ARMY OPEN HOUSE RETURNS AFTER 5 YEARS
//Story by THRINA THAM //Photos by KENNETH LIN
After five years, the Army Open House (AOH) will return at the end of the month, with a showcase of 24 Army platforms, battle rides, interactive activities and shows to thrill and engage the public.
Themed "Generations of Strength", AOH will be open to the public at the F1 Pit Building from 28 to 30 May. It was last held during NS50 in 2017.
For the first time, the Army will integrate both the physical and virtual components of AOH to reach a wider audience. This includes a virtual exhibition to be hosted on the AOH22 website from 16 May to 12 Jun.
"Being a citizen Army, it is all the more important that Singaporeans know and understand who we are, and it's for this reason…that we are having a virtual exhibition for the first time in AOH to broaden the reach to more Singaporeans," said Chairman AOH executive committee, Colonel (COL) Xu Youfeng, 39.
He added that it is befitting for AOH to coincide with the NS55 milestone because NS is the bedrock of the Army.
After its run at the F1 Pit Building, AOH22 will move to heartland areas Punggol and Bishan over the subsequent weekends (3 to 5 Jun, and 10 to 12 Jun respectively). This includes the NS55 Showcase and other interactive exhibits such as a mission-based night walk.
Unlike its previous editions, AOH22 will be ticketed by timeslot to spread out the crowd.
"Learning from our COVID-19 experiences, we think that ticketing…is an effective tool to enhance the visitor experience by reducing overcrowding (and lines)," said COL Xu, who is also Chief Infantry Officer.
Visitors will be able to book tickets for 2hr timeslots at the F1 Pit Building from 9am to 8pm. The Army will release 6,000 tickets per timeslot, for up to 30,000 visitors per day.
The heartland events will host 1hr timeslots, with 400 tickets per timeslot.
How to visit AOH22
Members of public will have to book tickets to visit AOH22 at the F1 Pit Building and in the heartlands. Ticket allocation will be on a first-come-first-served basis.
Booking begins on 16 May at www.go.gov.sg/AOH22
Visitors will have to create an AOH22 account to make the booking and each account can book up to five admission tickets.
Highlights at F1 Pit Building
At the F1 Pit Building, visitors can get up close with a line-up of platforms including the Hunter Armoured Fighting Vehicle, the Protected Response Vehicle, and the Republic of Singapore Air Force's AH-64D Apache helicopter.
Uniformed personnel will be on-site to interact and share with visitors about the platforms.
Visitors can also experience battle rides on five platforms, including going through uneven terrain on a Terrex, sailing through the waters off the Marina Bay area on a M3G military raft and flying on a CH-47SD Chinook helicopter. Booking of these rides are to be made on-site.
To mark 55 years of NS, there will be an interactive NS55 showcase charting the evolution of NS through the years at AOH22.
The showcase, split into three zones, will feature augmented-reality (AR) elements and have hands-on activities from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the Home Team. There will also be a 4D multi-sensory show for visitors to experience the everyday operations of national servicemen.
The showcase will end with an appreciation zone for visitors to pledge their support for NS and express their thanks to servicemen.
Other highlights at the F1 Pit Building include an AR photobooth for visitors to take photos "dressed" in virtual uniforms and an indoor drone arena where enthusiasts can pilot their own drones.
The crowd-favourite Red Lions will return in a free fall parachute jump in the Army Showcase. They will be joined by the SAF Band in a military tattoo and military vehicles in a street parade.
Virtual and heartland events
For those unable to make it down for the physical exhibition, the NS55 Showcase will also be held online on the AOH website, featuring the three zones and an interactive video.
Livestreams of the events and shows happening at the F1 Pit Building – such as the Red Lions jump and street parade – will also be available online.
Online visitors can take part in online games and stand a chance to win AOH22 souvenirs. These include action-packed games such as driving combat vehicles over an obstacle course, shooting with a SAR 21 rifle in a virtual range and piloting a drone through an obstacle field.
Meanwhile, those planning on visiting the heartland events can expect to see the NS55 Showcase as well as other interactive exhibits from the F1 Pit Building run.
This includes the "Experience the Night" zone where visitors can don Night Vision Goggles to take on a mission-based night walk.
For the adventurous, there will also be the "Soldier Strong Obstacle Course", featuring obstacles such as the Tyre Field, the Low Wall and the Balancing Beam; and the "Be a Marksman" zone to try out firing from the SAR 21 rifle loaded with smart magazines.
Visit the AOH22 website (www.go.gov.sg/AOH22) from 16 May onwards for more details.
