Saturday, 8 September 2007
Boatman Course
The training to be a boatman is crazy. Everyday launch boats and delaunch boats. With timing to meet also. All the equipment is so bloody heavy. Time in the water is fun, but time on land sucks. My job as a boatman is very important. In case of war or exercise, when i am required to operate the assault boat for river crossing operations or coastal hook operations, the success of a section of infantry lies on my capabilities. So, nonetheless, training has to be tough. Just survive my boatman course and my life will be easier after that.
If you watched the national day parade, the boat that i am learning to operate is the one that ferried the MCs from the sea to the right side of the floating platform, the one that went on a so called race with the dragon boat, and the same type of boat was used to operate the jellyfish during the show segment. Operating the boat is easy, but the parking is difficult. Never shut and lift the motor up fast enough and the boat will get grounded. Shut and lift the motor up too early and the boat will not be fast enough to reach the shore. Anyway practice makes perfect. Thats why everyday we will have to launch the boats.
Launch and delaunch everday takes at least 3 hours a day and it depends on the tide also. There was once we had to do the combat delaunch because the tide was too low for us to use the slipway at the boatshed and we had to cary the boats and all the equipment for about 100m to our boatshed to keep and store all our equipment. That was crazy. We too 4 hours plus to finish it and as a matter of fact, we started the delaunch at 10.30 pm. That day, we were only able to sleep at around 3.30am and we had to wake up at 6.30am to carry on with our training for the next day. Everybody was like half dead and some even overslept and caused the whole platoon to be punished for being late.
I don't want to lead an army life. But wad can i do. The letter came and i lan lan have to serve lor. Haha. Heard that this week will be worse because of the even more packed training schedule. Plus i will be having an exercise coming up this week and the week after also. That seriously sucks. Next week is my ops manning period and i may be activated to go back to camp for mobilisation during the weekend. So, If you see the codeword SWIFT TANK or TRUMP CARD being flashed on TV screens or anywhere else, do give me a call to tell me that i have been activated. Thats my life. 35SCE Boatman.
Cal
found sought peace at 23:28.
