Initially I wasn't sure what the plan for the 2 weeks of reservist would be like, the last 2 reservist I had gone through last year were all low key and we spend most of our time just waiting for things to happen, well, the first 2 days of this reservist was pretty much the same as the last 2 low keys I had done, except with the addition of live rangeon the morning of the next day, which was today.
Majority of us were called up about a few days prior to the start of the reservist by the camp to bring along the necessary equipment required for any range shoot, that includes the helmet and the vest as well as any other toiletries and change of clothes for the mandatory stay-in on the first night. Bringing the vest alone already takes up a considerable amount of space in my bag, so to add a helmet as well was as all the neccessary change of clothes, towel, toiletries and shoes was quite a hindrance.
When I reported to camp yesterday , I was expecting to see familiar faces, ICTs who had done their reservist with me the last 2 times should probably be in the same call up since we had done 2 ICTs together, unfortunately, there were a lot more new faces than old ones, many looked like they were in their late 30s and they had this air about them that just screamed lao jiao. Thankfully, I had one friend who was called up along with me, so we were pretty much stuck with each other due to our disinterest in socializing with anyone.
The first day was pretty much a re-familiarization of how to handle a weapon, a few lectures that no one could sit through without their soul leaving their body and a lot of waiting around for things to happen, as per usual. During one of the lectures, we were told what we would be doing for the following two weeks and it was exactly what I had thought it would be, guard duty.
The second day was the day of the live shooting and everyone had to wake up at 5 am to draw their weapons, eat their breakfast and head for the bus that would bring us directly to the site. My friend and were able to avoid going for range because as it turns out, we were not properly trained to fire the older rifle, like most of the more senior ICTs, so we were able to exclude ourselves from waking up at that ungodly hour, that also meant that he and I had brought along our vest and helmet for nothing, but bringing the vest and helmet along for nothing is better than waking up at 5 am.
I woke up at around 9 am and pretty much spend the next 3 hours sitting around in the bunk doing absolutely nothing except surf the net on my phone, which got boring really quickly. We were supposed to meet up with the few other ICTs who also didn't go for the shoot at around 10 am, but they were no where to be found despite us waiting at the meet up point for 15 to 20 minutes, so we just went back to the bunk to wait because the weather is a bitch.
When everyone finally returned from the range, we had lunch and then more lectures, followed by some practical lessons on how to search a person, their car as well as what to do when faced with an intruder. The whole time I was just too hot and bothered to really care about anything expect to enter a room with the air-conditioned set to high or take a shower because holy fuck, it was so fucking humid and warm that my uniform was starting to get drenched in sweat despite me not actually being under the Sun.
And then came the time for the ICTs to get their Guard Duty scheduling and it was pretty much everything I had hopped wouldn't happen.
In the past,when I was an active solider, the ICTs were given 3 specific spots to do their guard duties, and these locations were always tucked away in very deep part of the camp where no one will be able to see them, this was so the higher ups and the general public wouldn't actually see them in all their "can't be fucked" glory, like majority of the ICTs have. But now, all that has change, now, the ICTs are now given the worst spots to do their duty, spots that were normally filled by the new batch of active soldiers who don't know that they are being taken advantage of by the older batches.
Having to do guard duty of any sorts for 6 hours at one go is already bad enough, but to have to do it constantly standing up in the sun, wearing a vest and holding a rifle, it just makes the whole experience extremely unpleasant, so to learn that I would be doing exactly that when I return back to camp on Monday, that is like the rotten maraschino cherry on top on a fecal sundae.
I don't have to do it just once like how I normally would as an active solider, oh no, as an ICT, I have to go through one 4 hour shift and two 6 hours shift as a standing sentry. It's really bullshit when I think about it, because the in-charge couldn't be bothered to spread out the duties for everyone evenly, some have to endure the elements while others just get to sit in the air-conditioned room.
This is only the first mount, I will still have another 2 more mounts to complete before the reservist is over and I really can't picture any of the other guys be willing to actually do the sentry duties after doing what they will be doing next Monday. The only things I can hope for now are....
1. I would be paired with an interesting active solider to talk to.
OR
2. The haze gets so bad the higher ups will have no choice but to make us do shorter 3 hours slots instead of 6 hours slots. I personally would prefer multiple 3 hours then a few 6 hours if I had to do sentry, and that was really what was implemented after I left, so I have no idea why now they reverted it back to 6 hours slot because that is extremely long, I really have no idea how I could have lasted that long last time in the past.
OR
3. It rains, like really heavily so the weather would at least be cooling. I have checked the weather forecast and it has predicted rain, so I hope it really does pour.
This are the only 3 possible scenarios that could happen and I really wish at least one of them would. Well I wish No.1 would happen because there's nothing worse than doing duty with another person who isn't interested in talking, I had to endure that once in the past and that six hours was probably the longest and dullest six hours I had to endure.
Had I actually have a real job outside, this would probably feel like a vacation, but right now, being the most useless and overpaid worker in my Dad's company, when people ask me what I am working as, I am always almost too ashamed to answer them.
The last interview I had gone for, not the one that I blogged about, showed great prospects in terms of career advancement and sounded really promising, the interview had gone quite well and I was told to expect an answer by next week, which is this week, which is about to end soon, I still have no respond from that and that is really quite depressing. The admin lady told me to email her should I not receive any response within the next week,but I have gone through enough interviews to know that when I don't get any respond, it always means I didn't get the job., which I honestly saw coming when I realize how under-experienced I was after having worked for my Dad for almost 2 years and that is why, I have to really start looking for a real job soon before I become way too inexperienced for my pay grade.
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