ask you guys a question, do u guys HONESTLY BELIEVE the crap
that our soldiers can fight to win a war?
Why not? I'm part of the 2G Army, but never pretended that we
were some type of Rambo or elite status. Sure, we're reservist but
how many citizen armies around the world train for as long as we
do?
It's not like a real war won't be a mad dash for glory either. Each
of us will face the gauntlet personally, but until then all the
preparatory training - weapon proficiency, group efficiency, team
bonding, problem solving - cannot but put us in good stead. Poor
fitness wasn't what caused the Commonwealth forces to run all the
way downcountry against the Jap onslaught.
Besides, having gone through the whole ICT cycle, I could
circumscribe out a timespan - generally between your 2nd high-key
to your 10th year or so - where 1stly, unit morale is quite high
& 2ndly, the citizen soldiers' collective maturity more than
offsets the by-the-textbook ways of the younger conscripts. Yes,
the IPPT scores may differ, but I dare bet the scores for the other
combat quality-control tests (eg. ATEC or FATEP that assesses
tactics, coordination & competence) are just as good, if not
higher, for the reservists. Operational-ready isn't just a
buzzword, you know.
The newly-revised reservist cycle - 3 BIT stints to close out 7
high-key ICTs - would suggest MINDEF took our feedback
seriously.
is anyone so naive as to think that all countries allow uarmed
forces to land on their lands and procede to blast say. oh their
fields and roads as war explode around them?! NO!
No doubt S'pore's strategic thinking consists primarily of
possible war scenarios against our immediate neighbors - but do
think this through more.
Yes, the option of invading Malaysian hinterland has always been
around, in order to forestall anyone imitating the Japs. But
Malaysia still can't get its house in order; the '60s-70s communist
insurgency, the more-recent Islamic fundamentalism, & the
periodic belligerence of communalist politics constantly threatened
their internal security. The counterinsurgency needs still presents
stem their ambitions to upgrade to a conventional force. We're wary
of those developments more than the Mahathir government's
saber-rattling.
The Indonesian archipelago doesn't offer a security threat, partly
due to its multifaceted size & also the long LKY-Suharto
friendship. That is, unless it decides to build nuclear plants for
economic benefits or something. The ongoing irritants - esp.
piracy, the haze & an extradiction treaty - are manageable,
while any possibility of civil strife (with accompanying Chinese
exodus to these shores) currently "subdued" by the JI terrorist
menace.
Despite the regional rivalries, there's also more indirect
territorial cooperation that you think - particularly guarding
against the Vietnam Communists (until the '90s). Huxley mentioned
the CDOs were sent to train near the Thai border in the '70s partly
to learn the ground, while in the next decade we also supposedly
considered helping Malaysia to defend against any Viet
aggression.
