PART III: My first day at army camp
Memoirs from boot camp
Before I knew it, the start of tour was upon me. I was supposed to present myself early in the morning, however, I was told by a few friends that it did not matter when I arrived and that the center keeps on receiving cadets throughout the day.
So I arrived at 4 in the afternoon. The center was crowded with the recruits and their families who came to see them off. It was a bit awkward to see some men joined by their extended family members engaging in a prolonged farewell bid as if they were off to battle and the chances of survival were slim. Some mothers were in tears.
Fearing they might do the same, I had arranged a farewell sort of party at home the day before and asked my parents to drop me off at the center. They had to settle with a brief hug and one kiss.
I carried one really big bag on my back. The first twenty-four days of the tour were continuous without any break, so I had to be prepared for that. My bag contained 12 underpants and undershirts; 12 pairs of socks; 10 plain green and plain beige T-shirts; two sports outfits; trainers, flip-flops, and boots; 3 towels; 2 plain white bed sheets; pajamas; my shaving kit; a shower kit which consists of a bar of soap, shampoo, and a loofah; the whole Dettol family of products which consists of wet wipes, sterilizing spray, rubbing alcohol, and the classic bottle; latex gloves; a 50-piece bag of plastic forks and knives; and finally aluminum foil.
I also carried a small bag containing money (mostly coins for vending machine and payphone), a bottle of prescription medicine, and of course, a notepad and pen.
It was crowded and there was a long queue of men waiting to have their bags searched. The officers were emptying all the contents of the bags in frenzy searching for contraband items such as cigarettes and food. Suspicious items are sent back home.
I stood at the table helplessly watching the officer brutally ransack my bag which I had taken good care at packing. Each item had been placed in a specific position which allowed me to quickly locate it. Now all of my stuff was spread on the table.
The officer took my medicine bottle and placed it in a plastic zip lock bag. He said that it would be given back to me after the medical unit approves it.
After I was proclaimed “clean,” I was ordered to pack my bag quickly and move on. Next, I was given a pile of forms to fill. Everything I had filled out before in terms of personal details, contact information, and medical history I had to fill again. It seems in the army, you have to declare things dozens of times. I wonder if there is any wisdom behind this.
After a tedious hour filling the forms, I proceeded to the academy depot to receive my army kit. I was given one brown T-shirt, one navy blue sports T-shirt, one extra-tight navy blue shorts which I had to do without (I wore my own shorts), a helmet, a beret, a gourde that smelt like urine (never used it, yuck!), one new army uniform and another used one (I wonder whose it was. I hope he was not killed or something!), trainers which were very loose and of poor quality (many of the guys used them as slippers), and army boots which were distributed on a one size doesn’t fit all basis (I wore my own). I was also given a stainless steal tray, spoon, fork, and knife and two bags one called “sac-marin,” and the other called “sac-à-dos” which I later found on my bed.
I was instructed to empty my bags, which are also known as civilian bags and fill all my belongings in both of the supplied sacs. My bag and any stuff that did not fit into the sacs were later returned to my parents. Some cadets stashed their excess belongings in cavities they found in the rooms so as they would not have to return them home. These guys used to get nightmares of being caught and punished.
In the evening we were given a tour of the facility, our weekly schedule, a lecture on diligence and hygiene, and assigned to a sleeping unit and bed. Dinner was optional.
In the main square, a bed was brought out and two sergeants showed us how it should be made and how the blankets should be folded. The mattress was thin but sturdy and had a bump on one end that acted as a pillow. At first I used to fold one of the sheets to increase the size of the “pillow” but later I got used to sleeping on the bump. Of course, I had to use the extra blanket elsewhere when the weather got colder!
The bedroom had an elongated shape with an aisle in the middle and a set of double-decker (or bunks) beds on both sides. I was given the top bed. I felt lucky at first, but soon I realized that it was more a curse rather than a blessing. Every time the guy down stairs moved in his sleep, the bed shook and I was awakened.
The water closet scene that night was a bit awkward. I was doing my stuff around complete strangers and some of the locks did not work properly. I was not used to that kind of openness but then I thought everyone of the guys was in the same situation.
Back in the bedroom, the lights were turned off at around 11 PM but that did not mean the end of the night. We got acquainted to each other and several conversations were started. I do not remember how I recognized my new friends the next morning for it was dark that night, but what was important is that the ice was breaking and we were bonding. For the first time that day I felt at ease.
Before I knew it, the start of tour was upon me. I was supposed to present myself early in the morning, however, I was told by a few friends that it did not matter when I arrived and that the center keeps on receiving cadets throughout the day.
So I arrived at 4 in the afternoon. The center was crowded with the recruits and their families who came to see them off. It was a bit awkward to see some men joined by their extended family members engaging in a prolonged farewell bid as if they were off to battle and the chances of survival were slim. Some mothers were in tears.
Fearing they might do the same, I had arranged a farewell sort of party at home the day before and asked my parents to drop me off at the center. They had to settle with a brief hug and one kiss.
I carried one really big bag on my back. The first twenty-four days of the tour were continuous without any break, so I had to be prepared for that. My bag contained 12 underpants and undershirts; 12 pairs of socks; 10 plain green and plain beige T-shirts; two sports outfits; trainers, flip-flops, and boots; 3 towels; 2 plain white bed sheets; pajamas; my shaving kit; a shower kit which consists of a bar of soap, shampoo, and a loofah; the whole Dettol family of products which consists of wet wipes, sterilizing spray, rubbing alcohol, and the classic bottle; latex gloves; a 50-piece bag of plastic forks and knives; and finally aluminum foil.
I also carried a small bag containing money (mostly coins for vending machine and payphone), a bottle of prescription medicine, and of course, a notepad and pen.
It was crowded and there was a long queue of men waiting to have their bags searched. The officers were emptying all the contents of the bags in frenzy searching for contraband items such as cigarettes and food. Suspicious items are sent back home.
I stood at the table helplessly watching the officer brutally ransack my bag which I had taken good care at packing. Each item had been placed in a specific position which allowed me to quickly locate it. Now all of my stuff was spread on the table.
The officer took my medicine bottle and placed it in a plastic zip lock bag. He said that it would be given back to me after the medical unit approves it.
After I was proclaimed “clean,” I was ordered to pack my bag quickly and move on. Next, I was given a pile of forms to fill. Everything I had filled out before in terms of personal details, contact information, and medical history I had to fill again. It seems in the army, you have to declare things dozens of times. I wonder if there is any wisdom behind this.
After a tedious hour filling the forms, I proceeded to the academy depot to receive my army kit. I was given one brown T-shirt, one navy blue sports T-shirt, one extra-tight navy blue shorts which I had to do without (I wore my own shorts), a helmet, a beret, a gourde that smelt like urine (never used it, yuck!), one new army uniform and another used one (I wonder whose it was. I hope he was not killed or something!), trainers which were very loose and of poor quality (many of the guys used them as slippers), and army boots which were distributed on a one size doesn’t fit all basis (I wore my own). I was also given a stainless steal tray, spoon, fork, and knife and two bags one called “sac-marin,” and the other called “sac-à-dos” which I later found on my bed.
I was instructed to empty my bags, which are also known as civilian bags and fill all my belongings in both of the supplied sacs. My bag and any stuff that did not fit into the sacs were later returned to my parents. Some cadets stashed their excess belongings in cavities they found in the rooms so as they would not have to return them home. These guys used to get nightmares of being caught and punished.
In the evening we were given a tour of the facility, our weekly schedule, a lecture on diligence and hygiene, and assigned to a sleeping unit and bed. Dinner was optional.
In the main square, a bed was brought out and two sergeants showed us how it should be made and how the blankets should be folded. The mattress was thin but sturdy and had a bump on one end that acted as a pillow. At first I used to fold one of the sheets to increase the size of the “pillow” but later I got used to sleeping on the bump. Of course, I had to use the extra blanket elsewhere when the weather got colder!
The bedroom had an elongated shape with an aisle in the middle and a set of double-decker (or bunks) beds on both sides. I was given the top bed. I felt lucky at first, but soon I realized that it was more a curse rather than a blessing. Every time the guy down stairs moved in his sleep, the bed shook and I was awakened.
The water closet scene that night was a bit awkward. I was doing my stuff around complete strangers and some of the locks did not work properly. I was not used to that kind of openness but then I thought everyone of the guys was in the same situation.
Back in the bedroom, the lights were turned off at around 11 PM but that did not mean the end of the night. We got acquainted to each other and several conversations were started. I do not remember how I recognized my new friends the next morning for it was dark that night, but what was important is that the ice was breaking and we were bonding. For the first time that day I felt at ease.
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