Just a few hours after midnight, a plane whizzed off from the land of Singapore into the darkest skies, and made no more than a whisper in the city that's sleeping.

It brought with her a number of fine young men with heavy hearts, to a place far from home, where they will sweat it out, walk in knee deep mud, and sometimes the rain, and through forests and hills and mountains, while carrying loads not meant for normal human beings.

Of course, I was there at the airport.

The men i knew, who still have several mths till they ORD, were in high spirits, and we caught up on what i have been doing, and how have they been 'surviving', and how miraculous it was that this guy finally passed his SOC, and about this guy who poured hot water over his own arm and then lied about it just to get ATT C to miss this overseas training trip.

Anyways, the excitement didn't last very long when the men dispersed to bid their loved ones farewell before the 'final moment'. So many of them embracing their parents, girlfriends, a few teary eyes, and not even a smile.

Quite depressing, although now i'd be glad that im done with my time in there.

They'll all be back soon of course, and when they do they'll be done with probably the toughest thing they've ever, physically, could do.