I've served 911 days as NSF.
I've been a NSman for

Army Songs Lyrics

Operationally Ready NS Man

Freedom!! - As of 10th June 2000, I've officially become an operationally ready NS man. Civilian life at last!!

21st Battalion Singapore Artillery (21 SA)

Leader of six men - I am a Detachment Commander in 21SA. My unit won the "Best Support Unit" in '98/'99. Personally, I find it a challenge to have men under my charge. This is especially difficult since half of my men are older than myself. There's always this fine line of distinction between welfare and discipline. Too much of either one will cause chaos. Thus I try to be as reasonable as possible towards them. Getting their understanding of my difficult position also helps. "Rank is what one wears, respect is what he has to earn!" To gain true respect from men is not an easy task. Some 'rule' by fear, others by authoritarian methods. I don't agree with any of these. Ultimately, they must get things done willingly. I strongly believe that my men and I should work together as a team, all are equally indispensible. "Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly and they will show themselves great."

School of Artillery (SOAY)

Soldier to Specialist - I was in the School of Artillery (SOAY) from 13 June 98 to 7th Sept 98. I graduated from the 93rd Artillery Specialists Course on 7th Sept 98. This is the course from which I learnt all about the mortar as well as the M113 vehicle. Actually, I found the course quite enjoyable and meaningful despite some tough training.

School of Infantry Specialists(SISPEC)

With Pride We Lead - I underwent something called the Basic Section Leader Course (BSLC) at School of Infantry Specialists (SISPEC) in Pasir Laba, Jurong. The training at SISPEC is definitely more strenous than during my BMT as (in essence) it involves a hell lot of 'charging-up-the-hill' kind of training. My BSLC course ended on 13th June 1998.

Basic Military Training (BMT)

On Enlistment Day - I slipped into a "YUPPIE" T-shirt and my favourite pair of jeans. The time was 7a.m. Then the telephone rang. On the other end of the line was a familiar voice (that of Kian Chai, a classmate). He wished me "all the best". Then, Shee Leong came on the line and conveyed his regards. Thanx. I left home at about 7:30a.m. and had breakfast at a nearby hawker centre. Thereafter, I started my journey to Nee Soon Camp.
On arrival at Nee Soon Camp, I dragged my heavy bag up to the multi-purpose hall. I handed over my pink Identity Card and waited anxiously for my name to be called. Eventually it was my turn. I was given a goodie bag (containing 1 phone card, 1 bottle of mineral water, 1 notepad, 1 pen and 1 empty photo album) and $30 cash (from my pay). I also received my green SAF Identity Card ( which is a 'smart' card and 'cash' card as well). All the enlistees were seated in front of the stage. I waited for about 1 hour. At about 10:20 a.m., there was a briefing by the Commanding Officer (CO) of BMTC School 2. Then we took the oath of allegiance and sang the National Anthem (Majulah Singapura). Then the relatives were requested to leave. We were called to our respective platoons and left with our Platoon Sergeant (PS).

Army Food - Frankly, it's OK! ( At least for Nee Soon Camp b'cos it's commercialized) Naturally you should not expect too much. Just one comment: lotsa oily meaty dishes!

Training - Well, it really depends on the company that you're in. Some companies only train in the morning (for PTP) while others have every single day packed with training schedules. Indeed, training is really tough (at least for Delta Company).
Just remember one word: ENDURE !!!!!!!

Fun and laughter - There are happier times too. I think serving NS does help to broaden your mind. The section mates are especially important as you'll see them every minute of each day.

Looking back on BMT - Phew! Finally it's over!!! For myself, BMT definitely helped to toughen my mind. Learning to endure tough and somewhat 'impossible' conditions was not easy at all. The quick transition from civilian lifestyle to a completely regimental military one was quite abrupt. One of the more interesting skills that I acquired was how to camouflage myself with the surrounding vegetation. The most 'fun' part of BMT was the chance to fire live rounds with my M16 rifle (though I was initially rather worried about it). Grenade-throwing was quite an experience too! The one thing that I still dread about is "leopard-crawling" under the hot scorching Sun (doing so will probably make you feel like you're crawling in the Sahara Desert!). There's also the Standard Obstacle Course (SOC). SOC is just like an enlarged playground, only that you have to carry your 2.7 kg rifle, wear your 1 kg helmet and 2 kg SBO. I'm certainly glad that I survived BMT.