The Last Army Entry

My battery mate was kind enough to drive me in his van as I made my last trip out of camp on Friday (today's my actual ORD, but since it's Sunday, it was pushed forward).

And as I looked out the window when we drove past the buildings in which most of my army memories were created, with my pink I/C in my pocket, my certificate, testimonial and a prestigious award in my hands, the radio coincidentally and very aptly played "Home" by Kit Chan.

That's when I felt for the first time what many people shared with me before - that memories of their army life are bittwersweet. I never thought I would feel that way. Yet, even before I stepped out of the gate back to my civilian life of freedom, I felt it.

There were many pleasant surprises that made my ORD an exceptionally joyous event. Receiving the Best Soldier of the Month award was one of them. Receiving a lengthy, stupendous testimonial was another. And receiving the very rare top grade of "Outstanding" for both my Performance and Conduct assessments filled me with so much gratitude for the respect my superiors has for me.

There's nothing like closing a chapter with a big bang. And all these made my last day of service an extremely memorable one. This is it. Goodbye army. Hello freedom.