Think You're Tough?

Dressed in Combat Orders (loreng in Bahasa Malaysia), Brigadier General Datuk Ahmad Rodi Zakaria, with his deep, resonant voice, has the sort of hard military demeanour guaranteed to make even a grown man cringe.
However, sitting in his office in the sprawling Sg Udang camp in Malacca, from where he commands the country's elite 21 Special Service Group - which comprises four combat regiments and other support and services elements - this tanned, white-haired, one-star general can be as affable as your next-door neighbour - albeit not your average one.
After all, lock-picking and the ability to manufacture explosives from products readily available on supermarket shelves, are just two of his many skills.
If McGyver - the Hollywood action man who can short-circuit a nuclear missile with a paper clip, or plug an acid leak with a candy bar – comes to mind, you are not far off the mark!
"There is a McGyver in every commando," Ahmad Rodi guffaws.
Ahmad Rodi and his men, who wear the green beret and the insignia of their areas of specialisation on their battle fatigues, are a breed apart from your conventional combatants.
He refuses to divulge his area of specialisation, but he has the insignia of the Indonesian Special Forces Group on his Combat Orders.
Like his men, the brigadier general is a jack-of-all-trades. Ahmad Rodi - who not only trained in Indonesia, but also in the United States and Australia - has the basic knowledge of an array of essential combat skills such as parachute jumping, field medicine, communications and demolition.
He and his men are also battle-ready and can be deployed at a moment's notice - for involvement in any form of action. The Sauk Incident in 2000 is just one such example.
Despite being based in the south of the country, the commandos were flown in a C-130 from Batu Berendam, Malacca, and choppered into Sauk, Perak, from Butterworth within hours of the Al-Maunah camp being sighted.
"Men from the Special Service Group are noted for their adaptability and flexibility," said Ahmad Rodi.
"When our men were part of the Malaysian Battalion involved in the United Nations' peacekeeping operations in Somalia, they went in to rescue American Rangers when others didn't want to. We are highly respected because of that."
A Malaysian soldier was killed and several others injured in the operation to rescue the American Rangers in the Bakara Market incident of 1993.
In Black Hawk Down, the Hollywood movie version of the event, Pakistani soldiers - not Malaysians - were erroneously portrayed as the heroes of the hour.
Ahmad Rodi attributes the commandos' strength to their esprit de corps.
"The love of the green beret is very strong. There is a sense of belonging and camaraderie as officers and men from the ranks undergo the same training process."
A soldier joins the Special Forces on voluntary basis after his basic military training. For officers, candidates come from the army college and the military academy, while other ranks come from the recruitment training centre and other army units."
Three basic commando courses are conducted annually, which see the participation of some 10 officers and 750 other ranks. Of these, about half will pass the physical and mental training programme. Candidates who fail first-time round will be given the opportunity to try again.
To earn the right to wear the commando's green beret, a soldier will have to pass the basic 12-week commando course which takes men to their limits.
One ex-commando recalled having to wake up at 2am to play football using only a golf ball as part of camp training. Another related his experience of being left in the jungle for a week with nothing but a knife, matches and some salt.
"There are horror stories, but I am not going to recount any just now," Ahmad Rodi says with a laugh. "It builds mental resilience, character... it brings out the man in them."
Serving in the Special Forces Group requires volunteers who are fit, motivated, determined and resourceful.
"They must not only possess the highest level of physical fitness, they must also boast a strong mental capacity. We require personnel who are not only able to work as members of a team, but who are also reliable and confident individuals," he explained.
Prior to the basic commando course, candidates undergo a one-month pre-basic course to prepare for the basic commando course. This is to provide them with a wide range of combat skills and teach them how to maintain their bodies and equipment, so that despite "being wet, tired and hungry, they can summon the additional energy and motivation to carry on".
During the basic course, trainees undergo various physical and mental tests and are subjected to the harshest of physical and mental stress.
Besides physical aspects, characteristics the Special Forces Group expects in a would-be recruit are a sense of responsibility, honesty and loyalty. They must also be knowledgeable, proactive, courageous, confident - as well as mentally and physically strong.
Course instructors then make their assessments of trainees.
"If instructors determine that trainees lack any of the criteria required, they will not be selected. Their respective commanders will also evaluate their psychological profiles once they join the units. If they do not meet the required profile, they will normally be posted back to their respective units."
Training generally starts at 0715 hours (7.15am to civilians) and will last until the task is completed. Days usually begin with a five kilometer (minimum) morning run in full battle dress uniform, followed by weapons, land navigation, radio communication and other field-craft training.
Assault and ambush tactics are refined and perfected.
Special attention is also given to unconventional warfare tactics, while night training involves 10km to 20km forced marches with 60lb loads. Live ammunition training is conducted twice a month. Other programmes include waterborne and airborne operations.
Upon completion of the basic course, recruits will then be sent on specialist sniper, parachute-jumping, close-quarter battle, special demolitions and amphibious-and jungle-warfare courses. It takes between four and six years to properly qualify as a trained commando.
The Special Service Group also engages in cross training with the other special forces such as the British SAS, the Australian Commando Units, the New Zealand SAS and the American Special Forces.
"We have to interact with the Special Forces of the world to improve our effectiveness and efficiency," Ahmad Rodi added.
The Special Service Group is currently a male preserve, Ahmad Rodi explained, adding, however, that calls for volunteers do not specify gender.
"We see a need for female volunteers, perhaps not now, but in the future... threats are different now and they require a different level of specialisation and expertise."
These days, this Kedah-born 50-something spends most of his time on the camp.
"We were never based on camp for long periods in the past. We were always going into the jungle. The threats then were real, but we enjoyed ourselves.
"We face a different kind of threat today... non-conventional and advanced training have to be modified to meet this."
Despite the harsh physical and mental demands of the profession, Ahmad Rodi clearly takes pride in his position as commander of the 21 Special Service Group, which will soon have a new home at the RM422-million 400ha Special Forces Group complex at Sungai Sekakap, Mersing, Johor. Due to be completed next year, it will be among the most modern of its kind in the world.