Every Singaporean Son

[JR8]

"Following that devastation of the United States Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina, the Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong, sent a letter to US President George W. Bush "


nnnhhhhehehehheeenhnhnhhnn...

[Mad Scientist]

Nope, just think as a 'first world country' maybe you should be sending your pampered boys off to Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.

Why don't you?

I will throw in my weight in this issue.
First of all, the Armed Forces do sent troops to conflict areas side by side at the front line. They just forget to tell you. that is all. These are elite unit not the one you read in the papers. As we speak , SAF has troops in Israel and Afghanistan at the frontline.

SAF has a budget of about 2 to 3% of Gahmen Budget yearly. Alot is spent on equipment to compensate the Asian size syndrome and the low fertility rate..

I am from the Guards Unit which were in comparison with the Commandos but with 7 man team compare to three on Commandos.

Every week there is a battalion on standby from the seven division which make up the first 2NTM brigade( 2 hours No Time Move).

The Silent Recall Mob has a three days NTM

The Open Mob has a One day NTM.

The unit on standby has to be out on 6 hrs NTM

On the physical size unless you are in the elite unit where your physic and mental capabilities are being monitored 24/7. the rest of the army are done on regular basis

The whole idea of NS is The People Army so that every male child knows how to hold a gun and shoot straight

It is more of deterrent and suspicion of thy neighbours invading you due to the 60s conflict

[InTheBlue]

Anyone watching the series on National Geographic about the Singapore National Service?? Any thoughts or comments? Just getting ready to catch the first episode in 15 mins.

I've joined this one a little late but saw the show this week. Compared to the training of other nations regulars, the training here seemed quite 'tame'. For example I saw a guy being allowed to take 5 hours to dig a shell scrape. 5 hours? In combat, you be expected to do it in minutes and that's the way it is done by regulars in UK, Australia and US etc.

However the national service here gives everyone a degree of confidence, moral responsibility and discipline whilst making Singapore feel safer to their population and everyone HAS to do it.

How many of us from foreign countries could honestly say with our hands on our hearts that our home countries couldn't do with something similar for their youth?

[sundaymorningstaple]

Sadly, our country did away with the draft in 1975 after the fall of Saigon. Well, not done away with, but mothballed. US male citizens still have to register with the Selective Service but it's more of a way to limit male citizens who want government loans, etc. Should an all out war (???) be declared, it can be re-activated.

As an ex-military, I would love to see mandatory military service. In fact, it's one of the reasons why I'm still here.

My son will be going in to do his NS on 4 May. I knew he wouldn't probably enlist had I removed him from Singapore and back to the States, so I preempted him by staying here. While I do view Singapore NS with a jaundiced eye, it's better than none at all and frankly, I'd rather see him learn to defend himself here where there is little chance the government voluntarily engaging in every change of tinpot dictatorship around the world with being asked to do so. I did my time in the NAM (volunteered - not drafted) so while I believe in military service I don't want to actually put him into harms way by a reckless government.

[merichan]

As an ex-military, I would love to see mandatory military service.

Switzerland has the same kind of Army... mandatory for every male ( and girls can volunteer )


And they seem to have about the same kind of problem as Singapore ( except in Switzerland you don't default you manage to get sent home inapt so serve)


It seems boys are less and less resistant both physically and psychically... they have to spend more and more time to pamper them ( food quality, equipment, permission, etc. ) in order to keep them going...

It plunges the militarist swiss in deep despair...

Guess you can't nowadays necessarily expect when you have to enroll everybody to have at the same time an army that keep its standards in terms of toughness

[nakatago]

Anyone watching the series on National Geographic about the Singapore National Service?? Any thoughts or comments? Just getting ready to catch the first episode in 15 mins.

I've joined this one a little late but saw the show this week. Compared to the training of other nations regulars, the training here seemed quite 'tame'. For example I saw a guy being allowed to take 5 hours to dig a shell scrape. 5 hours? In combat, you be expected to do it in minutes and that's the way it is done by regulars in UK, Australia and US etc.

However the national service here gives everyone a degree of confidence, moral responsibility and discipline whilst making Singapore feel safer to their population and everyone HAS to do it

Sadly, in some cases, it turns them into bigger douchebags than they already are.

[Calmday]

Wow coming back to this thread this morning I see that people have a pretty misguided idea of what makes a good Soldier.
First off, size doesn’t mean chit. If you ever run into a Seal on the street you would most likely be surprised at how normal he looks. It’s the Bozo who walks into a bar and tries to look intimidating that I DO NOT want on my flank when the chit hits the fan. Some of the best soldiers that I served with were warm, friendly, compassionate, unassuming guys and many of them were small in stature. I have also seen every single one of the guys that I served with regularly give up their food to hungry mothers and children. A good soldier is much much more than a killer.
Things that make a good Soldier are Honor, Integrity, Discipline, a sense of duty, loyalty to his fellow Soldiers, the courage to stand in a fight and the skills to win that fight. Many of these traits cannot be judged by looking at a guy on the MRT but piss poor discipline can be spotted a mile away and that’s exactly what I see almost every time I see a Soldier here. That TV show showed why. Basic training here is like summer camp. Without discipline everything will fall apart when things get nasty.
Now the police that I see walking in groups of four are very professional and disciplined looking.

[sundaymorningstaple]

They oughta let the Ghurka contingent train 'em!

Like the line in the Johnny Cash old favorite, "A boy named Sue"

"You'd either get tough or die!"

[nakatago]

. Many of these traits cannot be judged by looking at a guy on the MRT but piss poor discipline can be spotted a mile away and that’s exactly what I see almost every time I see a Soldier here. That TV show showed why. Basic training here is like summer camp. Without discipline everything will fall apart when things get nasty.
Now the police that I see walking in groups of four are very professional and disciplined looking.

But physical stature aside, you can tell someone's been trained or is disciplined from how they carry themselves.

I mean, my fellow Filipinos aren't towering specimens of pwnage but I've seen members of commando/elite forces who are way smaller than I am and I can tell they'd rip me apart if they had to (and I know I can handle my own in a fight).

So, yes, I guess it's a little bit from column A and a little bit from column B. It's not about size but sometimes, you can tell someone's capable in the battle field from impressions. Discipline and capability sometimes just show from body language.

And oh yeah....LOL at summer camp.

[InTheBlue]

Anyone watching the series on National Geographic about the Singapore National Service?? Any thoughts or comments? Just getting ready to catch the first episode in 15 mins.

I've joined this one a little late but saw the show this week. Compared to the training of other nations regulars, the training here seemed quite 'tame'. For example I saw a guy being allowed to take 5 hours to dig a shell scrape. 5 hours? In combat, you be expected to do it in minutes and that's the way it is done by regulars in UK, Australia and US etc.

However the national service here gives everyone a degree of confidence, moral responsibility and discipline whilst making Singapore feel safer to their population and everyone HAS to do it

Sadly, in some cases, it turns them into bigger douchebags than they already are.

Self centred douchbags?

[InTheBlue]

They oughta let the Ghurka contingent train 'em!

Like the line in the Johnny Cash old favorite, "A boy named Sue"

"You'd either get tough or die!"

Ghurkas wouldn't tolerate the whining that goes on.

I hear that a bunch of the footage from the TV show was cut when the Singaporean lads went to train with the Aussies in the jungle and most of them ended up breaking down in the extreme environment.

[JR8]

Nope, just think as a 'first world country' maybe you should be sending your pampered boys off to Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.

Why don't you?

I will throw in my weight in this issue.
First of all, the Armed Forces do sent troops to conflict areas side by side at the front line. They just forget to tell you. that is all. These are elite unit not the one you read in the papers. As we speak , SAF has troops in Israel and Afghanistan at the frontline.

SAF has a budget of about 2 to 3% of Gahmen Budget yearly. Alot is spent on equipment to compensate the Asian size syndrome and the low fertility rate..

I am from the Guards Unit which were in comparison with the Commandos but with 7 man team compare to three on Commandos.

Every week there is a battalion on standby from the seven division which make up the first 2NTM brigade( 2 hours No Time Move).

The Silent Recall Mob has a three days NTM

The Open Mob has a One day NTM.

The unit on standby has to be out on 6 hrs NTM

On the physical size unless you are in the elite unit where your physic and mental capabilities are being monitored 24/7. the rest of the army are done on regular basis

The whole idea of NS is The People Army so that every male child knows how to hold a gun and shoot straight

It is more of deterrent and suspicion of thy neighbours invading you due to the 60s conflict

Hi MS, I had lunch with a Malaysian relative and she agrees that the SAF are just for a bit of sabre rattling versus Malaysia

Afghanistan? I recall reading that the SAF sent two medics who were confined to barracks. And as for Israel, well, hmmm, I'm not sure there are any foreign troops in Israel. Do you perhaps mean that SAF are contributing to the UN MFO contingent in the Egyptian Sinai (ex Israeli territory) ?

My friend also asked why I have a 'bug in my ar$e' about the SAF. But it not like that. It is more that I see a contradiction between the resources put into it (not least some of the prime years of half the nations youth) and the use made of the resulting output.

[Mad Scientist]

Hi MS, I had lunch with a Malaysian relative and she agrees that the SAF are just for a bit of sabre rattling versus Malaysia

Many would disagree with me but it is like who is calling the bluff.

Afghanistan? I recall reading that the SAF sent two medics who were confined to barracks. And as for Israel, well, hmmm, I'm not sure there are any foreign troops in Israel. Do you perhaps mean that SAF are contributing to the UN MFO contingent in the Egyptian Sinai (ex Israeli territory) ?

Nope we had long term arrangement way back in the 70s

My friend also asked why I have a 'bug in my ar$e' about the SAF. But it not like that. It is more that I see a contradiction between the resources put into it (not least some of the prime years of half the nations youth) and the use made of the resulting output.

There a lot of war games and overseas trainings in different countries to test the army capabilities. SG location is very strategic geographically and it is important to be "ready to defend" is the Gahmen strategy

[x9200]

Right in the bullseye of what is discussed here. Google this phrase out:
"NSmen trained to be fit, strong soldiers"

[sundaymorningstaple]

What can I say?!?