Circa 1994
This picture I believe was taken in 1993 I believe, this is my army Reservist training in Taiwan, I deduce that in this picture, it was rather cold hence I have a scarf around my neck.
I was conscripted into National Service December 1980, just after I turned 18 in November of that year. The days leading up to the NS call up I recall I was playing 3 nights consecutively of "Risk", a board game at my parent's house. We were accepting the inevitable, and I just wanted to enjoy the last few days of my 'freedom'.
The NS training was tough, to be honest, and I was categorized as Pes 1 or the fittest of the healthy male enlistees.
Basic training was conducted in the old ITD or Infantry Training Depot in Mandai area. I don't recall much of it, except during the day after 30 days our parents came to visit us in camp.
Basic Training was when we 18 year olds started out as Recruits - at the very bottom rung of the soldiering industry and we had to learn the very basic military drills like physical fitness, unarmed combat, fighting with bayonets, marching (lots of it), jungle training and the Standard Obstacle Course. The encapsulation of our 12 week course can be seen in movies like From Boys to Men movie series which was very popular.
After the 12 weeks course, I was selected to go for Section Leader Course, with the outcome being an NCO or Non Commissioned Officer which in those days required further specialist training of about 6 months of rigorous training, we would earn our 2 stripes and hence be addressed as Corporal.
To break it down further, it was 3 months of Section Leader Course (no fixed vocation) and another 3 months of specialist training in the industry selected for us. In my case, after the 12 weeks SISL course, I was selected to join the Artillery military Family.
The first 12 weeks we were selected to go for the Section Leader (SISL) course, conducted in Pasir Labar Camp in West Jurong. It was really tough psychologically for me, coming from a rather cushy life as a teenager and then being thrust into the jungle life and being commandeered by tough as nuts Airborne Ranger instructors. I graduated second in class if I recall.
The 12 week Artillery NCO training was really tough, if I recall the first 6 weeks or Basic Artillery training, we were at Kangaw Camp or the School of Artillery. That was mildly put a living hell of a training camp. Early morning rises, a lot of physical activity such as Obstacle Course, Log PT and numerous chin ups to the point of throwing up our lunch - such was the intensity and toughness of the training. We went to bed exhausted practically every night of the weekday, with only 1 night off (Saturday) IF we did all our chores and activities right.Those who did not, would be chosen for extra duty - something all of us dreaded, and then our weekend would be effectively 'burned' by doing guard duty (Saturday whole day till Sunday noon).
The second 12 weeks was even tougher at the 21 Singapore Artillery camp. This, is only reserved for the toughest enlistees, and only the artillery or commandos are at the top of the heap as far as training goes. I am sure there are other units who would vehemently disagree but its almost 40 years since those days, it doesn't matter to me or anybody who reads this does it ?
No one died during the tough training. However, I am sad to report that after we were transferred out into our units, 46 SAR, there was a tragic accident which took the life of a friend of mine, Mr. Foo Shau Yong in 1981.
Even till today, its very hard to come to terms with this event but I would say that we, the sons of Singapore, gave our blood, sweat, tears and even our lives for the security of our nation decades ago and we are proud to be associated with this milestone even decades after the years of sacrifice.
Carpe Diem.
