ASPC 01/07 - Back To SMI Again. (Part 1)
Friday, 20th July 2007 to Friday, 7th September 2007 // 50 days
Returning to the School of Military Intelligence for the Armour Scout Platoon Course (ASPC) meant that our stay in Pasir Laba Camp (PLC) was to be the third time in our short NSF lives.
Having stayed for almost eighteen weeks in SISPEC and RCC combined, we were to commit about another month more in PLC.
Nonetheless, we looked forward to the favourable bunk conditions once again, and as this course was mainly conducted for our Scout Troopers, we predicted it would be a relatively slacker time for us, as Commanders.
This was true only to a limited extent though, as we had to join the Platoon for all the physical activities such as fast marches and combat swims.
A few of us were lucky to be in the Armour Road Relay (ARR) team, which meant that we could chao keng most of them.
However, a greater degree of freedom was indeed granted to us, undeniably, and we able to clear our offs and leave during this period.
Booking in in the morning, too, was allowed, with the Platoon Commander's permission.
This course also marked the Changing of Appointment of our Platoon Sergeant Stanley, whose position was to be taken over by 1st Sergeant Ivan.
Having just completed his RCC, Ivan joined us immediately for ASPC, and it was there that we were to get to know each other better.
He too, only joined in with the Platoon during the physical training, but it was mostly during admin time that we enjoyed greater interactions with him.
Like our RCC, our troopers were put through the same torturously dull lectures on HUMINT and IMINT resources.
They were subsequently taught the same outfield drills and went through the same equipment training, and while we already familiar with all these, it hardly gave us any sense of nostalgia.
Perhaps it was because a large portion of all this had already slipped our minds, and these few weeks had actually been a good time for us to revise.
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