NS: Citizen Lives in Foreign Countries For Long Time

whyiseverynametaken SG

Hi everybody, so I'm kinda new to this forum, so pardon any rules or guidelines i may broach. The terms and conditions were rather long and arduous :)

So i guess the body of this text is summarized in the title: What is NS all about? Some background info to put you guys into prespective.

I'm a [other country citizen~ i'm paranoid :)] Singaporean, who left Singapore when i was 11 1/2 yrs (havnt been back in Singapore for a while... don't hate), so i'm obliged to return and complete NS (just came to terms with that). I've currently finished my 3rd yr in university, and am going in to do my ippt this dec. Heard that it takes 6 months for MINDEF to process it before you get posted into BMT, which i hope to get into the July intake.

So i suppose my priority concern is with the ippt. I was wondering if anybody reading has ever ran in the Washington, America (im not from there, but similar) climate compared to the Singaporean. I'm doing my 2.4km right now in 9min, but i heard that running in Singapore is like death, so what should i aim for? Not too worried about the other tests, except for the standing broad jump. Gold's like 242cm? How do you train for that?! I'm jumping at like 220cm right now...

Secondly, i was wondering if anybody can confirm this; after bmt, can MINDEF post you into the civil defense or the police force? I thought BMT was a military training course, so shouldnt everbody end up in the military? And if so, how do you stay in the military? I mean, in terms of honour and glory, obviously the military's the way to go ;)... just kidding.

Also, what are the requirements to get into OCS? My dad, way back from the 50's, was a platoon commander for the guards, and he said that if you had a degree, its like a guaranteed pathway to officers training. Is this true?

In regards, I've heard that people get posted to the different sections of the army based on their degree choice. So, if im in premed, does that mean that there is no chance of getting into the OCS because they will post me to be a medical soldier? I don't really want to be a med officers bitch...

Thanks in advance,

why is every name taken

Arapahoe SG

It takes me about 3 weeks to adjust particularly to the heat and the humid weather. But once you get over the heat and humid weather it is pretty easy. Just make sure you drink water to replenish both body fluid and salt. These days I do about 2 runs a week for 25 to 30 minutes each run. (i am double your age)

I think for Sing folks it is probably more difficult to run in the states side because need to adjust breathing in a colder and thinner atmosphere. When i was running in CA, I like to run up the wilderness canyon that is always a killer on my lung.

TERMINATOR4000 SG

why dont u just sign up for the US special forces?

after that your thoughts of singapore wont matter.

whyiseverynametaken SG

Lol... well first of all, the US is in a war, singapore isnt. 2nd, I'm pretty sure the US army isnt as laid back as Singapore (i may be wrong, but my last reasoning will make up for it). lastly, Singapore is the gateway to Asia, and if i "desert" the saf, i wont be allowed to ever come back. why lose that opportunity?

caleb_chiang SG

Okay... just be prepare for 2 years of sai kang... denouncing citizenship doesn't mean you can't visit singapore.

kengkia SG

whatever u do TS....pls dun give up ya US citizenship...

whyiseverynametaken SG

lol well theyre not letting me denounce... said i have to serve the army first. I think you can only denounce any citizenship at 21, and they caught me before i turn 21. Btw, im not a US citizen. lol.

Arapahoe SG

well welcome back enjoyed your national service time....NS is sort of like a mixed salad....

LazerLordz SG

You could try running during the warmer parts of the day..it's about acclimatising.

It might help if you came back a month or two before enlistment, so you would get a feel of the weather right now..

Anecdotally speaking, most degree holders who are combat fit, usually stand a good chance to enter OCS. But however you perform from there on, is up to you.

tarutaru SG

Well nowadays NS in Singapore is machiam UN force liao....got China, Korea, Japan, India...etc

kengkia SG

tarutaru...has this been for very long said around 2004 or just recently?

tarutaru SG

tarutaru...has this been for very long said around 2004 or just recently?

I not sure for how long but from my knowledge, as of my last ICT, I noe my unit somehow becoming a UN force....even got Australian, Korean.....

=Optimus= SG

I not sure for how long but from my knowledge, as of my last ICT, I noe my unit somehow becoming a UN force....even got Australian, Korean.....

My NSF MT line unit got one American and one Korean driver, even my MTO is a ang moh new zealander

kengkia SG

*=Optimus=*:wtf...even kiwi also got....i thought their govt. wants us to go over there(the respones is huge mind you), and yet we have kiwis coming here?

US and ROK is not any better than SG,that they have to come here?

tarutaru: i rmb last time when i enlisted 2004 armour mono-intake till ORD i have only one ang moh in my unit and seems be very gum with our CO always taking off pass or whatever...yes that only one but now a lot ?

TERMINATOR4000 SG

whyisevery,,,

ok.....but dont forget 2 years isnt the end of it.there is around serve till u are 40 years old or the 10 years of incamp training with each lasting average of 3 weeks.

i suppose u could say u got a job overseas and the army will give u the exit permit etc.

actually the gateway to asia isnt singapore but rather parts of china and taiwan.spore is just another place like bangkok or kuala lumpur.....maybe more air conditioning but hey i could be mistaken by sayin spore is a cool place.

to me its ok....because ive been in spore for most of my life and i do know where to source for things that are not advertised on internet.stuff like industrial materials,cheap high grade machinery and equipment thats made in china found in certain places only....thats about it as most of the stuff can also be found on sale on da internet.

other than that 2 years in national service could be simply a waste of your time and a real heart pain at that.and it gets worse if u are selected to go for officer training where every single part of your body will hurt everyday for months of unending trainings.isat what u really want???

think with that kinda time u could have taken a PHD or masters degree.or even 3/4 way to graduate from a degree course.or maybe even take a airplane license....or go enrol yourself on a short course in the USA that would make lotsa money.

when u do yer 2 years of NS...you will not get much short of a couple of hundred bucks as an understanding of u to them.nuthin else.and after 2 years they will not give u anything in return in the civilian life.and when u get a job in spore after 2 years......even for a degree holder,.,.,the pay is seriously a joke.unless u are connected with the politicians then u might earn some cool million.but then even for one to work for a mexican drug mafia u still need connections from the inside apart from the education u have.

remeber that 2 years may be a short time for u but in reality 2 years could see tremendous changes in most of everything if time is not wasted every day.

whyiseverynametaken SG

no no, i agree with almost everything you say terminator. But the fact remains that i cant get out of NS. So, since i AM going to serve NS, i might as well make the best out of it. Besides that, i have an ongoing bet with my dad that i'm gonna do better than him. haha. but ya, i agree its a waste of time, considering that i wont be singaporean anymore after NS (so civilian life means dick all to me).

whyiseverynametaken SG

lol and when i said a gateway to asia, i meant a gateway to my "future" assets and money. why on earth would i ever give tht up?

tarutaru SG

Well as i said before, if u think it's a waste of time it'll be a waste of time..but if u put effort into it and after you ORD, you looked back it's a great learning experience, yes NS pay it's quite low..but now seriously it's not bad, if you looked at the amout of momey the specs and officers are paid now, it's not really bad. Some jobs outside don't even get this type of pay. Furthermore if you stayed in, you do get quite lot of saving.

TERMINATOR4000 SG

whyiseveryname,

u bet wiv yer dad over national service???national service is more than 2 years.....more than 10 years!!

wait a minute.......once u step into ns.....u are not allowed to step outa singapore without permission from the army or its the slammer for u!

lemme put it in real time....once u step outa the army camp thinking the 2 army years are over...the problem starts there!u are not allowed to go out of singapore as a civilian even for 24 hrs w ithout informing the army!

u may go for 3 mths trips overseas....and may not be allowed to extend it in anyway unless u get a job overseas and apply within their complicated law systems.

for overseas trips for more than 6 mths u need a work overseas and overseas employer appointment letter in order to have their permission granted for exit permit.

if u screw up on any small thing that might not be yer fault...its still the slammer or a hefty fine for u.

i know living with a death mark or something might not be what u want in life but u could always come back to singapore with another name and with another passport.u dont really need to waste 2 years of yer time in the singapore army.why dont u take a trip to silicon valley and get some kinda job there instead?

and if u like the military without deaths........join the USAF. im sure its a safe job!

tarutaru SG

whyiseveryname,

u bet wiv yer dad over national service???national service is more than 2 years.....more than 10 years!!

wait a minute.......once u step into ns.....u are not allowed to step outa singapore without permission from the army or its the slammer for u!

u may go for 3 mths trips overseas....and may not be allowed to extend it in anyway unless u get a job overseas and apply within their complicated law systems.

for overseas trips for more than 6 mths u need a work overseas and overseas employer appointment letter in order to have their permission granted for exit permit.

if u screw up on any small thing that might not be yer fault...its still the slammer or a hefty fine for u.

and if u like the military without deaths........join the USAF. im sure its a safe job!

After TS serve, he'll go back to US...then he'll not need to come back for reservist especially if he's work for a non Singapore company....

Anyway terminator NS life may not fit into everyone life, who know's maybe TS will like it better than u do?