John Leow.com

While bathing just now, I suddenly reminisced about how fast time past, and how I can’t believe that it’s been 2 years since the day I entered into N.S! Now that i’ve already ORD-ed for the past 4 months,and served my compulsory 1 yr 10 months  in the Army, I just feel an overwhelming sense of nostalgia and gratitude to God for His grace and provision throughout this 2 years alone in N.S.

Well, i remember that sleepless night (only had 2 hours  of sleep) on 13th July 2007, being very anxious and yet at the same time, excited about reporting to Pasir Ris bus interchange at 830am for the first time. I remember the last breakfast(like the Last Supper) at Whitesands Macdonald’s I had with my dad, Wong JJ, Rachel Yang (who came down to see me off )and the many smses from friends wishing me well entering into N.S.  I remember more particularly how I was late to report at the bus interchange, and when I arrived at Tekong, it was Zulu Company enlistees all around me, while I was the only Yankee lost sheep. I remember the heart wrenching scene where after having white chicken rice with chili sauce at the Rocky Hill cookhouse with my dad, he was suddenly asked to board the coach and leave for the ferry back to the mainland, while I was all alone now with equally blur peeps from Yankee Coy. I remember how for the 1st week in BMTC school 3, I was a kan cheong spider, and every time I heard the 3SG calling someone’s name, I thought he was calling me. And more importantly, I remembered how I called my church friends and leaders from the 3rd floor of my company line, telling them how EMO i felt being a soldier now.
Then, the real adventure began!

Now came 530am Revillies, marching from point to point, singing EMO songs while marching like:

“Early in the morning run, with my fieldpack on my bag. With an aching in my heart. And my shirt is full of sweat. I’m a long long way from home. And I miss my lover so. In the early morning run. When the cold wind blows.When the cold wind blows. Where the cold wind blows. Where the cold wind blows. I know I know. You have to go. So hurry back home. Because I miss you so!”

Haha..thinking back, this song really made me emo throughout my BMT. Then came the field camps, pullups,road marches, SIT test, range shooting, area cleaning, 24 KM road march, guard duties,dreaded book-ins, and finally POP! I always thought I could never make it through, but for the grace of God i did!

Me and Erns(best buddy!) at POP

Then came the posting that I was posted to SISPEC, Bravo Coy, the most siong SISPEC company notorious for it’s high OOC rate under a really garang warrant officer OC (who shall not be named). I was stretched beyond my limits in SISPEC, but it was also where I was at the peak of my fitness in my entire life! I hated those times where we were forced to stay up till 3am to do our Navigation prep work, but I fondly remember the bashing through forest experiences trying to topo our way around without getting ‘holand’. SISPEC taught me what fighting spirit really was, and many times, me and my good buddy Yi Sheng would always encourage one another that if we can endure through Bravo coy, we can overcome anything. Yi Sheng was an inspiration to me for his amazing fighting spirit to achieve from 0 to 6 pullups in just a matter of 9 weeks, and it was not uncommon to find him trying very hard every day to do at least one pullup.

After passing out from SISPEC, I was posted to AISL (Armour Section Leader’s Course), the lonnnnnnnngest Spec course you can ever find anywhere in SAF(5 months)! It was both a fun experience, yet also mentally challenging, as suddenly the challenge wasn’t so much of the physical, but more of the mental. Had to now learn how to command and handle armoured vehicles, and also many many more weaponry.  The most memorable part of AISL was when after retrying my IPPT for the fifth time, I fell into a drainage hole at the roadside and had a deep laceration on my right knee, yet I still kept running and got my IPPT GOLD, with blood everywhere on my right leg at the finish line!!!Also worth remembering was the trip overseas to somewhere in asia, and the RnR we had on the last 3 days shopping and eating to the max.!

Then came the day I was officially a full fledged 3 SG, and was posted to 42 SAR. Luckily for me, it was a recruit intake, so happily, I became a secom by appt who kept knocking down these guys for various reasons like trying to be funny with me. For that next 1 year till ORD, I really learnt to be a more confident Sarge, and though my workload was really ridiculous, handling the armskote, platoon, admin and vehicles at the same time, it stretched me to the point whereby I understood that as a 3SG, your men and mission must come first above your complaints like lack of sleep (imagine cleaning weapons till 5am), ‘chao keng’ colleagues, weekend COS duties and many more. That was my duty to the nation. Above that, I learnt man management skills, and how to be a friend, buddy, commander at the same time to my men, even though we had many disagreements with my management style. But ultimately, I still value those experiences that we slogged hard working together in the armskote and going on missions!

Then 14 May 2009 came!The ‘Hallelujah!” moment!

Fast forward one year, and it was ORD day! I remember walking into camp in semi formal C.V, and walking up to my buddy PCs and showing them my pink IC after 1 year 10 mths! It was the day my forefathers longed to see, when their once wimpy son now became a MAN!

Haha ok, I got too carried away by my sentimental reflections. But if given the chance, I would want to go through NS all over again, and really enjoy the experience! It is  a bitter sweet thing. When you go through it, the feeling really is one that you wish you can faster ORD. But when you come out of it, you get ORD blues, and compared to the hectic life in uni and work, you sometimes secretly prefer to be back in camp slacking around on those days you have nothing to do!

Whatever the case, the past has gone, and the present is here. Every season of our lives, God wants us to live it to the full, and take those precious opportunities to be more Christ-like! Whether it be an opportunity to discover what your true character within is, or an opportunity to learn how to praise Him even through seasons where circumstances seem impossible (I struggled with depression in N.S), it is always an endless exciting adventure of learning and knowing God more through these experiences.

If you are reading this, and are worried about how army is going to be like for you, or you are currently an NSF who cant wait to ORD, let this be an encouragement to you! If i could go through it and come out victorious, you can too!Let N.S be an enriching experience whereby you can look back 10 years down the road and confidently say: “Those were some of the best times of my life!”

3SG(NS) John Leow

ORD LOH!