Saturday, March 28, 2009
The new PCs are finally here. Personally I was very curious about them. Not as if they come from another country, but the idea that I am getting someone who is of the same background as me to be my superior. It is just very interesting.
Some people may feel inferior, and in fact, I do feel that I am a second class citizen as compared to the officers. However, there must be something unique about my NSF superiors that they can make it to OCS and I don't. It is something that I can learn from them, if my superior is indeed that good. To my dismay, my new DY doesn't seem to be really happy with his postings - he wanted to be a PC and not a staff officer.
It seems that in army you will never get what you want.
************
I was talking to my ex-DY (who is now a PC in one of the company) about stuffs. I told him about the new DY and the fact that he doesn't really like his job. Then I thought - What was my original intentions when I knew that I got posted here?
During the trainee days, we did a survey and an express interest form - to express our interest in Command or Instructional. I was indifferent to both the options, but in the end I put instructional over command due to peer pressure. But I know I would benefit the most if I am posted to operational units. And so I was posted to a unit, and during UIP where our RSM asked us about our thinking being posted here. I remembered that most of the people said they wanted to go BMTC because it is better. When it was my turn I argued against BMTC. Not that it is what my boss wants to hear, but in reality, I really felt going BMT to be an instructor was boring. You have to teach the same thing over and over again for at least three times before you ORD. Your experience will probably just hentakaki at the recruits' stage. Coming to unit should expose myself to a wider spectrum of people, greater variety of lifestyles. Indeed, I am currently seeing two extremes of Singapore youths - one who studies very hard and will be a top ranking manager or CEO somewhere - and the other who can't study and form the base of Singapore's economy.
Apart from the exposure, I believed that I can learn the soft-skill of relating to people - motivate, discipline, etc - from the role of a section commander in a rifle company. Now I am in HQ, I only have two men to manage, and of course, office politics. Life has been very different from what I expected when I just graduated from SISPEC.
On March 13, 2009, my unit's recruits graduated. When I looked at my fellow peers who are posted to this unit together, their satisfaction is written all over their face. The result of their effort for the past three months is all reflected on the graduation parade. At the end of the parade, your own guys coming to you to thank you for coaching him, influencing him. The feeling must be exhilarating as their commander.
That day, I am just a spectator. Graduation parade serves no purpose for me. In fact, my remaining life in NS is not going to be marked with any milestones. I will ORD with little significant events worth mentioning or even to remember. That is life in HQ. We are the supporting staff that put up the stage for the fighters. We all know the importance of supporting staff. Without us, the fighters will not even be able to accomplish their mission. Everyone knows. But just how much will people out there appreciate your efforts. Just like we all know farmers are very important. Without them we will die of starvation. But just who thank them for the food you consume everyday? We don't see the process, only see the outcome. A lot of things that we do are not as easy as snapping fingers.
It is okay. I don't expect anything to change after this post.
*************
Influence, motivate, make a difference to other people's life.
Some people may feel inferior, and in fact, I do feel that I am a second class citizen as compared to the officers. However, there must be something unique about my NSF superiors that they can make it to OCS and I don't. It is something that I can learn from them, if my superior is indeed that good. To my dismay, my new DY doesn't seem to be really happy with his postings - he wanted to be a PC and not a staff officer.
It seems that in army you will never get what you want.
************
I was talking to my ex-DY (who is now a PC in one of the company) about stuffs. I told him about the new DY and the fact that he doesn't really like his job. Then I thought - What was my original intentions when I knew that I got posted here?
During the trainee days, we did a survey and an express interest form - to express our interest in Command or Instructional. I was indifferent to both the options, but in the end I put instructional over command due to peer pressure. But I know I would benefit the most if I am posted to operational units. And so I was posted to a unit, and during UIP where our RSM asked us about our thinking being posted here. I remembered that most of the people said they wanted to go BMTC because it is better. When it was my turn I argued against BMTC. Not that it is what my boss wants to hear, but in reality, I really felt going BMT to be an instructor was boring. You have to teach the same thing over and over again for at least three times before you ORD. Your experience will probably just hentakaki at the recruits' stage. Coming to unit should expose myself to a wider spectrum of people, greater variety of lifestyles. Indeed, I am currently seeing two extremes of Singapore youths - one who studies very hard and will be a top ranking manager or CEO somewhere - and the other who can't study and form the base of Singapore's economy.
Apart from the exposure, I believed that I can learn the soft-skill of relating to people - motivate, discipline, etc - from the role of a section commander in a rifle company. Now I am in HQ, I only have two men to manage, and of course, office politics. Life has been very different from what I expected when I just graduated from SISPEC.
On March 13, 2009, my unit's recruits graduated. When I looked at my fellow peers who are posted to this unit together, their satisfaction is written all over their face. The result of their effort for the past three months is all reflected on the graduation parade. At the end of the parade, your own guys coming to you to thank you for coaching him, influencing him. The feeling must be exhilarating as their commander.
That day, I am just a spectator. Graduation parade serves no purpose for me. In fact, my remaining life in NS is not going to be marked with any milestones. I will ORD with little significant events worth mentioning or even to remember. That is life in HQ. We are the supporting staff that put up the stage for the fighters. We all know the importance of supporting staff. Without us, the fighters will not even be able to accomplish their mission. Everyone knows. But just how much will people out there appreciate your efforts. Just like we all know farmers are very important. Without them we will die of starvation. But just who thank them for the food you consume everyday? We don't see the process, only see the outcome. A lot of things that we do are not as easy as snapping fingers.
It is okay. I don't expect anything to change after this post.
*************
Influence, motivate, make a difference to other people's life.
sharkfin fullstopped here
Saturday, March 21, 2009
It has been a really long long time since I last blog.
But you don't blog for small things that happen everyday, eh?
Actually, lots have happened during my absence in this space, just that I don't have time to keyboard them all down. I decide to blog today before I my memory starts to fade.
This weekend marks the end of block leave for the soldiers in my unit. Starting next Monday, everything is going to turn serious because these are the people that will stay and shine with the unit until they ORD. We have to start to be demanding because adjustment phase is over. Now they are trained soldiers who can take on tougher training, higher discipline, and greater responsibility. My job will become gradually more ops-orientated, and that's when the fun part will begin.
No matter how tough the training is during this period, everything will pale in comparison to September training. Hm.
7 months and 2 weeks more.
***********
Today I went for commissioning parade for Jun Quan and Yan Zhi. Initially I thought I am going alone, until Xin Wei called me on Friday night telling me that she and Elicia will be going too. Not bad at all - both their accompaniment and the parade.
Photos later, still waiting for people to upload to me.
Bumped into a few people that I know at the parade.. my unit's friend.. JC friends.. Secondary school friends.. CCA friends.. sometimes I thought Army shrinks the already-very-small Singapore even smaller. Anyway, as usual it was camera whoring again, ok it is not that bad, but this is an opportunity that you will only get once in your lifetime - regardless if you are commssion from OCS or graduating from SISPEC. It was great to see Jun Quan as the contigent commander. I feel really happy for them to be able to make it through the dragging 9 months. Their joy, excitement written all over the moment the peak cap is thrown. I can understand how they feel - the day which all cadets (I was once a cadet too ok? SCT!) are waiting for. It is the day where all the trianing we have been doing is for.
but when the D-Day actually came, it is more like anticlimax. What lies beyond the commissioning parade is uncertainty - about the new place that everyone will be going, and sadness - to have to part with buddies who have been fighting alongside with you all these while. It is something that only people who go through will understand - the mixed feeling after you actually graduated. It is the day we have been looking forward to every day as a trainee, but it happened so quickly that we don't have time to saviour the sweetness of our achievements long enough.
Nonetheless, I feel happy tonight - felt that I just graduated from SISPEC again.. the parade square of tears, joy and disappointment - and that is, NS experience.
But you don't blog for small things that happen everyday, eh?
Actually, lots have happened during my absence in this space, just that I don't have time to keyboard them all down. I decide to blog today before I my memory starts to fade.
This weekend marks the end of block leave for the soldiers in my unit. Starting next Monday, everything is going to turn serious because these are the people that will stay and shine with the unit until they ORD. We have to start to be demanding because adjustment phase is over. Now they are trained soldiers who can take on tougher training, higher discipline, and greater responsibility. My job will become gradually more ops-orientated, and that's when the fun part will begin.
No matter how tough the training is during this period, everything will pale in comparison to September training. Hm.
7 months and 2 weeks more.
***********
Today I went for commissioning parade for Jun Quan and Yan Zhi. Initially I thought I am going alone, until Xin Wei called me on Friday night telling me that she and Elicia will be going too. Not bad at all - both their accompaniment and the parade.
Photos later, still waiting for people to upload to me.
Bumped into a few people that I know at the parade.. my unit's friend.. JC friends.. Secondary school friends.. CCA friends.. sometimes I thought Army shrinks the already-very-small Singapore even smaller. Anyway, as usual it was camera whoring again, ok it is not that bad, but this is an opportunity that you will only get once in your lifetime - regardless if you are commssion from OCS or graduating from SISPEC. It was great to see Jun Quan as the contigent commander. I feel really happy for them to be able to make it through the dragging 9 months. Their joy, excitement written all over the moment the peak cap is thrown. I can understand how they feel - the day which all cadets (I was once a cadet too ok? SCT!) are waiting for. It is the day where all the trianing we have been doing is for.
but when the D-Day actually came, it is more like anticlimax. What lies beyond the commissioning parade is uncertainty - about the new place that everyone will be going, and sadness - to have to part with buddies who have been fighting alongside with you all these while. It is something that only people who go through will understand - the mixed feeling after you actually graduated. It is the day we have been looking forward to every day as a trainee, but it happened so quickly that we don't have time to saviour the sweetness of our achievements long enough.
Nonetheless, I feel happy tonight - felt that I just graduated from SISPEC again.. the parade square of tears, joy and disappointment - and that is, NS experience.
sharkfin fullstopped here