After coming to the end of my army reservist, I feel that it is part of my “national duty” to impart some knowledge to those who just ORD and going into the serviceman phrase.
Some good tips I’ll say.
This is especially to those who treat being in the army as a process and not for those who aspire to be an officer since 2 years old, wore their red beret with pride that I can never understand, etc.
It may be quite controversial but some “not-so-legal” stuff is better left unsaid and for you to find out yourself.
Overseas exercise
I do not and will not understand why anyone will look forward to such “trips”. Even if you are not married, even if you are not committed to your work, always remember, you are no longer young.
Your reaction is slower, your memory of the equipment is definitely failing you and your fitness is, most probably, worse. It is dangerous.
Not as dangerous as what you see in Saving Private Ryan or Black Hawk Down (yes my age), but it is definitely more dangerous to an older folk than when you were younger. I don’t want to use a recent incident to emphasize why reservists shouldn’t go on such trips.
Or rather the waste of money on us for such trips.
Give the regulars or younger men the chance, and give us the opportunity to go home to our kids and family every day after book-out. Give us a break.
Anyway, my point is that you can actually get out of this with an MC. A few MC is what you need to miss your flight and stay home with your family and kids.
Also, SAF please do us the favour of not even needing to get MC to get out of this. Don’t even plan overseas exercise for reservists.
Stay as a reservist for as long as possible
Yes, you heard me right. If possible, try to stay as a reservist and not MR for as long as possible. Until 40 years old (like me) if possible.
I don’t know about you but I’ve enjoyed almost every in camp training I had.
Apart from the fact that it is a short getaway from work (paid by the government some more), it is also a mini gathering for old friends with no “visa” needed from the spouses & kids.
From the friend who is studying a digital marketing course in Singapore to the one that recently came back from an overseas work placement, sometimes even 2 weeks in camp training seems too short for a catch up for the past year(s).
But the best part is that, the longer you stay, the longer you get the enjoy the benefits of being a reservist.
From hundreds dollars worth of credits, renewed on a bi-annual basis, to buy things you will normally need to pay yourself like towel, socks, shoes, etc., to cash reward for “keeping fit” and passing the now-not-that-difficult-to-pass IPPT, I will definitely miss all these the year after the day I MR.
Do you also know that from age 35 onwards, you will even be entitled to “free” body check-up in the medical center on an annual basis?
Yes, these annual medical checks up will consist of 2 half-days which your company is obliged to release you for (free time!) and get compensated by Minded by allowing your company to claim for your salary (like in ICT training).
Remember, this is excluding the free medical consultations you can have or a prized subsidized referral letter for something more major in a hospital, annually during your in-camp training if you bother to pay your medical officer a visit.
You are welcome.
IPPT
If possible, always try to take your IPPT during your in-camp training (ICT). Not that they will help you “play cheat”, but just that the folks in ICT are actually more, human.
Those CERTIS mercenaries during IPPT that you have booked for yourself only have one job, and that is to make sure IPPT is carried out smoothly and fairly. So you can’t possibly blame them for trying to do their best and following the rulebook to the strictest standards.
But your battalion guys understand that we are all old already. Some push-ups just can’t be that “standard” and sometimes the machine just doesn’t work.
Also, why waste your precious annual leave or burn your Saturday mornings when you can just appear for your ICT and everything is prepared for you?
You have to wake up or book in anyway for your ICT. So might as well do it together with the rest of the old folks instead of getting demoralized by those ultra garung ones at the IPPT centers you need to book yourself.
Low key is not (that) counted
The rule is that we have to serve 7 high keys and 3 low keys for our reservist.
But trust me, only those 7 high keys count. The low keys count until the 3rd time and they stopped “counting”.
You can have 20 low key ICT but is still serving your ICT because it’s those high keys you need to clear.
So take a look at the itinerary planned out for you for low keys. Is it shooting range, which also means potentially monetary gains, or “day outfield” planned for the low key?
If it’s something undesirable like the latter, your guess is as good as mine as to whether to go ahead or to give it up for something more important in life during that period in time.
Your choice.
Outfield
Something I dread the most during my reservist life. I still can’t understand why do we always have to go to the field when Singapore, and our neighbouring countries, are filled with high rise buildings.
Do we need to capture their palm tree plantations to declare victory, or the city and main facilities?
I understand what you garung people have in mind now, that we need to learn how to survive and carry out missions in the jungle since the battle will inadvertently go into the fields somehow. I don’t deny that.
What I am saying is that, should it be placed at such a big emphasis that 6 out of 7 outfield exercise are in the field, literally?
Nonetheless, for those who are with me, you can take an MC during the first day of your outfield to not go with the rest. Try for 2 days if you are genuinely unwell (physically or mentally).
Do note that anything above 2 days of MC will render your high key ICT into a low key one. So basically 2 days are your max if you still want to clear as a high key.
Better for you to help out in the camp, rather than being mentally unsound, going into the field and causing some accidents to yourself or your camp mates isn’t it?
You are welcome, again.
The Worldly Marketer 