Farewell ... SM1

Saw the news this evening that MINDEF would be intending to replace our SM1 tanks with the German Leopard 2 MBT (Main Battle Tanks) soon. They are working out the details with the German gahmen.

It was exciting to learn that we are gog for something bigger and more potent. My former colleagues would be kept busy with this acquisition. How I would wish to be part of it! Afterall, I have been working with tanks since '91 trained to be a driver of SM1. The "relation" continued for decades, including the annual reservist training, operating it in places such as Brunei, Taiwan and Australia. Though I was looking forward to this change, there was a bit of sadness, or reluctance to see this vehicle would be phased out soon. Afterall, this was the vehicle where we spent late nights doing the maintenance (greasing especially), washing. Out in the field training, we withstood the heat during day time, and slept while sitting on the driver's compartment. I guess if not because of the NS stinct, I would not have landed the first job at Depot Road.

Eventually the vehicles would be scraped, and one or two may land in certain musuems, though there was already one in the Kent Ridge Park (aka Army Green Park).

Well, all good things would come to an end. But to me, the motto of Armour would be here to stay. "Once Armour, Always Armour".

ps: for a good glimpse of what life in Armour is about, this site would definitely be useful
http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/resources/e-books/ebklist.-imindefPars-0001-DownloadFile.tmp/35yrsArmour.pdf