XN000022-1983-10-02 — Page 13

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1983

MR LEUNG ALSO FINDS IT AN INTRIGUING EXPERIENCE TO DEVELOP A SENSE OF COMRADESHIP WITH CIVIC-MINDED PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE.

+ IT IS WONDERFUL TO MEET AND WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE SO DIFFERENT FROM ONE ANOTHER.

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+AND TO LEARN AND FIGHT AT LEAST DURING MOCK BATTLES ALONGSIDE EACH OTHER HAS INDEED FOSTERED A STRONG 'ESPRIT DE CORPS' IN THE REGIMENT,+ HE REMARKED.

MR LEUNG POINTED OUT THAT IT COULD BE HARD FOR NEW RECRUITS TO ADAPT TO THE STRICT DISCIPLINE WHEN THEY FIRST JOIN THE REGIMENT.

+ IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR VOLUNTEERS TO FOLLOW ORDERS FROM SENIOR OFFICERS, AND THIS HELPS TO DEVELOP A SENSE OF OBEDIENCE, HE SAID. MR LEUNG STRESSED THAT HIS VOLUNTARY MILITARY SERVICE DID NOT IN ANY WAY CONFLICT WITH HIS CIVILIAN EMPLOYMENT.

+ON THE CONTRARY, THE TWO ARE COMPLEMENTARY AS THE VALUABLE EXPERIENCE I GAINED IN THE REGIMENT HAS HELPED ME ON MY JOB.+

+THROUGH SERVING IN VARIOUS RANKS IN THE REIGMENT, HE SAID, +I HAVE LEARNT ABOUT PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTATION AND I ALSO ACQUIRED LEADERSHIP SKILLS.+

MR LEUNG IS NOW AN EXPERIENCED SENIOR WARRANT OFFICER, BUT HE CAN NEVER FORGET HIS FIRST CAMP.

HE HAD TO TAKE PART IN A WEEK-LONG CAMP BEFORE HE WAS GIVEN ANY PROPER TRAINING, THE REASON BEING THERE WAS NO FORMAL TRAINING PROGRAMME TWO DECADES AGO.

+DRESSED IN ARMY UNIFORM, I WAS RIGHT-A-WAY REQUIRED TO PERFORM DUTIES WHICH I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT. BEFORE I KNEW WHAT TO DO, I FOUND MYSELF TRAPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF A 'BATTLE'.

+ I FELT ABSOLUTELY LOST, NOT EVEN BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND A SINGLE WORD THAT WAS PASSED THROUGH THE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM.

+THE ONLY INTELLIGIBLE SOUNDS WERE THE EXPLOSION OF BOMBS AND RATTLE OF RIFLES IN THE PITCHY DARKNIGHT, HE RECALLED.

MR LEUNG ENDED UP SEEKING REFUGE UNDER A TREE OUTSIDE HIS BASE TREMBLING AND HALF WISHING THAT HE HAD NEVER JOINED THE FORCÉ.

HOWEVER, HE SAID, NEW RECRUITS OF THE 80'S NO LONGER NEED TO GO THROUGH SUCH ORDEALS FOR AN INFORMATIVE AND COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING PROGRAMME HAS SINCE BEEN DEVELOPED.

MR LEUNG AND FOUR OF HIS FELLOW VOLUNTEERS STARTED THE IR OVERSEAS TRAINING LAST WEDNESDAY. THEY WILL BE ATTACHED TO 16TH/5TH THE QUEEN'S ROYAL LANCERS IN LONDON FOR TWO WEEKS.

WHEN HE RETURNS, HE WILL BE COMMISSIONED AND PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT. HE WILL THEN BE TRANSFERRED TO THE TRAINING WING OF THE REGIMENT.

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