Oh, I've got something to say in this thread. Haha.. I'm a
combat medic. A P.Tekong medic, to be exact. Seeing recruits
reporting sick day in and out has always been a routine for
me.
I must admit, not being posted to command schools after my BMT in
2003, really did made me feel sore for a while. But I realised
soon, that, being a medic will earn my lifelong skills. At least
I'd know the names of certain drugs, and its purposes etc.
I know how to operate the AED, MicroVent, and I can perform CPR.
Ever been involved in resuscitating a casualty
before? Well, I did. Seeing them survive the ordeal is really a
joy. It's something which money can never buy.
Even Officers learnt nothing about life-saving in OCS. Neither did
the Specialists learn anything about it in SISPEC too. Ok, perhaps
for the Specialists, we've got this CLS (Combat Life-Saving)
package for them. But the trainees were NEVER interested. Call
themselves Commanders-to-be.
And here, I'm talking about REAL life-saving. Everybody knows
Tekong is the forsaken island, where thousands of recruits are, and
when someone dies in the training, it gets reported in the
newspaper, "Tekong medics failed to revive casualty".
Comments: My foot.
Nobody has got any idea in what kinda condition did the casualty
come into the medical centre. But I do. When people die from the
training in Army, the public will know of it, and it'd be such a
BIG hoo-haa.
However, when CPT Ho, the Officer who was a trainee in the CST
(Combat Survival Training) sent on a helicopter to SGH, survived,
nobody said a thing? Nobody applauded the medics from Tekong. We
got only the blame. Period.
Nevertheless, I'm still rather proud to be a medic in the SAF, for
I know, I've saved lives in my life before.
So people out there, if you're posted to be a Combat Medic, don't
be disappointed! Remember, you're the ONLY one who is equipped with
all the life-saving skills in the whole company/platoon (in unit).
Just take it, and move on with Life!
