Having been through more than a year of evaluations, this week marked the last in a long time to come. It also signaled the fast approaching end to army days. While it may be the final odyssey for us, it marked the first for the 13th batch. The contrasting spectrum of emotions resulted in a strange atmosphere, but fortunately, the tension was quickly broken as we learn how to assimilate them into our presence. Small the batch may be, the additional manpower that they bring with them speaks volume. While we may not have enough time to impart all of our knowledge to them, I am positively sure that the 12th intake can comfortably fit into our mentoring roles and guide them along their journey. But honestly speaking, this evaluation was quite an eventful one. Casualties abound, it demarcated the first in many aspects.

Never before in a single evaluation that we fought had we suffered from a spate of injuries and misfortune like this. And that was before even the actual mission started. Thereafter, collateral damage was inevitable and I, myself, became a victim of circumstances. Nonetheless, there was no excuse to neglect my duty. The weather was relatively unkind to us too. The recent strong gusts continued to terrorize us outfield, especially during the nights. Situated on top of a hill without tree covers, the wind relentlessly battered the hillside as many ended up with a cold after the evaluation. It was probably the coldest night outfield we have experienced locally, without rain that is. The attack mission heralded a first when we had to walk inside a drain along the expressway, something that majority of us wouldn’t contemplate of doing if not for the requirement of the mission.

But most importantly, it was the 200th evaluation in the span of two decades. Without a doubt, there was a simple celebration in place to commemorate this significant milestone. Well, to us, we had fought a tenth of the number in our time, so it really means a lot to us that it was also our last. Although this evaluation was a short one, I think it is really heartening to see the whole 11th intake fight together as a cohort for the final time. And even if we couldn’t participate actively, the camaraderie is strong and runs deep. Good fight guys!