I am serving National Service (NS) as a signaller in a tank battalion. That is the title I go by nowadays yet it was only two years ago where I called myself a student.
A couple of years ago, serving NS was just a passing thought. It was something that I secretly hoped would go away. However, as many have told me, NS is inevitable. One way or another, the dreaded enlistment letter will find every boy holding a pink IC requesting they report to them, starting a two-year journey that changes them.
The culture behind the gates of an army camp is vastly different from the outside and one cannot help but imagine how it is possible for anyone to immerse themselves in a lifestyle like that. The army has its way of inoculating young civilian men into the rigours of soldier life by throwing them into the most intense army experience of their lives–Basic Military Training (BMT).
Encik in the front as Emmanuel marched in the first line of recruits for family and friends to see.
I acknowledge that different people can have vastly different army experiences. After all, everyone goes through a medical check-up and then given a Physical Employment Standard (PES) status that determines if you need to hold a rifle, do physical exercises or even serve NS.
I ultimately was given a PES status of ‘BP’. That meant that I had to go through more than four months of BMT, during which more than half of it was spent doing physical exercises in order to get in shape for combat.
Getting used to the life of a soldier definitely came with many difficulties. On top of the lingering unwillingness to leave behind my freedom and comfort, living conditions were far from perfect. I was met with 15 other strangers to share a room with and I was suddenly introduced to a system of regimentation and discipline that was hard to wrap my head around. Yet, I made it out of BMT acclimated to the army environment. This was something that my past self would have found hard to believe.
When I entered my bunk, the first wave of realisation hit me–I was far from home. There were many people in the room and somehow we all still managed to find space to unpack our items and settle down. It was like going to a school camp but only we were there for months.
I went from having to share with four other family members to not only sharing a room with 15 other section mates but also sharing a toilet with more than 60 platoon mates. I became resigned to giving up all my privacy and living without expecting any.
Over the next few days, I realised that everyone was looking for their own privacy too. Barring the occasional mischief from platoon mates, as long as I was on my bed or in a corner looking for privacy during rest time, I was mostly given it. This was the same not only in BMT but in my respective unit in the army too.
That being said, it helps to keep an open mind and be willing to spend some time with your bunkmates as well. Though it was easier to be alone throughout my time in NS, it was definitely more enjoyable just sitting at the table at the centre of the room to have a chat once in a while.
It took me a while to get to know the other 60 platoon mates. Yet through each conversation, I realised the sheer differences we all had. If not for NS, I would not have even interacted with a diverse crowd. I met and befriended people from different family and educational backgrounds, relationship statuses, interests and more.
Despite our differences, all of us just wanted the week to end. It never dawned on me that I would be having heart-to-heart talks with an ace student and a school dropout together. If not for NS we would have lived totally separate lives.
Emmanuel’s (second from left) section of initial strangers turned into brothers.
Of course, this eclectic mix of personalities came with its fair share of clashes. There were many times where loud arguments ensued and some of us were caught in the middle. It was expected because living together for weeks was bound to cause friction. What helped me was to adjust my expectations. I know not everyone is going to be what you want them to be and expectations often lead to big misunderstandings.
Apart from learning to get along with each other, another helpful thing is to always bring extra items like batteries or Febreeze, or wet wipes because being the person who can help your buddy in need is always good. Everyone appreciates when you can lend a helping hand and doing that earns you small amounts of respect among people.
Faces of relief from Emmanuel (right) and his new friends after our Passing Out Parade (POP).
Other than the fresh recruits around me, I had to interact with my superiors as well, namely my Sergeants, Warrant Officers and Officers. These are the people in charge of how everything runs in camp. It was quite shocking getting to know them at first as most of the time they introduced themselves in a slur of angry curses. It was hard to get used to as they punished us and shouted at us.
However, as time passed, I came to understand that they were all just doing their jobs. It was in everyone's best interest for us to be disciplined and things would not run as smoothly if we were not.
To be frank, being strict brought the best out of us. Most of them care for the quality of their work and helping us work with efficiency was their purpose. That professionalism was something that I really respected as I got to know them.
Being in my last few months of NS, I understand how important BMT is to help us get accustomed to army life. If not for those two to four months of training, all soldiers would not have a common ground to base our standards on. If not for those intense experiences, I would not have learnt how to live in the different camps that I was posted to.
You just have to remember that BMT will come to an end and so would NS. It is up to us to live life well in these 2 years.
