SAF studying to induct Women and PRs into Voluntary Corp

Read here [Link]

Me think it is right that Singapore women citizen should NOT be drafted.

The Committee to strengthen National Service (CSNS) is working on details and determining roles for Women Citizen Volunteers.

IMHO, besides non combat service role and professional/vocational roles that aligned with their civilian work/career, for example, Healthcare. Woman Citizen Volunteers can be deployed in a limited combat role. They may be assigned to homeland security units such as the People's Defence Force. When activated, they donned combat fatigues and armed. They render combat presence in public facilities like hospitals, polyclinics, survival items distribution centres (NTUC fair price - war time role), heartland underground bomb shelters, etc. In times of distress, to the women, children and the frail elderly in the community, the women citizen volunteer  can bring a measure of "maternal" (whatever you call it) assurance amid the violence, destruction and chaos around the frightened civilians. But make no mistake, they can be "fierce" when the situation requires, hospital matrons of yore and the female regimental sergeant major comes to mind LOL.

Women citizen volunteers should not be working alone. They will most likely be paired with a PDF male counterpart and/or attached to the police land division or the police paramilitary KINS (Protection of Key Installations) units.

There is definitely a role for combat trained women citizen volunteers in the order-of-battle of the SAF [Link].

Now to the matter of inducting Permanent Residence into the voluntary corp. I have my reservations. For obvious security reasons, PRs should NOT be inducted into the SAF.

If the CSNS die die must have PRs inducted for reasons be-known* only to them (such as deriving partisan political mileage?), then these PR volunteers must only be deployed in limited combat roles. Perhaps similar to the women citizen volunteers. A suggestion, instead of PRs, should we induct new citizens into the SAF instead. This make more sense.

New citizens should be inducted on a voluntary basis into the SAF, NOT PRs. 

To the matter of training. The volunteers, especially men, must make to go through the full Basic Military Training regime of the current full time National Serviceman, and not a watered-down version of BMT! But having said that, women volunteers may take a modified version of basic military training which will be tailored to their body build .

The current BMT last for a duration of approximately 3 months. Which is roughly equivalent to 480 hours of training contact time. It is not possible to expect these volunteers to take 3 months off their civilian jobs to train with the volunteer corp. Thus a part-time version of the BMT should be in order.

Training should encompass the whole aspects/experience of inducting them into the Singapore/SAF culture and not just instructions in basic military field craft. These recruits will NOT be treated differently from born and bred Singaporeans who are currently undergoing their national service. Go ask them, they will tell you the strict regimentation, tough physical training, rough language and in your face treatment which they must come to expect in the military environ. The same exact treatment and full measure of regimentation and punishment for infringement is to be bore on the new citizen volunteer recruits. No niceties to be afforded least they think SAF training is chicken feed and anybody can go through, throw in comfortable lodgings, shower facilities and slightly better than food court standard mess halls.

As to the weekly training roster. There will be a weekday evening training and a fortnightly weekend training. The one weekend off gives them time to spend with their family (got welfare right). To make up for a total contact training time of 480 hours, this part-time BMT will last a duration of 10 months. No joke. Because training to become a combat soldier and be given the trust to bear arms is not a casual walk in the park exercise.

An example of a typical time table:

Weekday (Wednesday)

1900hr - 1930hr : Officer Commanding (OC) parade.

Company assemble for OC address. Break up into respective platoons for foot drill instruction conducted in the Malay language. The recruits from up north may find this slightly easier.

1930hr - 1945hr : water break. Preparation for PT.

1945hr - 2030hr : Physical Training.

In the form of basic PT or Rifle PT (post Rifle Presentation), duration of 45 minutes, involves vest and slack formation run of not exceeding 3km cummulative. Or circuit training in PT kit with 3km run. Or training in preparation for their IPPT test nearing the date. Post rifle presentation, they will have solely Rifle PT to get them in tune with their personal weapon. They will get use to the handling, they will get use to the weight, they will get use to the constant oiliness on their hands, they will get use to the sight and smell of the cold hard metal rubbing against their bodies. 101 ways to be "tortured" by your personal weapon during Rifle PT :-) For the uninitiated may think it is chicken feed doing some PTs and running 3Km only. Well while they are at it, let's throw in some punishment and humiliation from the PT instructor when somebody or any fellow in their PT formation do something kayu (dodgy). That sense of frustration of repeating senseless physical exertion through no fault of your own will begin to eat into you. On paper it's only 3km ;-) ... also an effective method for building team cohesion.

2030hr - 2100hr : water break. Preparation for training instructions. Medic rounds - anybody unwell? (got welfare right)

2100hr - 2145hr : Instructions.

Class room instructions in personal field craft, personal weapon handling, etc. and/or training shed practical sessions. Individual, group and section movement and tactical drills out field.

2145hr - 2200hr : Night snack cum debrief. (got welfare right)

Consume x01 bread item and x01 cup of coffee/tea seated on the bare floor while PC debriefed.

2200hr - till all stores are accounted for and weapons accounted for and area cleaned up. The faster you do, the faster you get to go home.

Weekends (Friday/Saturday/Sunday) Fortnightly

Friday evening

By 2100hr : Book-in to camp for Ammo party (for tomorrow range firing)

By 2259hr : Book-in to camp for main body.

Saturday morning

Reveille 0400hr : Breakfast cum for Ammo party to draw arms and movement to ammo dump to draw ammunitions for the day and night live firing at range.

Reveille 0530hr : Breakfast cum Main body draw arms convoy to rifle firing range.

Day and Night firing completed at indoor air-condition range by 1600hr. (got welfare right KNN)

1715hr - 1800hr : Physical Training.

1800hr - 1930hr : Water break. Medic rounds - anybody unwell? Dinner. Preparation for night training.

1930hr - 2230hr : Night field training. (Out of camp)

2230hr - 2345hr : Back to camp. Account for stores and account for weapons. Night snack cum debrief.

0015hr : lights off.

Sunday morning

Reveille 0545hr : Morning PT (Light) cum 1.5Km run.

0630hr : Breakfast.

0715hr : Preparation for instruction and field training (Out of camp) or Standard Obstacle Course training (in camp)

0800hr - 1100hr : Field training.

Or

0800hr - 0930hr : SOC training.

by 1230hr : Account for stores and account for weapons. Company debrief. Book-out. (no lunch indented).

Lack of sleep and under constant physical exertion is a given during operations. Under a pack schedule of only less than 2 full days for a weekend, the recruits are subjected to this regime, though it will be gradual build up to give them time to adjust. Time - time is needed, it cannot be rushed. It takes time to get a recruit from the civi streets and turn them into a semblance of a citizen soldier. There is no short cut.

And it is not over until the SAF say its over ;-)

Officers at 50 and the rest of us at 40 y/o

Not forgetting Annual reservist 7 high keys and 3 low keys call up, last for a period of 10 years and more depending. During reservist operational manning and training, you are expected to perform the combat requirement as in your 20's when you first enlisted for full-time NS while negotiating the inevitable aging process (The enemy don't care whether you are 20 or 40 years old, thus the older individual reservist need to expand more effort to maintain his combat effectiveness). The annual IPPTs, recall manning, Exit Permit registration prior to leaving SG, etc.

And for some who got injured or down with medical condition, good luck to you.

Already 50% of the Singapore populace are conditioned to be automatons by the compulsory conscription of National Service. I really do not want the other 50% of the Singapore citizens (aka women folk) to be subjected to the same regime. Please no compulsory draft for them. At least let them be free. Free from the reflexes that are in-bedded in the sinkie male population. No group think. It is good to have a diversity in thinking and behaviour for you never know when you are in dire straits, solutions might come from persons in the Singaporean family whom are not mind numbingly subjected to the same regime.

*Fishy that the G of the day wants to induct PRs into the SAF... what's next? Since they are serving so they can vote in the 2016 general elections ?

Post note: When we went through shits like this, and some of our peers got retrench, lost their jobs, some got injured during NS or reservist, who is there to speak up for us?

23 October 2013