6 good reasons why people dislike Singapore NS

Last Updated on 2016-05-18 , 4:27 pm

In this article I shall break down the reasons why people dislike the army based on my own experience and observations. Do these reasons affect you, too?

1. We spend 80% of our time waiting to do something, and 20% actually doing it.
This applies mostly to training institutes. In a BMT company, there’re 240 recruits, in SCS, there’s 180 cadets, and in pro term there’s 120 cadets. With so many details, most of the time spent is to sit on the bench in the training shed waiting for our turn. I remember in BMT where I waited the whole day to throw just one grenade, and I was detail 32 out of 54. Worse than a theme park eh?

2. It takes away 2 years of our time
The most common reason to start off with. Who can deny that these two years could have been better put into use for starting a career or furthering your studies? Instead, these two years commonly become a waste of time as staying in camp doesn’t allow you to start a business, study, date…etc.

3. It affects relationships
How can we survive only two days on weekends, or technically one and a half day of seeing our other half? Mostly book-outs are in the evenings of Friday’s, and book ins are in the night of Sunday’s. Time flies and become very precious to those who are dating, and I’ve not included guard duties, live firings, weekend training…etc.

3. It messes up your body clock
Nobody sleeps at 10: 30 p.m. and wakes up at 5:45 a.m. at our age! But as those who serve do so in order to fit training schedules, our body becomes accustomed to it. Even during book-out day, many will end up dozing off or feeling sleepy when it’s close to 10.00 p.m. Imagine if you’re dating! It links with reason #2 as well

4. Camps are pretty much inaccessible for majority, and you don’t get posted to the camp nearest to your house either.
Saddest camp of all in this aspect would be Sungei Gedong Camp. Where in Chinese there’s a saying (direct translation) “Birds also don’t lay eggs”. We feel a pinch for those living in the west, imagine those in the east. Worse still posting isn’t based on where you live at all, hence if you’re lucky enough to get posted into artillery and you live at Yishun/Khatib area, thank your God for that.

5. Our lives are in control of those at the top of the hierarchy.
Even down to the way we march/walk/talk, it’s controlled by the commanders. In army there is a Routine Order which is read out before “admin time”. Even the time of the RO depends on your commanders. If they’re good, they base it on the time you finish your last activity and give you the RO to “dismiss” you and that’s where you get your admin time. Have a “siao-on” commander and you have more things to do, with some even “basing it on his mood”.

6. You do things based on “Army Logic”.
How many times have you encountered having to clean your arms even when you didn’t go for live-firing? And by cleaning it’s not just the exterior, you’d have to strip the weapon and ensure no carbon residue can be seen by the arm stroke people who certify your weapon. Can’t the cleaning be done once and for all after live-firing? Do a “one time good one” lah.