From July, over 40,000 full-time NSmen will receive a monthly
rank allowance of S$400, up by S$50.
Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean announced this at the launch of
NS40, a series of events to commemorate 40 years of national
service.
He also said a group of key appointment holders will get a 20
percent increment in rank allowances because these people are
required to serve longer in-camp training (ICT) and are made to
carry heavier responsibilities.
For Robert Bong, an IT Consultant at CRICT Research and Consulting
Group, the NS40 exhibition at Ngee Ann City is a journey down
memory lane.
In 1976, the then recruit, served his national service at Pulau
Tekong and the only time spent in the bunk was in the evenings
after training.
He said: "But after finishing the ironing and polishing, we
couldn't do anything else because the lights went off at 11pm. We
would sit outside the old bunk, look over the water into the east
coast part of Singapore and feel very homesick!"
Since Colonel Bong's time, wireless classrooms and LAN-based
simulation games have become part of everyday training.
Michael Palmer, MP, Pasir Ris GRC, said: "The army has changed
it's a lot more intellectual, more technical and more
technological. I was just talking to one of the lieutenant colonels
who was in my batch at OCS and we were reflecting that our officers
now are actually taught to lead. In our days, we were tortured to
lead."
Members of the public can also get a taste of being part of a Civil
Defence rescue operation at a simulator display at the
exhibition.
From detecting casualties to rescuing people from wreckage, the
simulation gives the public a better appreciation of what the
rescue team does.
The NS40 exhibition is held till 15 April.