why was our soldiers used as movers after NDP?

[Zeisser]

Back in the early NDP days where it was held at the Padang the soldiers were the very ones who erected the scaffold seats and thereafter
dismantled them.At least now they do not have to do this on the floating platform so this is part of their NS.

 

[ed9119]

ha ha ha Dennis, when I did NDP duty in 1980 (infantry 5SIR)... it was NOT just a saturday thing for 2 months
there is work to be done on weekdays too and most of it was outside of camp which was damn shiok
LOVED IT

a. excused from field training and exercise
b. hard work sure... but we were (are!!) young and it was a great bonding experience
c. get to work with and check out the nurses and policewomen ... and civillian chicks
d. good food (vs cookhouse)
e. actual hard work on Saturday rehersals was only a few of hours moving/storing the metal barricades
f. just wear No. 4 or vest and slacks with boots n beret ... no need to wear helmet , sbo etc
g. got days off accumulated
h. to to be in the city itself all day rather than stuck in Sembawang or some god-forsaken training area

AND for sure BETTER THAN being in the marching contingent under the hot blazing sun in Full Battle Order (last time NDP is in middle of the afternoon and after march-in have to tahan under the sun for LOOooooong time before President arrives )......

This year I was actually shocked to see (during one rehersal) a couple of soldiers in the marching contingent collapse under the cool evening after 7pm .... embarassing

 

[wolfton]

Guys out there who complain, you really want govt to outsource all these? Such simple jobs? Then can you all propose how you all want the military to be?

I don't know if any of these army boys involved complained. If ever my son come back home and complain such things to me, I will surely carry out my "family punishment". Seriously.

My worry is not about him doing such task. My worry is such task are no longer required for them in the future. I will prefer my son coming out fron army being a much stronger person, not someone who knows nothing but complain.

 

[wolfton]

do you think our foreign construction workers have such luxuries as well?

not comparing our NSFs and other regulars to construction workers, but it's a good starting point to show these kids how good they have it as well, compared to our hired labourers who get a pittance for all that hard work.

and i suppose you haven't done it as well.

because we've all gone through it. this event is our blood, sweat and tears. and i suppose that we, as citizens of Singapore aren't too weak and pampered to do such work.

also, this makes them take full ownership of the task that's been given to them, and not always rely on others to do everything. even if it's not your core duty, it trains you to be able to do other things, in addition to what you already have

Very well said

 

[Yutaka Go]

ha ha ha Dennis, when I did NDP duty in 1980 (infantry 5SIR)... it was NOT just a saturday thing for 2 months
there is work to be done on weekdays too and most of it was outside of camp which was damn shiok
LOVED IT

a. excused from field training and exercise
b. hard work sure... but we were (are!!) young and it was a great bonding experience
c. get to work with and check out the nurses and policewomen ... and civillian chicks
d. good food (vs cookhouse)
e. actual hard work on Saturday rehersals was only a few of hours moving/storing the metal barricades
f. just wear No. 4 or vest and slacks with boots n beret ... no need to wear helmet , sbo etc
g. got days off accumulated
h. to to be in the city itself all day rather than stuck in Sembawang or some god-forsaken training area

AND for sure BETTER THAN being in the marching contingent under the hot blazing sun in Full Battle Order (last time NDP is in middle of the afternoon and after march-in have to tahan under the sun for LOOooooong time before President arrives )......

This year I was actually shocked to see (during one rehersal) a couple of soldiers in the marching contingent collapse under the cool evening after 7pm .... embarassing

well said

During my NS, I was also helping out during the 1995 NDP at Padang.

It was an enjoyable experience. We get to eat free KFC every weekend

 

[huatman]

Nothing new.. some of them actually volunteer to do it.

Not only just NDP, there are often deployed to carry out the set up for lot of events. Big or small, eg open house, runway cycling etc.
Army/navy/airforce boys, both NSFs and regulars (especially those units dun have or very few NSFs). Some servicewomen also doing other stuffs.
Certain units/squadrons will in charge of certain things every year.

 

[keithwee]

I was angered when, after the NDP, walking from MBS towards Esplanade, our soldiers were tasked to remove all road blocks, ie those plastic red and white castle look alike blocks as well as those yellow metal blockage. It should have been outsourced to companies!! Atleast their employees get pay.

Not only were our soldiers were treated like Coolie, they were not given proper tools!!! Soldiers wearing 1/2 u, many wearing full smart 4 with berets all pushing the huge plastic red, white road blocks on the road across the bridge between MBS n Flyers, along the road from Esplanade to Flyers. The rest was carrying the yellow metal blockage!!

Since the roads are blocked, why cant vehicles be driven to where they blockages are & just load up? Else trolleys or pallet jacks could have been use!!! What is all this talks about modernized army?? What were the officers thinking when they were in meeting, planning?

It is long weekends & or Muslim friends still celebrating their new year & Citizens are celebrating ND!!! How can we treat our soldier as Coolie!!! This is simply outrageous!!!

Simply because they can be used as such.

Why outsource all these jobs outside when u've healthy men bounded by law to serve 24/7? Simple qn of economics. Moreover, most likely the overall boss of the organizing committee will see this as mobilizing his assets and at the same time giving the boys an 'opportunity' to serve the nation and get some exercise. Life isn't all black and white, it can be gray too.

Anyone who has served NS before definitely have seen something similar. I remember being given the 'glorious' task to pluck out all the weeds from the gaps between the tiles in the parade square cause the boots of some 'big big shot' would be gracing the parade sq for around 1 hr.

 

[petetherock]

Bro
What unit were you in?
Did you clean the parade square?
Help to clean up an old folks home?
Come come, someone has to clean up and a bunch of young fit men moving a few plastic blocks is really nothing. Are you that spoilt that you can't?
I was assigned to look after Tony Tan in 1995 for the NDP and have to shadow him 24/7 during that time, and if any of the VIPs need medical evac, we had exactly 2 mins to get them from the top of the VIP area to the ambulance below.
I was in the Palembang crew, and you had dead rotting bodies all over.
We had side arms for PNG - loaded and ready for use.
That was army for you and I have plenty to share with my comrades.

Service for my country.

I was angered when, after the NDP, walking from MBS towards Esplanade, our soldiers were tasked to remove all road blocks, ie those plastic red and white castle look alike blocks as well as those yellow metal blockage. It should have been outsourced to companies!! Atleast their employees get pay.

Not only were our soldiers were treated like Coolie, they were not given proper tools!!! Soldiers wearing 1/2 u, many wearing full smart 4 with berets all pushing the huge plastic red, white road blocks on the road across the bridge between MBS n Flyers, along the road from Esplanade to Flyers. The rest was carrying the yellow metal blockage!!

Since the roads are blocked, why cant vehicles be driven to where they blockages are & just load up? Else trolleys or pallet jacks could have been use!!! What is all this talks about modernized army?? What were the officers thinking when they were in meeting, planning?

It is long weekends & or Muslim friends still celebrating their new year & Citizens are celebrating ND!!! How can we treat our soldier as Coolie!!! This is simply outrageous!!!

 

[dreaming]

i empathize with Denniskee. with a 3G army, why still use hands when can use more advanced machinery? forklift / crane / even robot :angel:

why introduce 3G army to cut down manpower / male enlistee and then use those soldier to do bangala work scope?

why not have them on standby for any intrusion during these period than the participating in the wayang show...

since 70% of the NDP parade does not involve the military, might as well sub-contract out to vendor?

since commander-in-chief of the NDP are from the forces, might as well sub-contract out to those event organiser. i bet they do a more colorful interesting job with nicer songs

 

[dreaming]

furthermore, if soldier is injured during the moving of the barrier, how are they compensated since this is definitely not in their work scope? and are soldier covered under insurance during the NDP?

i mean what happen if the soldier injured their back when moving the barrier. YOU MIGHT LAUGH but it is very real. i have encounter such cases and the outcome is very nasty...

 

[kei1309]

furthermore, if soldier is injured during the moving of the barrier, how are they compensated since this is definitely not in their work scope? and are soldier covered under insurance during the NDP?

i mean what happen if the soldier injured their back when moving the barrier. YOU MIGHT LAUGH but it is very real. i have encounter such cases and the outcome is very nasty...

Who says that the army will shirk responsibility? You're indirectly saying that the people responsible for our stability are irresponsible.

I take it that you never had men under your command whose medical treatment was fully paid for by the government. If u know nothing but dreams, you should keep quiet

 

[ricohflex]

Erm...we worry too much for them. In my time of NS, some NS men getting killed/injured and it is not uncommon.

Now we fuss over NS men moving a few plastic car barriers and fear that doing so may injure their backs.

I have seen soldiers in Arty backpacking the mortar, like this:
(and separately another soldier backpacking the base plate)

 

[dreaming]

Erm...we worry too much for them. In my time of NS, some NS men getting killed/injured and it is not uncommon.

I have seen soldiers in Arty backpacking the mortar.

Now we fuss over NS men moving a few plastic car barriers and fear that doing so may injure their backs.

no you should not jump to conclusion again. carry a mortar for a artillery man is legitimate. his vocation spells it..
but clearing the road of those barrier? fence?
unless fence is barbed wire.. laid by Military police...
it is more on correct assignment, duty...

 

[dreaming]

when everything is fine, road cleared, fence cleared, rubbish cleared, men go homes, crowd happy, commander satisfied, jobs are done. people generally don't care much.. why not give those poor army boy a rest than standby there to clear the road block?

 

[cks2k2]

lol
took you 48 years to figure that out.

every country will use its army boys when massive amount of manpower is needed. deal with it.

 

[ahboy168]

Why don't we deploy army men to fight mosquito ! Faster come clear my drain.

 

[huatman]

Why don't we deploy army men to fight mosquito ! Faster come clear my drain.

They have their own drains in camps to clear. Since it Your drain, u do the cleaning yourselves.

 

[-120-]

It has been a practice for the last 48years does not necessary mean or make it is a right one.

 

[sjackal]

It is a right practice.

This is training, from physical up to the commandeering skills of the officers involved. It is not easy to do such large scale ops within a few hours. We must give it to them for that and must not look at it as a form of demeaning service. In times of war buildings collapses and they may be mobilized to such jobs too. During the disasters in other countries, ie earthquakes, its probably part of the work.

 

[airfins]

It's more about the core duties of NSF. They are in NS to protect the country, sharpening their skills with exercise and mission. Sure there are arrows to clean the drain and parade square as that's the area the live in, even area cleaning of common areas were sub out now so the men have more time to do missions. Reservice duration were also cut from 3 weeks+ to 2 weeks + as they are now pack with mission other then canteen breaks ( that save the tax payer 1 week of make up pay too) Needless to say if it comes to nature disaster salvage or rescue operation, NSF or NS men will be activated as it is different from Events such as National Day. If they have time to do events and functions, that means NS duration should be cut shorter as time spend not doing military training equals to time wasted. NSF do not need to push road blocks to exercise, route march and SEAL PT will harden them up 10 time more in the same 3-4 hrs.

Those who help out in National Day are attach out, they will be happy as they excuse training to protect our country. Is that right? Attach out to excuse training for the very reason they are enlisted for? Same goes to those attach out for sports, unless they are representing Singapore. Bear in mind the Lion 12 football players are not even allow to attach out to play in the matches which they represent the country.


The very reason why Army are task to organise the NDP is for the free labour to do work which does not involve training to be a better fighting solider.