Friday, April 08, 2005

Si Beh Luan Engineers.

Hi everyone, this would be my first post on Singapore Army Stories. Some of you may have heard of the CBRE before: well, in private, we call it the Si Beh Luan Engineers, because it is, well Si Beh Luan. In reality, it stands for Chemical Biological Radiological Explosive Defence Group (OR CBRE DG for short). I just ORD-ed from that unit about 2 weeks ago, and decided to give a short introduction and squash all relevent rumours about 39 SCE once and for all.

Yup, I'm was from 39 SCE in the pioneer Bravo Company. There was always one company only, until the government and MINDEF decided to give CBRD more money because of terrorist threats and tada. 39 SCE was formed.

First impressions when you tell a taxi driver you going Seletar Camp is - "BOY AH, you from Bridging is it?" or "Boy, you from Guards is it?" or just "Engineers ahh..." Then you have to tell them no la uncle, i'm from the chemical corp (we can't even call it chemical corp, because it's not as big as a corp).

rumours abound about such a mysterious unit in the northeast of Singapore. The best ones I have heard

-"THEY DO MOPP 4 SOC!" *GASP*
-"THEY CAN CHIONG SUA IN MOPP 4!" *double GASP*.

firstly, if I did MOPP 4 SOC ever, I won't ever be on this planet. And if I chiong sua in MOPP 4, I'll probably die. over and over again.

(For those not in the know, MOPP 4 stands for mission oriented protective posture and is the chemical suit. ala here. Scroll down for the pictures of a poor man in MOPP4).

So it's the full suit with Chemical mask.

Most NSmen go through the TORTURE (yes torture in the GAS TRAINER (not chamber as many of you call it), at least 3 times in their entire lives. The tear gas is no joke, even after so long i still can kena effects. But it's one of those trainings the instructors love to tekkan those people inside the chambers. There are some people who are thankfully immune to tear gas. My encik told of one aussie dude who just walked in and smiled at everyone and was fine when he exited the chamber.

After 30 minutes, normal people just want to tear off the whole suit and mask. Well, so do I. But then, training sia, cannot just tear off. must *ren*. Normal CBRD folks can stay in for around 4-6 hours. minimum requirement also. and really, the suit is kinda fun. you can sleep (cos no one can see your eyes), and you just want to slack, cos it is so hot in the damn suit. and after that, you can tahan any hot weather in any country liao. (even a car boot can stay inside for half hour, but that's another story).

and btw, some things we do in MOPP 4 are true: LIKE dig shell scrapes. Buay tahan I tell you. you actually dig faster. I did mine in 45 minutes, because you get to take off the mask after you finish, so everyone CHIONG to get the stupid hole dug. then you can fall asleep inside and breathe normally again.

quite fun sia? And who else gets to earn more money in the SAF then the si beh luan engineers:)?

more to come...

19 comments:

lun said...

wahahaha i still remember my CD training during my basci MP course. i fucking slept in mopp4 while the warrant was conducting the lesson in the lecture room.

alex said...

seletar camp is a good place. not for everyone, i know;
while the engineers chiong like siao, the slackers at CCO-side or the medical center are booking out in shorts, slippers. those really were the days.

been thinking of trying the picccadilly circus driving range there.
anyone done before?

Anonymous said...

errr..i did soc in mopp 4 b4 n no i was not an engineer. btw is ur basic allowance more than that of cdos/divers? thank u.

Agagooga said...

Before becoming a medic I was told we had to do SOC with stretcher and MOP. Bollocks.

lip said...

Mike: Basic allowance no la. But we get extra $200 a month for NSF. so Corporals get SGT pay, SGT get Offr pay. quite good:)

and sad to hear u did Mopp4 SOC. Would love to chiong it myself"_

lun said...

by the way, i heard that one of the requirements to attain the CBRD badge is to do soc in mopp4. that true?

lip said...

Nope. It's "just" a 4 km MOPP4 route march, followed by some ABSD test and then a 2 km mask run. Quite relaxing actually:)

水瓶座 said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
水瓶座 said...

Hey, guess you can call me your senior. Think I ORD when you still a trainee. Just to tell you, my spec did do SOC in MOPP3 once during their commander course. (Warrant Seetoh personal request)

Deployment, digging shell scrap (in MOPP 4) are the basic requirements for every excerise.

Since they change the doctrine after we left, I heard that life before much better, esp with Staff(master) Leong return to HQ.

BTW, 39 SCE was classified when I enter, and was known as AFPN 1437.

The three words everyone hate, GAS GAS GAS.....

P.S. I am going back to do my 2nd ICT this July, heard somethin about a mask run, hope I still remember how to wear a mask properly.

lip said...

well, they took down the SOC ground in 39 SCE:) hehe.

I'm still in the 6 month period after ORD where they can charge me and go DB:) hehe. so be careful about what we say ah...

oh n my course didn't have such shit:) in fact i played PS2 everyday in my bunk hehe

水瓶座 said...

That freaking camp indeed change a lot. But the building is still so old.

If u had done guard duty before when u are still on course (at the old entrance of 39SCE), I could hv been your guard com.

Anonymous said...

lip >> the extra $200 you mention, is it your combat allowance or really an extra over and above both your rank pay and combat allce?

just wondering...

水瓶座 said...

39 SCE had been the assembly ground for all the cannot make it officers. He sure is a F U C K I N G officer, hope he is not a F U C K U P

dan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

eh who say Occifer to 39 is all cmi? Over the years got alot of pretty good ones eh.

SOC MOPP4 is true, fire n movement oso do b4... stuck in gas chamber wif the freaking mask for 6-7 hr do map planning oso true.

Job said...

It can't work in reality, that's exactly what I think.
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Anonymous said...

I am the 2nd batch, we really did SOC in MOPP4. It's not a rumour, it happen.

Anonymous said...

Haha.. I remember ALICE

Anonymous said...

Haha, first batch bravo, i remember that we just basically do a lot of marching. SAF Day Parade, National Day Parade, etc etc etc. Do until now can still remember all the command. Come back first ICT after deferring so long, SAF Day Parade.