I was a newly commissioned 2nd lieutenant, having just completed 42 weeks of training, 19 of which were spent in Officer Cadet School (OCS) at the Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute - Military Institute (SAFTI-MI). Heck of a long name isn't it; they decided SAFTI-MI sounded nicer than SAFTI. The next 23 weeks were more tortuous. I had been training up to platoon level as an infantry. Now, i got the posting of my wish - Armour. In 23 weeks, i was to learn all about being either an Armour Infantry (AI) soldier or a Tank Crewman. Not just that, i beg your pardon. We were in School of Armour - Armour Officer Cadet Course. That's right. We had to learn all the roles up to being a Platoon Commander - that includes all the organic elements of an AI and tank platoon. Those with the most promise (top 10%) will get a Sword of Merit (SOM) and the top cadet, a Sword of Honour (SOH). These top graduands will then have a chance to go for further training later on, so that when they come back to serve as a conscript (once again) in their 10- or 13-year cycle of "reservist" National Service, they serve as company commanders instead. One level up. The rest? They are awarded what they call it fondly a Sword of Participation (SOP). Just ordinary officers. Just like me. We stood there on the parade square, listening to the President of Singapore say his piece, and then these very words,
"I, the President of the Republic of Singapore, reposing special trust in you... hereby commission you, as officers, of the Singapore Armed Forces."
Graduands of 55/04 Officer Cadet Course throw their peak caps and berets (only commandos, guardsmen and armour warriors had red, khaki and black berets respectively) into the sky!
Today i am starting a series on Army memoirs; hence the title. Pilot. The first of a series. I have no idea how long this will last. I hope you bear with me, as i recount my National Service / Conscript days. I fear that as new medical knowledge displace these valuable experiences from my hippocampus, i forget them. My brother, an AI officer (who then further trained as a reconnaissance scout PC), advised me to start writing them soon,
"lest you forget...."
I was posted to an active Armoured Battalion, to serve the remainder of my mandatory 2year-2month time as a conscript, as a platoon commander. They said that taking on a command role, as opposed to an instructor or staff role, was the toughest. You have men's lives under your charge. You are responsible for each and every one of their actions, in camp, and if you care enough, out of camp. Of course, this was not always possible. But it doesn't matter - they come under your charge, and if any ill-behaviour on their part or mishap occurs, you answer. Yeap, you there, newly commissioned 2nd-lieut. Not your sergeants, or platoon sergeants (who generally have more experience than you and are full-time soldiers; for them, the military is their career.) But you there with the 'chocolate bar'.
[picture of one bar]
Frightening? If i say i wasn't, i would be lying. Every PC enters into his command role with trepidation. It just isn't the same as holding a PC role in OCS. In OCS, you lead fellow cadets who are highly motivated soldiers, determined to do well every second, even when playing the role of a seemingly-less-important company medic, for example. Now that we enter a unit, we get men who are fresh out of high school, sometimes even middle or grammar school. They are of a different educational status (all officers are either diploma or A-level holders). And that's not just it. For me, they were of a different family background.
I come from a humble but complete home of 5. My parents love me, and so do my elder siblings. Some of these soldiers tell me they have this and that problem in the family. They are struggling to make ends meet. Some come from broken families. Some have been hanging out on the streets, jobless, out of school for months, even years. Yet i on the other hand, have domestic help to wash my laundry and clean the house for me, go figure.
Such issues confronted me as i took command. Thankfully, i had an "upper-study". Also, i entered a 1st-year battalion. That means, these young men have just enlisted into the military as conscripts. They are new to the whole concept of conscription and what comes along with it. On the other hand, i was entering into my 2nd year as a conscript. I had a slight upper hand. Or so i thought.
The rest of the posts written by Jeffrey can be found here in his blog.
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