Section Field Camp @ Tekong

This week, my training schedule is the 4 days 3 nights field camp at Pulau Tekong. Back to Tekong, it reminds me of my BMTC days; the fun; the TCS and the buddies around. This time, I came back as a trainee at the same camp site where I used to camp, Rubber plantation (Salabin). But this field camp is more xiong than the field camp in BMT. Everybody had only 3 to 4 hours of sleep each day, as the night training usually end quite late.

Day 1 (17 Oct)
Wake up at 4am. Really tired as the previous night I didn’t really slept well. Furthermore, we are the advance party (Logistics platoon), therefore time was really short as we need to load the stores and rushed for breakfast as well. By 6am, we were off to Tekong. Feeling sian and low as it was another field camp for me. I really hate field camp. Reached Tekong and set up the necessary logistics and our resting area.

Day 1 of the field camp was about navigation around the vegetation, the steep slope around Tekong area. It consists of day and night topology. We walked around the island searching for checkpoints with full battle order and weapon. Without proper man made features and depending on maps and compass, it was tough to navigate but we managed to complete the whole exercise. The exercise end at 12am and after cleaning my rifle, I powder bath and head to sleep.

Day 2
Day 2 seems faster as expected. I woke up at 5am and got ready for the day lessons plan. We had our stretching exercise at the beach nearby. Next we had fire movement drills, file formation movement, quick attack movement and danger crossing lessons. For the lessons, I was quite confused as there were many movement tactics to execute the attack. The different terrain also adds further woes to my confusion. We walk, stand, squat and prone whenever there was a vehicle or crossing a junction. That made me even more sluggish in movement. At night, we had ambushed lesson where we set up traps to ambush our enemy without them detecting us. Thereafter, we had night fire movement drills. The rain in the day, made me even lower morale than the first day. All end at 1am plus after all the usual stuff had been cleared.

Day 3
I had one of worst days in my military life. First, it was the quick attack movement lesson. I was the section commander and I think I just messed everything up. I didn’t have my basic tactics right, poor command, control and deployment of my section mates. I did it for 3 times and yet still can’t get it right. By the second time, I was stressed up by the situation. I can’t think properly and confused on how to attack the enemy. I was disappointed with myself as well as letting my section mates down. My platoon commander had to take the trouble to explain and I knew that he was disappointed with me. To add to it, I also lost my rifle cleaning kit during the fire movement.The weather turn horrible in the early afternoon.

Our next activity was the Tenderfoot exercise where we were left in our section to find checkpoint without the instructors help. It rained the whole of the afternoon and the terrain condition was very wet and slippery. It made bashing through the jungle dangerous and difficult. We didn’t managed to complete all checkpoints as the last checkpoint; I had overshot by a few hundred metres. The night was better as the weather was back to normal but it was so dark in the jungle. During our last checkpoint, we hol lan (lost) in the jungle and we bashed through the jungle for one hour before we managed to get back to the end point. By then, it was already midnight. Tired and restless, I just hope the last day of the field camp would come sooner than expected. 3 cock-ups in a day and my lowest point of my military life.

Day 4 (last day of the field camp)
We had the section movement circuit test. It was a test to see whether we understand tactical movement during engagement in attack or on the lookout for enemy. Most of our mission, I think we just messed it up. Movement was not as swift and quick, I was slow in finding cover and fire movement was also not tactical. Everything was in a messed. I was section commander for the last two missions and I fared below par. We also got punished for not lying down when contacted. We were made to leopard crawl a distance before the instructor called it a day.

By 2pm, we board the fast craft back to mainland and back to our school. Everybody was tired and total silence as all had slept throughout the way back to the school. My PC called me upon for a special interview and he commented that my performance was below than expectation and a special report was written. I knew that it was time to buck up from there onwards. After cleaning my weapon and dinner, I head to sleep. Another chapter of my military life was written.

Day 5
IPPT test in the morning. I think I still maintain my silver standard but gold target was still a realistic target. We had lesson on how to ensure safety and prevention measures during live firing. We also had rehearsal for the section live firing on Monday. Book out @ 7.30pm. Back to home.

To say, this was my lowest point of my military life so far. Jumbled up fire movement drills, losing rifle-cleaning kit, failure to lead to the correct checkpoint and the special interview by PC really summed up how I feel this week. I just hope next week would be a better week.

Out……