No lar, rubbish.
The sidearm will be holstered and triple locked, tied and taped
cos nobody will dare to take out n use in case they accidentally
lose it. Then kena charge.
The fuss seems to have been a "cup caught in a storm" - when
sidearms are only issued to command officers - who
are Company Commanders and above (or ranks from Captain
and above), and when not even platoon commanders (2Lt and
Lta) are entitled - as seen in the photos on Page 2.
Budget cannot be an issue for the SAF when essential weapons are
concerned.
If ever the defense of a Command Post
should suddenly be compromised, the sidearm will be the
nearest weapon available to the Senior Officers to defend
themselves in the Command Post.
As for the SAF personnel who are seemingly fit and collapsing
without warning and then lapsing into a coma to
subsequently die - can there be any one single factor causing
these deaths.
There was a Recce Officer who was amongst the
fittest from his batch of officers, but collapsed after a 1
kilometer jog which he thought would get him out of the
lethargy - after being down with flu for the
previous week.
An autopsy revealed that his heart was weakened
by viral attack that went unnoticed during the
flu treatment.
There was the situation of a 18 year old NSF sent back to Tekong
for Basic Training again - before being released from full time
service. He was pushed to perform 80 push-ups at the pace dictated
by the Sergeant. The 80 push-up was completed, the 18 year
old stood up, turned wobbly and collapsed. Fortunately, there
was a Medic present and was an asmathic sufferer, and thought that
the 18 year old had an asthma attack, and took out his breathing
device to help the 18 year old to open the air passages to
allow breathing during the vital seconds.
The near death 'accident' was due to hyper-ventilating from
the 80 push-up being administered at an irregular quick pace
without stoppage - with the 80 push-up not even allowed in
the SAF disciplinary guidelines.
As much as deaths can be due to human caused factors,
it can also be a result of age, physical conditions, and
perhaps even genetic causes - which are not detected at
the early medical check-up stage prior to actual NSF
recruitment, and with the check-up being done as a perfunctory
procedure unless dealing with a White Horse.
It seems that such sudden deaths were unheard of during the
early NS periods of 1967 through 1980s, but somehow seems to be
frequent occurences during the late 1990s till the present
year.
Is there a generation change in phsyical fitness - with the
side-arm nothing more then a "side issue" ?
