BMT

Months ago, I remembered vividly I was still reluctant about enlisting into the national service. When I first enlisted in November, I convinced myself to serve it through nicely without giving up. Physical training was not the main issue; it was the loss of freedom that gave me nightmares. Things did not go pretty well, running the long distances and marching with heavy weights proved to be more demoralizing than it would seem to be. I hated the route march. During the marches, i kept asking why I am in this state going through the mental trainings. I even promised myself never to let my children go through such trainings in the future. I was nonchalant and just did my trainings like everyone else. Such mentality of mine remained until the day of outfield. The field camp changed everything in me.

The field camp system was developed for young Singaporean sons like us, and I must say it proved its effectiveness. The defining moment came during the day of the digging of the shell scrape. I still remember clearly how hard and torturous it was to dig, the soil was like sticky dough that made my blade useless. Everything was futile until I decided to use my bare hands and dig out the sticky soil. I looked around me and I see everyone digging their own shell scrape, no one would be able to help me even if I wished. I overheard a sergeant saying, “Now you guys should be able to understand how those Bangladesh workers feel when they do such construction works”. For that moment, I felt like a Bangladesh worker, trying my very best to dig, yet it was endless digging.

Finally I see some hope and my spirits lifted, yet we were instructed to stop for lunch. Just before we had our lunch, we could see other platoons being tortured physically. Yet my platoon did not receive any punishment. In fact, I was very touched by what my Platoon Commander and Platoon Sergeant said. Giving us physical punishment would only make us remember and change for the moment. But using the approach of talking to us provides us the chance to learn and remember. What is the point of physical punishments when we can carry out those pushups and just suffer for those moments? My Platoon commander’s words have definitely touched my heart which I would remember for the rest of my life. They have inspired me to be a good commander that uses a new approach to train others. Times have changed, young people no longer listen because of punishment, one has to convince them in their heart and people will change. I can’t help it but my tears just rolled down. I was touched by the speech. Not only me, my sections mates felt the same as well.

Adding on to the letter written to me by my parents, I was even more emotional on that day. Thinking of how hard it was to dig the shell scrape and the things which my family members wrote to encourage me, I miss everyone and loved them even more. The field camp program has definitely achieved its objective. I love my parents even more and I am grateful for what I have now. From my positive experience, I no longer think that serving the nation is a waste of time and in fact I want my son in the future to go through such training, for them to learn and change. It is a period for young people to grow up, a time for them to learn things they would never have the chance to learn, a time for them to mould their character. Motivated by this experience, I want to enjoy my days in the army and I hope every Singaporean son feels the same too.

Advertisement