Last Updated on 2017-05-21 , 2:03 pm

If you’ve enlisted in SAF and have to stay-in camp throughout your 2-years of FTNS, you’ll probably be damn envious of those who gets to stay out. We totally get you.

After all, while you’re stuck in camp, and the only way you can hear your girlfriend’s voice is when you call them, and the closest thing you get to ‘eating’ dinner with them is when you see their food pics on Instagram, the buggers who stay out are happily living life, going home to change out of their uniforms before going out again to chill and eat with their friends and significant other.

But here’s the thing, we were the same way too. We felt that way too, until we ORD. That’s when we realised we were the lucky ones. Do you feel the same way? Here’s our take on why it’s better being in a stay-in unit than to stay out.

Save money
You get to save money because everything is provided for you. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. And you don’t have to pay transport fees. If you stay out, you’ll have to spend on transport, breakfast and dinner, and also when you meet your friends to chill. You’ll only feel the pinch when you have to take transport daily after ORD and wonder how those people managed to tahan the expensive fares when they’re still on NSF pay.

Don’t have to wake up so early
If you stay in, you can sleep till 6 before you have to wake up and go for breakfast. If you stay out, you’ll have to wake up earlier to make your way to camp. And unlike normal working hours, most unit’s fall in for clerks are between 7.30am to 8am.

You don’t get much time outside
Imagine your camp in Sembawang and you stay in Pioneer. You’ll have to spend at least 1 and a half to 2 hours every day getting to and from camp. By the time you get home, you’re likelier to just shower and sleep instead of going out to have fun. Staying out might mean that you have more time to enjoy in the outside world, but what most don’t get is that most of that time is spent on the bus or MRT train.

You’re able to train for IPPT
When you stay in, night time is usually admin time, unless there’s something scheduled in the training programme. If there’s nothing, you’re free to do whatever you like, and most take this time to build up their fitness. After all, even if they’ve passed their IPPT, they’ll want to be able to get more girls when they’re released back to civilian life, right?

Able to build stronger bonds with people in the same unit
Really, bonds built in the army is one of the strongest you can ever find out there among Singaporean guys. And there’s no way you cannot forge strong bonds with, at least, your bunk mates. After all, you’re seeing each other’s ugly mugs 5 days out of an entire week. It’ll come in useful when you have to go back for reservist training after you ORD.

Your ICT will be over much faster
Staying in camp usually means you’re in an active unit. All active units have a certain training schedule to adhere to, and you’ll find yourself getting MR-ed much faster than those who stay out. Those who stay out might find themselves having to go back for reservist training 5 years after they ORD. So by the time they MR, you’ve already been free for 5 years.

Don’t have to meet up with girlfriend so much
Staying in camp just gives you a legitimate reason not to meet up with her so much without her accusing you of not loving her enough. Imagine if you stay out and she wants to meet every day, you’ll go broke even before the week has passed.

There’s no difference actually
And finally, the most important reason is this: there’s not much difference between staying in and staying out actually. All stay-in units usually have nights out on Wednesday, and Friday is practically considered nights out. And Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays are the most non-happening days of the week anyway. So you’ve got nothing to lose by staying in camp.

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