and so it ends

Woah. Been quite a while since the last post.

CTC has officially ended. Overall I had a great time, just getting to know the people in my syndicate. I'm going to miss those support arms guys who're going back to their units, and all the fun we had.

For me the main effect of CTC has been to make me revise my opinion of regular officers. I've come to the conclusion that there are 3 main types of officers in the army: 1) the super-smart and super-capable high-flyers (lots of hyphens!); 2) the not so smart but hardworking and basically decent types, and; 3) the people who just cannot make it and sign on because they would be unemployable elsewhere.

Prior to CTC, my impression was that army was dominated by type 3 officers. After the last few weeks of interaction, however, I've come to realise that there are actually a lot of officers who are highly competent, and who care deeply about their work. In other words, army is not as f$%d-up an organisation as I thought. Although the 'schoolhouse' environment may have helped by fostering a more positive attitude among the course participants, I genuinely think that the officers I've encountered during CTC have surpassed my expectations with regard to their competence, attitude and professionalism. Kudos to them.

Sadly, CTC was also the first time I've experienced the sudden passing of a friend. It was a great shock, one which will stay in my memory for the rest of my life. The fraility of our existence, and the capriciousness of fate, can hardly be overstated. The best way to deal with it, I believe, is to make the best of every day, and enjoy whatever time we have.

So those are the conclusions I draw from my CTC experience. One phase has ended, and soon another will begin. I hope that AIOC will be every bit as enjoyable as CTC has been.