ART, the story teller - Part III

PART III – BASIC TRAINING

Lets’ take a long walk down memory lane, firstly we were taught basic discipline in the form of KAWAD KAKI or Drill!

It was not easy for some of us, because they were just like “robots” - left foot with left hands, right foot with right hands! A few did not manage to pass out parade square on the first test! While others did it in fine style the very 1st time, it is the green light to leave the camp and look at the outside world after 3 months of solid ‘confinement.’

We need not mention who they are…..

The other module for basic training is Jungle Tactics which includes Field Craft or IMP ( Ilmu Medan Perang). We were all “make-up” or so well camouflaged that we can’t see each other practically, covered from head to toe with branches and leaves.

Everything that can reflect light was taped-up, including mess-tins, water bottles, mugs, buckles on the braces and even white shoes were painted BLACK! Not to forget our dog-tags too!

The battles drills were also fascinating, from section to platoon level quick attacks, the famous comment was: ‘berbuntut-buntut kadet’ buat semula…hiyah kena lagi! The Instructors can never be satisfied somehow or rather, maybe they were a bunch of sadists’ I guess, only god knows!

The other classic activity is games time, this is probably the only time some of us can relax and let our guard down a bit. That is if your team wins, otherwise masuk lubang beruang le kalau kalah! Atau forward roll sebab tidak memberi sokongan JITU kepada pemain…..sometimes to think about it, isn’t that crazy! Just imagine this nation is punished if Malaysia loses the Merdeka Cup!

Some cadets were just good at games and played every game, while some were good cheer-leaders and others water boy forever till today…we know who they are too! Tuah company was very ‘Bertuah’ in every sense of the word, we had a cool OC, he was never in tantrums, kalah atau menang sama aje! Yes, we were yellow line yard wearers in RMC later on!

But we never complain, we did it all, whatever they threw at us, nothing was impossible as a cadet way back then, do not know if it does happen NOW! I think the whole intake would abscond double quick TIME if the same practice continues till today!

Lubang Beruang & Lubang Sarimah is so annoying to all cadets, imagine 234 cadets jumping into it, one go…even the snakes inside it FLEW OUT! That is the real stuff we the intake 3-4 is made up of! The never say die guys, except a few that scaled the fences on the first night and never to return to the hell hole again! I can never remember their faces or names, but If am not mistaken, almost 20 left us after the first day!

Those that stayed put endured it and later on, some drop out too, some on medical grounds and others got injured, Cadet Lee was one of them that broke his leg doing Junam MAUT! A few more the likes of Cadet Nazri, who tried so hard ( 3 times ) to be an Officer, sadly he did not make it with us!

Cadet Nazri was an exceptional case, he was as confident as anyone else, he would take the initiative to be the pack leader, or rather squad leader, making us green horns ‘berbaris’ every-time there is a need to be gathered by the ‘jurulatih.’

Swimming Lessons – this was another horrifying ordeal for cadets who can’t swim, practically thrown into the sea by assault boats, you either make it back to shore if you can swim, otherwise you sink or drown! Ask our good friends that can’t swim…how much salt water they took-in! Until today his name stays with HIM…aiyah YOD!

This is not the end of the sea water treatment, it is supposed to heal wounds they said, in a way it is true salty water heals all the ‘kurap’ and bruises as a result of leopard crawls under barb wires. Some unlucky few had boils as big as tennis balls, full of ‘nanah’! But we all survived the ordeal!

The incident which never ever will leave my memory is the day we kena short & sharp: ‘pacak check up satu’ from the main parade square straight unto the beach & into the sea with our HK weapons! Fulamak – macam tak percaya, JL lupa mau bagi orders berhenti ke! No way hozey. It was on purposed…!

The next best thing for the cadets is the Mess Pegawai Kadet, the best chocolates, best soap, best cigarettes off course it is Benson & Hedges 20sticks pack, with Brymays yellow box matches from England (NAAFI), not to mention Chap Hanchor & Anjing Bodoh Hitam!

The squad huts by the road and along the fence was also another get away on Sundays for poor cadets to see the world and everything that passes by. Polishing the boots off course.

Another horrifying memory is the change parade routine at roll-call time (2200Hrs) after the bugler does his number, the DO has his fun & games! At the end of the session the lockers will be like ‘terabuh taugeh’. One night which beats all other nights is when 234 cadets were asked to go on ‘birthday suit’….some did not click in their heads as to what is a birth day suit! Holy cow…what…all 234 cadets naked on parade…worst has yet to happen! When the orders were given “salah langkah kedepan” mama mia orang depan GELI! Raptakan lagi the next orders…hancuh lebuh..all of us lost our concentration & started to giggle…and then the ultimate happens….the DO with his torch lights, doing a REAL close-up inspection of birdies!

Macam macam ada! It was done as part of the body inspection for diseases and infection it seems! But who were we to lodge any complains to any one, let alone talk about it to any outsider, not NOW, the press and media would have a field day playing up this incident!

Having dinner is another ordeal – cadets had to go on parade and get inspected by the DO again, those without a clean hanky, have stained glass with finger prints, unpolished Johnson Boots and un-oiled hairdo will face the music, as I did learn the hard way!

I had to buy a new bottle of hair-cream and swipe it all over my crew cut hair! The whole bottle! Waduh….after that I made sure it was like grease lightening …and now never again had I used any hair gel or cream, after commissioned!

The real secret as to why my hair is still jet black & only my moustache and beard is greying & white ….. it is god given! Alhamdulilah. Hair cream and shampoo kills off the hair cells and damages hair follicles because of the chemicals in it, which nobody knows what they really contain!

Too much hair talking for today….till the next episode stay tuned folks ..good night!

ART