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Military training will progressively intensify in the coming months with the Covid-19 security measures firmly established, the Ministry of Defense (Mindef) said yesterday.
Basic training was suspended for seven weeks during the breaker period earlier this year and resumed in late May with the safety measures in place.
The Cadet Officer and Cadet Specialist schools continued to operate along the circuit breaker with precautionary measures in place.
In a statement, Mindef said that the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) “will continue to monitor the Covid-19 situation in Singapore and review the safe management measures implemented to keep the military safe.”
Since then, two groups of recruits have been trained at the SAF’s Basic Military Training Center (BMTC) in Pulau Tekong.
The Minister of State for Defense and Human Resources, Zaqy Mohamad, was at the BMTC yesterday morning to observe the new recruits who took the oath of allegiance in a ceremony in the auditorium.
A total of 256 recruits were enlisted yesterday, part of a batch of 4,000 that will enlist this quarter. Those attending the ceremony sat in a separate seat.
Speaking to the media later, Zaqy said: “Covid-19 pandemic or not, it is important that we maintain a high level of preparedness, a high level of preparedness, to ensure that military operations and the security of our nation may still be protected. “
He noted that the BMTC was still recruiting recruits and was running smoothly amid the virus outbreak.
Zaqy assured parents that there are Covid-19 security measures, both proactive and reactive to the situation.
“It is important to give parents and loved ones back home the assurance that their sons and daughters here at SAF are well cared for, protected and calm,” he said.
Precautionary measures at the BMTC include taking temperatures twice a day, best hygiene practices, and frequent disinfection of common areas.
Recruits also engage in activities at the 16-person section level, rather than the larger platoon or company level, such as target practice or en-route marches around the island.
Meal times are also staggered to avoid overcrowding, with plastic barriers separating recruits from each other at the table while they eat.
First Petty Officer Hardial Singh, 58, a platoon commander at BMTC, said that while training has changed with the new measures implemented, the training standard has not.
She said doing activities in smaller groups means it takes longer.
For example, the SAR-21 rifle driving session generally takes half a day for an undertaking to complete, but with the new rules, it now takes a full day.
However, 1WO Singh noted that a smaller group size means officers in charge can observe the performance of recruits more closely, such as identifying weaker shooters. This will allow them to provide additional guidance to these recruits.
Recruit Sebastian Chew, who has been training at the BMTC for two months, said his parents were initially concerned about the Covid-19 situation when he enlisted in July.
“I think this is quite inevitable for all parents. But after enlisting, we were all pretty safe because of the measures that were put in place,” he said.
The 21-year-old added that the recruits know that anyone who is unwell can go to the medical center, without fear of repercussions or consequences.
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