I walked and I walked, not knowing when it would end. The pain was just numbing. It became part of me throughout the whole course of marching...
I kept asking myself when would all these end. The pace was fast but my the journey never seemed to end. I came to a point whereby I don't know what I was doing. I let my body mechanism take the lead. I just shuffled my feet blindly, all the way.
The thing about marches is that they are always a test of our mettle. It is also a test of friendship. The kind of bond in us was immense. I could see the fighting spirit in us all. There were times where people would feel like falling out but the platoon mates just kept pushing them on. Some of us help lift up their field packs. Some of us held out our hands to pull the guy forward so that he don't fall back behind the platoon.
My instructor told us, " When we march, we march off as one, we march back as one. It is not a race. Remember this, you are only as strong as the weakest person in the platoon and you are only as fast as the slowest person in the platoon. Route marches is not about completing it. It is about completing it TOGETHER..."
Seldom would anyone associate a bunch of smelly guys in green together as a touching scene. But I was touched. I was touched by how we are all so strong, an unseen strength welling from within. I was touched by how we cheered one another on. So what if we are all smelly and dirty and wet and what say you, I will remember these scenes as one of the memorable ones in my life. 40 guys all marching for each other. 40 guys living for each other. 40 guys training for each other. 40 guys singing for each other. 40 guys fighting for each other...
My service term is coming to an end. A chapter is closing and a new one is unfolding. I know not what professional term can bring, but I know I have my buddies to go on. At times we may become too tired and turn selfish, but we shoud forgive each other because inside that horrible place, we only have ourselves to depend on. Hop on guys, professional term here we come!