I became a Soldier for a day...

I became a female soldier for a day when we had our field trip last February 19 to Villamore Airbase and Camp Kapinpin.
Start of the day, two very fierce and snappy soldiers greeted us in our assembly. The Striker(guy) and The Major (girl). They scared us a bit because they were shouting at us, telling us to follow orders and pressuring us to always move quickly. The sound of their whistles seemed like warning signs of punishment everytime they give orders. Were suppose to answer every order and question with "Sir, Yes Sir!" or "Ma'am Yes Ma'am!" loud enough to wake the dead.
We quickly loaded the bus. It was weird where there was an open space for something-something by the front of the bus just before the frontseats.
Some of the students (including me) tripped walking along the aisle because of the elevated platform under the carpet.

The huge wheels of the bus went rolling just as a videocamera gets ready for a movie shoot. The show started with an honest prayer of guidance and fun throughout the day. The open space by the frontseats were used as a stage for a show.

The two soldiers suddenly began to act goofy and funny especially the Striker guy. They actually gave me the impression of soldiers joking around the Airbase while shooting heavy guns and armor.
They retold the story of the our early history where pioneer soldiers of our country fought for freedom. They talked about heroes who risked their lives just for the people of our country.

Through out the trip to the Airbase and Camp, the soldiers entertained us and made us laugh like they comedians/soldiers right there.
When we reached the Airbase, we were guided by the 2 soldiers to a tour of the planes and uniforms and other stuff that were used during the previous war.
A lot of picture taking was done.

We were on the zigzag part of the road when our bus went off and broke down. We were stranded there for almost an hour and getting help seemed impossible because there was a bad reception; no signal connection; no phone calls or SOS messages could be sent. We enjoyed the view of the road and the cold wind through the windows. After what seemed like forever, a bus arrived and we all reloaded our stuff there and pushed on with the journey.
When we arrived the other sections were already there 30 minutes ago so we had our own share of dramatic entrance.
Complete with the "Our bus broke down and were shit out of luck" written all over our faces. The Knot tying acitivy followed. This one was cool but it seemed like reviving the old years in my former school where there's a subject for knot tying and camping. Most of the knots were already taught to us so it was kind of easy for me. (luckily)

The next activity was the Rope Course. Again, I've done this a lot of time since fourth grade so it was really superb instead of scary.
Lots of exciting activities followed, Other soldiers demonstrated how to make a fire without the help of a match box or a lighter but with only a bamboo and knife.
We were also taught how to cook food (bananas and rice) in a bamboo using banana leaves. The Jungle Survival Course challenged me. It was hard for me to cross over a tall wall, jump over a dirty mud puddle 4 ft from the ground and to crawl on my back on pool of mud.
I'd say the 'perfect t-shirt' that i was wearing turned from talcum powder white into milk chocolate brown. It was sort of repulsive and we know that no one thought girls would have the 'lip gloss' and 'hairstyle' to crawl on a mud pool but we proved them wrong.It was the highlight of the field trip. Though it was only mud, it tested our courage and guts. But i learned that mud is not really disgusting. It's actually quite cool and fun to be covered with mud. It's good for the skin, really.:))

Dressing up was a hassle but i felt happier when Striker and Major told us that we would not do push ups or any disciplinary exercises because we were the most disciplined, obedient and well-behaved class during the field trip. When we gave ourselves a round of applause, it was when i felt much better. The applause were our victory song for a triumphant and successful field trip. Unlike the other sections, we weren't punished. We were applauded. (yea!)
Even though our bus broke down and some of our classmates weren't able to come and our adviser wasn't there, it seemed like we really got the taste of what it takes to be a Soldier. To be brave during tough times and to find ways to reward ourselves with simple pleasures when we know we deserve it. It takes a lot of bravery and confidence to face the challenges that day. Even though it was just a field trip, it's one of the most memorable days of my sophomore year.

I learned that most of the time soliders are misjudged and misunderstood. People judge them by the way they talk/shout and the way they act, most especially by their armors and weapons and their capability to kill people.
Striker and Major taught us that being a hero takes more than just losing your life for other people. It is the willingness and bravery of someone to think of others before himself that make someone a hero. Not all heroes are supposed to be dead; many are living. You may find a hero in yourself, if you'd be brave and diligent enough to search for it. And also, Its most important to understand that Soldiers do not carry guns to kill. They carry guns to protect. They are not murderers. They are saviours.

ONE IMPORTANT THING. We found out that Striker and Major and others who accompanied every class during the day were not really strikers and majors. They werent really soldiers.They were actors and actresses. So I felt fooled and tricked at the end, but without them portraying the REAL life of soldiers, we would not have understood the real meaning of it.
It was funny knowing that they were only acting and pretending the whole time, but that's what made the trip so special and memorable.


Indeed, "Sir, Yes Sir!"