[Mood: Excellent] [Mentally: Strong] [Physically: Close To Fit] [State of Mind: At Ease]

Okay! I know it has been some time since I posted, so let me recount the 2 main exercises I had last week, Exercise Wanderer 2 and platoon deliberate attack live firing.

Exercise Wanderer 2 was a great test for me physically. Mainly because I was carrying the signal set. It is a bit heavier than the ordinary full load of a field pack, and with the anteanna sticking out, it can be quite a pain sometimes. Nevertheless, I did a good job manning the comms. It was fun actually. I started out doing comms check with Control (HQ).

Me: Control, this is Alpha One Six. Comms check over.
Control: Control, I hear you signal 5. How do you read me? Over.
Me: Alpha one Six, I read you loud and clear. Out.

Then I had to do hourly checks, which means I just have to signal back to them to assure them that we are still progressing with our mission of finding the checkpoints. There were times when I couldn't get them, because of the thick vegetation, and I had to switch to the long anteanna (which is like 5m tall).

One irritating habit I have (which my group mates complain of) is that I just LOVE to help other teams to relay things to Control. Somehow, it seemed as if I can get Control, and the rest are just too far. Every 3 minutes of so, when I hear a team sending a message to Control, and not receiving a reply, I will stop, and help them relay.

Me: Alpha etc-etc, this is Alpha One Six. Do you read me? Over.
Alpha etc-etc: Alpha etc-etc, I read you loud and clear, Alpha one Six. Over.
Me: Alpha One Six, relay message through me, over.

Then I'll send the message to Control, Control will be asking for their progress, all this while with me being the middle man. It was very fun, at least to me. All these while, we had little problems finding our checkpoints, even in the heavy rain.

When we finally went back to camp around 2230hrs, heat rash attacked me all over. Broken toenails. Peeled skin on my hands. Aching shoulders. But I survived. Lolz. The next better exercise, live firing platoon level.

As you have read, I was appointed Section Commander for the left assault. Day time attack was not a problem, it went without a hitch. We were even praised by our platoon commander. But night attack was a whole different story. Just before sunset, there was heavy rain. Terrain was slippery. And to top the torture, commanders had to wear night fighting equipment, the night goggles. I know, I know. The first time I saw these things, I was like, WHOA! Like Splinter Cell! COOL! That was in theory. In practical, looks good, doesn't FEEL good. The damn thing was heavy on my head, and not to mention very tight, giving constant headaches. Felt like dying.

Fortunately, I made it out of the night attack okay (after 5 or 6 slips into the mud, and the stupid moment when the night goggles dragged my head down so much I can barely see forward). And we came back to camp only around 3am, after clearing up the place.

This week, it was much better with FIBUA training at Neo Tiew. We cleared low-level HDB flats as a platoon, and learned how to fortify positions in them. This coming Monday will be an important day, the ATP shoot. I need to get 17 shots out of 28 on target to pass, 24 shots out of 28 to get marksmanship. I dunno if I can do it, but I'll try my best.

Last Monday I went to watch Ice Age 2. Quite funny, though I thought Madagascar was better. Then just now went to watch Firewall. Great thriller. Looking forward to The Da Vinci Code and X-Men 3.

*thinks*

I feel so fresh now... Things have been going really well for me these few weeks, and I am grateful to Him. Next few weeks look promising too. Maybe I am worrying on how I'll find a job after NS. I'll have to find something. Plans, plans, plans.

"Nothing worth having comes easy."