AKE Survival Secrets (Part 1)

So ... you think you've made it ... (or think you can make it) ...

You are a Part C cadet and very soon you'll be one of the at the top the food chain in your unit. You will lead younger and fresh cadets and moulding them into disciplined, coordinated members of the NCC.

But there is one more challenge that has to be taken - the Annual Kayaking Expedition (AKE).
An offspring of the Round Island Canoeing Expedition (RICE), it has often been a challenge mentally and physically for anyone who has tried it.
Due to changes in the physical geography of Singapore, completing a full round island kayaking expedition is no longer feasible in three days. But NCC has taken the opportunity to issue a challenge to the ablest of its cadets this year. Completing a grueling three day expedition on the Eastern coast of Singapore.

How many cadets will be able to form the final group who are mentally and physically fit to try?
How many cadets will actually be able to complete the whole expedition and get the honour of wearing the coveted AKE badge?

As reported in previous posts on this blog, there has been lots of preparation for AKE 2006. Differents schools/units and clusters/zones have been given the opportunity to send their best for the preparation training.
Some have been eliminated by the lack of enthusiasm of their teacher/instructors, others were observed to have lack water confidence. Even more elminated because their skills for handling the tide and weather were deemed lacking. In the end, the ones who voluntarily fell out due to medical conditions or weak dispostions were also sent packing.

But for those who will attempt the mini-expedition and the actual AKE, some of teachers/instructors have gotten together to put a list together to hopefully help you along. These tips are garnered from experience painfully gained throughout the years of long distance canoeing/kayaking.

It is important to note that even with all the tips it is ultimately a TEST of one's endurance - PHYSICAL and more importantly MENTALLY. At the end of the day, YOU and YOU ALONE (with help from your equally determined partner) will accomplish the task of paddling dawn to dusk for three days. Let's hope no one comes up to the instructors and say: "Your tips caused me to be unable to complete the AKE!"

So let's do a HEAD to TOE review for the preparation of this journey into self-discovery:

Head Gear

• Big Hat - imagine a Mexican Sombrero or a Chinese Farmer Straw Hat
  
  1. A good military hat that covers all around and not just a baseball cap, helps to prevent sunburn on your scalp, ears and neck
     
  2. A good hat helps to provide shade for your eyes
     
  3. A good hat provides protection if the weather turns bad
     
  4. A good hat helps to soak up the sweat beads that may inadvertently sting your eyes, though the sea spray will do the same
  • Accessories:
    • Japanese Neck Flap - also known as "Good Morning" Neck Towel -
    • made famous by the WWII Japanese soldiers with a rectangular cloth hanging below the jungle caps/helmets (for those adverse to Japanese soldiers - think about the French Foreign Legion and their White Kepi).
    • Or for a more local flavour, think about the neck towel/sausage used by the construction worker. "Good Morning" towels are lightweight, long enough to go round your neck and relatively cheap
    • Think about "Velcro"ing the towel to your hat, as most glued on products may not be able to withstand 3 days of corrosive sea water, have the Velcro sewed on so that the towel is hanging down and covering your neck so that it is not overly exposed to the sun
    • As a backup bailer device, being absorbant it can be used to remove water from your canoe in the event you lose your primary bailer.
    • Throughout the expedition you will feel the heat and the towel is a good way to help cool down your face
    • Crocodile Clips with a string
    • This is a simple device that may save your hat from being swallowed by the sea, one end clips to your shirt, the other your hat
      
    • There is no easy way to describe this, but here is a link for you to see what it looks like - LINK TO ALPINEER.COM's Chums Rope Hat Clip
    • One can probably be made from parts available at Beach Road
  
  
• Sunglass
• Polarized: this helps to cut the glare being reflected back from the sea's surface. Often, polarized shades are expensive, so consider carefully before purchasing. The most important point is to protect your eyes - almost any good pair of shades will be sufficient
• Lightweight: Some shades will sink to the bottom of the ocean! If you are wearing a pair of sunglasses, you might consider whether if floats or add a floatation device to it ... like the original Croakies (BTW, they also have a cap clip - they call it "lid latch")
  
• Matt finish: let's not try to blind your mates on the water

While there is more to survival in the high seas, we'll let you take a break and digest what has been said so far.

Take care and come back for Part 2!

Cheers!

Book Review: Boot

Title: Boot
Author: Daniel da Cruz
ISBN: 0-312-90060-0


Fact: Most Singaporean Male between the ages of 16 1/2 and 20 would be heading off to serve National Service (NS). The most terrifying period would be the first phase affectionately known as BMT.

Fact: Most Singaporean Male knows that one of the most decorated and well-known military units in the world is the United States Marine Corps.

Why bring up these two facts?
When you put any group of Singaporean men together, the stories and talk will be about their time in NS. Regardless of their race, unit served, religion, and even when they served. There is a seemingly timeless bond. One thing that ties them together is the BMT phase, where everyone learns the same thing, has the same strict Platoon Sergeant, run the same obstacles ...

In the book "Boot", author Daniel da Cruz takes the readers into a similar world. The world of the equivalent of BMT for the US Marine Corps (USMC). Though the book was written about 1985, and there have since been changes in some of the overall curriculum of boot camp, the rigours and experiences are - as with our local BMT - timeless.

Author da Cruz is himself an ex-Marine and he brings us through the 11-week journey of Platoon 1036 on Parris Island.
In an engaging way, the reader is brought right into the world which the recruit faces. The first thing that hits a Singaporean reader is that the USMC is an all-volunteer force (as opposed to our mandatory/compulsory enlistment). This means that there is a very high level of entry requirement, though on the onset the recruits will probably be of the same "sotongness" as those found on Pulau Tekong.

While we are introduced to the USMC's tough yet refined approach to turning boys into men through da Cruz's narration, we also see letters home by the recruits describing their experience. Some of them are clear indications of their feelings and others show how they have changed throughout. Readers will see the same complaints about 'stupid' policies and descriptions of sabo-kings. Taken with a pinch of salt, it thoroughly brings back memories of BMT.

The Drill Instructor (DI) is the man in charge of making sure that the recruits measure up. One reads how demanding it is to be a DI and even briefly describes DI School. And DIs continually upgrade themselves - for example, one DI gave instructions to
quote:
"shave everything between your ears and your shoulders" only to have a recruit report with eyebrows shaved off. Now he adds "-except your eyebrows."
end quote
One can just imagine the kind of letters Mindef would be receiving if one of our NSMen came back from BMT without any eyebrows.

It is definitely a worthwhile read for anyone who has an interest in military matters. For the guys waiting for BMT, it is an interesting look into what was happening elsewhere. For the gals with friends/boyfriends in BMT, it is an eye-opening read - until we have a local author writing about SAF's BMT.

The book's main focus is of course the initial training of the elite USMC. Yet, in the final chapter, it takes a quick look at how other elite units handle their recruits. To quote: "By the standards of many foreign military leaders, American recruit training - even that of US Marines - is soft."
The comparison is done with the French Foreign Legion, the British Royal Marines, and the Soviet Union/Russian Naval Infantry. It may not be a fair comparison - as these are truly elite units - that are probably closer to the US Rangers or the Airborne Brigades. Though the author probably took these foreign units as a benchmark due to their amphibious capabilities.

Finally, for everyone who has an opinion about the necessity of National Service, the ending of the book gives food for thought:

"The Romans are sure of victory ... for their exercises are battles without bloodshed, and their battles bloody exercises."

Happy Reading!

Endnote:
For those who are interested, there is a VCD titled "On the Inside: Marine Corps Boot Camp" available. This VCD is from a documentary by the Discovery Channel in the USA.
If interested in obtaining a copy of the VCD, please contact LTA(NCC) William Aw at [anwarasw at gmail dot com]. Each VCD will cost SGD2.00.

USS Abraham Lincoln - CVN72 (20060430)

Aircraft Carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN72) and its accompanying vessels paid Singapore a visit recently and NCC was invited to send a few cadets to make a tour of this magnificent vessel.

After much coordination between NCC HQ and the US Embassy, a group of NCC cadets and officers were given the approval to report to Changi Naval Base on Apr 30, 2006.

On the actual day, 16 cadets and officers arrived at the main gate of Changi Naval Base (CNB) at 0930hrs to be processed. After the roll call was completed, the visitors were made to wait for the transportation to the carrier.

Once the allocated bus arrived everyone hurriedly climbed aboard and there was a sense of excitement in the air. As the bus made a turn in CNB, the guests were greeted with a view of the carrier in the distance. Moving closer, the size of the aircraft carrier became evident. As it was later established, there are about 18 levels on the aircraft carrier.

All the guests for the tour were given a second round of security checks by the US Navy before allowing to proceed to the entrance gangplank.
An escort/guide brought the group up onto the ship and was handed over to the Publicity Officer in the Hangar Deck. The large area usually used to store the aircrafts was filled with crew and guests. There were a few planes on display from the various squadrons including the F-18 Hornets, the Sea Hawk Helicopter, and the E-2 AWAC.

The Publicity Officer (PO) gave the members of the tour a quick brief of the ship's characteristic. Some facts include:
1. The carrier's crew is about 5500
2. The carrier is CVN-72 is a Nimitz Class Carrier and nuclear powered
3. It is part of the 9th Carrier Group
4. There are 6 squadrons of planes and helicopters
(for more information please hop over to this unofficial US Navy site - link)

With the introductions over, the PO divided the tour group into three groups with two tour leaders per group. The itinerary for the tour was set to include the following places on the ship:
1. the bridge
2. the flight deck
3. the Lincoln Room

The tour leaders for the group with the NCC Cadets were LTCDR Kevin and LTJG Torres. The first stop was the bridge. From the hangar to the bridge involved a lot of walking and were privileged to be able to take the blue tiled floor - which apparently are meant for higher ranked personnel. In fact, the tour group was privileged to walk through the Commander's door exiting the hangar area.

At the bridge, the view was impressive. Most of the aircrafts were stowed on the flight deck and the view from the bridge (more importantly the CO's chair) was awesome. While some group members took the opportunity to take pictures while sitting on the CO's chair, the others quizzed the tour leaders about the carrier and their aircrafts.

The guides are seasoned Navy personnel. LTCDR Kevin has been with the Navy for 13 years and is qualified both as a jet fighter pilot and a helicopter pilot. His current appointment on CVN72 is the Assistant Air Operations Officer. LTJG Torres is an AWAC pilot.

After the view from the top the group was lead down to the flight deck where LTJG Torres took the time to show the arresting cables and the catapault system. It is a rare chance to have the opportunity to be to see the flight deck close up.

The group was given a chance to take pictures with the planes on the deck. Everyone clamoured to have their picture taken with the F18 and the Sea Hawks.

After the flight deck - and lots of sun - the final stop was suppose to be the Lincoln Room, but the guides decided to make a slight detour - a bonus for the cadets:
1. the flight briefing room
2. the Air Ops room

The last stop was the Lincoln Room. This little museum at the entrance of the ship displays information about the namesake of the ship. It chronicles the history of President Abraham Lincoln and the ship.

The whole group was brought back to the hangar and given a chance to get some souvenirs related to the ship.
The tour effectively ended at 1200hrs.

Participants from NCC included the following:
LTC (NCC) Peter Lai
CPT (NCC) Gary Pek
LTA (NCC) William Aw
CLT Eugene Chan
CLT Tan Kok Teng
CLT Soh Xin Ren
CLT Tong Jing Kai
CLT Clarence Chew
CLT Muhd Tarmidzie
CLT Yvonne Chia
CLT Ahmad Syafiq
CLT Yvonne Lim
CLT Nur Ammarah
CLT Tay Fen Nie
MSG Joseph Chan

Here is a snapshot of the activity from that day.

Here is the link to the photos from that day:
USS Abraham Lincoln Visit Photo Set Link
All photos on photo site are at 1024x768 resolution. For people interested in having the original size photos of 3488x2616 - please contact LTA(NCC) Aw at [anwarasw at gmail dot com] and make sure that you can receive attachments up to 90MB in size (Each photo is about 2MB in size). Otherwise, arrangements can be made to have the photos burned onto a CD and a 1-1 exchange done.

Cheers!