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Army

 All Singaporean have to do national service(NS), which means spending 2 to 2 half yrs training in the army. I've spend more than half of my NS life being part of the airforce. But out of all this time, there are still lots of days spend on army training. Before NS, I was asked to go for an amplitude test, without knowing what it was. But a set of IQ test and some engineering stuff also. Later I found out was actually for selection of people to go Flying Experience Program(FEP).

Was suppose to pass my physical fitness test so I can skip the physical training phase(PTP) and get a 2 month off my total NS life. I waited until the last 2nd week to take the test just to fail the 2.4km run by around 20 sec. So I told myself still got chance next week and realize it was a public holiday. So off I went for the PTP before my Basic Military Training(BMT).

Total waste of time, we have physical training twice every single day, accompany with weights training and swimming, just to get us into shape. I train hard and was award a silver for the Individual Physical Proficiency Test(IPPT) and was given 3 weeks leave before I start my BMT.

I had my BMT in Nee Soon camp 7BTS which most of the sergeant and officer were train as Guardsman and told us that most of us will be go into Guards unit. We were constantly compare and needed to be better in all area compare to our infantry counterparts, although not Guards training yet.

After my passing out parade in BMT, I receive my posting to FTS. Decided to ask the sergeant what was that. He got no idea, and ask me to confirm with my Platoon Commander(PC) if it was FDS. After confirming, it was sure to be FTS and it was Flying Training School, I was one of the few selected for the Flying Experience Program(FEP). In fact there was only around 20 of us from this batch of BMT recruit of around 1500-1800 people.

We were to be attached to either Central manpower base(CMPB) or at the Ministry of Defense(MINDEF) for a duration of 3 months, asked to be office boy and clerk for that 3 month. It was a good break from all that physical training. Some where in the midst, for 3 weeks we will be attach to Youth Flying Club(YFC) for 5 joyride in their Piper Warrior plane to experience what flying is all about. Also was schedule to go for all the medical checkup, psychomotor test, selection board interview whether we want to or not; we were ask to go as an order. So we were sort of force to apply for a pilot vocation. If we manage to pass all the tests, we were offered the contract to sign on as a pilot trainee for a 10 yr bond starting from time you got your wings. Pilot contract is one of the most beneficial in Singapore Arm Forces(SAF), because if any reason you do not make it, you will just go back to serving NS and the time spend in air force will be counted as NS time, beside I will be given a pilot trainee salary which is much higher than any vocation you can have in NS. So I decided to go for it, and I think I will enjoy flying too. For more details on flying, click here.

After I pass my first phase on flying, was sent to do army training in Officer Cadet School(OCS). It was really tough, basically due to the fact that I've not been training physically for more than half a year already. I am just not motivated to self train during the flying days.

10 week of tri-service term, all the cadets were together regardless on Army, Navy or Air force. Wonder why it's called Tri-service term since everything we do are Army stuff. Pilot trainees are often 'marked' for the fact that all of us are poor in fitness. But well, I manage to survive and very soon got back my fitness level.

Another 10 weeks in Air-Force service term, life became much better because the focus of air-force is always not on fitness, but on thinking. But of course it is also because I have already gotten conditioned physically. Nevertheless have to go for this Jungle Survival Training(JST) in Brunei. The reason for that is because if we happen to be shot down while flying over enemy territory, we can survive for a while. Actually only those who need to fly have to attend this training. So any air-crew, pilot and Air Operation Communication Officer(AOCO) need to; but air-force figure out they have nothing for the rest of the air-force officer to do, might as well all go. JST was a torture, need to survive in the jungle for 5 days without any food(or very little that they bring in everyday) with only me and my buddy, no change of clothing, constant mosquito bite, self-made shelter. After surviving, was group with another 2 team, have to spend 2 days navigating back to camp with only a one-man-24-hrs-combat-ration having to be shared among 7 men.

After air-force service term, I did my profession term of officer training in Paya Lebar airbase for ground school. I got suspended as a pilot trainee just before I was schedule to leave for Australia for Fixed Wing Course, due to medical reason. Nonetheless I am still combat fit, though not flying fit. So SAF choose to put me in the shortest combat course available in the army, simply because I've got only 5 month left before my Operational Ready Date(ORD). That 6 week course is the Basic signal course. Quite easy life there, except have to re-learn how to signal talk the army way, a bit different from the air-force way.

I was sent to Armour Engineer Training Centre(AETC) after that as they lack signaler. It is an Engineer unit in armour camp as they are supporting the armour operation. I spend most of the time in the signal and optical store just being store man. Once in a while was asked to go to support AETC live firing exercise, to ask for permission to commence live firing. Only 3-4 months there and I've ORD. Promote to the highest rank possible - Civilian.