemy's defense site which is the Hotel Wing who was doing their EXERCISE SPADE. Wondering how Shah looks like digging shellscrap and fire trench. Would he be a mud man with uniform looking brown in colour? We also do platoon breaching drill and fire & movement to prepare for the actual exercise. The exercise will held in the dawn at around 2 am. We had to march from the starting point to our form up place. Before we start to march, the whole lot of us went to pee at the big longkang not knowing that we have to walk into the longkang. Like those scenes: Li Nanxing in "The Unbeatables". There was a few long halts during the movement. At one of the long hald, I proned down at the side of the vegetation, Lieutenant Lew didnt notice me that I was proning. He walked and stepped on my leg. I "ouch" softly. Lieutenant Lew noticed that and he asked me whether I was OK. He said that was a good concealment, he thought that a log or something. !@#$%. We were avoiding the vehicles, staying low, maintaining noice and light discipline through out the mission. We commerced the attack a few min later than the timing told during the operation order. The enemy gave the first shoot and all of us were contacted. Around the middle of the battle, almost half of the platoon were announced by the instructors "dead". Weijun, the cadet platoon commander had to top the assualting forces with the reserves ones. The whole thing, we took about half an hour to capture the objective. However hald of the platoon was wipe out. But at least we managed to overcome it.
What we achieved after the field camp? * Foot rot * Heat rash * Loss of sleep * Dirty and muddy equipments and clothings * Experience - priceless
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