The First Day in Army

Back dated to 8 Jan 2005


After we received our posting, we made our way to a very big training shed. There were many long tables put together, and on the tables are our duffel bags filled with our standard equipment issues.

We were told to take everything out of the bag, and raise them into the air as the sergeant in front called out the items one by one.

The bag was huge, and jammed packed with many things, from small items such as our ID Tags to large items such as our field packs.
There were 5 sets of the 'No.4' camouflage patterned uniforms, PT kits (singlets, vests and shorts), 2 pairs of boots, a pair of training sneakers, socks, an aluminum mug, our Skeletal Battle Order, helmet, pocket knife, torch, notebooks, water bottles and so on.

After checking that we have received all the proper equipment we were told to repack our duffel bags and take them to our company line.


That's funny, you'd think that if they all fitted in the bag in the first place, they should fit in again, but, no .. Many of us could not squeeze everything back in again, and had to carry the rest in our arms while dragging the bags to the company line. It was a good thing that the bags had wheels. How they managed to pack everything in the bag in the first place remains one of the army's greatest mysteries.


Leopard company is in BMTC (Basic Military Training Compound) school 2. Its building has the Mohawk company line on its left, and training fields and the sea on its right. It is a five-storey building, and I am fortunate enough to be on the 2nd floor, which my bunkmates are already whispering among themselves, that it would be easier for us to fall in whenever we get turned out.

In our bunks we tried out our uniforms to check that the sizes fit. We did some internal swapping for better fits, and the rest were told to wait for the replacements to come the next day.

Sergeant Redwan introduced himself. He was a short tempered and no-nonsense kind of guy.
He talked to us a little, showed us how to prepare our uniforms, tie the lazy knot on our boots, and then brought us to the auditorium for the oath taking ceremony.

There our family and friends bear witness to the ceremony, where we solemnly pledged our allegiance to the Republic of Singapore.

After the ceremony came lunch time. we joined our family for lunch at the canteen.
They served chicken rice on that day. I wasn't sure what they have showed my parents, but they said that the facilities looked really good, and they were impressed with the food.


Sure, Tekong's facilities are really new and good, and the meals are given to us in plenty. They ARE carefully planned and balanced diets. There's rice, whole chicken leg, veggie, sometimes fish, sometimes even better than what I eat at home. (I eat nothing but Maggee Instant Noodles sometimes for weeks.)
But we often thought that the food sucked.
It's true that we do look forward to meal-time breaks, but it is more for the breather we get from the training, than for the food. The food are mostly boiled or steamed, and they look and taste bland.
We think that the food we get outside is better. After all, its the unhealthy foods that tastes best. Hum Kway Teow extra black with extra oil and lard never seemed more appetizing in our lives.
I guess half of it was also because we were in low spirits. I guess it is true, dining isn't simply about the food.

The lunch is the final item of the parents' tour. After lunch the PA System announced that we were to send our parents off at the Tekong Ferry Terminal.
And we watched enviously as they set off for home. Sigh.


Some of the sergeants of the other company lines started their Tekan Sessions immediately after the ferries were out of sight. Some groups had to knock it down (do push ups) in their civvies (civilian clothings), for whatever reason I could not imagine.
But then, in Tekong it appears that sergeants do not need reasons to order you to knock it down.
Hence we often hear the saying that in Tekong, sergeants are like Kings, and officers are simply Gods. They were the only ones with ranks among the recruits.

Luckily my group had no such misfortune. We were simply tasked with marching around until we got our steps right and could march together properly. Then, we were led to another training shed to get our hair cut.

For recruits the short No.1 cut (No.1 is named after the setting of the shaver's blade. It is the closest cut leaving 1 to 2 mm of the hair) is part of our uniform. Some of the guys looked really sad and reluctant to have their crown of glory gone.
In place of our familiar hair there is just a bare grey patch of prickly fuzz. Honestly I thought we looked like a bunch of .. aliens.


I looked around me, and thought, "I've never seen a bunch of people as unlike soldiers as we are. But, at least we all look like prisoners now."


After the haircut and a wash-up we gathered for our first PT session, a jog around the island, our tour to the facilities on the BMTC : the various company lines of School 2, the canteens, the auditoriums, the E-mart equipment shop, the gyms and the training fields.

After dinner we had to sit through a lecture on what it means to be a soldier, and why we had to serve in the NS.

Then we were left to unpack our stuff and to settle in our bunks properly. There was some introduction sessions where we got to know our bunkmates, and after that it was the end of day 1.
13 more days to go! Our first 2 weeks of our service is called the confinement period, and we do not get to book out in the first weekend.

As of now, I am 2 weeks away from my first book out, and 3 months away from my P.O.P. (Pass-out Parade)
Phew. I hope the days pass without too much trouble.