Post-NS Thoughts...
Having gone thru 2 years of national service...i can say that it was quite an experience...so let me do some recap and talk about some of my post-ns thoughts...
BMT
BMT started on 060105 for me...that faithful day when i went to Pulau Tekong...was assigned to Hawk Company, which every one calls the "White Horse" Company...haix...dunno why...but was in platoon 3 along with some of my school mates and got to know a few other friends from the platoon as well as the section. the 9 weeks there went and past quite fast and before we knew it...we were getting ready for out passing out parade into full-fledge PRIVATES!
OCS
After BMT, i was lucky to have been selected to go to OCS as an officer cadet. i was part of the 59/05 batch of officer cadets...assigned to Delta Wing...again called the "White Horse" wing cos Eng Siang was there...hahaz...again was in Platoon 3 under CPT Justiin Ang(the spelling is correct), LTA Kelvin "What-Thumb-Is-It" Kua, LTA Bryan and LTA Hairi. Eng Siang was in my section...but as a platoon...think we really bonded quite well and performed pretty well...but it was sad that PLT 3 was disbanded after Service Term cos of the small size after we left for the other Formations. During one of the days before the end of Service Term, CPT Justiin sat down to talk to all of us and praised us for performing exceptionally well...parting our ways with a salute...in returning the salute...i cant help but to feel so proud of what we have all achieved in this 14 weeks as Delta Platoon 3. Met with CPT Justiin during ACPC and he said that if he was to re-assemble the old Delta Platoon 3 during Pro Term...PLT 3 would have beaten the others(including the Commandos) hands down...that was the pride that he had in our platoon...it felt good...it was also in Delta that i was awarded the Best Knowledge and Wing Best...=P...
SOA
during my Pro-Term...i went to School of Armour for training as an Armour Officer...then was selected into the Tank Officer Cadet Course as a Tankee...it was the starting of my 1.5 years in Sungei Gedong Camp...training was tough...because of the sheer pace of training that we have to learn everything from scratch be competent enough to get commission! the 21 weeks spent there was not at all easy...but the fun that i had with the rest of the 11 tankees and 37 AI cadets was amazing! hahaz...the live-firing with the 75mm Main Gun...the "BOOM" was just...awe-inspiring! Went to Wallaby for my overseas training...absolutely memorable...for the fun and mistakes that i made there...but the scenery was simply unforgettable! Upon completion of training...the moment that we have all been waiting for...Commissioning Parade...was here! To be on the SAFTI Parade Square...wearing our smart No. 1 uniform...adorning our black beret with so much pride...it was unbelievable...how we felt that we knew we commissioned...after 48 long weeks...to wear the rank of 2LT after so long...simply...awesome...
SOA - Pt 2
As an officer, i was appointed as an instructor back at SOA to train Tank Cadets...same place...different roles...different feeling...i can say that i was during this period that i learnt the most and grew a lot from...taking the 01/06 and 02/06 TOCC under me...i leave SOA knowing that i tried to do the best that i did and i am leaving with OTW a better place than when i first came...the stress and challenges as an officer...as an instructor...as a coach...as a student still...moulded me and provided me with lots of working opportunities...the year as an instructor just went by so fast....and before i knew it...it was time for me to go...my original ORD was on 051106...but i extended to 051206...alot of people asked me why the decision...simply put...i felt a certain responsibility to be there to help in the transition and not just leave when time is up...it was something that i felt i had to do and be responsible for...
After-Thoughts
MAJ Pat, my OC at Officer Training Wing, School of Armour, asked me what were my 5 key takeaways from my tour as a Tank Instructor...to which i listed the following...
Tank Skills Having gone through training as a cadet...i have always felt that what i possessed was only the bare minimal for me to have commission as competent...but never was really skilled or good...so being an instructor and training cadets provided me with the drive to continually learn and brush up on my skills in order to fulfil my role as an instructor. After 2 batches...i would say that i have improved...but there was always more room to improve further...the learning never ends...
Paperwork and Planning My role as an instructor was not all about training only...there was much paperwork and lesson planning involved and i am proud to say that most of the lesson plans that are in use now have my name in it as the one who produced it...and my skill in handling paper work has also improved during the year...
Networking In the army, and in the outside world, networking is extremely important if tasks are to be completed...there are alot of times when ad-hoc task pops up and we cannot handle on our own...then we had to depend on our connections with other people to ask for help in order to get things done. It does certainly help to have frens around...you never know when you need them and they need you...
Responsibilty of having surbordinates As an instructor, we do not only instruct in terms of skills...but also instruct in terms of certain values...ethics...cos we are certainly slightly more experienced in the army (by 6 months at least) compared to the cadets...what we have seen and what we have experienced...they would not know...so we try to equip them with what ever is necessary to be a good officer...in terms of skills and values...My cadets from 02/06, who are from the JC batch one year junior to me, once told me...comparing themselves and the 5 JC instructors...they can really see the difference that one year of officership has made...the maturity that we possess as compared to them...guess army really does make people grow...
Friendship This especially to Wen Jin, Shun Hua, Eugene and Derek, my fellow instructors from the 02/05 batch...we were really close and bonded really well during our tour as instructors and this friendship is something that i really treasured...and i felt that our relationship helped to bring TOCC and AIOCC closer during our times... ONCE ARMOUR, ALWAYS ARMOUR!
All in all...think i have gone thru quite a fair bit during my 2 years...it was eventful to say the least...but i really believe that the ns experience have really benefitted me...and it would benefit most guys...in terms of maturity and growth...rather than skill...it should definitely be enforced! =)
