Alas! My BMT is finally coming to an end this coming wednesday 18th March 2009. Even though I had a longer BMT than many of my peers, I guess the extra training had made me a better man in terms of physical and mental. Memories, both good and bad, will definitely stay in me. Like most people would say, army is the place where boys become men. I do not wish to totally throw this statement away as it is somehow true as I find myself more mature and understanding. I finally see things in a different perspective due to many different experiences inside BMTC.
Looking back, the friendships I made during my BMT would probably still exist even though most of us would be seperated into different units and vocations. While many others look at the same faces for less than 3months, I basically stared at the same faces for 3 and a half months! Sharing the same toilet, showering without doors, doing area cleaning every single day and even eating at the same table from monday to friday certainly brought us all together as one. On a sidenote, these friendships I made cannot be compared to those I made in Secondary and JC. I guess these people are just too different considering how much friction we had over the past few months in BMT. But I am glad we still managed to set aside our differences and become friends. The power of the army? haha.
Now, I am just looking forward to my 24km route march on tuesday night-wednesday morning and my Passing-Out Parade on wednesday morning. It will finally mark the end of my BMT experience and journey. Hopefully the next phase of my army life would be much better. 20th March will be the day to look out for! I can only wish for the best as I set my sights on command school, either OCS or SISPEC.
Although many of us would wish for a beautiful end to our BMT life, I cannot help but be disappointed. With the announcement of platoon best just before we booked out, I finally realised that effort does not always translate into results. Well, as you may have guessed, I fell short of being the platoon best and was even more disappointed when my name was not on the list of platoon top 5. Despite always putting in my 110%, I guess my occasion arrogant attitude (well, it cannot be helped since sometimes I just cannot stand the way army does things and the fact that the training pace was TOO slow) did not favour my sergeants. Or maybe the fact that I hardly "communicate" with them (I am just using nice words here…I guess those reading might understand what I am trying to say) distances myself away from their favour. Anyway, I am not trying to be bitter or jealous here (because I know my failure in IPPT already cost me according to my PC), I just feel that there were others who deserved the platoon best more. For your information, the chosen platoon best and the other top 3s failed both IPPT and SOC, some even did not attain marksman for their BTP, while those who did constantly well in BTP, SOC and IPPT did not make it into top 5. Well, seems to me that "communication" is the best tool to success.
Phew… I finally got it off my chest! Did not really want to discuss this with any of my platoon mates lest it may mar our friendship. Like I said just now, most of us would rather wish for a beautiful end. So I guess keeping this to myself (and since none of them knows I have a blog) would be a win-win situation for everyone.
Right now, what can be said has already been said and what can be done has already been done. Army life is only a small part of my already short life, so there is no point feeling crappy about it. Hopefully with my next phase of army life waiting for me, I would have the chance to shine again, and be recognised for it.
Imperial College London interview this coming sunday! Gonna try my best to impress so that hopefully I can secure a place in my dream university.
To God be the Glory, The Best Is Yet To Be
