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Not common to see maids carrying field packs: NSFs
By Jermyn Chow & Yuen Sin
THE photograph of a soldier and a woman - presumably his maid - carrying his field pack may have raised eyebrows, but full-time national servicemen (NSFs) say such a sight is not at all common.
Nineteen out of 20 NSFs interviewed say they have never seen their peers offload their packs to maids.
Some have spotted parents carting the packs, but only after they have been separated from their sons for a prolonged period due to training.
Said naval Officer Cadet Jeremy Lee, 20: 'When I came back after sailing for one month, there were a lot of parents who carried their sons' luggage and shoebags.'
Third Sergeant John Lee, 20, an air force instructor who has trained about 100 trainees, said most NSFs are independent and know how to conduct themselves properly when in uniform and in public.
The Ministry of Defence is investigating the matter and it is understood the probe will include checking the photo's authenticity.
Meanwhile, others have weighed in on how the photo might symbolise a larger issue of Gen Y soldiers being too soft.
Writing in The Straits Times Forum Page yesterday, reader Oliver Michael contended that today's recruits are mollycoddled by their parents.
He has trained more than 500 recruits and has seen parents packing their children's field packs and hounding instructors over trivial issues.
He told The Straits Times yesterday that there are also parents who hand in medical certificates on behalf of their sons, when the procedure requires recruits to do so themselves.
'They will tell us that their sons are having a headache or are too sick to come back to camp... It's just very embarrassing. They do not realise that this is very different from school,' he said.
Others take a more kindly view.
Former military psychologist Stanley Chua, 33, said accusations about soldiers growing softer are unfair.
The former major in the Republic of Singapore Air Force said recruits today have 'a more difficult time' coping with the mental and social aspects of NS.
'They are leaving behind more creature comforts like their air-conditioned rooms, their computers, their camera phones... the transition to military life is more stark than say 10 or 15 years ago,' he said. Parents now are also more 'pro-active' and involved in their children's lives.
Still, veteran MP Chan Soo Sen said he has received only one or two NS-related complaints a year from parents, who are mostly worried that training is too tough.
Sergeant T. Chua, 22, an NSF, said the public should not make a big fuss about the photograph.
'It's just one photo showing one soldier who is doing this. While it has affected the image of the Singapore Armed Forces, it is definitely not representative of the tens of thousands who are currently serving.'
By Jermyn Chow & Yuen Sin
THE photograph of a soldier and a woman - presumably his maid - carrying his field pack may have raised eyebrows, but full-time national servicemen (NSFs) say such a sight is not at all common.
Nineteen out of 20 NSFs interviewed say they have never seen their peers offload their packs to maids.
Some have spotted parents carting the packs, but only after they have been separated from their sons for a prolonged period due to training.
Said naval Officer Cadet Jeremy Lee, 20: 'When I came back after sailing for one month, there were a lot of parents who carried their sons' luggage and shoebags.'
Third Sergeant John Lee, 20, an air force instructor who has trained about 100 trainees, said most NSFs are independent and know how to conduct themselves properly when in uniform and in public.
The Ministry of Defence is investigating the matter and it is understood the probe will include checking the photo's authenticity.
Meanwhile, others have weighed in on how the photo might symbolise a larger issue of Gen Y soldiers being too soft.
Writing in The Straits Times Forum Page yesterday, reader Oliver Michael contended that today's recruits are mollycoddled by their parents.
He has trained more than 500 recruits and has seen parents packing their children's field packs and hounding instructors over trivial issues.
He told The Straits Times yesterday that there are also parents who hand in medical certificates on behalf of their sons, when the procedure requires recruits to do so themselves.
'They will tell us that their sons are having a headache or are too sick to come back to camp... It's just very embarrassing. They do not realise that this is very different from school,' he said.
Others take a more kindly view.
Former military psychologist Stanley Chua, 33, said accusations about soldiers growing softer are unfair.
The former major in the Republic of Singapore Air Force said recruits today have 'a more difficult time' coping with the mental and social aspects of NS.
'They are leaving behind more creature comforts like their air-conditioned rooms, their computers, their camera phones... the transition to military life is more stark than say 10 or 15 years ago,' he said. Parents now are also more 'pro-active' and involved in their children's lives.
Still, veteran MP Chan Soo Sen said he has received only one or two NS-related complaints a year from parents, who are mostly worried that training is too tough.
Sergeant T. Chua, 22, an NSF, said the public should not make a big fuss about the photograph.
'It's just one photo showing one soldier who is doing this. While it has affected the image of the Singapore Armed Forces, it is definitely not representative of the tens of thousands who are currently serving.'
