"Living Firing Safari" (Army Open House)

Moxie SG

I'm interested in attending that. Couple of questions:

1. Is it held on all 3 days &, if so, how do civilian visitors get there?

2. Will the SSPH-1 Primus be showcased? (I'm an ex-21 SA man.)

sbst275 SG

I can only answer your 1st qn

How to get there?
Free way
Take the shuttle service from Jurong East bus interchange
First bus will leave at 0945

Park and transfer
You can park at the Jurong Camp and take the shuttle bus there. Pasir Laba will not be opened as of the opening of the live firing area to public for the 1st time.

By public transport
Take SBST Sv 182 and 193 from Boon Lay Int
Frequency: 182 20-30 mins 193 6-14 mins
Fares: $0.68 (Non Aircon) $0.83 (Aircon) *Ez-link card

I hope the 1st qn is answered

Icemoon SG

Mai tu liao ..

http://armyopenhouse.com/

Moxie SG

Thanks for the tips. Follow-up enquiries:

1. How ample are the Jurong Camp parking lots? I understand it's on a 1st-come-1st-served basis, but then tens of thousands visitors are expected each day.

2. Are the arrangements such that I have to go to SAF MI 1st, & tompang a ride there to the Live Firing? Or is there a direct transport to the latter from Jurong East bus interchange itself?

Thanks again.

sbst275 SG

Quite limited

It is not a bus ride.. You are taking a 5-ton into the live firing area from nth of SAFTI MI

Moxie SG

Here's my review. Could only go at 5pm Saturday due to work, but I think I covered 60% of the attractions in just over 3 hours. 20% more were organized for the kids/uninitiated & thus "fluff" events for me, & I'm going to see if I can go down again on early Monday evening for the remaining 20% - primarily the Live Firing Safari, which ended at 7:30.

Despite the recommendations, FORGET ABOUT GOING TO AREA "A"/LIVING FIRING SAFARI WHEN IT IS NEAR DUSK. I made it my 1st stop, taking a shuttle bus from the SAFTI Library to, basically, the shooting ranges opposite FOFO Hill for the rifle & GPMG firing (long queues), SAR vehicle rides (long queues), 5-tonner rides into the live-firing areas (no more visitor pickups at 7:15) & "Adventure Land" (nee the obstacle courses/confidence jumps).

Then reality hit me: the mosquitos & sandflies - somehow long forgotten in my mind - were going to show up as darkness fell, & I reactively sought for the shuttle back. Funny enough, there was these 3 girls who looked out of place in their orange tees & white skirts, spraying "Off" cans to promote their brands, & whom quickly disappeared when the irritating insects made their presence!

Nonetheless, the commute trip between modern SAFTI MI & the older Pasir Laba Camp facilities (albeit some ongoing construction there) was nostalgic; you could literally sniff out the old times, spot some well-trodden footpaths out of the woods &, on the way back, see the entire area shroud in darkness with very little streetlights.

Alighted near Warriors Hall, where there was some exhibitions showcasing Army culture & 3G transformation, etc. Very educating & pleasing to the eye, nice way to revisit a stand-by-bulk locker & FBO items & stuff. Passed on volunteering to execise on the jazzed-up IPPT stations, but picked up some of the Army Recruitment posters being distributed. Tip: Some "chio" female personnel thereabouts, unlike elsewhere (either old/dumpy or okay-but-tired-looking - perhaps it's a long day). Run into a kid my mum used to babysit; last saw him during CNS when he was a blur Tekong recruit, & he's now a OCS cadet (Armour) who just returned from Brunei & will be commissioned in 4 months' time! Spent quite a while catching up news with him.

Followed his directions to the parade square, where the static displays are held. Walked the steps uphill (past Peng Kang Ave); nothing's on at the open-air amphitheatre but there was a mobile column-cum-entertainment show nearby. Unimpressed with the inane musical item on show - provost-twirling rifles & NCC girls dancing in vest-&-slacks, according to the MC - & was attracted more to the civilian stalls selling tees & stuff. In fact, I'll give these businesses & the various food kiosks & even information counters (free Mentos sweets!) an A+ for variety & a quick pick-me-up. Civilian ferry services were quite prompt & frequent too.

The equipment displays at the parade square are divided into Arty/Logistics on one side & Armour/Infantry on the other. Checked out the new ARTHUR battlefield radar & joked with the 24SA guides about how "mysterious" their unit was - they certainly don't operate the howitzers we gunners are more familiar with, neither do they seemingly compete in intra-formation sports like the rest of us too. Then, at last, I looked up at the majestic SSPH-1 Primus. Bantered with the 21SA guides & climbed inside for a looksee - boy, was it spacious! A lot of it is computerized (no more manual orientation) & comms are by radio waves (no more telejays); they even had built-in fans (no air-con yet!) & they said they don't need to do camoflaguing nor dig shellstrips anymore!

Detoured to the command-post tentage where they had all these futuristic laptops & computer softwares, which we knew about but SOAY "refused" to teach us old-bird reservists. Ah well. Had fun telling the disbelieving guides about how my preceding NSF generation - i.e. Lee Hsien Loong's 1970s-early 1980s batches - were using mathematical log tables & primitive scientific calculators to work out firing data.

Wanted to hang around longer but it was getting to closing time. Walked briskly over to the Armour displays. Saw nothing really revolutionary - sorry, I was in a hurry & they were closing shop - before heading to the infantry arms section. Cursorily scanned the weapons but couldn't spot the MP-5, for one. But I did see the SAR-21 (never handled it before) & a WO was kind enough to patiently brief me on its characteristics. Cradled it - it was lighter than I expected - & then sighted it. Immediate thought: how could anyone not shoot marksman with its eye-friendly design?

By then it was 9:00 on the dot & I had to make my way to the ferry stop back to Jurong East MRT, thus missing out on - amongst others, the Commando small-quarters takedown room (the Straits Times reported it) & the Chinook display on the field next to the stadium (saw it on my way in). Would've also liked to familiarize myself with the BV-206 & other all-terrainers that's now purported standard vehicles in Arty.

All in all, it was a nice way to spend Saturday evening. Yes, cameras & camcorders are allowed & the excursion was quite free-&-easy, though human traffic between attractions is quite tightly managed & there was a lot of mazy barriers put up to direct visitors on proper routes. I'm guessing quite a few thousand NSFs burnt their weekends to serve as marshalls, etc. as well. Security was quite tight; the MPs & police conduct their scannings at the bus interchange itself &, since Area "A" is a life-firing area, there are armed soldiers guarding non-entry roads & security checks are also conducted at the shooting ranges.

Gosh, now I'm thirsty to take the 5-tonner & hopefully revisit the famous landmarks in Area "D" again. Monday, I'm promising myself.

Icemoon SG

Then reality hit me: the mosquitos & sandflies - somehow long forgotten in my mind - were going to show up as darkness fell, & I reactively sought for the shuttle back.

I encountered no mosquitos & sandflies in the LFA Safari event, but then I did not go the SAR21/M16 and GPMG range.

Nonetheless, the commute trip between modern SAFTI MI & the older Pasir Laba Camp facilities (albeit some ongoing construction there) was nostalgic

They bulldozed almost the whole Pasir Laba Camp .. how sad.

.. heading to the infantry arms section. Cursorily scanned the weapons but couldn't spot the MP-5, for one.

Infantry don't use MP-5. You can find the famous counterstrike AWP in the sniper section, but not the MP-5. However you can find it in the commando SOF weapon display; they have the M4 there too.

By then it was 9:00 on the dot & I had to make my way to the ferry stop back to Jurong East MRT, thus missing out on - amongst others, the Commando small-quarters takedown room (the Straits Times reported it)

Not really a room, but just some obstacles and human target boards in a big tentage.

Gosh, now I'm thirsty to take the 5-tonner & hopefully revisit the famous landmarks in Area "D" again.

As mentioned, I was on the open-air tonner to the armour Safari event. I don't think we went Area "D". The live firing display took place at the foot of the big hill (sorry don't know the name) after the 106 hill and elephant hill cluster.

martin_lim85 SG

used the GPMG there song!!! Cool the SAR 21 hits 4 target with the given 5 rounds i'm laft handed but could only use right hand so quite weak. the rest song!!! Cool

ditzy SG

Any live firing area but there! Very Happy

martin_lim85 SG

going back tomorrow hope there are lesser people there Smile

Moxie SG

Alamak, just read in today's papers that Monday's closing hour is earlier (6pm). Maybe I'll pop down later this evening instead ....

Add-on: Alamak x 2, it's raining at this moment (1:30) in Tampines ;-(

martin_lim85 SG

u should try the live firing at night song leh

wuming78 SG

u studying now (and just nice hols just started)?

or working?

or waiting for ns?

martin_lim85 SG

i holiday for 9 months liao currently waiting for enlistment letter to come and looking for work Wink

Gordonator SG

do they really issue live rounds for u to fire? or is it using laser pointer?

cos giving civilian live rounds to shoot is really dangerous. what if they IA or something?

martin_lim85 SG

dont think is really "live" rounds, think are the those round for training ones in the range coz theres no muzzle fire when i fired the weapon, somemore got smoke from the ejector Rolling Eyes

theres the lazer pointer thingy on the school side for the games. Wink
also got the paintball mp5 on the parade square

please correct if info i give is wrong Mr. Green

Moxie SG

Just got time off; will head down again this afternoon (Monday).

Alamak x 3: thunder & rainy clouds again ;-(

But no drizzle yet.

do they really issue live rounds for u to fire? or is it using laser pointer?

Those attractions at SAFTI MI, no. At the Live Firing Safari, yes. I followed down the mazy barriers for the rifle shooting, but gave up after seeing how long the queue for the SAF-21 was (almost 150). They used the full 3 chambers - 6 firers each - with proper ammo point & collapsible targets. Appears to be run on an own-time-own target format, with conducting officers on the ground rather than in the control room. Everything was quite clockwork/regimented: visitors closely seated on the training-shed benches, soldiers collected & distributed ammo, & also luminous-vested soldiers leading each detail both in & out to the security-check areas. They provided helmets &, I seem to recall, #4 shirts, though I dunno about webbing & earplugs. I took in the scene for only about 3-4 minutes before I turned back.