Extra! Extra!

Before Cokecat revealed his all-time champion record of having signed 20 extra duties in 26 weeks at SISPEC, I had thought CPL Tan Ting Tong's record was pretty remarkable. CPL Tan signed many extras in his first month at 46SAR, many of them stemming from mistakes made while serving extra duties themselves. But it all started with this radio comms transmission he made:

"Hallo One Niner this is One Two Bravo, we are lost, over": Sign three. (46th was an Armour Reconnaissance unit. You NEVER get lost. Even if you did, you NEVER say you are lost).

First extra duty as Company Orderly Sergeant (COS), he forgets to turn off the lights at the vehicle park at sunrise: Sign three.

Second extra duty as COS, he forgets to order Lights Out, and is dobbed in by the Duty Officer: Sign three.

Third extra duty as COS, he helps clear the Armskote (Armoury), and his run of bad luck continues. A trooper leaves a loaded magazine in an M16 (which, our dear civilian readers, is a very, very big no-no). Somehow he manages to take that rifle out at random to check, pulls the charging handle and doesn't realise the significance of when the charging handle doesn't stay behind (if the rifle is empty, it stays behind; if there's a bullet in the magazine, it chambers the bullet), puts the rifle back onto the rack and declares to the DO that all is right. DO takes rifle, takes out magazine, clears rifle, picks up the ejected round and throws it at CPL Tan's face: Sign three*.

Fourth extra duty, and this, for mine, is one of the funniest: He's sitting in the company office, at his COS desk, in front of Company Sergeant Major (CSM), the legendary SSG "Red Underwear" Ang Teck Hock. Now, everyone addresses the CSM by the formal prefix of 'Encik'. So CPL Tan just knows him as Encik Ang.

The phone rings, and CPL Tan answers, 'Good Afternoon, Alpha Company', and asks the caller to hold on. He goes out onto the parade square, cups his mouth and yells at company block, "TELEPHONE CALL FOR STAFF SERGEANT ANG TECK HOCK! STAFF SERGEANT ANG TECK HOCK! PHONE CALL!"

He then goes back into the office, picks up the phone and tells the caller, 'Sorry, no such person'.

Encik Ang is still sitting at his desk, behind him, and beckons him to turn around. CPL Tan does. Encik Ang points to an ornate placard with his rank and name and asks him to read it aloud. CPL Tan reads it aloud, 'Staff Sergeant Ang Teck.....oh shit'.

Sign three.

*Armskoteman got three, trooper got charged.