When I enlisted in the Army, I knew that I had to learn and be
more self-reliant. The transition from a civilian to a soldier was
made more gruelling because of the tough training we were put
through. At that point, I felt that Basic Military Training (BMT)
was the most miserable period of my life. In truth, I could not
come to terms with the regimentation that we were subjected
to.
Midway through the course, I suffered a bout of pneumonia which
prevented me from completing my BMT. I was crestfallen because I
was actually keen to complete BMT. I yearned for better things
ahead.
I was soon posted to Supply and Transport Training School as a
cook. Just as I was settling down, I was informed of my BMT
re-course. I was disheartened. I had just begun to enjoy military
life. I started having the same anxieties of BMT as I had
before.
Before long in the BMT re-course, I learnt that this was going to
be a totally different experience. Indeed through weeks of sheer
hard training and bonding with my platoon-mates, we reached a point
where we simply needed one anothers support. I began to understand
that strong bonds were the key to overcoming obstacles.
A particular incident left a lasting impact in my life. In fact, I
felt that it was a turning point during my time in NS.
During our final Standard Obstacle Course test, my buddy and myself
promised each other to complete the test successfully together.
Along the way, he experienced great difficulty in clearing the
low-rope obstacle. He was on the verge of giving up but realised
that I was waiting right next to him. As I had already cleared the
obstacle, my instructors were screaming at me to move on. However,
I refused to budge not without my buddy. At that moment, I was
surprised at myself. I was even prepared to fail, to honour my word
to my best buddy. With time running low, he harnessed every ounce
of energy and cleared the obstacle. As promised, we passed the
test, together. Such were the memories of my re-course that changed
my outlook of NS for the better.
