A TASTE OF THE 3RD GENERATION SAF AT SINGAPORE DAY

For some people, combat rations and the Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) are things that they go out of their way to avoid.

On 4 Oct in Melbourne, however, as thousands of Singaporeans living abroad thronged the grounds of Sidney Myer Music Bowl for Singapore Day 2008, many were seen having a great time as they checked out what the 3rd Generation Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) had to offer.

From the freshly cooked meals and piping hot drinks served by the Mobile Field Kitchen (MFK) to the fully-automated Electronic IPPT Scoring System (ELISS) and advanced training simulator games, the overseas community was impressed by how far the SAF had progressed over the last 40 years into a modern and well-equipped force.

Commenting on the marked improvement of palatable food served in the military, IT professional Gurdeep Singh told cyberpioneer that it was a real "luxury".

"We never used to have this during the good old days," he recalled.

Enthused 37-year-old Joyce Pow, who had sampled some of the combat rations: "It's pretty tasty. I think it's even better than the hokkien mee and the char kway teow (from the food stalls)."

Her husband, Lucas Maw, agreed, saying: "Yeah, it's a great change from the past... They've upgraded a lot, and you can see how they've changed in terms of the uniform, the food and technology."

As the largest booth on show during Singapore Day, the NS: 40 Years On exhibition aimed to be both informative and interactive.

Not only were overseas Singaporeans able to get some hands-on experience in trying the new IPPT system, tasting army rations and testing out the training simulators, they also had the opportunity to speak to a team of SAF and Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) personnel who were on-site.

Concerned parents, such as part-time accountant Maggie Lua, appreciated the chance to clarify their queries with some of the officers.

"This is very important, because my son will be going back for National Service (NS), and there are a lot of things I wanted to clear up," she explained. "I want to make sure that everything is okay for him."

For First Sergeant (1SG) Han Kok Teng, a Fitness Specialist who was manning the ELISS display, he felt that such interactions were very useful in helping to understand and address the concerns of Singaporeans residing overseas.

He shared that many parents of pre-enlistees approached him with queries regarding physical fitness and Basic Military Training (BMT).

According to 1SG Han, getting to reassure them about the progressive nature of the army's fitness training and "seeing their expressions being filled with confidence in the SAF and its physical training system" was his key takeaway from the entire experience.