By Atobe
Decision making is largely dependent on maturity, experience,
empathy and a presence of mind of the decision maker to the status
of the environment.
How can 'decision making skills' be imparted to any new kid wearing
the 'Leader's Boots' for the first time?
Is there any computerise laboratory environment that provide real
life situations for a decision making skills to be honed, and with
the outcome gauged by the computer program - (much like scoring of
a karaoke sound machine to the ability of a karaoke singer) ?
However, the graduate from such a computerised environment will
still have to test out his skills in a Real World with many fluid
situations.
Life is a ''Trial and Error'' laboratory itself.
Which is why I completely disagree that a 10 month course in OCS
(perhaps it has been truncated further) is woefully insufficient to
commission a junior officer. Experience counts more than rank,
and without the background to support your decision-making, a
new kid wearing the 'Leader's
Boots' will turn the trial and error approach into a
literal big bull in a small china shop.
By Atobe
During my NS, I have personally encountered mutiny on at least two
occassions - once as a recruit, I noticed an operational company
conducting a sit in at the Parade Square - in protest to the
repeated training exercises that was insisted by the Company
Commander, the Officers and the NCOs, with the extra training
exercises being a form of disciplinary action that went on for
about 36 hours.
The second mutiny was from a batch of fresh recruits - into their
third month - collectively refusing to respond to a young NCO
torment of ''change parade'' over four hours - for the most minor
of offense in crap left unflushed in the toilet bowl.
Both incidences arose from poor communication and empathy by the
immediate leadership towards those they were assigned to
lead.
When more senior officers turned up at the scene, the matter was
cleared, discipline restored with the orders executed, and the
Junior Commanders - who were given private dressing down for the
abuses of their misguided enthusiasm that blinded them to the
condition of those whom they led.
This clearly showed that leadership require maturity and experience
to have the presence of mind to judge the intangible atmosphere and
the physical environment, PLUS the X-Factor Charisma in
Leadership.
I assume your NS days were in the 1980s? Widespread abuse by
appointment holders were significantly more rampant in those days.
Which is why there are recurring flashbacks by many of us, who view
the current crop of NS standards akin to a holiday camp with
weapons. In those days, there was no such thing as welfare, no
dunlop mattresses, and only the fighting fit cooks to prepare your
dinner. 40 years on, we have certainly evolved as a unit, with a
changed mindset on the needless tekan sessions and hopefully
better EQ to manage men over disciplinary matters.
I guess we have approached this 2Lt Li's saga from two
different premises - with your position based on the situation that
2Lt Li saw that caused his ill considered initiative, which
resulted in a scandalous generalising being made of the situation
as he saw being a broad based culture amongst the senior SAF
leadership.
This scandolous allegation that formed the gist of 2Lt Li's
arguments is as I have already shown to be erroneous in approach
and in actual facts as is the basis of my stated position that is
different from your.
Due to 2Lt Li's lack of understanding to the prerogatives and
lattitude of decision making by a Senior Commander, it had caused
2Lt Li to disagree and misunderstand the outcome of the Senior
Commander's decision towards LTA X, and resulted in 2Lt Li making
the wild and erroneous allegation that has blemished the SAF
Officers - of which he is a brother member.
In my previous post, I had mentioned that since it was by the same
Quality Control standards that was employed by OCS to have produced
2Lt Li, he should resign from his Commission as an SAF Officer, if
he felt so strongly on the poor Quality Control employed by OCS to
have produced the SAF Officers that he saw himself qualified enough
to judge as misfits.
This would have neatly resolved any debate on his allegation and
the manner in which he has made his serious
allegations.
I feel that any debate would have to stem from the crux of Lis
argument before scrutinizing his credibility and true intentions. I
find much of your argument overshadowed by his being a member of
the Lee family. To many including myself, this whole incident is
more refreshing than scandalous, especially for those who have
gone through the system and suffered similar incidents.
Sacrificing your rank for the greater good is not something that
will create an impact in SG; people are more likely to label you
foolish and naïve then consider such a move honourable. And
lest we forget, it is a rank that Li has earned. Furthermore the
implications of such a move will be questionable: the case may
simply be covered up because it remains inside military circles.
Lis approach, though incorrect, has forced the SAF to take
responsible action, and in so doing, its safe to say Li was
willing to accept that punishment.
