Secret War Journal[18 February - 6 March 2013][Long Post][Picture-Heavy]
Artillery is a vocation renowned as the King of the Battlefield. This can be seen in warfare where artillery shells decimate troops from afar. In addition to obliterating the enemy's morale, it also impedes their advancement.
As some of you had been informed, I went overseas during the month of February to March. Better known to the civilian world of Singapore as Exercise Battleking, it is the rite of passage for most artillery commanders to experience live firing.
Artillery Live Firing is certainly an experience that most Singaporeans would not be able to experience in their National Service. Thus, I should be honoured to be given the opportunity to not just participate in a live firing exercise but also be at the forefront of the firing guns. Subject to how one sees it, it was held at Thailand. During this period of time, the region is in summer season - hot, dry. With temperatures capable of reaching 42°C, it is the direct opposite of Exercise Thunderwarrior.
Prelude, Lord of War
"Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime." - Ernest Hemingway
To allow for a smoother experience and conduct of the exercise, the command team scheduled for a simulated dry run locally, designed to refresh everyone's memory and familiarise with one another.
I found this to be useful. It provides us, weapon specialists, the opportunity to know the officer cadets that would be under our care during the exercise.
In addition to that, we were promptly briefed on our flight details and luggage submission. Once done, we are set to depart!
Ariel, Lord of Sky
A shoutout to Johnston: Thanks for taking time to send me off at the Airport despite the late flight timing! Really appreciated! :)
Man, I was actually expecting myself to be flying off to the Land of the Thousand Smiles via Singapore Airlines before the briefing. Imagine my disappointment when I heard we are going to take Thai Airways to Thailand. Do not get me wrong, Thai Airways is not bad but I just thought it was a little bit strange that Singapore soldiers are using foreign airlines for exercises. (Or is it? ;) Economic sense yes but what about National Pride?
Needless to say, I had a great time on the plane thought it was kind of annoying when they woke us up in the middle of the flight for a meal. Most of us were trying to catch some sleep as the flight was in the wee hours of morning.
Grinding Machine
Been asked to leave the plane because it has landed in Thailand was a painful experience for me. Firstly, it was a rude awakening. (Bear in mind that I was lacking sleep.) Secondly, I am not exactly fond of Thailand. Thus, at that moment, the plane was the last place that felt like I was still in Singapore. Childish, yeah. Still, I dragged myself out because it would not serve any purpose to make a scene at the airport.
Departing from the airport, we started a long bus ride to our temporary military camp during our stay in Thailand. Being a temporary military camp, one cannot expect living conditions as great as the ones in Singapore. The ventilation in the camp there is not great but it is bearable. At least I have a decent toilet (Hahas!). Boy, the feeling when you dread going back your main camp.
Going for the open shower was an awkward experience for me. Being the conservative me, I was not really looking forward to the shower. However, once I steeled myself and went for it, I realised it was not half bad. Given a pail and a scoop, I made my way to the common bath area. Like a scene from Japan, but without the scenery (XD), one will shower in the open, not cubicles. Surprisingly, after trying out their 'open shower' concept on my first night, I got this feeling that the living conditions here are better than my own camp (which is, of course, kinda weird, considering the better amenities at Singapore). Ouch, somehow that hurts more.
Aside from the showers, the cookhouse is pretty DIY style. You would wash your own plates, cutlery and cups after consuming your meals. A good practice but honestly, a hassle. I remembered the first time I headed for lunch and took a metal plate out of the rack, only to come into contact with a couple of spiders complete with spider webs. I was truly shocked and I just stood there after returning the plate where I found it (no way I am going to use that plate...) until some kind soul who finished his lunch passed me his clean plate. (Thank you, oh my god)
I wonder if it is still lying there or had it been cleaned by someone. Hmm...
Labyrinth of War
"We have been travelling through a cloud. The sky has been dark ever since the war began." - Black Kettle
After a couple of slow days, the war games officially begun. I cannot into much details but I would say this much. My experience out there in the wilderness was dominated by cuts and injuries. Heck, I emerged out from it with a lips infection. (Believe me, I find it hard to accept the fact that such things could actually occur. Nevertheless, many people were amused. Hahas)
The exercise was an eye-opener for me. While the tempo of this training exercise is lower compared to an active unit, timing is still essential. I found myself being pressured by the superiors to be ready by the stipulated timing. Such is the pressure during warfare as time is critical.
There were a lot of memorable moments during the exercise. There was one moment I broke contact with the vehicle in front of me because it was driving faster than mine. I got lost as a result. It was really a funny but humiliating moment for me and the driver as we, with the help of an officer, navigate to the correct spot. (Hallelujah for maps and navigation training.)
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| One of the sugar cane trucks spotted during our movement around Thailand. :) |
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| Anyone interested in hiking here? XD |
It was also a great experience, spending time with the cadets (they are now officers, I presume. Hahas) If I am not wrong, this exercise allowed me to interact with all the officer cadets since I enlisted. During the exercise, they shared their experience of their training thus far. Officer cadets really must go through a lot more than us specialists huh?
Speaking of live firing experience, the opportunity to pull the trigger for the big guns is definitely not one to miss out on and I, of course, took it. After firing the gun once myself, I realised that almost no recoil could be felt at that seat. As strange as it may sound, I would rather it had some recoil. That way, at least you can feel as though you are actually shooting something. That said, the counter recoil mechanism for this machine is superb! (Evidently)
[That said, I became in charge of teaching the recoil mechanism to the next generation. LOL.]
After nine days of deprived sleep, Exercise BattleKing came to a close. I was quite amazed myself. (Previously, with this amount of sleep each night, I was wasted by the fifth day.)
King's Retreat
"Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light." - Albert Schweitzer
Past the military matters, we celebrated the end of our overseas exercise with an End-of-Frame Dinner. I am not exactly sure why it was named so but I paid around ten singapore dollars for it. T.T
Paying this amount for dinner in Thailand means a lot and I would say I had expected more out of it. My dinner that night was a dinner that tasted like it was from the canteen based there. (Which was average?) in an air-conditioned room with loud music being played. (Maybe I paid more for this...)
I would admit that the songs were entertaining (amusing) initially, along with the singers and dancers, but it became quite annoying (pardon me) after a few songs.
In the end, I ponder if the money spent was justified.
After the End-of-Frame Dinner, we adjourned to the canteen. Being the light drinker me, I decided to abstain from beer while the majority went to drink. Getting my daily dose of orange juice, my friends and I headed back. (Mm, that sounded pathetic. XD)
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With that, the recreational phase begins!
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Death Railway & Hellfire Pass (Day 1)
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| Hellfire Pass is a memorial museum on the Death Railway |
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| Did not know there were bamboo in Thailand. Oops. |
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| Are you kidding me?! |
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| Tracks of the Death Railway |
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| Bridge |
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| Look at our eyebags. Oh god. Hahas! |
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| Chill Baby, chill |
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| Team Specialist! |
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| View from the top. Woah! There are no fences stopping you from falling! |
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| Waterfall? Where did this come from? |
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| Guess no one followed the instructions. |
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| Not sure if what train is this. |
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Zoo (Day 1)
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| My lunch |
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Snake Zoo (Day 2)
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| Looks great but the spoons and forks were dirty. :O |
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Floating Market (Day 2)
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| Try their Mango sticky rice! |
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Future Park Rangsit (Day 2)
Our final destination. However, due to an unexpected tire fault on one of the buses, we reached the shopping mall late. As a result, we had only around 15 minutes to explore (which is not a lot since it is one of the biggest mall in Asia)
I am sorry that I do not have photos for this place, was rushing around like crazy. Hahas!
Our final meal in Thailand before we departed for Singapore was KFC, surprisingly. Hahas!
Home sweet home! I had a lot of fun during my time at Thailand. It was a little like 'Work hard, play hard' kind of thing. Still, I would say once is enough, going again would kill the fun since the places I go, the things I experience would be largely the same.
This concludes my adventure in Thailand, hope you guys enjoyed it! :)
"Only the dead have seen the end of the war." - George Santayana
Credits: thycursed (Pictures on ExBattleKing), BoQing (Pictures during R&R)
Before we watch the movie, we decided to spice this movie outing up a bit. Meeting up at City Square Mall, we had lunch at the Kopitiam housed in there.
A sequel to the movie G.I.Joe: Rise of Cobra, I found the subtitle 'Rise of Cobra' more apt for this film instead. In this movie, we see the Cobra commander's rise to power with the aid of Zartan, the master of disguise. As we know, Zartan captured the president and impersonated him during the events of the previous film. 
This restaurant provides Tim Sum delicacy at an affordable price. Some of the must-try dishes include Shanghai Xiao Long Bao, Fried Golden Doufu (I ordered seconds for this! ^^), Plain Noodle and Onion La Mian, Siew Mai (took me some time to realise there are prawns inside. :O)
