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He volunteered to extend his NS stint - by eight months
By Jermyn Chow
WHILE most of his peers are counting down to the day they finish their national service, Third-Sergeant Muhammad Hashnul Nizam wants it to go on and on - for 8-1/2 months more, in fact.
The specialist from the 3rd Battalion Singapore Guards (3 Guards) had completed his mandatory two-year NS stint in June this year, and was supposed to work on an oil tanker and study to qualify to be a senior ship officer.
But the full-time national serviceman (NSF) decided to put his ambitions on hold. He extended his national service to the end of February next year, foregoing the $2,300 salary of a sailor.
3rd Sgt Hashnul is part of a small, little-known group of NSFs who voluntarily extend their mandatory stints.
His reason for doing so? He could not bear to leave the nine soldiers reporting to him at a time when they were about to be put through gruelling military exercises to test their combat readiness.
'Many of my friends thought I was crazy when I first told them,' said 3rd Sgt Hashnul, 23, who gets $1,200 a month in NS allowance.
'When I come back from training looking very tired, some of my friends and colleagues would ask jokingly whether I regretted extending my stint.'
He doesn't, because of the camaraderie he shares with his fellow guardsmen. 'We have already been through thick and thin, shed tears, shared food, water, jokes. We have become very close,' he said.
The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) said that on average, about 200 NSFs a year have volunteered to extend their two-year tour of duty since the Voluntary Extension of Service Scheme was introduced in 1996. About 20,000 men are enlisted into the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) every year.
Their reasons range from wanting to pitch in and help their units get through the SAF's battery of tests to assess a battalion's combat readiness, to be part of overseas training exercises, or to be involved in projects like the National Day Parade and the recent Youth Olympic Games.
Responding to queries from The Straits Times, Mindef spokesman Desmond Tan said NSFs may opt to extend their service stints beyond their Operationally Ready Date (ORD) 'if there is an organisational requirement for them to do so'.
Such servicemen will still get their monthly allowance, annual leave and medical benefits.
The period of voluntary extension will count towards their Operationally Ready National Service (ORNS). In addition, they will be eligible for recognition given to NSmen, such as NSmen tax relief.
Some extend by a week and others for several months. 3rd Sgt Hashnul's stint is among the longest. The extension scheme is limited to nine months.
National service was cut from 2-1/2 years to two years in 2004 because the SAF was relying more on technology. At that time, it was also seeing a surge in pre-enlistees because of more births starting from the 1988 Dragon Year till around 1997.
The Straits Times understands that the number of soldiers who have extended their stints has increased in recent years as the SAF becomes involved in more training exercises overseas and is roped in to organise national events.
The SAF deploys NSFs in overseas training exercises, as well as peacekeeping and disaster relief missions.
About 400 have been deployed on such missions this year. In total, about 2,500 have been sent on overseas missions since 1989.
One of them was Corporal Jeremy Lim, 23, who pushed back his ORD by more than two months to sail with the Republic of Singapore Navy to patrol the Gulf of Aden to fight piracy.
'It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be part of a real-life operation. I wouldn't miss that for anything,' said Cpl Lim, who completed his NS stint last week.
SAF driver Lance Corporal Bernard Yong, 24, extended his NS for three months so that he could go for a one-month training stint in Oklahoma in the United States.
For 3rd Sgt Hashnul, staying on has allowed him to broaden his horizons. He was the only NSF commander to be selected to train for more than a month with the US Marines in San Diego in California recently.
His commanding officer in 3 Guards, Lieutenant-Colonel Mohd Fahmi Aliman, said: 'He never shied away from any challenge and all his men and contemporaries respect him...truly a commander who leads by example.'
Indeed, 3rd Sgt Hashnul said the two-year NS stint may be 'quite short' for a commander to learn everything.
'I've learnt how to become a better and tougher man who can withstand any pressure or stress...I just hope to give back to a place that has taught me so much and allowed me to make a difference.'
By Jermyn Chow
WHILE most of his peers are counting down to the day they finish their national service, Third-Sergeant Muhammad Hashnul Nizam wants it to go on and on - for 8-1/2 months more, in fact.
The specialist from the 3rd Battalion Singapore Guards (3 Guards) had completed his mandatory two-year NS stint in June this year, and was supposed to work on an oil tanker and study to qualify to be a senior ship officer.
But the full-time national serviceman (NSF) decided to put his ambitions on hold. He extended his national service to the end of February next year, foregoing the $2,300 salary of a sailor.
3rd Sgt Hashnul is part of a small, little-known group of NSFs who voluntarily extend their mandatory stints.
His reason for doing so? He could not bear to leave the nine soldiers reporting to him at a time when they were about to be put through gruelling military exercises to test their combat readiness.
'Many of my friends thought I was crazy when I first told them,' said 3rd Sgt Hashnul, 23, who gets $1,200 a month in NS allowance.
'When I come back from training looking very tired, some of my friends and colleagues would ask jokingly whether I regretted extending my stint.'
He doesn't, because of the camaraderie he shares with his fellow guardsmen. 'We have already been through thick and thin, shed tears, shared food, water, jokes. We have become very close,' he said.
The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) said that on average, about 200 NSFs a year have volunteered to extend their two-year tour of duty since the Voluntary Extension of Service Scheme was introduced in 1996. About 20,000 men are enlisted into the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) every year.
Their reasons range from wanting to pitch in and help their units get through the SAF's battery of tests to assess a battalion's combat readiness, to be part of overseas training exercises, or to be involved in projects like the National Day Parade and the recent Youth Olympic Games.
Responding to queries from The Straits Times, Mindef spokesman Desmond Tan said NSFs may opt to extend their service stints beyond their Operationally Ready Date (ORD) 'if there is an organisational requirement for them to do so'.
Such servicemen will still get their monthly allowance, annual leave and medical benefits.
The period of voluntary extension will count towards their Operationally Ready National Service (ORNS). In addition, they will be eligible for recognition given to NSmen, such as NSmen tax relief.
Some extend by a week and others for several months. 3rd Sgt Hashnul's stint is among the longest. The extension scheme is limited to nine months.
National service was cut from 2-1/2 years to two years in 2004 because the SAF was relying more on technology. At that time, it was also seeing a surge in pre-enlistees because of more births starting from the 1988 Dragon Year till around 1997.
The Straits Times understands that the number of soldiers who have extended their stints has increased in recent years as the SAF becomes involved in more training exercises overseas and is roped in to organise national events.
The SAF deploys NSFs in overseas training exercises, as well as peacekeeping and disaster relief missions.
About 400 have been deployed on such missions this year. In total, about 2,500 have been sent on overseas missions since 1989.
One of them was Corporal Jeremy Lim, 23, who pushed back his ORD by more than two months to sail with the Republic of Singapore Navy to patrol the Gulf of Aden to fight piracy.
'It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be part of a real-life operation. I wouldn't miss that for anything,' said Cpl Lim, who completed his NS stint last week.
SAF driver Lance Corporal Bernard Yong, 24, extended his NS for three months so that he could go for a one-month training stint in Oklahoma in the United States.
For 3rd Sgt Hashnul, staying on has allowed him to broaden his horizons. He was the only NSF commander to be selected to train for more than a month with the US Marines in San Diego in California recently.
His commanding officer in 3 Guards, Lieutenant-Colonel Mohd Fahmi Aliman, said: 'He never shied away from any challenge and all his men and contemporaries respect him...truly a commander who leads by example.'
Indeed, 3rd Sgt Hashnul said the two-year NS stint may be 'quite short' for a commander to learn everything.
'I've learnt how to become a better and tougher man who can withstand any pressure or stress...I just hope to give back to a place that has taught me so much and allowed me to make a difference.'
