The Saga of Cadet Soldier: CAT Graduation

"Often the struggler has given up
When he might've won the victor's cup"

-Don't Quit, COCC Plebe Knowledge

It's been 26 months since I joined the Cadet Officer Candidacy Course, or COCC for short. 26 months of trials, tortures, and tribulations. This is my story.

Chapter 6: CAT Graduation and the Aftermath

From January until the end of February, COCC was already difficult to balance with other aspects of my life. There was training every Recess period, everyday, held by the Honor Guards. I don't get the point of this. Sure, it's probably another loyalty test from Sir Rendor, but come on, why force fatigue right before the second batch of classes start? I was barely able to keep my grades within the passing range, and I'm pretty sure my comrades had a hard time, too.

Around February, my comrades, along with the Honor Guards-turned-Technical Sergeants practiced our silent drill for CAT graduation. During one of these days, Sir Rendor gave me my most painful activity I have ever experienced in my cadet life: knuckle hops. The objective of this "PT" would be to hop using our knuckles while in push-ups position. Simply said, right? Well, easier said than done. When knuckle hopping, one should also advance forward. I could get a good 6 inches to a foot in my hops. However, after 10 of those, I started feeling exruciating pain. I saw that my knuckles were bleeding, so I forcefully pushed myself to the beyond my limit and kept going until I could finally go no more. As I stopped in a pyramids position, I looked back at my trail and saw blood at the last few of my hops. Finally, Sir Rendor told me to stand up and get back in line. Yeah, I was the ONLY one who had to go through that.

This affected my performance in my individual rifle exhibition which I worked so hard to perfect. I couldn't get a good grip on my rifle; and thus it flew away from me while I was about to throw it above my head. The silent drill continued, with me being rejected to do my individual rifle exhibition.

Around 2 hours in training, I saw an old friend of mine who just came from the States. We call him Orvz, and he was being accompanied with two of his bosom buddies who were equally surprised to find him here. Obviously, I wanted to greet him, but of course, I was bound tightly to my training, and all I could do was watch as more of his friends surrounded him. Eventually, they all looked at me and teased me from afar. The temptation to just run over there and talk to them was growing by the minute. I had to supress them, and soon, their group went their separate ways.

February 20, 2009. CAT Graduation. It was a day where the regular cadets didn't care diddly-squat about CAT, just like every other day. Honestly, ever since Ateneo High School CAT has been demilitarized, the regular cadets didn't give shit about the this.

First in the graduation program was the presentation of each flights' (regular and special) silent drill. No one brought much to the table, except for a few flights who did some extreme dancing. But other than that, nothing special.

Then came our silent drill. Everything went smoothly until someone gave the cue to do our special move at the wrong time, and everything wrong followed. Well, at least hardly anyone noticed.

A merienda break followed. Special flights were given an exlusive room with called the Alumni Lounge to eat in a special buffet. That, to me, was already a highlight. Sir Rendor, Sir Thomas, the Honor Guards, NCOCCs, Medics, Air Police (let me remind you, all of whom are officers at this point) and the COCCs ate side by side as sort-of-equals (they still ordered us to do stupid things, but it was all for fun).

I'm not sure what happened next, because Mio and I were given a post to guard the gates of the venue. All we did was guide the parents to their sons and warned people who were just "passing by" not to cross the venue again.

And then, the graduation itself.

Then recognized as Cadet Major Rendor, now Retired Cadet Colonel Rendor. Then recognized as Cadet Captain Thomas, now Retired Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Thomas. The Honor Guards, Medics, and Air Police were promoted to Cadet Master Sergeants in their retirement, while the NCOCCs became 1st Lieutenants.

A year of taking shit from them. A year of practically swallowing the phlegm they spat on us. And still, I salute to them? Maybe because that year will be the last year I will ever see them. Maybe because uner all the shit-taking and phlegm-swallowing, I had accomplished something more. A year of memories. A year of physical, mental, and psychological self-improvement. A year never will I regret.

Of course, our training wasn't over yet, and it still isn't. At March, the Summer CAT was held, for those who didn't pass and for those who were in varsity teams. I was in charge of flight Bravo, a mix of jocks and student officers. Under my command, I feel they've become the finest among all five Summer CAT flights. I've pushed them hard, and I've gained their respect; and because of that they followed my every order. I could tell they didn't follow me because of fear. Sure, I gave punishment to those who don't do my orders well. But still, I could tell. They were flight Bravo, and for the five days I've stuck with them, I had a tremendous amount of fun.

After a Summer CAT session, my comrades and I would hide from training while the officers were distracted by the other cadets. This brought my famous (ehe) quote: "COCC training is applied to avoid itself." citing the stealth techniques we were taught before. We weren't always successful, as we were caught a number of times trying to hide. Narrating how exactly we were caught that one time would just ruin how extremely funny it was.

Ahh, life.

Soon it was time for OUR "private" graduation, called Recognition Night, or "Recognight" for short. There are two versions: "Rendorognight" which should be held by Sir Rendor in secret (epic PT, and more epic final tests), and "Yucocognight" which should be held by Adjutant Yucoco (graduation rites, and that's it). By the way, Sir Yucoco doesn't and should not know about Recognight. Because CAT was demilitarized, this type of Recognight was banned.

Unfortunately, Sir Yucoco DID find out, thanks to Samonte. We went through with it anyway, and we were caught the same place we had Combat PT, only this time, Sir Rendor was no where to be found. Moments before our doom, Flashlights and motorcycle headlights were advancing toward us. We were already sure of our being captured, yet we remained down as a last desperate attempt to hide. And so we were caught and brought to a room in the faculty lounge ironically named "Salvation Heights." Here we were questioned about our actions. They considered suspending us, but decided not to in the end. We found out the next week, the week the COCC would practice bearing the colors (bringing the flags) in the Batch 2009 High School Graduation, that Sir Rendor as well as a number of Honor Guards were suspended for trying to go with the Rendorognight. It was also this week that Sir Rendor talked with me heart-to-heart for a few minutes about our thoughts of Rendorognight, this year's CAT program, and next year's CAT program.

Everything went smoothly in the bearing of the colors during the CAT Graduation. We were commanded by Retired Cadet Major Martin, who left for the States shortly after being promoted to office and thus never was able to participate in the colors.

There was no training ever since, and up to now. Here I am, narrating the saga of my life in the cadet corps, waiting to be initiated to office, myself. My saga still isn't over yet. I will continue writing about it until my connections with the Ateneo High School cadet corps have disappeared. By now, this should be needless to say, but this means my story will continue long after I graduate.

I hope someday I to come back to CAT as a retired cadet officer to observe and teach the new generation of special flights. This way, my connections will never sever, and my saga will live on.