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Army personnel jogging around Pasir Laba Camp on 21 May were surprised to see some Junior College students gamely firing away on General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs). Toting camouflage-green packets of field rations and standard-issue orange earplugs, the 300 students from Hwa Chong Institution, Temasek Junior College and Victoria Junior College were visiting the School of Infantry Specialists (SISPEC). Organised by Nexus, the trip aimed to help the students appreciate our Army's capabilities and the need for National Service.
The visit involved was designed as a tour of the facilities and equipment in SISPEC, to maximise hands-on opportunities. It included the firing of various weapons, displays of night fighting and other hardware, tasting of combat rations and visits to the soldiers' bunks. For many of the guys, it was a preview of what they will be experiencing in a few years. Hwa Chong student Lin Yu Qun said, "The visit was very enriching as it gave me an insight of what NS is about. It has mentally prepared me on knowing what to expect, like the weight of the field pack."
A large number of girls also volunteered for the visit, even though they are not required to serve National Service. For them, it was a rare opportunity to see an Army camp, and find out what their male counterparts will be doing. Temasek Junior College student Joy Lai said, "It's been a very entertaining visit and the Army's very cool. I was expecting canned food, but the field rations were actually very nice, better than my canteen food! I even took home some."
The visit also boosted the students' belief in our Army's capabilities. SISPEC School Sergeant Major MWO Lim Song Siam explained, "We showed them what the Army can do for Singapore in times of crisis, and what they can contribute when they come to serve." LTC Phay added, "The military option is one of our total defence strategies, and we want the students to know it is a viable one. For the other pillars like economic and social, they are more visible to the public. But military defence is the one which they don't see fully in their everyday life."
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