Yes, it’s like how they like to call it, “P-O-P loh!”

Thanks Audi for this superb pic!

Actually it’s no longer POP (passing out parade), they’d decided to change it to GP, graduation parade – *yawn* how interesting.

Nevertheless, be it graduating or passing out, I finally got myself out of BMT. No more chao Recruit, it’s Private Tan now. But but but, it’s just the beginning of another arduous journey of regimentation, shitload of training and punishments – 1 year and 9 months, to be exact.

I was enlisted into BMTC School 1, Yankee Coy on the 13th of June, 2008 – not knowing till days before, it was Friday the 13th. Luckily nothing much that was inauspicious happened. Being Platoon 1, Section 1, Bed 1 was the only thing to be considered unlucky, I guessed. Y1101 was my 4D number and that meant I was the first man in the entire company.

And there you have it, during the first 2 weeks or so, I was always the person to be chosen for demonstrations, to fetch keys, and etc. …Easy what! “You! The first guy! Go do this and that…”

That adds on to the already negative mindset of mine about army. My childhood friend is PES E and even him given a slack vocation, says that NS sucks. My brother was posted to become storeman, and he became store-(the fats)-man. I swear that he grew fatter during his army days – I thought people only become fitter in the army? PLUS all the ghost stories, sabo-ing jokes and recent news on the deaths… …How else can I be more optimistic about the army?

I remember waking up each morning in the bunk, hating army life even more. I constantly questioned myself, “What am I doing here?”

I told this to my section mates and one of them told me this, “You could hate it and do it unhappily. But in the end, you still have to do it. Why not accept it and do it happily?”

Our commanders always tell us that, but it never seemed to be able to get into my head. But when my section mate said that, it somehow got registered immediately into my mind. Maybe it’s because my section mates are the ones who have been through all the shit with me, and that made me realize how true that line is.

Right now, I would say I don’t hate NS as much and in fact, I will try to like it. It’s actually not that bad after all. NS has made me done things I’d never thought I could do.

I never thought I would finish 24km route march.
I never thought I would survive field camp.
And, I never thought I would pass my IPPT.

And even the much-feared shellscrape digging during field camp was smooth because my allocated soil was 100% diggably easy. Maybe its the fine arts genes in me that made me perfected it till it looked like it was dug by a machine or something. And as 3SGT Zaini calls it, the Artist’s Shellscape. Heh!

But that’s not important. What’s more significant is the people I’ve met. I’ve never thought that friends, buddies and brothers could be more important than anything.

My buddy, Jian Liang, is one that will entertain me with his lame jokes and sings the vast array of old school songs – he’s like the jukebox of the section.
Derrick, the super slacker that reminds me to stand straight when I slouch.
Thomas, the soulmate that I can talk to, about anything under the sun!
Wakhil, the hilarious guy that never fails to crack me up everytime I look at him!
Ray, who helped me to tie my helmet (when the others are doing their own things) during the first week.
Cheeyung, the selfless mother that totally takes care of me and the section mates! He should be like the ambassador of the 7th SAF core value, Care for soldiers!
Alvin, the super siao-on that do things faster than your computer! His enthusiasm totally inspires me to do better in NS.

These are the brothers I went through shit with.

And all of us got our posting, and it looks like section 1 is going in separate ways, but I hope we do keep in touch and remains as brothers and friends.

Among the so many “never thoughts”, I never thought that I’ll go Sispec! But since I’m given the chance, I shall try to approach it in a optimistic direction and hopefully get my 3 stripes!

Yankee boleh!

P/s: This sums up my update on army life. Initially wanted to blog in detail on how I spent my days in BMT, but one of my platoon mates almost got charged by doing that. I shan’t take any chances.

…or maybe I will, somewhere hidden away from the public’s eyes.