Recollection and Reflection: My Life as a Filipino Soldier

In 2008, I was one of a select few soldiers who tried their luck in the Special Forces Operations Course. I can't remember how many of us started the course and how many actually graduated. I recall there were more than a hundred of us who volunteered to undergo the Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) as a prerequisite to join the SFOC. SFAS was a month- long program which consisted of several activities to determine whether a prospective candidate is physically and mentally suited to undergo a rigorous ten- month training. We were tested in advance day and night map reading and land navigation, long foot marches with 45-pound ruck sacks and full battle gear, individual and team activities and of course, the physical fitness tests. Unlike regular PFTs that soldiers undergo which consist of only three events-3.2-km run, push up and sit up, those who undergo specialized trainings such as the scout ranger course and SF Operations Course have to pass other events such as pull ups, inverted crawl, sit and reach and standing long jump. After a month, only about 80% of those who volunteered qualified for the regular Course.. Others were just too tired or burnt out to battle ten more months of hardship.

The regular course started with the traditional reception which of course is not a lunch or dinner of sumptuous food and drinks but a day- long serving of army dozens, road runs, log rolls, helicopters, Indian bows and many others which would definitely bring out the best and worst in a student/trainee. Our reception started at about one o’clock of a hot summer afternoon of 2008. Every trainee- whether an officer or enlisted personnel goes through the reception which formally signals the start of the training. As this is an anticipated activity, each soldier prepares himself physically and mentally to last and remain standing at the end of the day otherwise he would blow his chance of getting the much coveted SF TAB. 

I've had several receptions as a soldier. The first was when we were received as plebes or first year cadets of the PMA in 2002. The next was during our Scout Ranger Orientation Course in 2004 at Camp Tecson in San Miguel, Bulacan. Another one came during our basic officer course. The degree of difficulty of a reception actually varies depending on the course or training you take but one thing is sure. You can never be too prepared for any reception day. It always ends with your tongue out of your mouth- gasping for breath and thinking why the hell were you there in the first place. And there's also the reception given when a soldier reports to his new assignment or unit which is often the most memorable.

I guess during that time all of us were really determined to hurdle the course. I don't recall anybody washing out during the first day. After that, our journey as members of SFOC Class 118- 08 officially begun. This means that we were the 118th batch since the Special Forces started training soldiers as part of this elite organization.. 08 is short for 2008, the year that the course was held. 

To be continued…

Pangamoyo para sa Pungsod nga Mahidaiton (Prayer for a Peaceful Nation)*

 

 

O Ginoong Dios, bilang imo mga katawhan diri sa pungsod Pilipinas, hilabi na guid bilang pomoloyo sang Negros Occidental, madugay-dugay na guid man kami nga nagasakripisyo kag naga-antos tungod sang amon mga konplikto kag pag-ilinaway. Amon nahibaloan, nga ini dulot man sang amon kakulangan sa pag-intindihanay sa tagsa-tagsa, pagtamdanay, pagbinuligay, kag kon kinahanglanon mag sakripisyo para sa ikaayo sang amon isig-katawo – ang pag-halad sang amon ikasarang sa mga kubos, agud sila man makatindog sa ila kaugalingon nga ikasarang, kag mangin responsable nga pomoloyo, una sa ila pamilya, ikaduha sa kumonidad kag banwa, kag ikatatlo sa punsod pilipinas kag sa tanan nga katawhan, pati na ang aton kapalibutan. May-ikasarang man, manggaranon o kubos man, amon ginapangamoyo nga indi guid kami magbulag sa imo.
 
O Hesukristo, hasta subong, may mga kautoran pa kami nga masami nga nagaka-apektohan sa matag adlaw sang insiguridad, inhustisya, kimagamo, kag pagpamahug, apang naga pabilin sila nga nagahipos kag wala sang mahimo, kulang sa ihibalo magpatikang kag magpaalington sang ila mga mensahe para maagom nila ang matuod nga paghidaet sa komunidad. O Ginoong Dios, ginaampo namon sila sa imo.
Subong man, sa mga alagad sang gobyerno, binoto man o gin-apuentar sa puesto, amon ginapangamoyo nga sila upod sa amon sa sector sang seguridad, kami padayon o magaserbisyo base sa amon gugma kag kabalaka nga ining mga pomoloyo nga apektado sang kakahas, o bayolente nga pama-agi nga kon sa diin nagakabayolar ang ila kinamatarong. O Hesukristo, ubayan mo kami.

Dios sang hustisya kag kalinong, kabay nga ang mga programa sang gobyerno, para nga mangin isa sila ka tunay nga “Whole-of-Nation Approach”, pagaupdan sya sang mga non-government and civil society organizations, sang tanan-tanan, sa pagpatuman sang mga social development and public safety programs. Kabay nga ini nga mga programa makasentro guid sa matuod nga mga kinahanlanon sang pomoloyo, pigado man o may-ikasarang.   Kabay pa, nga ang mga pomoloyo nga lubos nga naapiktohan sang madamo na nga dikada sang insurhensiya diri sa Pilipinas, malikaw sila sa katalagman kag magpangabuhi nga hilway, malinong kag hamungaya.

Paagi sa mga tawhanon kag dyosnon nga mga programa, ang bug- os nga army sa negros naga pangamoyo gid nga ini makalab-ot sa mga kasing-kasing sang aton mga kautran nga padayon nga nagatugpo sang armadong paghimakas o nagakapot sang armas-palopok. Kabay nga ila  maintindihan kag mag-upod na sila sa amon advocasiya para rekonsiliasyon, pag-ulupdanay, kag maayo nga pang-gobierno.

Ini tanan, amon ginapangamoyo, sa ngalan ni Hesukristo, nga amon Ginoo, ang Principe sang Paghidaet.

Amen.

*Prayer delivered by Col Jon Aying of 303rd Brigade at a prayer rally in Bacolod City last November 30, 2014