Memories of Unit Camp

This year’s unit camp tested us on our school’s core values. We had to work in teams, be responsible for one another, learn with integrity and serve others.

The first night of our first unit camp was nerve-wrecking. We were strangers in the beginning and were unsure exactly what we were in for. However, after the initial nervousness, we made friends and the experience became one of the most memorable one for many of us. Many of us learnt to work in teams and took responsibility for our actions. If one person made a mistake, the whole squad was punished. We suffered together, played together and most importantly achieved success together. 

Nevertheless, this unit camp was a true eye opener for us.

We can recall certain incidents that scared us and made us laugh. After dinner on the first night, we did a headcount to ensure that no one was missing. Then we were told to assemble outside classroom MP4. It was then our squad commander informed us that we had a night trail which would begin only after the narration of a horror story. One of the Sirs told us that 20 years ago when the school just moved to its current site, two boys were walking around the school on a tranquil night during one of the camps. Much to their horror, they saw a shadow every single time they looked in the mirror. This is why during camps most units employ the buddy system to ensure the safety of the cadets. To us, we found the buddy system a good safety measure and also a great way to foster bonds with other cadets.

To make it more exciting after the horror story, we had to blind fold ourselves using either our jackets or house tee. After that, our Sirs lined us up to prepare us for the trail. During the trail, we met countless numbers of challenges like uneven ground, grass and sweeping rods. When the nerve-wrecking trail ended, we were told that we had 40 minutes to get ourselves showered and ready for bed.

After the long day, all of us were tired. After our shower, we went back to our individual tent. This was the first time we experienced sleeping in a tent and it was not a pleasant experience.

As we lay down in the tent with our squad mates, we started perspiring. There were about 4 to 5 people in each tent. It was around 1.00am and most of us were chattering happily away. At first we did not know each other well, but after the long chat, we knew more about our squad mates.

The downside of this bonding was losing sleep. We tried to fall asleep but we were very irritated as it was uncomfortable sleeping on uneven ground.  

We started the next day with Physical Training (PT). To our surprise, one of my squad mates had to sit out because he tore his pant during the physical training. It was hilarious though none of us would want to be in his shoes. After which, we went to canteen for our breakfast. We had to fill our mass tin with Milo and had a few loafs of bread and some spreads. One of my squad mates ate a total of 13 slices of bread!

Another exciting experience was the outdoor cooking we had to do. It was our first time cooking our own lunch. It was exciting but challenging. We had a hard time starting a fire because of the strong wind. We did not have time to fully cook our noodles and ended up eating uncooked Maggie noodles. Now, that was an experience we would never forget.

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The last night of the camp was the most fun. We had to perform for campfire. The whole squad was split into four groups - Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter, Narnia and The Hobbit. Each group had to come up with a performance or a cheer for the campfire.

During the campfire, we did cheers, played games and watched skits performed by our fellow NPCC cadets. Unfortunately, during our Secondary One Orientation, we did not have a real fire as it rained then. Thus, it was really thrilling for us to witness a real fire this time round.

The next morning, we were excited about the Muster Parade which was held after area cleaning. We had not experience Muster Parade and it was an honour to be part of it. However, the downside was that we had to stand for two hours. Oh, our legs were really painful and numb after that!

At the end of the camp, we all agreed that we not only foster great bonds within the unit but we also persevere and stuck together as a squad despite, many of us feeling homesick after the first night.

In conclusion, we enjoyed ourselves. The camp was not as bad as we thought it would be and we look forward to the next unit camp.

Done by:

Jonathan Chng Shao Jie

Leong Kai Jie Micah

*Loh Yun [Group In-Charge]

Wee Wei Quan Bryan

Wong Kai Jun Adriel

Chin Sze Yuet

Koness Sim Ke Ni

*Wong Yu Teng Rosabelle [Group In-Charge]