Good News : Changes to BMT

Damn it, going for the national service seems much easier now.

- with trolley bags

- short serving period

and now, shorter BMT for PTP batches, looks like the time frame, we need to spend on National service is getting shorter.

From a 2.5 years serving period, it has been cut down to 2 years. I remember that i was the last of the 2.5 years batch in the army. Shortly after i "graduated" from the army, my next batch of juniors graduated with me. Did i waste another 6 months in the army? Probably a yes~

The reduction is due to the new technologies that we adopt. However, we still cant be complacent and rely too much on technology. Sometimes, there are fields where human intervention is still needed.

Quantity > Quality!

Read more :

Singapore: Changes will be made to the Basic Military Training programme for National Service recruits from 2010.

There will be a a new 19—week BMT for obese recruits, and either a 9—week or 4—week customised BMT for other classes of recruits to better prepare them for their subsequent combat, combat support and combat service support roles.

Releasing details on Friday from the its two—stage review, the Singapore Armed Forces said recruits whose Body Mass Index (BMI) exceeds 27 will have to undergo the new 19—week BMT programme that is designed to help them improve their physical fitness incrementally while equipping them with basic soldiering skills and knowledge.

This is with effect from February 2010.

It said the programme was introduced after a review to strengthen the BMT system as it was seen that over time, obese recruits have shown that they can achieve optimal fitness levels and weight loss in about 19 weeks.

Recruits who are medically fit for deployment in selected combat and combat support vocations, such as signal operators, combat medics and naval system operators will be given a new medical classification of PES B2, in place of the existing PES C1 classification.

The SAF said this is to ensure that the medical classification of the soldiers is consistent with their deployment and the recruits will undergo a new 9—week programme from June 2010, that will include customised physical training, as well as basic combat training to prepare them for their combat and combat support roles.

As for those who are placed as PES C recruits, they too will undergo a new 9—week BMT programme from June 2010, with light physical and vocational training. This is to prepare them for combat service support vocations, such as service medic, and those related to logistics and administration such as supply assistants.

There’s also a new 4—week BMT programme that will be conducted for PES E recruits, focusing on National Education, SAF core values, regimentation and discipline, as well as vocational training to prepare recruits for combat service support vocations.

There will be no change to the standard BMT for PES A/B recruits.

In the first phase of the review, the SAF looked at how recruits undergoing the 4—week Physical Training Phase (PTP) could be better prepared for BMT.

This resulted in the introduction of an 8—week PTP which will raise PTP recruits’ physical fitness to a level that is comparable to their direct—BMT peers.

The new PTP programme will begin in December 2009.

source http://sg.news.yahoo.com/cna/20091204/tap-481-changes-ns-basic-military-traini-231650b.html