Sign On: Is What's On TV Ads = Real? Can Deploy Abroad? How?

Mr_TYS SG

Hi, I'm a Sec 4 student. Yes, I know the real NS soldier life is a couple of years more, though I have some uniform group experience in school CCA.

1) If I sign on, please advise which vocation/ formation should I go?

Answers @
www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/mindef_websites/atozlistings/army/ourforces.html

2) Can I be deployed to Middle East countries for humanitarian/ peacekeeping missions?

Answers @
www.mindef.gov.sg

3) If I sign on, is MinDef going to sponsor my further tertiary education?

Answers @
www.mindef.gov.sg/arc

4) Do I have to go through BMT to experience the real NS soldier life?

Answers @
www.ns.sg , iprep.ns.sg and
www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/mindef_websites/atozlistings/army/About_BMT.html

I wish to express interest to CMPB for active combat units.
e.g. Guards/ Commandos...etc.

Thank you.

MyPillowTalks SG

3) Not sure, but you have to at least hold diploma/A levels(if im right) to get into officer cadet school, where you will be trained to become an officer.After graduating from the officer cadet school, you will be a 2LT

Everyone must go through some sort of BMT before he can be 'choosen' to become either officer or sergeant or other vocations.

Also for officer You must perform well during your BMT, and must somehow wayang and show to your sergeant and bunk mates and superiors that you are having leadership capabilities, so as to increase the chance of getting into the officer cadet school.

You should concentrate on your studies now first to get a good diploma/A levels and secure a place in university first before entering NS, it is very important to have a good 'education', as the higher your 'education', the more chance of being in the higher rank.

Also you should experience military life when your time comes before deciding if you want to sign on or not. You should also try to see if working outside the military will earn you more money or not.

Yes you may be of higher rank in military(eg officer), if you keep punish the people(eg recruits) under you, will you feel safe walking in the streets when you are not in uniform? What if the people working under you becomes your boss next time?

ditzy SG

You should sign on as officer, and join armour, because it is tougher than being a commando.

How many commandos you know need to sort out OVM in the morning and do ippt on the same day?

Country Boy SG

At least it's nothing compared to the British SAS or US Navy Seals trainings! NS is like boy-scout to them! I doubt any SAF officers can survive the ellite military trainings in the USA!

In the USA, everything is graded which means a soldier needs to meet the required number of points to make it out of a course or get recycled. This also applies during basic training for all American military branches.

Don't believe me, you can go to Youtube and watch a really good Discovery Channel series called "Surviving the Cut" or "NAVY SEALS BUD/S Class 234".

You can be an uneducated punk and yet be a military officer in the US. To them, it's performance that counts and not papers!

Whereas, here in Singapore, a soldier only needs to go through the motion and it's considered a pass. Perhaps, that's the difference between professional soldiers and constripts. It's quantity over quality in the SAF!

alkh2002 SG

To correct Country Boy's biased and inaccurate statements

1) To be a warrant officer or an officer in the US military, an individual have to have a degree. Only graduates can be officers.

2) There are many SAF personnel that passed US Ranger and US Navy Seals and are awarded the tab and badge.

SAF holds professionalism to a high standard, what you probably have seensee are a few black sheeps.

Lokey SG

Answer for 1. It depends on how they want you to be. Suppose you wanted to be a commando, but they dont have space. You might ended as a storeman, who knows? They will put the able-bodied man in the hardiest vocation first. You will be filtered out through the training anyway.

Answer for 2. Actually, you volunteer for it.Yes, most likely you will be there.

Answer for 3. If your results is good, yes. But now SAF needs more men than officer. So mostly, you will stay as men and being kept as men.

Answer for 4. BMT shows a little. There are many vocations. Who know you might be fortunate enough to end up at MindefHQ doing paperwork?

It is ironical. With NSF staying for about two years, they need more regulars to hold up the perm adminstrative position rather than chonging the mountains. So, most of the regulars ended up doing office work rather than ground work. It is considered as a promotion.

Mr_TYS SG

I thought sign on can choose vocation Surprised

"newbie" SG

At least it's nothing compared to the British SAS or US Navy Seals trainings! NS is like boy-scout to them! I doubt any SAF officers can survive the ellite military trainings in the USA!

Don't believe me, you can go to Youtube and watch a really good Discovery Channel series called "Surviving the Cut" or "NAVY SEALS BUD/S Class 234".

You can be an uneducated punk and yet be a military officer in the US. To them, it's performance that counts and not papers!

Have you enter NS yet? You comparing their elite force with regular or even NSF force. Can it be compare like that?

Many of our officer is trained overseas, in my previous unit itself I have 1 officer graduated from sandhurst, another graduated from Germany.

at least one of our regular was trained with navy seals and he top that class...

For me personally I trained with various overseas troops including US marines.. frankly nothing spectacular about them comparing to us... The only difference you can see is their attitute, why? Becuase they choose it to be their career while we are drafted.

By the way, I got a a 5min look how our elite goes throiugh hell week... and frankly seeing that, my jaw dropped... maiking what you see in youtube surving the cut, looks like a walk in the park..

Sg is very good at concealing what we can do... we show ppl what we want to show, and conceal what we dont want to show.

Lokey SG

I thought sign on can choose vocation Surprised

It works the same way. You can also choose your choices of subjects in sec school and JC, courses in poly. You can also select the choices of your school at each level. But, whether you get what you want depends on your capabilty, test results, and your choices. And what is available at that particular time.

Li hao Lim Matthew SG

sign on as a arty officer is the best

Mr_TYS SG

Thanks for the replies! Question: if I have myopia 450 in both eyes will it mean that I cannot enter combat vocation Sad mine is like 350-450 degrees in both eyes.

AhBoyzx SG

Army Recruitment Centre
3 Depot Road #01-66
Singapore 109680

1800 - OUR ARMY (687 2769)

Public Carpark directly opposite Depot Road

Queenstown MRT Station
Redhill MRT Station

57, 145, 175, 195, 272, 273, 408