Boot camp call-up
Ms Michelle Wong and Ms Rachael Adelina (middle) get a taste of Basic Military Training during the two-day-one-night Women's Boot Camp. Photos: CNA
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You’ve heard the stories before. The dreaded route marches and beastly obstacle course. The outfield rations and jokes about being married to their rifle. The compulsory National Service (NS) that every Singaporean son has to undergo remains a mystery to many women, even with all those NS stories they’ve heard countless times over.
But in 2018, the Ang Mo Kio Women’s Executive Committee organised a two-day-one-night boot camp for women to get a taste of what Basic Military Training (BMT) was like, under an initiative by The Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence (ACCORD).
Its success warranted a repeat this year. Ladies, Fall In! is a new programme providing a glimpse at what happened at the boot camp this year. Here’s what two participants, Ms Michelle Wong, 51 and Ms Rachael Adelina, 26 – both of whom are mothers – had to say about their experience.
HANDS-ON MUMS
Ms Wong’s decision to join the boot camp could be put down to maternal instinct. She works as a freelance editor and is a mother of three boys, the eldest of whom is currently serving NS.
“I decided to join the camp for a taste of what NS life is, or would be like, for my three sons,” she shared.
Ms Saravanan was just as curious, even if her daughter was only six months old. The physiotherapy assistant wanted to know how army life was like, and signed up the moment she saw an advertisement online.
“Although my husband has shared a lot about his NS days, I just wanted to experience it myself.”
CHALLENGES, ACCEPTED
Ms Saravanan practising the fine art of camouflage application.
But surely the ladies must have had some apprehensions about the camp?
Said Ms Saravanan: “I thought my biggest challenge would be the SOC (standard obstacle course) because I'm a little bigger in size.” But with a little support from her teammates, she rose up to the challenge and found herself “enjoying every moment”.
Ms Wong agreed that people’s attitudes mattered the most. “In life, perhaps the greatest challenge, as well as opportunity, lies with people. It is the people who count and make a difference, and the Women’s Boot Camp reinforced this principle.”
She was happy to find that “participants seemed keen to make the camp work”.
BOTH SONS AND DAUGHTERS
With her eldest already in the army, Ms Wong has long prepared her younger sons for NS, making sure they exercise and signing them up for unarmed combat lessons. The boot camp gave her added perspective.
“I enjoyed learning about the weapons, procedures and protocols as well as getting to know the people who serve in the SAF (Singapore Armed Forces) and SAFVC (SAF Volunteer Corps), and other participants. The organisers took great effort to ensure the participants’ safety, and I appreciate that.”
The experience also gave Ms Wong and her eldest son additional common ground.
“I am happy that I am now more knowledgeable of some of the standard practices and terms used. I was sharing how I had difficulty with the triple wall obstacle and the vertical climb in the SOC, how I fired 15 blanks from an SAR21 without problem, and that I now know what ‘I.A.! I.A.!’ (immediate action – this is the term soldiers shout to alert other range users that their rifle is experiencing issues firing) means!”
Ms Wong gets to grips with the SAR 21 assault rifle.
Even with all the handling of weapons and exposure to challenging environments, Ms Wong was assured that her sons will go into a safe training environment.”I am much more confident that the Army can and will serve its function for Singapore and for the Sons of Singapore,” she said.
Ms Saravanan felt that “safety measures are well-taken care of” and was convinced she would support her daughter if she volunteered to join the armed forces.
FINDING FAMILIARITY AND UNDERSTANDING
NS has long been touted as a good way to achieve solidarity, and the ladies also found themselves naturally bonding over the activities.
Ms Saravanan grew to understand Ms Wong a lot better in just two days as they were both in the same group. “She is a caring person and is always there to help and motivate her team members, taking up all the roles and responsibilities given to her – always on time and cheerfully,” she added.
It turned out to be the start of a precious friendship. Said Ms Wong: “Rachael shared her experience as a young mother, such as managing the pregnancy, life with an infant, the costs of childcare, and her hopes for her daughter. I appreciated her honesty.”
LIFELONG LESSONS
It may only have been two days, but the camp left our mothers with plenty of memories.
Said Ms Saravanan: “The boot camp has taught me to be brave, and to fight for the right things, in the right way.”
Added Ms Wong: “The defence of our nation is no mean feat. It takes people who are aligned, trained and dutiful to ensure that.”
Curious about what these ladies experienced? Watch them discover more about National Service and what our boys go through in this look at army life in Singapore.
