OPS & TRAINING

WELCOME TO BMT

01 Feb 2017

feb17_fs1

STORY // Ong Hong Tat
PHOTO // Kenneth Lin & courtesy of Army

Welcome to BMT

As the new year begins, most of Singapore returns to work. These boys, however, are starting on a new journey - Basic Military Training (BMT).

Ahead of them lies nine weeks of BMT. In those nine weeks, this batch of 460 boys will learn what it means to be a citizen-soldier. There are new things to learn, new faces to get to know, and tests to pass before they become trained soldiers of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

The nation marks 50 years of National Service (NS) in 2017. While training methods have evolved and improved, the need for NS remains the same - that Singaporeans must have the skills and the will to defend their homeland.

Join these boys on their first day.

Day One of BMT: These boys are about to begin the first stage of NS.
Making sure everything is okay: 2nd Lieutenant Alcan Sng (top right) checks with staff from the Central Manpower Base on the SAF 11B identification cards that will be issued to the enlistees upon arrival.
0910hrs: The first ferry carrying the enlistees and their families arrive at the Pulau Tekong ferry terminal. The island will be home to the boys for the next nine weeks.
New enlistees begin their journey by exchanging their NRICs for military identification materials.
The enlistees checking out the packets issued to them. In these are their SAF 11Bs, their military identity discs, an SAF ez-link card for concessionary public transport use, and various other documents.
Getting briefed on what to do with the documents handed to them. The enlistees are given slips of paper with their assigned company and contact numbers to hand to their families.
The enlistees' families walking through BMTC, or Basic Military Training Centre, to the cookhouse where they will get a taste of the food that the enlistees will be served during BMT.
Families say farewell to their sons over lunch, as they will only see each other when the recruits book out after the adjustment period of two weeks.
Family members waving goodbye before the recruits are led to their accommodations.
The new recruits attending a briefing by their instructors at the company line.
Hair today, gone today: The recruits line up for their haircut. This will be the only hairstyle they are allowed to keep during BMT, for hygiene and training purposes. Some are sad to see their mop go, while others try to make light of it.
Equipment check: The recruits hold up various items as their instructors read off a list. This is to make sure that each recruit has all the gear he needs.
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