Combat Survival Training

My ex-teammate during NS for our lil recce team, Bee Thiam who is under some form of scholarship studying and working in the U.S. (Lucky bastard!!!) sent me this link from the Straits Times. It's in regard with the NSman who drowned during the Combat Surivival Training/ Prisoner Of War course.

I went through the course with those fuckers (God bless them) below in the series of pictures (BRC, Brigade Reconnaissance Company series 1). Agreeing with what George had said, this incident would cause the HPTB (Higher Powers To Be) to be more careful in their training and turn the whole army into a great bunch of sissies than what it is already now.

Well, in my memory, the CST/POW course wasn't that all out harsh, as opposed to what I read in the article. But I did hear that officers and sergeants were treated more harshly than the rest. Perhaps in this incident, it's just like a bloody recap of the Stanford Prison Experiment. The power to control some other people pushes some people right over the edge, causing all theose primal aggression and sadism that is inherently buried in all of us to emerge.

As for my case, we were all blindfolded and bound for 16 hours, kneeling on gravel which sucked. Anyway, I thought the toughest was that I had to hold my pee for that period of time as well. I think it damaged my bladder since then. Hmmm. However, what I din know was that there was so many fuckers who just peed in their pants all round me... Crap. Shouldn't had held back...

I must admit that that was the most boring part of the whole course. Did I come out a better person? Nah, I dun thk so. It just made me realise S&M was not my cup of tea, d'you know I mean?

However, in the earlier part of the week we were on Pulau Tekong on training, it was pretty fun. We killed a few chickens and frogs the Friday before and the commando staff sergeants (this HUGE Indian guy) killed like a python and a monitor lizard, demostrating to us how to kill these animals in the wild. If you ask me, the only thing he demostrated to us was that when you need to go outfield, just bring shitloads of instant noodles and luncheon meat to save the hassle of killing something you can buy in your wet market.

I said this before a thousand times and I'd say it again, smoked python meat fucken rawksss!!! It was like a huge overnight BBQ party for my Band Of Brothers. Hahaha, I heard the other groups boiled the stash of python meat that they were given. *makes a L sign on my forehead...* You know who you guys are and it doesn't extend to the BRC side exclusively. Ha! Of course, I did nothing else but cook the stuff. The culinary Force is strong within me. You should try my Chu Qian Yi Ding (instant noodles) one of these days.

Actually, for the benefit of those who didn't take the course, let's say it was like Survivor on Pulau Tekong, except there wasnt any interviews like"Melvin to the camera: Willy has done nothing but eat, cook and sleep in the camp area. I'm going to vote him out in the next Tribal Council" and of course, Tribal Councils as well. Ever wondered I rather join the Amazing Race than Survivor? Been there, done that and wore the fucken uniform.

But hey, at least, now people would really think that we went through shitloads in our CRT/POW training. Haha!!!

The next series of the BRC set of photos would be out by next Thursday. Chekkit.