wanker.
thursday morning i take great interest every time someone writes in to whinge or complain about anything army related. here's one for your reading (dis)pleasure.
to summarize, the author is appalled at the lack of defibrillators and common medication for personnel to use should there be a need.
in bits and pieces i'll offer my two-cents worth because really, people like the author should be put in their place..
If your upcoming reservist stints include military exercises that require you to spend several days and nights out in the field, then please, please make sure your full pack is well-stocked with basic medicines for common ailments such as fever, flu, diarrhoea, nausea, and even ointments for rashes.
Because if you ever fall sick or find yourself suffering from the runs during the field exercise, the medic who is assigned to your exercise will not be able to provide you with much help or relief.
> well, it is our own responsibility to pack our own personal medication anyway. medics assigned to units outfield are combat medics. operative word: combat. they are trained to treat combat-related wounds and injuries. got shot through the balls? they'll help. down with a diarrhoea? well, take your own medication. quite simply because the medics are not allowed to dispense medication. having paracetamol (or panadol as most people know it by) is a blessing for most people.
I found this out on my last reservist stint which saw my platoon spending five days and five nights (including one burnt weekend) up on a rocky, mosquito-infested hill in Lim Chu Kang with just a training shed for shelter and no running electricity.
Nothing wrong with that, actually. In fact, save for the scorching sun, stifling heat and humidity, living conditions were generally manageable.
> unfortunately, someone has been spending too much time whinging, bitching and complaining and getting all too comfortable in the air-conditioned office of his. if you think the sun is scorching, the hear stifling and the humidity high, come over to australia during the summer and just sit in a room doing nothing. you're in the army for crying out loud. what the fuck do you expect? if you're displeased with it, go AWOL. really. then just face the consequences and have fun with the sandbag regime in mowbray camp.
is it me or does the author sound like a wimp? then again, what's there to be surprised about? a fair bit of guys in the army nowadays are too spoilt, the inate need for air-con, king coil beds, restaurant food etc.
We had fresh rations and water every day. We each had a safari bed to sleep on and we were allowed to go for a shower run at a nearby army camp on Day Four of the exercise.
i wonder, are you out on exercise or on some outward bound camp? going outfield and being able to sleep on a safari bed, given fresh rations and even a shower run, i'm pretty sure the author has forgetten his roots - training in bmt, sispec and ocs. again, he does sound very wimpy. perhaps it is no fault of his that they were provided such "amendities" but the fault lies with the unit commanders. how is one to run an army when the troops are being pampered?
This happened one afternoon, when the heat finally got to me and I started feeling nauseous.
> further reinforces my point that the author can be found in his air-conditioned office very easily.
I had some tablets stuffed in my toiletries bag. They were leftover medicines from my previous trip abroad. There were some panadols, some loperamide (for diarrhaoea) and buclizine hydrochloride (for colds).
But I wasn't sure which were the tablets for treating vomitting, nausea and giddiness as I hadn't labelled them. I didn't want to risk taking the wrong medicine so I went to the medic to ask for something to treat the nausea.
His answer floored me. "I only have paracetamols," he said.
Excuse me? "I only have paracetamols," he repeated
But isn't that just a pain-killer? Don't you have anything for nausea?
"Er...no," he replied, shrugging his shoulders.
> first things first. the author is smart enough to bring his own medication but dumb enough to not label them? whatever happened to common sense? in any case, the "miracle pill" of paracetamol does make nausea symptoms subside for a bit.
I was really annoyed by then. Battling the poor mobile phone reception on that hill, I SMS-ed my father-in-law, a family doctor, to ask which of the two medicines that I had at hand - cinnarizine or dhaperazine - were for treating nausea and vomitting. He replied a couple of minutes later: "Take either cinnarizine or dhaperazine but not both."
> oh. my. goodness. i never knew that going on exercise meant one could use his cell phone! quite obviously someone was very free (or malingering) or the training was too slack. either way, the blatant use of one's cell phone during exercise is unacceptable. the only times i remember we were allowed to use our phones outfield were.. not at all! and in any case, if he's so inclined to rely on his father-in-law, perhaps his father-in-law could follow him outfield too?
"What other medical equipment do you carry with you? Do you guys carry a defibrillator?"
The medic shook his head. Our jaws dropped. "Er...so what happens when a guy collapses or suffers a heart attack when out in the field then?" asked my platoon mate.
"We will try to rush him to hospital as quickly as possible," the medic replied.
"But what if he needs immediate help?" my platoon mate persisted. By now, a whole bunch of us, all in our late-30s, had all developed an interest in the conversation.
> for starters, the implementation of defibrillators in public places, in industries and even goverment organizations, takes time. one cannot expect to have these in place at the snap of a finger. not to mention the costs involved to purchase them as well as to conduct training for people in its usage. referring back, there are reasons why there is always at least one safety vehicle (a rover or a tonner) accompanied by an ambulance. in the case of serious emergencies, helicopter evacuations are used. case in point: during my field camp during bmt, someone in another company was helivac-ed to changi hospital after collapsing from heat stroke. the time taken from assessment to the helicopter arriving was around 10 minutes, not ideal perhaps but at least the infrastructure is in place.
In 2008, four national servicemen died either during physical training, while on a run or when out on a field exercise.
So far this year, there have been three reported deaths - two warrant officers collapsed while out on runs while an army recruit soon after completing a field exercise.
One would have thought that all these incidents would have ensured that the combat medics are better prepared and equipped before they are sent out with the troops on military exercises. In fact, one would expect a portable defribillator to be a must-have in a medic's kit.
One would also expect a medic to have at hand several types of basic medicines to treat the most common ailments while out in the field.
No, I take that back. We should demand this.
> i will not venture to speculate on the cause of deaths for the servicemen but the media (and indirectly the general public) is overhyping the deaths of servicemen. when one serviceman dies during training, SAF as a whole gets criticized for insufficient medical coverage, for incomprehensive medical screenings etc. and when a whole dragonboat team dies after an accident due to their own stupidity, they are called heroes. what the fuck is wrong with singaporeans?
if one were to be ignorant and not abide by training regulations (in the case of the officer cadet who died in brunei), who is at fault then? the organization or the individual? we are only too quick in putting the blame on the organization.
also, there are reasons why the combat medics have the label "combat" attached to them. in time of war, treating a fever will be the least of their priorities. i dare say that a bullet would or a bayonet injury takes priority over a diarrhoea case. anyone with decent observation skills and have seen a combat medic's full combat load, will realize how much these selfless men have to carry. apart from their field pack, they have to have their medical kit (duh), a portable stretcher and their personal weapon. to argue that what the total weight they bear is still less than that of say, the m203 gunner or even the matador gunner, is moot. a matador gunner throws away the tube after firing off the round, a m203 gunner's load gradually gets lighter after firing off the grenades and in any case, how does one put a value to combat medics being in the middle of a firefight rendering assistance with disregard for his own safety?
For that matter, shouldn't Mindef consider sending trained doctors to accompany national servicemen or reservists on military exercises?
I was really angered by my discovery during my recent field exercise. It left a bitter aftertaste, one that soured the sense of accomplishment that accompanied the end of the exercise.
I am just grateful that I had the common sense to bring my own medicines as a precaution. More importantly, I am grateful that my platoon mates and I survived the scorching heat and stifling humidity for five days without any unfortunate incidents.
i've seen my fair share of excercises, helped plan a few as well. the medical coverage is as comprehensive as it can be - helicopters on standby, ambulances outfield with the troops, medical center always primed to receive casualties, evacuation routes planned etc. one cannot expect medics and medical officers to be everywhere all the time. there are only so many of them.
if the author feels so strongly about the need for better equipped medics and more medical officers outfield, perhaps he'd like to sponsor them? as it is, being a medic (or nurse) is one profession that people shun. i have no shame in admitting that i would have loved to be a combat medic if it weren't for the fact that i wanted to be a pilot more than anything else.
perhaps then he'll also consider bringing his father-in-law along for his future reservist training?
survinging 5 days of outfield is nothing. there's nothing to feel proud about simply because almost every other guy in singapore has done it (save for those who are exempted from going outfield).
call me a war-monger but i think MINDEF's money is better spent investing in equipment and training that helps make me a better soldier. of course i believe in better medical care but for a lot of my friends and i, in the very unlikely of us going to war, fighting for each others lives will take priority over what is in the medical kit bag carried by a medic.
to summarize, the author is appalled at the lack of defibrillators and common medication for personnel to use should there be a need.
in bits and pieces i'll offer my two-cents worth because really, people like the author should be put in their place..
If your upcoming reservist stints include military exercises that require you to spend several days and nights out in the field, then please, please make sure your full pack is well-stocked with basic medicines for common ailments such as fever, flu, diarrhoea, nausea, and even ointments for rashes.
Because if you ever fall sick or find yourself suffering from the runs during the field exercise, the medic who is assigned to your exercise will not be able to provide you with much help or relief.
> well, it is our own responsibility to pack our own personal medication anyway. medics assigned to units outfield are combat medics. operative word: combat. they are trained to treat combat-related wounds and injuries. got shot through the balls? they'll help. down with a diarrhoea? well, take your own medication. quite simply because the medics are not allowed to dispense medication. having paracetamol (or panadol as most people know it by) is a blessing for most people.
I found this out on my last reservist stint which saw my platoon spending five days and five nights (including one burnt weekend) up on a rocky, mosquito-infested hill in Lim Chu Kang with just a training shed for shelter and no running electricity.
Nothing wrong with that, actually. In fact, save for the scorching sun, stifling heat and humidity, living conditions were generally manageable.
> unfortunately, someone has been spending too much time whinging, bitching and complaining and getting all too comfortable in the air-conditioned office of his. if you think the sun is scorching, the hear stifling and the humidity high, come over to australia during the summer and just sit in a room doing nothing. you're in the army for crying out loud. what the fuck do you expect? if you're displeased with it, go AWOL. really. then just face the consequences and have fun with the sandbag regime in mowbray camp.
is it me or does the author sound like a wimp? then again, what's there to be surprised about? a fair bit of guys in the army nowadays are too spoilt, the inate need for air-con, king coil beds, restaurant food etc.
We had fresh rations and water every day. We each had a safari bed to sleep on and we were allowed to go for a shower run at a nearby army camp on Day Four of the exercise.
i wonder, are you out on exercise or on some outward bound camp? going outfield and being able to sleep on a safari bed, given fresh rations and even a shower run, i'm pretty sure the author has forgetten his roots - training in bmt, sispec and ocs. again, he does sound very wimpy. perhaps it is no fault of his that they were provided such "amendities" but the fault lies with the unit commanders. how is one to run an army when the troops are being pampered?
This happened one afternoon, when the heat finally got to me and I started feeling nauseous.
> further reinforces my point that the author can be found in his air-conditioned office very easily.
I had some tablets stuffed in my toiletries bag. They were leftover medicines from my previous trip abroad. There were some panadols, some loperamide (for diarrhaoea) and buclizine hydrochloride (for colds).
But I wasn't sure which were the tablets for treating vomitting, nausea and giddiness as I hadn't labelled them. I didn't want to risk taking the wrong medicine so I went to the medic to ask for something to treat the nausea.
His answer floored me. "I only have paracetamols," he said.
Excuse me? "I only have paracetamols," he repeated
But isn't that just a pain-killer? Don't you have anything for nausea?
"Er...no," he replied, shrugging his shoulders.
> first things first. the author is smart enough to bring his own medication but dumb enough to not label them? whatever happened to common sense? in any case, the "miracle pill" of paracetamol does make nausea symptoms subside for a bit.
I was really annoyed by then. Battling the poor mobile phone reception on that hill, I SMS-ed my father-in-law, a family doctor, to ask which of the two medicines that I had at hand - cinnarizine or dhaperazine - were for treating nausea and vomitting. He replied a couple of minutes later: "Take either cinnarizine or dhaperazine but not both."
> oh. my. goodness. i never knew that going on exercise meant one could use his cell phone! quite obviously someone was very free (or malingering) or the training was too slack. either way, the blatant use of one's cell phone during exercise is unacceptable. the only times i remember we were allowed to use our phones outfield were.. not at all! and in any case, if he's so inclined to rely on his father-in-law, perhaps his father-in-law could follow him outfield too?
"What other medical equipment do you carry with you? Do you guys carry a defibrillator?"
The medic shook his head. Our jaws dropped. "Er...so what happens when a guy collapses or suffers a heart attack when out in the field then?" asked my platoon mate.
"We will try to rush him to hospital as quickly as possible," the medic replied.
"But what if he needs immediate help?" my platoon mate persisted. By now, a whole bunch of us, all in our late-30s, had all developed an interest in the conversation.
> for starters, the implementation of defibrillators in public places, in industries and even goverment organizations, takes time. one cannot expect to have these in place at the snap of a finger. not to mention the costs involved to purchase them as well as to conduct training for people in its usage. referring back, there are reasons why there is always at least one safety vehicle (a rover or a tonner) accompanied by an ambulance. in the case of serious emergencies, helicopter evacuations are used. case in point: during my field camp during bmt, someone in another company was helivac-ed to changi hospital after collapsing from heat stroke. the time taken from assessment to the helicopter arriving was around 10 minutes, not ideal perhaps but at least the infrastructure is in place.
In 2008, four national servicemen died either during physical training, while on a run or when out on a field exercise.
So far this year, there have been three reported deaths - two warrant officers collapsed while out on runs while an army recruit soon after completing a field exercise.
One would have thought that all these incidents would have ensured that the combat medics are better prepared and equipped before they are sent out with the troops on military exercises. In fact, one would expect a portable defribillator to be a must-have in a medic's kit.
One would also expect a medic to have at hand several types of basic medicines to treat the most common ailments while out in the field.
No, I take that back. We should demand this.
> i will not venture to speculate on the cause of deaths for the servicemen but the media (and indirectly the general public) is overhyping the deaths of servicemen. when one serviceman dies during training, SAF as a whole gets criticized for insufficient medical coverage, for incomprehensive medical screenings etc. and when a whole dragonboat team dies after an accident due to their own stupidity, they are called heroes. what the fuck is wrong with singaporeans?
if one were to be ignorant and not abide by training regulations (in the case of the officer cadet who died in brunei), who is at fault then? the organization or the individual? we are only too quick in putting the blame on the organization.
also, there are reasons why the combat medics have the label "combat" attached to them. in time of war, treating a fever will be the least of their priorities. i dare say that a bullet would or a bayonet injury takes priority over a diarrhoea case. anyone with decent observation skills and have seen a combat medic's full combat load, will realize how much these selfless men have to carry. apart from their field pack, they have to have their medical kit (duh), a portable stretcher and their personal weapon. to argue that what the total weight they bear is still less than that of say, the m203 gunner or even the matador gunner, is moot. a matador gunner throws away the tube after firing off the round, a m203 gunner's load gradually gets lighter after firing off the grenades and in any case, how does one put a value to combat medics being in the middle of a firefight rendering assistance with disregard for his own safety?
For that matter, shouldn't Mindef consider sending trained doctors to accompany national servicemen or reservists on military exercises?
I was really angered by my discovery during my recent field exercise. It left a bitter aftertaste, one that soured the sense of accomplishment that accompanied the end of the exercise.
I am just grateful that I had the common sense to bring my own medicines as a precaution. More importantly, I am grateful that my platoon mates and I survived the scorching heat and stifling humidity for five days without any unfortunate incidents.
i've seen my fair share of excercises, helped plan a few as well. the medical coverage is as comprehensive as it can be - helicopters on standby, ambulances outfield with the troops, medical center always primed to receive casualties, evacuation routes planned etc. one cannot expect medics and medical officers to be everywhere all the time. there are only so many of them.
if the author feels so strongly about the need for better equipped medics and more medical officers outfield, perhaps he'd like to sponsor them? as it is, being a medic (or nurse) is one profession that people shun. i have no shame in admitting that i would have loved to be a combat medic if it weren't for the fact that i wanted to be a pilot more than anything else.
perhaps then he'll also consider bringing his father-in-law along for his future reservist training?
survinging 5 days of outfield is nothing. there's nothing to feel proud about simply because almost every other guy in singapore has done it (save for those who are exempted from going outfield).
call me a war-monger but i think MINDEF's money is better spent investing in equipment and training that helps make me a better soldier. of course i believe in better medical care but for a lot of my friends and i, in the very unlikely of us going to war, fighting for each others lives will take priority over what is in the medical kit bag carried by a medic.
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