My annual ICT is about to end this week. Well, at least the field exercise (ie. the siong part) is over!
To be frank, the 3 days out-field exercise was tough.. not because we had to chiong sua (charge up mountains) or lo hai (go down seas), but because of severe sleep depravation and of the sourching heat in an exposed environment.
For a mid-30s fella like myself, who's more accustomsed to working in air-conditioned offices in Shenton Way, this really is a drastic change - lack of sleep, being barbaqued in 34 degrees sunlight with no shelter (not even a damn tree! ) for 2 good days in a row, having to drag along an additional weight of 10+ kilos (the so-called "full battle order" - helmet, weapon, SBO, and full pack stuffed with food and necessities).
Sometimes during the exercise, I'd almost thought of just giving up. How? By collapsing in a heap and declaring I'm not feeling well. Nowadays, with so many sudden deaths reported in the papers, the SAF trainers are pretty spooked when NS men peng-san during trainings.
Why didn't I? One big reason was the sense of fellowship and the bonding shared between the group of reservists (I still prefer to be called a "Reservist" rather the the overly elaborate and kinda silly sound "Operationally ready NSman").
Really, when people go through a demaning and difficult period together, it tends to bring them much closer than were it a comfortable one. Somehow, the mere knowledge of the fact that I am not suffering alone, helps tremendously in alleviating the pain and agony and makes the entire process that much more endurable.
Old acquiantances were renewed and new friendships were forged during that critical 3 days. We cursed and sweared at one and every other thing (mostly at SAF and their fXXXing doctrines); laughed at each other's lack of fitness and how pathetic we looked; complained about things ranging from the apparent lack of coordination and efficiencies of the officers and appointment holders to the freaking weather and conditions of our exercise locations....
But we held on - together. Falling out (reporting sick) would mean the rest of your fellow reservists friends having to suffer more, due to the increase work/load each one has to carry on his tired shoulders.
I am myself very surprised at the kind of fellowship that a short exercise like this could help forge. It feels entirely different from the way I feel at work somehow. This is not to say that I like to sabo my colleagues (no - in fact, my colleagues are great folks too, and i like working with them). But the feeling of comradeship is much more intense here at the dirty, dusty and hot exercise field area, rather than in the comforts of our air-conditioned office in town.
Hmm.. maybe coming back to ICT once in a while isn't such a bad idea after all, huh? :)
