New post! It has been more than a year since I've posted! Let's see, I last blogged in November 2009, that was during A lvls. Less than 2 weeks after my last exam, I was enlisted into army. 17 weeks of BMT, followed by a week of leave and 38 weeks of OCS training finally concluded my life as a trainee. BMT was really good training, my fitness improved like crazy, my size increased too (in a good way)! Then came 38 weeks of OCS training, which was crazy and miserable because I did not enjoy a single bit of it. Then I thought I would go back to BMT but I was instead posted to G8 Branch, 6 Division. It was something that none of us cadets have ever heard before.

Basically G8 Branch deals with reservist trainings. We facilitate in-camp trainings (ICT), IPPT, charging of reservist men for offences, mobilisation, but we do not train them, nor conduct IPPT (maybe only sometimes), nor do we charge (unless their commanders want us to charge), and we do not decide when to activate them! We are the middlemen. As an Assistant Staff Officer (ASO), I deal with all units under 9 Singapore Infantry Brigade (SIB) and 2 SIB, both under 6 Division. That means I deal with 5 battalions, 3 companies and 1 platoon.

Btw, Division > Brigade > Battalion > Company > Platoon

And for the month of February and March, I had 3 battalions and 1 company having ICTs lasting more than 7 days (hi-key), and today marks the end of all these nonsense! All I am left with are 2 low-key (less than 7 days) ICTs in July, then no more until after I ORD! What the heck. I just finished 80% of my job.

I was an introvert (I still am!) before I became an Assistant Staff Officer (ASO) in G8 branch, but being an ASO has indeed helped me to open up more. Being forced to deal with NSmen, who are usually 10 years older than you, and usually dealing with officers of a higher rank, is a challenging task. It is not a senior-junior relationship but a business partners kinda relationship. In other words, it is nothing about age nor rank. As an ASO, I am there during their ICTs to answer any questions they have, to facilitate charging and IPPT, and to support their outfield if required to. Most of them are quite appreciative and grateful for my help, which makes the environment easier and more relaxing. It is especially fortunate for me that the first battalion I took, 700SIR, has very friendly officers who helped me out (when it was supposed to be the other way around) since I was new. And I know that now that their ICT is over, I most probably will not meet them again as their next ICT will be handled by my understudy. Not surprisingly, after my short tour, there are some people I indeed missed, in chronological order:

700SIR S1, CPT Ho - who spent some time talking to me about being a staff officer, giving me some insights and some knowledge, and recommending me to go for a staff officer course to secure a staff job in future ICTs.

700SIR S4, CPT Tse - Nice quiet guy who helped me out with some stuffs which I can't rmb what.

700SIR QM, LTA Azhar - Looks very young and is extremely friendly. At first I disturbed him for someone's number but turns out that he really doesn't mind helping at all! And there was one time outfield when I saw him with camou, which I was quite surprised because I've always thought QMs don't need to camou on and go outfield.

700SIR dyS1, LTA Jeremy - the guy whom I worked with the most during the ICT, as he was the one who, together with me, facilitated all the charging (which was apparently very messy), and really the bridge between the unit and me. And he is someone who is very on! He'll really run all over the place making sure everything is done.

700SIR (unknown post), LTA William - the DO when one guy was injured from outfield, who was nice enough to lend me his charger, and also the guy who handed over his medics to me and was wondering who Lt. Yuen was when I introduced to him as Lt. Sherman. And also advised me to stay in hostel in uni for (reasons not convenient to say here).

700SIR CO, LTC Zee - someone whom I heard everyone in his unit was scared of because he would throw people to detention easily, but he appears very nice and seemed to be forgiveable that I was new and didn't know how to help him.

732SIR dyS1s, LTA Hansel, LTA Darren, and group - unfortunately I was not close to your battalion as I was mainly focused on 700SIR, but nonetheless I was quite surprised that they automatically settled all the charging issues and compiled everything on the last day before handing over to me!

9SIB Signals Coy2IC, CPT Ang - mainly the person whom I linked up with regarding his company's ICT.

657SIR CO, LTC Harbans - Mainly said hi and bye because we didn't do any SDO charging but an extremely approachable guy.

657SIR Chief Clerk, 3SG Sum - "we're better off without a dyS1". Haha. Someone whom I worked with for most admin matters.

657SIR S1, CPT Ng - someone who will only meet 3SG Sum at 9am and 2pm every day. And we tried to come to a compromise about charging.

657SIR Clerk in S1 cell, CPL Alvin - very funny guy who did mainly the charging issues and made me discover that there are poor and illiterate people in Singapore who cannot use the computer, who rent a small room with a single telephone just to answer SAF calls, who really cannot pay fines, who need to default IPPT because they are working 3 jobs and cannot pay off debts.

657SIR S4, CPT Kwek - whom I always kajiao so that I can use the terminal in his cell, but he's always kind enough to let me use. Quiet guy (I wonder if all S4s are quiet)

657SIR MO, CPT (Dr) Choong - "the guy in green, where's my medic?" when the exercise finished and I borrowed his medic :P

657SIR B2IC, CPT Tan - We didn't really need each other's help but he was more active in the office than the other 2 battalions, there was one night when he came and listened to the conversation between S1, Alvin, me and some other clerks regarding charging. And allowed me to use his room to use his terminal.

Yup, most probably I won't see you guys again so hope that you can give my understudy an as memorable experience as you have given me! Thanks!