This is my first note and I am surprised that I am going to write about what I had hitherto resented – conscription. Like others, I was of the view that as a Singaporean male we can contribute to our nation in a variety of better ways. The 2 years could be devoted to the pursuit of a potentially useful skill, academics, innovation…the list goes on. In short, the economic loss (among others) that results from 2 years of inactivity is substantial. During our rifle presentation ceremony, LTC Ng Chee Seng mentioned, “No country can remain dignified without its own army.” It is extremely logical that we have to defend Singapore ourselves and that we will not be able to retain a sense of dignity if we have to depend on allies. Yet, as modern men living in the 21st century, we convince ourselves to believe that conscription is evil, presumably because we do not wish to go through the physical hardships that the army puts us through. I am no erudite soldier and 9 weeks are not sufficient to allow me to appreciate the machinations of the army, yet I am beginning to understand the importance of having an operationally ready army. I have benefited a lot from BMT and I wish to share my thoughts with you guys.
I believe that we have all seen ourselves grow in ways we never thought we would. BMT takes you away from the hectic rat race that life presents to us, puts you through harsh trainings and compels you to realize the importance of teamwork and camaraderie. Military training and regimentation has made me stronger, in every sense of the word. We are often reminded that human beings are tenacious creatures, but how often do we get to test this tenacity and stretch our physical and mental limits? I daresay that our platoon went through more rough patches than others did – high kneeling in FBO (on rocks) for 30 minutes, the memorable pushups and crunches in the toilet and leopard crawling up the rocky red carpet. We are always screamed at to endure, and endure we did. I fervently believe that come what hardships in future, not only will we be able to ‘suck it up’ well, but we will also be able to look at things objectively and emerge victorious. With so many of you moving on to command school next week, you will be sure to face even tougher challenges and higher mountains to ascend. March 2013 is so nebulous, so far away, but I hope that while you patiently wait for that day to come, you don’t lose sight of what is in front of you. The stories and pep talks that PC engaged us with left me wanting to experience more but I am unable to do so. Nonetheless, I know that all of you feel the same way as I do and I hope that all of you will go through the rest of your military life faithfully, always feeling sanguine about what is to come.
Goodbyes are never easy, especially so for this one. Retrospectively, we have been through a lot of ups and downs as a section. The stand by area/bed that we always claim to ‘win’ although we have never done so, the mocking of recalcitrant late comers (ahem Teh Tarik and The Most Lepak Recruit), rushing to the cookhouse as if it was a Darwinian struggle for survival; the list goes on indefinitely. As I begin to recount our steps in Tekong, I am saddened that all these ended so prematurely for me. All the congratulatory “ORD lo!” and “Congrats on becoming a civilian again!” culminated in the collection of my pink IC today, but frankly it didn’t feel good. What PC said is true, that we would rather go through tempestuous times (yes I just had to use that word) together rather than regret slacking off, for we would have no shared memories together. I am very sure that for our gatherings in the future, I will feel left out because words cannot do justice to what you guys will be put through.
The disruption letter was my ticket to freedom, an out of this catch-22 – or so I thought. Admittedly, because I knew whatever I did in BMT didn’t matter anymore, I did not bother giving my best shot. If I had tried a little harder, ran a little faster to hit the sacred 9.44 timing, stretched myself a little more, helped my detail more during the SIT test, would my BMT experience be different? This question has been niggling at me for quite some time, but I won’t have a second shot at it. Hence, I hope that no matter what vocation or posting you end up in, don’t shortchange yourselves and be the very best that you can.
I have come to terms with the fact that I don’t have a time turner and ironically I am still grappling with adjusting to life as a civilian. I would like to apologize for whatever I have done or did not do, be it the vitriol remarks or unforgiving comments. I cannot ask for better section mates and the past 9 weeks, as fleeting and ephemeral as it has been, will always be enshrined in my heart.
Planes are a frequent sight in Tekong and whenever I see one I cannot help but think: Why am I not on one, cruising happily to another country for a holiday? But now I know better, and whenever I see a plane I will be reminded of our shared memories in Whiskey. I may not be physically present, but I will always be keeping a silent prayer, praying that all of you will emerge stronger, bigger and better.
– Victor Lee, thanks for this man. I couldn’t have said it better than a doctor-to-be could’ve.
