Our Reservist Training in Taiwan circa Nov 1992.
I recall I was posted together with quite a number of NCO colleagues to C Company in 46th Singapore Armoured Regiment, in Sungei Gedong. We were the Artillery Battery Unit which was to provide artillery support fire to the entire company.
Captain Tan was our Battery Commander and we also had 2 artillery support officers, Lta Chan CY and Lta William Wong.
It was finally the time when we had our trainees fresh from school. We had to train them for a period of 12 weeks for them to graduate to be Mortar Men. Our unit was the Self Propelled (on M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier) 120 mm Mortar Battery. Indeed a mouthful.
The new boys were a torrid bunch. They were mainly Chinese by ethnicity and most had primary education, or at best Secondary 2 education. Some were gang members, and some had been to jail before. They were not an easy bunch.
We the NCOs who were supposedly educated (most of us were going to University) had to shape up this motely bunch of stragglers to be listening to our commands and obeying every word. In addition, when we went out to field exercise, we were going to be sharing the same vehicle out in the jungles.
I had the toughest of mental and physical challenges during my NCO training, and I was determined to give them the toughest physical and mental challenge they ever had, just as I was treated.
How wrong it turned out to be. My batch of 4 soldiers (see the first post) decided after one torrid training to 'pakang' or rebel against my tough as nails training. I had a talking to by my officer, and after some soul searching, I changed my man management style and decided I should adopt the team player cum leader role rather than the strict stand aside role, as we were supposed to be a detachment of 5 soldiers working together as a unit and subsequently as a mortar self propelled unit in part of a battery supporting the company.
We had tremendous camaderie after that, we went through a lot of exercises, and I am proud to say that our coordination as a team to camouflage and get ready for the Fire Mission set my detachment apart from the rest of the unit.
Some time later in 1982, our detachment was crowned the Best Detachment out of 6 for overall competence in commander role, camouflaging and fire mission readiness.
My team of 4, Loh Swee Chuah (driver), Yeo Ah Seng (Layer), Goh Gek Piaow (No. 4) and Tan Beng Chong (No.3 ), I have the greatest respect for and the fondest memories of.
Tan Beng Chong in particular, I recall, became a father at 19 years of age. I was honored to attend his wedding and to call him a true friend.
I hope I can meet them again soon.
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