Been a pretty quiet week for me. Had a catch up with an ex-colleague I have not met for a while – how time flies and it’s been more than 2 years since the last lunch date. Spoke to another to touch base and finalize with him on the consultancy job in Myanmar he is likely to take up and we can work together again.
The term Ah Boys to Men has been popularized in our country to signify the rite of passage for all males in our country who have to enter into military service at 18 to serve “National Service” (NS). It was 2.5 years during my time but now, it is shortened to 22 or 24 months. Teenage boys become men when they complete NS, so the saying goes. Each of us will be exposed to a bigger real world out there, having been cocooned in our small protected environment and then suddenly thrown into a military lifestyle with others from all walks of life in a 24 x 7 situation.
As much as I can prepare and share my experiences with my 2 sons, the main take away will be the attitude they go into NS with. As it is unavoidable, one must look at it positively and aim to enrich oneself with new life experiences and to make the best of the situations one is presented with.
My older son entered his army phase in Jan this year. It started with 9 weeks of Basic Military Training (BMT) on a remote island. He seemed to enjoy himself during the first part of his training, having a positive go-getter attitude and getting close to his 16 bunkmates. He was a rah-rah man of his team, trying to push them on while struggling to improve his physical stamina. We were proud parents at the passing out parade in Mar, seeing all 1000+ recruits marching with their weapons and throwing their caps in the air.
They had a short 1-week break after the graduation parade and he was glad to spend time at home and catching up with close friends again. His next posting was to Officer Cadet School which caught him by surprise. Secretly, wife and I were proud of him, but yet we were apprehensive that this 9 months course will be highly challenging for him, both mentally and physically.
The first 2 weeks of confinement went quickly and he is on another 1-week break now. Over supper, he shared with me that he is feeling more independent now. He is wary of the many stages of training that is to come before him in the coming weeks. The army did produce a series of snippets on NS life and its various stages (“Every Singaporean Son”) on youtube and it even won a National Geographic award. It is a good reference point for him and I had encouraged him to watch the series on OCS to prepare himself for what lies ahead.
I do sense a change in him. Being more considerate to his parents and also his brother. Hopefully, he is more appreciative of what he has and the bright future ahead for him, to count his blessings and treasure them.
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