Signal Warrior!

The first exercise was a 4 day 3 night Own Time Own Target (OTOT) navigation exercise. This would be the most fun exercise in the whole Exercise Crescendo. :D

Before setting out for this exercise, I was pretty scared because I heard from my previous sergeants stories of how they ran out of water before reaching any checkpoint and the gruelling distances of more than 50km they have to cover in FBO etc...

But off we went anyway. The xiong thing about this exercise is the FBO part. We have to navigate in FBO!!
FBO = 20kg field pack + 10kg IBA (Integrated Body Armour) + 4kg SAR 21 = ~34kg

However, in order to keep in contact with the HQ, there is something called signal set...And that 10kg SUPER OLD SCHOOL 840 signal manpack will have to be carried by the signaller on top of his FBO!!

That garang signaller was me...I volunteered. HAHAHA! Why? Because I wana carry it in the start of the exercise, where we're all still full of strength and energy...so I wana carry the signal set in my prime physical condition...lest I carry it in the latter part of the exercise where we're all shagged out already. Haha. Basically, my FBO weighed at least 45kg... -_-"

We were tonner-ed to our start point which was around 40km away...it took a 30min 5-tonner ride to SP4! Haha. Upon reaching our start point at around 6pm, we took a PHOTO!! Haha! Which is stuck in Rudy's camera...he's not from our platoon...

After all the picture taking, it was time for the 13 of us in a section to get to work. The good thing is, the weather is TOTALLY AWESOME!! It was about to rain so it was super windy and the grey clouds covered the sky. So off we went to find our first checkpoint which was at least 8km away -.-"

By nightfall, we were only like 70% there? Haha. So we decided to harbour. We found a superb harbouring spot - an unused part of a farmer's plantation, an empty sandy patch which was super windy! Ohhhh, we laid our groundsheets, powder bathed and fell asleep readily...without having to sleep in sweaty, humid conditions.

On the 2nd day, I also continued to take the legendary FBO + signal set...haha. By the 2nd checkpoint, we covered at least 16km already. That's when I handed the signal set over to my section mates. After covering about 5km+ my section mate couldn't take the signal set weight already...so he passed it to the next "privileged" signaller.

By the 3rd checkpoint which was another 6km++ he also couldn't take it...so it came back to...ME -_-" Haha. One of my section mates Jumadi checked to see if I was ok. He looked at me and I gave him an act cute smile....HAHA!! He then told me "I really respect you man. The fact that you can still smile and all while carrying the signal set is something..." I guess so too :D HAHAHA! BHB again...LOLS :D

Anyway, our next 2 checkpoints was the same as another section's...so we decided to go with them. That's when a little trouble begins...The other detail had an Indian regular guardsman Kumar who doesn't really know how to navigate. He only knows how to bash. So he led us with his navigators bashing through weird grounds and all...when there were TRACKS AROUND!!

So, Han Hui, my section's best navigator suggested to Kumar taking the track. But he simply ignored him, thinking his Indian-ic ways were superior. So we followed them and ended up hor-landing and thus having to harbour at a really lousy harbouring area - without wind...We were really pissed off.

The next day when we set off, after covering like 1km, we saw the track that my friend suggested the day before...it led to the same place...The other team's strategy was simply...BASH... -_-" The bunch of huan nas and ah nehs really are stupid. Some of the brainless race in my section also chose to go bashing and ended up getting lost with them. -.-" If I go to war with them, I think I'll just break section and go with the people that think and not the people that are fit but without brains...Haha.

Anyway, I must say, Thailand COKE never tasted so good...until you're outfield...HAHAHAHA!! The ice-cold taste of cola rivuleting onto our parched tongues was one rapturous moment in Excercise Crescendo that almost nothing could ever replace and one that I will never forget...HAHA! The price was uber cheap...15baht for a 595ml bottle of coke...Don't ask me why they package such weird amounts of liquid in a bottle...haha. 15baht is around 60 Singapore cents.

And the interesting thing about the 3rd shop we went to is, they trade coke for our SAF rations!! Those who have served NS before will know that the dry biscuits in the accessory pack is one of the most destestable snack around...But to the Thais, 2 packs of that destructive, mouth-drying biscuits can be exchanged for a coke bottle!! Man, I tell you, it was great doing business with them. HAHAHA!

Ok, back to our mission. To pass, we need to hit log-point 2 where we will do a navigation THEORY test. By the time you hit there, you'd have covered at least 40km...To go back to coy line early, you have to hit end point. By the time you reach there, you'd have covered at least 60km++.

The earliest team completed the navigation exercise in 2.75 days!! They finished it in less than 2 days 2 nights! That means they have 2 full days of free & easy in camp!! Which means they can go to the canteen and eat, shop & LAN!!! Omgosh...Their strategy? They covered the most distance at night when it is cool and breezy. By day, they also walked but rested at more regular intervals.

My team? We walked by day and slept by night...HAHAHA! During noon time, it was sooo hot that we rested under shade every 1km...imagine our move speed...Haha.

In the end, we ended our exercise at log-point 2...where we were tonner-ed back to camp...HAHA! We just passed the exercise. Haha. So that was exercise Cobra. I shan't elaborate on the blisters and abrasions sustained through this exercise....hahaha.