A Cadet Reservist She Once Was (2)

The snappy silent drill of the PMA cadets brings enthusiasm in her veins. Every cell within her seemed to engulf her with ardor that her bloodline have.

Ok, I run out of topics that I wasn't able to write a rough draft for an article. Usually, I do it when my net connection was very slow during the day that I can't engage in both platforms. So I will just have to put a part two of my article which I told Jane it would be until their only. But now changed my mind.

4th class cadet of the Reservist corps, open collar.

When they were still a COQC of the ROTC, they wore fatigues with the sleeves down. It was quite better because her light skin won't turn black from staying under the sun for four hours without any headwear. They were trained to endure the heat without drinking until their class is over. Because they were on the advance class that their training was much different from the basics and the medics. The basics doesn't even have to be as snappy and quick as them, barbered haircut was not even required of them. While the medics were trained for first aid and on the second semester, employees of the red cross of the Philippines were invited to train them more efficiently.

Before she enrolled, she had two courses to choose from it's either criminology or nursing. She chose the latter, criminologists are only for the uniformed personnel while nursing can be both RN and a uniformed personnel if ever she chose to. She had paternal relatives who were in uniforms whom she can ask help from in the future.

Cadet forth class or cadet 2nd Lieutenant they were called. Some have quitted and they were the only ones who remained to finished up the training. Countless times their morale was tested yet they never gave up.

Second semester came, their Monday-Wednesday-Friday reveille and night classes or Standard operating procedure (SOP) continued. Their warm-up exercises every reveille didn't changed. The 2 kilometer jog at the roads remained where they were taught by their 1st class' on how they should command a platoon that they'll be handling.

They were also taught how to handle troops and the order of assembly in the battle field. They learned sign language used. And because their sleeves were rolled up that they weren't allowed to roll it down to protect their arms from getting scratched in the oval field. Their newly shined combat shoes which suffered last week's ordeal were again scratched pitifully in the oval ground. Why do I have to endure all this? She asked herself one time.

It's not only for 4 hours that they had to stay at the field. They stay after the basics and medics were dismissed. They eat lunch at the CDC(Community Defense Center) but before they were to eat, they must face another ritual. There's this one time wherein they had to eat holding up the table so that their back remained rigid. Boodle fight was their way of eating and there should be no anything left.

Their class resumes after lunch, learning everything from the Military Science 2 handbook. (MS1 book was done during the 1st sem). Among them were the names of parts of the different rifles and pistol. They had to memorize it and learned how to disassemble-assemble the fastest they can.

A visit at the PMA

One day, she received an envelope from her uncle Master Sergeant in the city. It was an application form for PMA entrance exam. She filled it up and sent it back. The exam was dated on the month of November. Good thing she was able to achieve 85% of all her grades because it's one of the requirements.

Before the day of the exam, she prepared her things, bade her family and traveled alone for six hours to reached the city. She was met by her cousin, the daughter of her uncle who sent her the form.

Finally she will be able to enter a military academy. So excited as she was, that she woke up the next day with beaming energy. She was accompanied by her cousin to the academy. To her amazement, their were hundreds and hundreds of aspiring cadets lined up for the checking of their requirements. Good thing her application was sent to her because walk-ins were the least prioritized. She was a loner, an introvert but she interacted with her co-examinees with ease. Her cousin was left at a waiting area because chaperones were not allowed. It took time before everyone was catered. She was able to make friends with a Davaoeña who according to her was a migrant and her mother in the city due to poverty in their place.

The friend she just met was her constant companion because like her was also alone. Though she saw some of her male batchmates in elementary and even a classmate in nursing was there, they had left her. There was some lunch prepared for them in the mess hall and in the canteen but because of the numbers of examinees that it didn't suffice. Thus, she need to buy her own food. It was too crowded.

Her cousin was able to locate her because the area was a very vast one, it was like a whole town that you might get lost especially that there were lots of people because some parents and guardians were there too accompany their sons and daughters.

By one o'clock pm, they headed to the grandstand overlooking the open field. Almost everyone was there that a program was intentionally held to entertain the spectators. The cadets performed silent drills. They performed with just the beat of a drum.

The cadets uniforms fit them well. Their snappy stance were really outstanding. The silent drill was just something worth watching. (I'm out of words on how to describe the cadets performance).

After an hour of watching, they were told to proceed to the grand hall. A very wide room with tables and chairs, a stage in front. Before they entered, they were handed their table numbers and chair numbers. So that when she entered she was astounded by the number of tables before her. Well, there were cadets who show them their place. She tried to count the number of rows and columns of the table but she only got lost at the middle. Perhaps the numbers of examinees reached eight hundred or more. It took time before they were settled.

At last they were handed their test booklet and their answer sheets. (For how many hours they answered, I forgot). When the times up everyone was directed to the canteen which was only adjacent the exam room. It took forever before she was able to get a bowl of arozcaldo given to them for free. The crowd was no joke that her bladder nearly exploded, the comfort rooms were barely emptied.

When she was able to get out of the mess room, it was already dark. Lights were everywhere but she panicked. Her 1100 nokia mobile was almost drained. How can she look for her cousin amidst the crowd by night? Yet she tried. Good thing her cousin was just outside the door of the grand hall where they went in earlier but because of the pack of people that she was unable to spot her cousin easily.

They were able to jump in on one of the buses of the academy that were ferrying the crowd to the main highway. I think the ride was 15 minutes or more.

Unfortunately, she didn't make it.. I tell you the questions were from highschool lessons so it should be easy-peasy but she wasn't able to make it.

Cadet 3rd Class

She continued with her academics and her ROTC cadetship until their ball before the 1st semester on her 2nd year in college was to end. By then she was already cadet 1st Lt.

She planned to quit on the second semester but did otherwise. Afterall, the corps was her escape from academic pressures and her family. They were already into community immersion and hospital duty after their capping and pinning ceremony that she's starting to feel pressured. She considered the corps her second family but never trusted anyone (she hardly trust anyone), that's why she never shared any problems regarding family matters to her buddies. The camaraderie within them, the strenuous work outs and military measures were enough to have those pressures plucked from her heart.

But then things happened...

Her dream to be able to pursue her cadetship and avail a scholarship from it was impossible. One must attend the Regional Summer Camp Training(RSCT) in Manaoag,Pangasinan when already a 3rd class cadet. A consistent grade of atleast 1.3 is also required and pass an examination before able to avail the scholarship.

She was enjoying her college life despite the struggles to balance academics and being officially an officer of the Reserve Corps but then it all turned upside-down.

End....

05-23-21

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