Sign On As Combat Support PROs/CONs

last SG · 2008-05-02T14:18:26+00:00

Arty is service support.. they wear blue beret.. no such thing combat support... unless you're talking about some support vocation in combat units..Err hel...

cookiecookie SG

No,there is no guarantee in the private sector.But at least there is a much wider career prospects and opportunities in the private sector.I doubt the army will be sending its own staff to the United Arab Emirates to upgrade themselves with knowledge of the developing economic opportunities there any time soon.

Err, do you not know that SAF sends its officers to academies all over the world for training & upgrading all the time? These range from US naval college, Westpoint academy, Fort Benning, civilian degree programmes and for SAFOS, they go to overseas command and staff college? It is VERY common.

I know so many farmers who went overseas already for master's programmes in CV schools and military schools alike in France, US, UK, Australia. And they are not high fliers. In fact I'd say it is easier to get yourself sent overseas sponsored for such stints in the SAF than in the private sector, because the non high fliers I've seen sent overseas are not really the sharpest tool in the shed.

baikachuchu SG

You don't seem to get it. You sounded VERY arrogant by basically saying "Sign on only if you are SAFOS. if not dun sign on". That was what you said lor, you can't deny it now cos we quoted your words. Basically you are saying that unless can get SAFOS, one has no reason to sign on.

Now you're defending your elitist words by saying that you only meant that as good advice for ppl who want to reach the top? Which part of my and Del_Co's words do you not understand? We said not everyone has aspirations or believe that they are Gen material. Do you know the rank of a Gen and do you think it is very easily attainable?

FYI, whether there are Generals who went to be politicians recently, 1 yr ago, 5 yrs ago or 10 yrs ago is not material to this discussion. What I said was, BG is the average rank of ex SAFOS who went to politics. You think it is an easy feat? That was what I meant. How does WHEN it happened affect my statement?! If you want the LATEST person who did the transition for your own general knowledge, SURE. It's RADM Lui Tuck Yew, the former Navy Chief who's now Minister of State who made the transition 1 yr ago. SO WHAT? What is the diff between 1 yr or 10 yrs? Basically, General level rank is the most common rank of ex SAFOS in politics. You think very easy to be SAFOS ah?

We both have told you, there are many different kinds of ppl needed in a big organisation. It does not mean that if one can't get the SAFOS scholarship, he should not consider a career in the SAF. I said before, a farmer grad who does well can retire as a LTC or COL. That is not shabby to them and the pay is infinitely better than what they can get outside with the level of their calibre.

Of cos we know it is harder to reach the top for a farmer, but how many times must we impress upon you that not everyone has such super high expectations for themselves?! So if you can't be prime minister, please don't work in the civil service. And if you can't be Jackson Tai or Kwek Leng Beng, please don't join the private sector. That was how ridiculous you sounded and that was what we tried to tell you.

Saying that unless one is a SAFOS, one should not consider signing on with SAF is as naive as saying unless one can become Jackson Tai of banking, he should forget about working lah. Just break his legs and stay at home. Collect $ from gahmen.

I do not want to turn your thread into an arguement.I digress.

baikachuchu SG

So for a farmer who is interested to sign on whether its for money or other reason, does signing on with COMBAT SUPPORT or COMBAT SERVICE SUPPORT (logistics) really lose out?

We can discuss the pros and cons. I heard from some combat arms guys that the pro to signing on in Logistics is that the skills acquired there are more transferable in outside world. Is that true?

That is true to some extent.LogOs tend to go for plenty of resource management courses.One of the S4s that I knew went over to Keppel after becoming a S4 shortly.

cookiecookie SG

izzit a high position he got in Keppel?

So i guess it is confirmed that combat support really lugi?

cookiecookie SG

Archelli I am sorry for being harsh, becoz I do recall a number of ppl posting such statements all the time in forums, eg sign on only if you are a scholar or unless you're signing on as SAFOS, don't sign on. I apologize to you if I was overly harsh. I get your point. Hope you get mine also.

baikachuchu SG

Nvm lah,at least we got one thing in common,we "agree to disagree"

I believe he went for something called logistics executive or maybe the manager position.He was rather hush hush about it before he left as the CO wasn't really happy with his decision since he recommended him for Maj in the first place and shortly after his promotion,he decide that he want to leave the army.

Link salah,sorry.But go to http://www.keppelcareers.com and look under Contracts/ Procurement/ Trading/ Warehousing

Only thing he ever told a few of us was that he was bored of army life and that he felt "stagnated".He declined to explain further..might be due to the fact that he is regular and the rest of us NSF,so not so appropriate.

baikachuchu SG

izzit a high position he got in Keppel?

So i guess it is confirmed that combat support really lugi?

I can't say for sure whether lugi but the part about logistics skills being applicable to outside is true to some extent.

sir sickolot II SG

from wad i know LG(Ret) Ng retired as a Arty officer... perhaps he was from Signals before that.

in fact, Winston Choo was a Signal officer.

also, i believe Combat Engineers are Combat Support. MES is Combat Service Support. Think somewhere along this thread this got confused.

Signing on and excelling - i think this is without regard to your chosen vocation. All vocations have the chance to excel in their field of work. Although notably, I have never seen a Commando BG, yet. BG Phillip (i'm not sure if he's still in SAF) was a former red beret, or so i'm told. He has since been sporting a black beret, perhaps a significant change in formation so he can rise the ranks.

cookiecookie SG

also, i believe Combat Engineers are Combat Support. MES is Combat Service Support. Think somewhere along this thread this got confused.

Yes Combat Engin is combat support like Signals and Artillery. What is MES?

I do believe that there is a disadvantage to signing on with combat support in terms of advancement. That is what a lot of army regulars mention. Perhaps there are people who have broken through the ceiling but they are the exception and not the norm, thus this general notion in the army??

baikachuchu SG

MES stands for maintenance and engineering support.They form the technical team of the army.AMB formations(formerly dsmb),make up MES.Vehicle autotechs,ammo techs,weapon techs mostly from there.

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