MY DAY IN A TANK

Rachel Wong, 10, has a go at driving the Leopard tank and firing its gun in simulators.

My experience at my father's army camp (Sungei Gedong Camp) was not only fun, but also very interesting. My father is Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Wong Pui Pin and he is an Armour officer.

My younger sister, Reanne, and I got to try out the Leopard tank driving simulator and the Leopard gun simulator. As we neared the room where all the facilitators were waiting, I felt a tinge of excitement and nervousness. We were given a warm welcome when we stepped into the room.

Driving the tank!

Reanne and I were then introduced to 2nd Lieutenant (2LT) Elwin Ang, or Uncle Elwin, and a few other soldiers. They were tank commanders, just like my father. I learnt from them that there were all sorts of uniforms. The one my father was wearing was a No. 4 camouflage uniform while the one Uncle Elwin was wearing was called a tank coverall. Soldiers use the tank coverall when they are in a tank.

Uncle Elwin helped me climb into the Leopard tank driving simulator. My sister and I had created a nickname for it, "muffin", as it looked like a muffin rising in the oven when in motion. I had two chances to try the "muffin": Once, with the motion simulation turned on, and the other, off. The ride with the motion on was super bumpy.

There was an animated screen in front of me in the simulator, so I could "see" where I was going. It was mostly green, with trees, roads, slopes and an occasional house. When I first stepped on the accelerator, I drove the tank very fast as I liked to go at top speed. Despite driving very fast, I did not enjoy the Leopard tank simulator very much. I do not like roller coaster rides in general and experiencing the bumpy motion of the simulator felt like I was riding in one.

My best shot

Next, we went to the gun simulator. While Reanne was trying it, I asked one of the commanders about the computers and machinery. I learnt from him that the arrow on the computer must be at 12 to shoot accurately.

The arrow represents the commander's point of view and the 12 represents the position of the gun controlled by the gunner. When both the arrow and the 12 are in line, that means the gunner will hit the target that the commander wants. It didn't sound easy at all.

I also learnt how he moves objects and how he communicates with the soldier through a helmet.

During my sister's turn as the commander, she learnt to aim, press the lever, flick the switch at the same time and press the "shoot" button. She shot and destroyed many of the tank targets.

When it was my turn, I hit my first four targets. It was really fun. I could move the gunner control handle up, down, left and right.

I also had to shout the words "on the way" before shooting. This was to warn my crew mates in the tank that I was about to shoot as there would be a jerking back motion. It felt very weird shouting those words as I was not used to it.

Firing the Leopard gun was not as easy as I thought it would be, as I might also get shot at by other tanks in a battle. Other than firing at other enemy tanks and helicopters, I also had to protect my tank to prevent it from being shot at.

I enjoyed this more than the driving simulator because I learnt more things and I felt more satisfied shooting at things. I shot two helicopters and eight tanks in total!

Tough job

After this experience, I realised that my father's work is quite hard. Previously, I did not know what his job was about. I only knew that he worked in the Army.

I think my father is very brave. Commanding a tank is difficult. I'm very proud of him. I had lots of fun at my father's camp. My sister and I will never forget this experience. We hope to be able to go again, but with our youngest brother Kieran!