During my 2nd instalment, I was part of an op -- yes, op (not an exercise) -- that was quite interesting. I can't divulge too much, but a little is appropriate to give confidence that the SAF is really ready and good.
I had been selected to be part of the standby force. I had an Exit Permit with a validity of 1 year and to all countries -- we were ready for anything, anywhere. One fine evening, they activated us through our pagers. I was attached to our BRC at SMI then and the staff there and I thought something great had happened. On checking with them, the guy deadpanned "... Blah blah Exercise blah blah..." So it was just an exercise! Anyway, I was at Place A in no time, and we were orientated to vehicle B -- the main transport and base of some teams, but not mine. No, there would be no orientation to vehicle C, which was what I would be in if I went for an op. Some other members of the standby force were actually to report to Place D with vehicle E as their main transport.
Nothing happened after that day. There was once I went for an exercise with our BRC in Pulau Tekong and when my S2 heard that I was on the standby force, he got annoyed and tried to pull me back to mainland. If I was activated, there was no way I could respond like the wind if I was in Pulau Tekong. "Suck thumb" was the word he used to describe the situation should I be activated. He had a point. I should have raised it but being the soldier that I was, I did not mind going to Pulau Tekong and did not want to be seen as wanting to keng. So the S2 went personally to Pulau Tekong to take me out of the training back to my unit on the mainland.
One fine day, they did activate us. Not those who were supposed to report to Place D -- just us who were to report to Place A. Apparently, Country F had some developments and we were activated as a precaution. I had heard the news over the radio and the next thing you know, I received a call with some guy deadpanning " ... blah blah Operation blah blah ..." I went to my bunk to pack with mixed feelings. This was it -- an op, no joke, probably to country F. The Scout PC heard about it and came over to see me reminding me not to be a hero there.
I was with Place A for 2 days before we were stood down and I returned to my unit on the 3rd day. Incidentally, my unit BRO confused me with another serviceman (a VM) and it said that he went for an op, causing some confusion. Maybe that was to cover up the fact that I went? And when I reached Place A, the CISCO guards told us that we were going to Iraq as there was some problem there at that time. Yeah, right -- we knew they were clueless. At the briefing, the LTC confirmed that it was Country F.
Well, I can't describe the op for obvious reasons. But those guys for vehicles B only packed stores (and we helped them). They did not go. There were four teams that work on vehicles C -- and one team went out. Not mine though. Let's just say that the type of team that we were on (vehicle C people), we were ready for anything as we had XX number of people (led by a Major) from various vocations -- combat or CSS. But the team that went out did not participate in any direct action as it was not needed.