Reflections on field camp
Field camp ... One of the most memorable events of BMT. Now let me recall... Oh yes, it was Friday the 13th November. That early morning, we drew arms and armed with our gear and ready to go live in the wilderness for a week.
We had a good 8km road march before reaching to our first campsite. ( The rubber plantation )...The trees were tall, very little branches. Shacked out upon reaching, we had to set up our bashas, tentages and all the admin stuff. After which lecture came. Lecture in the jungle isnt exactly as comfortable as in the lecture hall in BMTC. Trying to keep my head up and paying attention, i forced myself to drink water. The insects inhabitating the area were mostly small harmless ones like grasshoppers and praying mantises. So it wasnt really that bad sitting down.
Our first night came, and we were finally given our powder bath...That feeling isnt then because we didnt stick that bad yet. The feeling was good when i powdered my balls with prickly heat! Sleeping the first day wasnt that hard. I slept soundly because I was worn out already.
Second day came and we had to brush our teeth in the dark because of light displine. However, I packed the things i needed properly the night before so i had no problem taking them out. Having NO LIGHT before FIRST LIGHT was really difficult even when i packed them properly. Applying the toothpaste to my toothbrush took twice as long. and trying to open my water bottle while trying to keep a good grip to the rest of my thing was even harder.
We had lectures again. Learnt tactical movements and we put them to practice. It was really fun because we actually learnt something tactical. We havent had any chance to practice those in BMTC. We fired blanks which was even more interesting but a chore in the end when we had to clean our rifles.
Then came our fresh rations on the third morning if memory serves me well. We had macoroni which never tasted so good before. Combat rations arent exactly very platable, except for the noodles which tasted better a notch.
Moving to the oil palm plantation, we did a tactical walk...whereby we had to cut through some thick vegetation which was pretty tough. The second campsite was pretty nice and sandy. But the thing that bugged me was the centipedes. Luckily it didnt affect me at all thanks to SAF powder! We got to bathe in the fourth day which really made my day. That was the best part of field camp. Everyone felt so fresh again! And we were allowed to sleep in the open instead of a ground sheet over us. And nothing could beat hard concrete flooring then.
The 5th day, we had our test on section movement course. It was very fun because we were allowed to put our practice into usage. And plus, i felt that we had no communication problems because my group discussed the night before. Everything went smoothly luckily for us, heh. We got to know more about our PC that day because there was nothing on that night. And he shared with us about his experience in life and in the army. I find that the warrent officers have so much more to share and stories to tell instead of the commissioned ones probably because they have been in the service for a long long time. Perhaps thats why they have seen people beyond all walks of life.
The 6th day we left oil palm plantation for reclaimed land. Where we dug our graves. A shellscrape is hard enough. Thank goodness we didnt have to dig the fire trench. Fortunatelly for me I finished my shellscrape just before last light before helping the rest who were still digging. It was really streneous work. Luckily we were given fresh rations for lunch and breakfast. That night, we were made to sleep in our shellscrape. Which i couldent bring myself to because of the centipedes. I encounted 4 of them while digging. So i went over to chat with a group of friends after till we fell asleep in the end. I lied back and stared at the canopy and thought to myself, tomorrow is the last day! That was what kept my spirits up. The jungle is actually very beautiful in the wee hours of the morning and post dawn. The light emitting from above the canopy is distinct and i could just lie down there and relax. Of course without the centipedes and wild boars etc.
Our 7th day came, we did a tactical walk to the Battle Innoculation Course area. BIC wasnt as hard as it seemed. I guess the sergeants made it sound hard so we could be mentally prepared. Tightening up my webbing and helmet, I "Chionged" all the way not stopping! After which we sat in the 5 ton ready to head back!
Field camp on the whole made me a different person. That night, i thought to myself if I could survive field camp where getting dirty wasnt an option and eating combat rations which tasted like rubber. I can do more! Of course I learnt to cherish the things we use daily without noticing like bathing under running water and clean plates, forks and spoons and fresh foods. A BED!
It also made everyone more co-operative and bonded everyone closer. Sure there were a few tiffs here and there but it all turned out good in the end.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home