Basic Military Training: What Your Mama Never Prepared You For

As I read the various news articles about Mindef's continual improvements to the Basic Military Training or BMT system, I cannot help but recall my own experiences of the three months I spend on Pulau Tekong, Camp III during what was then called the "Infantry Training Depot" or ITD.

I was in "Lion" Company. It was supposed to be somewhat of a "scholar" company as all of us were "A-Level" graduates and from Junior Colleges in Singapore. Mostly non-"ah bengs" in Singlish terms.

Age and maturity has a way of defining how one chooses to remember our experiences.

Initially after my 2.5 years of full-time NS, I was very bitter and resentful of how the State robbed me of 2.5 years of my "youth" for being a OCS-dropout and combat signaller in an Armour unit.

But now that I've gone into Mindef Reserve after having fulfilled all of my 7 high-key and 3 low key in-camp training and 2 stints of operational duties protecting key installations in Singapore, I've mellowed in that the resentment and bitterness has aged into cynicism and a dose of thankfulness.

Cynicism because I know I was part of the system that now protects 34% foreigners living in our shores. Thankfulness that NS made me appreciate physical health and fitness and also that I did not die like the sergeant who was crushed when his tank overturned during my full-time active days in 4x SAR and the enlisted man who collapsed and subsequently died in my reservist unit 5xx SIR.

My BMT experiences can be seen from 3 perspectives, pre, during and post BMT phases.

Pre-BMT
This was after the 'A-Level' Examinations. Basically, didn't do much but some jogging and reading Tom Clancy novels (as though those would help me as a grunt in the SAF). Then I was single and nerdish. So no girlfriends to send me off or cry for me.

But the single-most touching moment was how my female JC classmates told me my mother cried sending off her youngest son to NS at CMPB Depot Road back in 1989. I am touched till this day that my mother cried for her youngest baby taking his first steps towards adulthood and responsibility.

During BMT
Xiong. That was the word I learnt up close and personal. Clearing IPPT, Standard Obstacle Course (SOC), bayonet fighting, field training etc. Learning to eat very fast to have more time to rest. Doing area cleaning. Getting chewed out by Corporals (this was before the third sergeant stuff happened) and Sergeants. Getting from flabby to fit. I still have the stretch marks from the loss of weight during BMT now (in my late 30s).

Learning to share. Learning to endure hardship together. Learning to feel happy, sad and scared together with the other 40 people I share the bunk with. Learning to move in section, platoon levels. Knowing my hentak-kaki to jepad jalan and hormats. Learning my CBs, KNN and LCs.

Feeling the changes happening to my body. Being lean, mean and tanned (but still not good looking!).

Post BMT
Post BMT was training schools and unit life. Unit life was less intense in that you followed the unit training program which was more gradual as you were with the unit for a year plus. Hence, it wasn't as intense as BMT and your body was by right better able to fit in the rigours of waking up at unearthly hours 0400 or 0415 for range or training. Unarmed combat while tough was better managed as one's body was somewhat conditioned for a bit tougher regime.

Reservist Awakening
It was really the introduction to reservist that was interesting. Reservists are actually the foundation of the army. The number of reservist units and number of men outnumber each active cohorts in full-time service. Thus, it dawned that the army was actually dependent on reservists for the cannon fodder and to do the actual fighting if we ever had to fight a war.

This realisation made us see how artificial the full-time active NS time had been, it's actually reservist that is the "real thing". But it also made us see the reality that while Singaporean men served their country in defence, economically, we were being shafted by the State left, right and centre by economic policies aimed at boosting GDP growth but not at achieving even income distribution even amongst Singaporean male citizens.

Hence, the term, "jobs for foreigners, NS for Singaporeans" rang true.

And the truth hurts.

It pains to know that your sacrifice was only worth a Hamiliton watch (that incidentally cracks within less than a year of wearing it) and no more administrative hassle of notifying Mindef everytime you go out of the country for more than 24 hours. No more annual IPPT, mobilisation manning and other irritations in the name of duty, honour, country (and GDP!).

The tax reliefs plus Safra privileges doesn't help much if you get injured or killed serving the State in the SAF. For goodness sake, it's not even a tax rebate (i.e knock off tax payable) but just allows you to deduct $1,500 or $3,000 against income, i.e. you are worth say, at an effective tax rate of 10% x $3,000 = $300 a year for potentially getting killed while doing operational duties or field exercises for the State.

That is what the State is saying - your sacrifice is worth $300. Even a private security guard is paid $1k + a month and you are worth $300 a year.

This is the compact that binds male Singaporean citizens to the State. It doesn't bind first generation PRs and newly minted (older) citizens but it does to those of us born and bred here.

As I think back about my BMT, I think about this compact that once bound me.

Should our sons be bound by the same compact even as 34% of the population are not bound?

P.S. I am glad I have a daughter and not a son in Singapore.