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BARRACK LIFE DURING SECTION TRAINING
188
TEN
Company Warrant Officer (CWO). By about the third week of recruit training, WO2 Hong
Seng Mak had moved over to ‘A’ Company and WO2 Harry Lim had taken over in ‘B’
Company. Both remained CWOs in the respective companies throughout section training.
Unsatisfactory work was never let off and the platoon or platoons responsible would be
held to account as a whole. Interestingly, it never seemed to have occurred to any trainee
to isolate and identify a culprit to the instructors or Platoon Sergeant. Usually, the CWOs
would conduct their inspections after the company had left for the training area and the
respective platoons would have the glad tidings waiting for them on their return. From the
CWO’s point of view, the most effective punishment was extra drill, which would be meted
out either after lunch or in the evening, if there were no night training. As a special treat, it
could be scheduled for Friday evening or Saturday afternoon just before the long or sort
weekend break.
Platoon Sergeants had their own concerns as well
—
they could range from being ticked
off by the CWO or Platoon Commander for some oversight by the platoon, or problems
associated with the armskote, platoon stores or instructions in the RO. They could conduct
their own extra drill sessions or, on behalf of the CWO, though the CWOs were not above
conducting the drills themselves. Platoon Sergeants could also hold back dismissal over the
The barrack room had become a second home by the section training phase.