MiZ in Weekdays 8: Full Troops Exercise 1

11 Apr 2005
Ok, no company run that day as there was a CO talk in the morning. Supposed to have a CO parade, but eventually they changed it to CO talk instead for some reasons. We had to set up the PA system in the multi-purpose hall just for the speech itself (which wasn't that long anyway).

After that, we had to do some signal stores to prepare for the full troops exercise (FTX). There were some people drawing stores from 40 SAR as well. They came back in the evening and we had to do stores until quite late a night. As I also had I-net duty that day, I didn't really helped out much for the stores at night... Well, there were also very few customers for I-net that day. I supposed that was because most of the people were preparing for the FTX as well.

12 Apr 2005
In the morning, I had to helped out with some other people with the SOI for the FTX (and I supposed it is for the alert red and ATEC as well). After that, we had a lecture by dys4 about some technological equipment we might be using for the exercise.

Later in the afternoon, there should be a turn-out at anytime, but I was asked to go to Keat Hong Camp to draw some CVC helmet. Initially, we went to 403 line store to test the CVC helmet there. After a while, WW, a storeman from 46 SAR, came to tell us that all the CVC helmets inside the store are spoilt as those working ones are already being loaned to us a few days back (luckily we only tested a few helmets), so we had to go to 417 line store to draw the helmets. Anyway, there wasn't any turn-out in the afternoon...

In the evening, we had to prepare signal stores for the FTX. Also did the stores until quite late at night as well...

13 Apr 2005
Had to draw arms early in the morning to prepare for the FTX. The siren sounded at around 8.30am. As part of the advance party, we had to move out to the field at around 10.30am. In between that, we loaded the remaining line stores and spare stores into the tunnel.

We stopped at a place to set up exchange area in the afternoon when we were out on the field. The weather was scorching hot that time I was laying line, and as the signal warrant kept watching me on what I was doing, started to get nervous (that always happened when there were somebody looking at me to see what I was doing), so I would forgot certain things that I needed to do and the skills as well. Eventually got reprimanded for poor performance on what I was doing. Well, he was always bullying me, so what can I do?

Hmm... the weather was so hot that I finished the whole bottle of water after laying about 2 lines. Can't really stand the scorching heat as well, and that made me lost some concentration in my work (and perheps a decline in work quality as well). Well, laying the line that day was worst than what I had experienced during Ex. Wallaby...
After finshing laying some lines, we had to mann the line comms and do some exchange in lines as well. Quite a lot of work to do for the linemen at that time...

14 Apr 2005
The line was tear down very early in the morning as the battalion proceed on to start off with their mission. After that, there was nothing much for us to do. The weather was really so hot that most of us felt quite drowsy in the daytime and sleep during that time as well. There were also a lot of mosquitoes there as well, so we had to keep burning the mosquito coils bought by some of the people to get rid of mosquitoes. We also spent our time chatting with one another as well, especially at night, when we had nothing much to do.

15 Apr 2005
Nothing much to do as well for linemen for that day, except to do sentury duty around the vehicle, stand-to when we reached a new place, and helped out in camouflaging the vehicle as well.

The exercise cut some time late in the afternoon. When we reached camp, we had to put the stores into our signal storeroom. After that, I went back to bunk to remove the camo-cream from my face and clean the rifle as well before sending in.

The queue was somewhat long when I reached the armskote. As I had not really bathe yet, HJ asked me to go back and bathe first and take care of my rifle as well since it may take quite long to reached the amskote to send arms.

After sending arms, I went back to bunk to had a short rest before booking out while the armskote was still settling with the arms.

After booking out, I went to Lot 1 to had a quick dinner, and asked my father to fetch me home as well as I felt quite tired already and didn't really feel like taking the public transport as it took a long time to get me home.

MiZ Speaks
Well, while typing this entry, I felt quite tired already actually, so I might missed out some points that I experienced during that week (as my mind wasn't "working" that well). Well, you can helped me to recall what I had done during the week if you can...