TOUGH LOVE

photo1 https://www.defencepioneer.sg/images/default-source/_migrated_english/photo1c3e4d5bc-6451-4946-b7eb-c1dff2757bca.jpg?sfvrsn=d09a7ba8_2 https://www.defencepioneer.sg/pioneer-articles/TOUGH-LOVE
https://www.defencepioneer.sg/pioneer-articles/TOUGH-LOVE
TOUGH LOVE
08 Sep 2014 | OPS & TRAINING

TOUGH LOVE

STORY // Ong Hong Tat

PHOTO // Chai Sian Liang

Getting the cold shoulder

The trainees have been drilled almost non-stop from Day 1. Exhausted, they are packed into boats filled with ice blocks and water in a test of teamwork and physical endurance.

We're in the same boat

Boat PT (Physical Training) is a naval diver course staple - the teamwork needed to carry your boat even in the most exhausted state is crucial to mission success.

Cooling measures

The trainees getting a hose-down in between boat PT drills.

You drop, I drop

Trainees supporting each other's weight on their shoulders in a push-up position. This is an intense exercise that can only succeed if each man holds on, no matter how exhausted he is.

It's never a simple dip in the sea.

In an exercise called the Sea Circuit, trainees must complete an obstacle course out at sea, climbing ropes and balancing on narrow beams.

Wet & sandy

Trainees (who are just back from a sea swim) are told to get themselves sandy as possible to acclimatise themselves to eventual beach operations.

So you want to give up?

The hallowed NDU bell - all the diver trainees have to do is ring the bell, and they can leave the CDC. It's a test of mental toughness as the instructors taunt the trainees.

Paddle me

Trainees now have to paddle their way to another training location for their situational test, where they are assessed on their leadership and problem-solving abilities under extreme conditions.

Rest

When you are a naval diver, this is what rest looks like. The trainees huddle together in the pool and stretch out their tired muscles.

Advanced boat skills

Already exhausted from days of physical activity, the trainees are pushed to conduct capsize drills - an essential diver skill which teaches them how to safely right a boat which has overturned in water.

No rest

All wet from earlier drills, the trainees are made to do simple aerobic exercises. This is to get them accustomed to the unrelenting physical tempo of real operations when there may be little or no rest.

Hygiene matters

Trainees getting a wash-down before meal time. This is standard practice before meals, to make sure that basic hygiene is not neglected even during the toughest training.

Can't keep my eyes open

It's almost the end of the course and the trainees are asked to write essays; this is one of the mental aspects of the course which tests how far the trainees can push themselves mentally through fatigue.

It's the end

Cheers of joy and relief all round as Team Building Week (TBW) is declared over. The trainees are never told of the exact time or even date that TBW ends - it's at the discretion of the trainers.
Tags september-2014-issue
Suggested Reading
Feature
SAF lingo – 2025 version
OPS & TRAINING
08 Sep 2014

We lied. There is no 2025 version, there is just ONE version. The same one that your father used when he served in the SAF.
Feature
Down the line
OPS & TRAINING
08 Sep 2014

It was built to train soldiers in tower and helicopter rappelling insertions as well as fast roping. Join us as we check out the Rappelling Training Facility!

Cover story
FIRST ENLISTEES OF 2025
OPS & TRAINING
08 Sep 2014

Welcome to BMT: Join the new year’s first batch of enlistees as they begin their NS journey at Pulau Tekong!

Cover story
UNOFFICIAL LIST: WHAT TO PACK FOR ENLISTMENT
OPS & TRAINING
08 Sep 2014

We all know the essentials to pack for BMT – NRIC, basic toiletries and extra underwear. But what other items help ease you into your confinement period? We’ve compiled an unofficial list here.

CREATING BONDS THROUGH MILITARY MEMORABILIA
OPS & TRAINING
08 Sep 2014

Some collectors collect stamps, others, stickers. But ME2 (NS) Lim Geng Qi boasts a unique military memorabilia collection of over 1,200 items!

Lawyer by day, military artist by night
OPS & TRAINING
08 Sep 2014

Photograph or painting? At this year’s Military Hobby Fest, we met 1SG (NS) Samuel Ling Ying Hong, a self-taught aviation oil painter who spends up to 50 hours on each realistic artwork.

Cover story
AIRBORNE!
OPS & TRAINING
08 Sep 2014

Marking 10 years this December: The Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF’s) one-of-a-kind training facility prepares trainees to become competent and confident airborne troopers.

IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY
OPS & TRAINING
08 Sep 2014

The fourth child in Singapore’s first set of quintuplets, LTA Annabelle Chin Li En made a mid-career switch to follow in her parents’ footsteps and serve the country.

Flying High with Defence Innovation
OPS & TRAINING
08 Sep 2014

A hybrid UAV with enhanced flight capabilities and software systems that analyse data from the Internet to detect online terrorism threats – these were some of the projects featured at this year’s Defence Technology Prize award ceremony. 

Cover story
NAVY RETIRES LAST OF ITS CHALLENGER-CLASS SUBMARINES
OPS & TRAINING
08 Sep 2014

RSS Conqueror and RSS Chieftain were decommissioned today at Changi Naval Base, closing the chapter on more than two decades of service of Singapore’s first submarines.