Vocation: TK OPR (Tank Operator)
I am a member of the Singapore Armed Forces, an enlisted soldier in the 48th Battalion, Singapore Armoured Regiment. I drive a Leopard 2 tank. I was posted here after Basic Military Training at Pulau Tekong. I got that vocation because I chose not to/are ineligible for commander training. When I am not training, life is boring. That is all I have to report.
This seems a typical scenario: of the man at the bottom of the rank ladder. Often, we idealise and romanticize the military and conscription (we wouldn’t really affectionately call it National Service, would we?), and place undue emphasis on the glamour and glitz that is our Officer Corps. They deserve the attention – they are after all the hand that wields the sword (pun intended) in battle.
Ironically this means that the sword, the backbone of the Armed Forces, the enlisted soldier, invariably gets neglected. We make up the SAF in their numbers. Many of the idealistic recruits/enlistees may aspire to be commanders, be it specialists or officers. But the bulk will end up as the soldier who stands in the trenches with a rifle. Unfortunately for the most of us, drones and giant death robots neither exist, nor are cheap enough to replace us, so most of us will have to be content with snivelling in the trenches.
Since enlistment season is upon us once more, I thought it’d be more relevant to talk more about the life of an enlisted soldier – in all its aspects.
The Life
Being in a combat unit is tough. The proverbial maxim goes – “When these guys aren’t fighting, they’re training to fight.”. Contrary to popular belief, life doesn’t end after basic training. The 2 years you spend completing a ‘syllabus’ (can you believe it?!) only allows you to be certified as operationally ready (hence the term Operationally Ready Date, ORD).
There are the so-called ‘high key periods’ where you die of exhaustion, and the lull periods, where you die of boredom. The reason why people say your brain rots during these two years is simply because the training schedule doesn’t exactly allow you to use your mental faculties (as many will find out). Usually, a training calendar would be interspersed with both, and the occasional overseas exercise.
The High Key Periods
Usually, such periods are spaced with preparation, and a week or so of ‘outfield’ training. That means going out in the jungle and staying up in the middle of the night (combat scenarios, anyone?). Running around with rifles, digging shellscrapes, or driving tanks, you name it. And don’t forget about cleaning when you come back! Dirty rifles are a no-go in any Sergeant’s book.
The Lull Periods
Everyone loves lull periods. You get to sleep in your bunk every day (okay not really, but it’s a figure of speech). People usually bring things to help them burn time in here. Life without computers in this digital age can get really boring.
The list of bizarre things includes:
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A violin/guitar/random musical instrument. Including electric keyboards (don’t ask me how people bring them in)
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A radio/Bluetooth speaker.
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A portable air conditioner. The bunk can be quite hot, despite the number of fans…
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A mini-fridge. And beer, believe it or not.
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A Bluetooth keyboard. My friend insists on bringing his work to camp. Ironically, I wrote drafts of this in camp; that didn’t really tur out well.
The list goes on and on. People also take this time to pick up something new – personally I’m trying to learn some French (but it isn’t really turning out well). Some choose to pick up advanced science in preparation for their future academic careers.
If you haven’t thought up of something crazy to do, now’s the time – you’d probably be wasting time anyway.
The People
For reasons not discussed here, your fellow soldiers tend to be your cushion of support. There isn’t any competition for promotions or anything. Some people don’t even want to get promoted (as sometimes that gives you opportunities to get more work in recognition of your ‘capability’). There’s this spirit of working together since you guys are forced to anyway. You get to learn each other’s quirks and make fun of it (often to their chagrin).
There are also the superiors. For some, it’s a love-hate relationship with the commanders. For others, it’s analogue to absolute hell on earth. Good commanders are, sad to say, quite rare. Usually it’s them who you’d die willingly alongside in combat, as clichéd as it sounds. They take care of the ranks – and they are accorded the respect and obedience that they expect.
Bad commanders are, also equally unfortunately, more common than not. They range from the strict (who just want to get things done), to some who choose to service their inadequacies, be it imaginary or real. You learn to deal with them, sooner or later, even though you may not be able to understand their idiosyncrasies.
The Experience
It’s honestly hard to really describe what meaning this has, especially since life can actually be quite mundane. But it’s a phase where most people grow in the most unexpected of areas. Other than the usual independence thing – there are some important lessons that can be taken away.
1. Being reliable isn’t always enough.
I can choose to do things to the best of my ability, but in a team, not everyone’s like you. You have to put up with all sorts of things (including Murphy’s law) that dooms you to getting butchered by your Sergeant. Imagine being considered ‘late’ just because one person forgot to bring his water canteen down!
2. There will always be unpleasant people.
Or slackers, as you would say. Work needs to get done – and the next thing you know these guys are scurrying somewhere. Most people, including myself, would hate them, since their inactivity decrees punishment for all.
3. Think of the future.
Like the above, I find this a very good salve for a troubled soul. Thinking about what can be is invigorating. It can give direction and purpose where there is none, especially in situations like a mundane life.
4. People are important.
In fact, they’re the most important thing. Being with people keeps you safe, keeps you sane, and keeps you happy. To share joy where there is mirth, to share the pain when you’re down. Friendships formed can last forever, and the people you know can shape your life and your future in ways you can never imagine.
To those who have just enlisted – I can only say that it’ll be a journey that you won’t forget. Whether it makes you a better person, is of course, debatable. This experience, as they say, is up to you to make it what it will be. To wannabe commanders – I hope this piece tells you more about the struggles of an individual soldier – and how important they are.
We rely on our armed forces to actually give us strength and weight in our foreign policy. In light of the recent diplomatic row over the naming of a ship – it is the individual soldier’s presence that gives us the courage to stand up in protest in protection of the pride of our country and the protection of our people from harm, be it psychological or physical.
To make an unpleasant experience a positive one – soldiers should not only rely on the camaraderie between them, but encouragement and support from people around them. People need recognition for their contribution beyond material ‘compensation’. As citizens of our country, the least we can do is to show appreciation for the common soldier and his burden.
