NS life now and then

[The_Bear]

Jump down from 3-tonner? You must be kidding?! Unless you are saying you step down the 3-tonner ladder and jump down from there.

 

Nope, first one will jump down with tailboard up if V-com takes his own sweet time. The rest will jump too. Only going up use ladder.

[KARTer]

... but do not know that its actually about character building.

unfortunately, some ns boys think character building is about how to keng... the kenging-character

[WTF]

Seems like everyone here is from the Army. None from the Home Team?

I'm from PNS.....errrr now called the 'Home Team'.....

[KARTer]

Seriously speaking, i think it is better use of time if contractors wash and maintain the utensils.

the time saved can be better used for training.

small things like that help to shorten NS full time from 2.5 years to 2 years.

 

But i think the recruits can at least experience it the old way for the first 3 months.

For some rich kids, that may be the only time they'll get to lather the detergent in the sponge.

lets do some maths: if on the average a man spends 30mins a day doing area cleaning / washing utensile etc, in one month he spends 15 hours doing this!! ... one year 180 hours!! ie about 8 days a year!! .... without having to do such work, he can get 15 days extra actual military training time in the 2yr NS stint, or shorten his NS by 15 days.

[The_Bear]

lets do some maths: if on the average a man spends 30mins a day doing area cleaning / washing utensile etc, in one month he spends 15 hours doing this!! ... one year 180 hours!! ie about 8 days a year!! .... without having to do such work, he can get 15 days extra actual military training time in the 2yr NS stint, or shorten his NS by 15 days.

 

That is assuming there are alot of things to do in camp.

 

Most of the time is hurry up and wait or body maintenance program.

[KARTer]

That is assuming there are alot of things to do in camp.

 

Most of the time is hurry up and wait or body maintenance program.

LOL, ok lets add another 30 mins waiting time each day

[Windwaver]

So many differences but there's one thing in particular that is a great improvement.

 

I used to sleep on foam but it's as good as sleeping directly on planks beneath it because it's so thin that it doesn't make any difference

 

Now people sleep on BEDs

[CKP]

Every year change color of PT shirt.... so as to force you to buy again and again.

 

[Toapayohkid]

Every year change color of PT shirt.... so as to force you to buy again and again.

 

 

keep the t shirt company busy mah as it is probably mindef-owned in some way.

[Adrianli]

Me from the Navy. Not sure of current NS life in the Navy. Here is my life story in Navy:

 

Signed on after my poly diploma in '97. Reported to CMPB n taken to Pulau Brani in aircon bus. Its one of the training place for naval personnel + naval base then. Life was boring, instructors dont teach, leave us all alone in the a/c classroom to idle the whole day. It was 8am to 5pm thing so can go home after 5pm. Just waste time there waiting for BMT. Morning have area cleaning, every wed got morning parade followed by uniform inspection, cook house was old type, food was rubbish, had to self-wash mess tray n then cook inspect cleanliness.

 

Time for BMT, a/c bus took us from Brani to Sembawang Camp where Naval BMT is conducted. First day, cook house did not prepare lunch for us n cooked only when we arrived the cook house. The chicken wing was scalded on the outside, raw on the inside!!! Noodle was like rubber band. Also had to hand wash to mess tray n then cook inspect cleanliness. Also have to do cook house cleaning + help cook prepare food n basic cooking which I later knew was not supposed to. Hair cut was S$3, cannot choose style, first time look like a monk. It was double bunk n metal cabinets, sleeping on thin mattress. No sleeping on bunk during daytime, only can lie on the floor.

 

Everyday, routine was like get up, 5BX, breakfast, area/toilet cleaning, PT/Swimming, marching, lunch, education(insurance lah, medical lah, rifle lah, SG history lah, etc..), PT/SOC, dinner, free time(either queue up at payphone or play soccer or smoke break), lights-off. Lots of knock it down, change parade, metal cabinet fall in n touch lamp post/tree n come back

 

Route march was 4km, from Sembawang Camp to Senoko factories n back. 8km, was from Sembawang Camp to Sembawang Park(look at the sea) and back. Rifle range was conducted only once, day n night shoots in one day. SOC test was only conducted once, no re-test. No guard duties, unarmed combat or field camp. Lots of marching n bayonet fight rehearsal for POP.

 

Towards the end of BMT, attended lots of Fire Fighting and Damage control lessons at the FFDC simulator.

 

 

After POP from BMT, moved on BSM(Basic Seamanship course). Two week course, but I MC, sore eyes for one week. One week stay in medical centre, cannot go home or anywhere. Confine to the bed n see Doc every morning. Basically this course, teach abt seaman traditions, how to do knots, firing of 0.5MG, operate rubber dingy w/ outboard motor. I still passed thou I MC for one week. More freedom given to us, got washing machine, lots of canteen breaks n spend a lot of time on coin operated game machine(Metal Slug). Its still within Sembawang Camp. Everyday in No.3, book out in No.3 and first time heard of nights off.

 

Then back to Pulau Brani for technical training. But its all bullsh!t lah. Instructors dont teach, pass out manuals(contents taken from Poly, I studied the same stuff in poly) n self-learning. Back to 8 to 5 routine, everyday book in n out, no stay-in. Go WTC bus terminal take bus to camp. Same routine as I first sign on. But now have to perform guard duty, with a baton patrolling the whole Brani base. Sometimes wave at the golfers at Sentosa n meals was bought from WTC hawker centre. End of 1.5mths, there is a test n then on to OJT onboard the ships.

 

Spent two years onboard ship, then back to Sembawang Camp for Petty Officer course. Now holding 2nd SGT rank so got pretty much freedom except the most feared wednesday parade turn out conducted by a super fierce Bayi. Hair dryer treatment at parade square, run up n down the ram, sing the Majulah n Navy Song, use his parade stick to poke u, etc.... Anyone been there will know who the Bayi is. It was a OMG experience, easily can sign many many extra duties for little little things. 11B must be placed in left breast pocket, he will confiscate n u have to see him after the parade. In exchange of 11b, sign signature on extra booklet.

 

Spent another three years onboard ship and ORD onboard ship. Refused to continue to sign on so was never assigned to shore appointment. My best times were spent onboard ship, missed the sailing days.

 

Reservist, things start to change. Employ banglah to wash ship deck n engine room. Cookhouse sub con to NTUC or SFI who had old local aunties serving us meals. Then few ICT on, changed to PRC doing the area cleaning in camp n washing the dishes.

 

Still have two more low key to MR. Then I'll close this chapter in my SAF life n become a true civilian.

[Evillusion]

Jump down from 3-tonner? You must be kidding?! Unless you are saying you step down the 3-tonner ladder and jump down from there.

u kidding right? dont say 3 tonner...i jumped down from a hovering UHIH and Super Puma before...higher than a 3 tonner and when the guy at the opposite entrance jump from the Hewey it will be swaying like a see-saw making ur exit higher than it actually is but i from mono intake 85-87.

[Evillusion]

We had a guy, whole back tattoo, he couldn't swim. Instructor told him to sit pool side.

Then one instructor came from behind him and pushed him in, he was slapping around to stay

afloat. The instructors pulled him up, drank a lot of water, and told him, they wanted to see if his tattoo

was waterproof. He leaned to swim pretty fast after that.

i had my swimming lesson at Beach Road NCO club.....there was this guy who din know how to swim and in one of the lesson the non-swimmers were spose to jump from the springboard. This fella refused to jump off and even had the gall to run away and the PTI ordered the whole company to chase after the guy. Damned funny siak seeing a whole company chasing after the fella......finally the guy relented after being caught and spent the nx 5 minspondering whether to jump or not. When he took his plunge after some threatening gesture from the pti he nearly drowned but was saved by the pti but the hilarious thing was the fella had dentures (yes we were barely 20 then but this guy was oredy wearing dentures!) and it fallen into the pool. He was frantically looking for his dentures but wouldnt say what he was looking for. When he opened his mouth the whole company erupted in laughter. Luckily for the guy his dentures were found in the overflow reservoir...........thise were the days!

[Pocus]

it wasn't really that bad last time lah ...

 

b4 i went in, i was told that the instructors will force you to learn to swim if you are a non-swimmer.

 

but when it was my turn, the instructor just asked me if i wanted to learn or not ? and when i said no, he just told me to go and sit at the benches until they were done. so till now, i can't swim !!

 

Your NS is when?

 

My time, every single one of us was thrown to the waters (not deep pool) and made to swim across the other side. Those who were poor in swimming or can't swim where pull out and swimming lessons were conducted for them for 1 month.

 

Those who can swimming will do PT during those swimming lessons.

 

 

[Evillusion]

So many differences but there's one thing in particular that is a great improvement.

 

I used to sleep on foam but it's as good as sleeping directly on planks beneath it because it's so thin that it doesn't make any difference

 

Now people sleep on BEDs

i ever sleep on my sbo...kns ambush exercise and it rained heavily that night....whole area flooded maybe 2 inches. wanted to sleep... so laid out my sbo magazine pouch and water bottle pouch in a straight line and slept on it and use my helmet as a pillow. That was in a brunei jungle back in 86.

[13177]

u kidding right? dont say 3 tonner...i jumped down from a hovering UHIH and Super Puma before...higher than a 3 tonner and when the guy at the opposite entrance jump from the Hewey it will be swaying like a see-saw making ur exit higher than it actually is but i from mono intake 85-87.

Confirm you are kidding, you jumped down from super puma??? You mean when the super puma landed on the ground, right? What is UHIH ar?

[13177]

Nope, first one will jump down with tailboard up if V-com takes his own sweet time. The rest will jump too. Only going up use ladder.

This is not the correct safety procedure to disembark from a tonner le! You guys want to be downgraded also dont like this ma.

[Pocus]

We must look at things in perspective.

 

I BMTed in '88, RODed '92, and MRed '10 with IHL disruption in between and of course had my "fair" share of what many bros mentioned here of the "nice" food, "wonderful" treatment, "dedicated" personnel, etc then. Feelings then had been [furious] about how things were in general and like many longed to get out ASAP.

 

But looking back, I also realized that the treatment of the many batches before mine from year 1965 onwards must had been much, much worst than what I had gone through. Mind you, the very first few batches were under foreign instructors famous for their tough physical regime and their life must had been real hell throughout. So when I thought of that now in retrospect, I counted my NS life quite a alright bar the many c*ckups many bros complained of regularly.

 

Heck, 20 years from now the very same recruits we claimed had it easy today might swear that the recruits then have it easy. We might even scrap the entire NS thingy and outsource the entire defence to foreign legions then, stretching a little further.

 

Don't be surprised then that we might have 1SPIR (1st Battalion, Singapore-PRC Infantry Regiment) or 41SIAR (41st Battalion, Singapore-Indian Armoured Regiment) then. [laugh]

 

Actually I won't be surprise if the government look into PMCs in the future.

Actually I feel that since we are a country where almost everyone uses a 5.56mm rifle before, we should have our own local PMCs.

Let those regulars who retired to join these PMCs are veterans. Then let SG outsource some military duties to these PMCs.

Something like the Certis Cisco of the Army.

 

Also, these PMC can bid overseas projects (eg, afghan) and gain real combat experience without scrutiny from the public or regional governments ...

Edited March 19, 2012 by Pocus

[Pocus]

Confirm you are kidding, you jumped down from super puma??? You mean when the super puma landed on the ground, right? What is UHIH ar?

 

Depending or the ops.....sometimes the puma will be a few feet from ground when you jump....still not on ground but doable. Done it in Wallaby before...