100 days...

One of my sms at the stroke of midnight this morning read, "Get the champagne ready, 100 more days to freedom!" It was from Daryl. I've beenthe one who constantly harass him and my BMT buddy whenever it's the 5th day of the month, reminding them that it's "1 Year or 6 months" or whatever number of months left to finish our service. Well, I was gonna do the 100 days thingy, but the past week has really been hell.

Apart from being sick, I went back to camp on Wednesday to find that there was shit load to do and prepare for my Batallion going on standby. Packing of field packs, drawing of stores, drawing of map overlays etc etc. It was hell.. I had 2 days MC and I already felt that the week was tormenting, just imagine if I had been working since Monday. To compile the misery, or rather my misery, I, along with my 2 fellow Pioneer sect comd was called to do guard duty at the last moment yesterday. 2NTM... Really 2NTM.. (well, for the standby, we have this 2NTM thing which stands for 2 hours notice to move, which means u gotta be ready to take on any tasks given to your company or batallion within 2 hours..) We were notified that we're activated for guard duty at 2pm... Guard duty officially starts at 6pm, but we usually go to the guard room to prepare at 4pm. So, there you have it, 2NTM. Goodness..

And the reason for this last minute activation? Well, my batallion was going to have this handing over and taking over ceremony of 1st year commanders to 2nd year commanders. Practically, all 3rd Sgts (which is my rank and my peers who have been working with me for the past year in the batallion) handed over their duties to the newbies, except for my platoon. Because, sadly, my newbies who'll take over me are still undergoing training and will not graduate until mid-March. Sigh. These guys who handed over their duties are either 2 or 6 weeks away from their ORD.. Yah, though it's plain obvious I'm going to leave much later than them and shouldn't be complaining here like a whiny kid, but just imagine, we've been through the past year together.. Whatever they've done, I've done with them. What separates us is that they enlisted 3 months earlier, and got posted into my unit 3 months earlier, which coincidentally, was the lull period. Which means, the extra 3 months that they've serve more than me, was basically to do nothing? It's just plain bad timing I know. But they were getting a big fanfare, send off, show of gratitude from the batallion, and there I was, scanning visitors' IC, checking vehicles, standing from 5.30pm all the way till 12am, standing in for somebody who's getting his plaque and busy packing his stuff to bring home. IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE MY DUTY! Arghh..

I just hope, and I'm praying real hard, that this kind of last minute changes will not happen in my last 100 days in Army. Give me a break.

"Ask not what the country can do for you, but what you can do for the country" rang in my head several times yesterday evening. I think this sentence can only work its wonder of motivating oneself if both have done something for each other.. What have I got from the organisation in the past 19 months?