i think the first thing that comes to us with regard to this topic would always be the person, and more often than not, the commander. alot of onus then falls on the commander.Originally posted by LazerLordz:Professionalism is the concept of doing things to the best of each man's ability and being impartial in the process...Instead of doing things for the sake of doing, each soldier should understand the big picture and understand that each action has a reason...
Empower and enlighten your men ... A professional soldier does things for the good of others, giving his best in his vocation, yet not risking danger or following stupid orders.The culture must change for the latter to happen.Commanders must ensure that they play a part by not misusing or abusing their authority with regards to their guys, because in a military context, there is little legal recourse for a man to refuse a direct order, no matter how stupid or denigrating it may be.Commanders have the moral and professional obligation to do their jobs well and without prejudice to any individual trooper save for cases where they require the undivided attention and assistance of their superior.
why cant being "professional towards tangible goals" co-exist and even contribute to the "conscience of being professional"?Originally posted by SolidSnake:Firstly, we all know professionalism towards tangible goals are more than satisfactory to everyone as they are direct benchmarks of competency and egos. Ranks and salaries are intricately pegged to achieving such targets.
Now, the "conscience" of professionalism like you say, is what fails in the system and piques soldiers (ok, ex-soldiers) like me. Impartiality to me, is only a privilege granted to those lucky enough to receive it.
The SAF is a large organistion with dozens and hundreds of tributaries. The hierachies further down the channels are still cumbersome. This disrupts the flow of information. Checking up on the integrity and conduct of every decision is near impossible. Even as a peacetime unit, time is scarce to hardworking (or pretending) commanders.
Cleansing the body of bad blood is near impossible too, as no staffing is permanent. Enlistees come and leave very often. Good values that were cultivated over the periods come and go like the seasons in this transit that we call National service.
Can there be a panacea for cancerous cells that strike without warning at any point of the body? And what more, for this continually changing landscape?
Professionalism in the army is only a distant ideal in reality. It is like a game of roulette deciding your win or loss. My advice is for recruits to enter and learn the rules of the jungle, apply them for survival, and to leave intact. Dispose all pre-concieved ideas of equity that we see in dramas or read during moral education classes and just play the game wisely.
i agree it's true that if we are an all-regular army, we would be MORE professional more easily. but that does not mean that we cannot be professional now.Originally posted by mdfjami:Honestly, I think the SAF only can be truly professional, if it was an all regular army. ORD mood and chao keng is very infectious mentality in the army. Not to say regulars are garang soldiers (as if), but if everybody was fighting for good ranking and promotion, I think effeciency, and professionalism would go up tremendously.
Of cos, it's quite impossible to have a army only consisting of regulars cos of many reasons, etc..
Singapore army also quite funny.. Ppl look down on No 4, where in other countries ppl wear their military uniform with pride (esp in China and Taiwan).. and somehow I get the impression the conscripts in North Asia (taiwan etc) are a lot more professional than the conscripts in Singapore.
It's hard to pinpoint exact reasons for the difference, yet I wonder whether it's possible that one day a soldier can actually walk down Orchard Road in No 4 with pride.. went to China, and almost every commercial area there are soldiers wearing uniforms walking around (and they don't use hp, smoke, hold gf hand etc), officers and NCOs alike..
we have been brought up in a army culture where you learn things like "tuang", "chao keng", "take MC" and other stuff like that. While it prob started from only a few black sheep in the beginning, very fast it spread all through out the NSFs, and to a certain extent even the regulars.Originally posted by wuming78:i agree it's true that if we are an all-regular army, we would be MORE professional more easily. but that does not mean that we cannot be professional now.
not sure what made you conclude that singaporeans look down on guys in uniform, especially when almost all the guys here have to go through ns. looking down on them would be equivalent to looking down on your own sons, relatives, and friends! rather, it is just not common (and not encouraged) for us to go all over the place in uniform. our weather does not help either. the distinction between our civil and military is also very clear. as for culture and pride in uniform, certainly a all-regular force would have a stronger culture, and more pride in uniform, and definitely less disciplinary problems. this is inevitable.
Clap clap! well said. I like ur last paragraph. Jiang chu wo men ah bin ke de xing shen!Originally posted by mdfjami:we have been brought up in a army culture where you learn things like "tuang", "chao keng", "take MC" and other stuff like that. While it prob started from only a few black sheep in the beginning, very fast it spread all through out the NSFs, and to a certain extent even the regulars.
With your fate tied to your BMT results, after that there's very little incentive to motivate troops to work harder. Best soldier and all that nonsense.. honestly isn't enough. If you pass out of BMT and get posted to some enlisted vocation, the only thing that you can really look forward to is ORD.
And honestly, doing the same thing, over and over again, really gets maddening after a while. Even me in my NS term look forward to OFFs and MCs, cos it's the only really good thing that I can work for.
This isn't some problem that I can say I know the answer to, but I do have some ideas on how to improve the SAF. already SAF is starting to do some reorganisation, by shifting the OCS term to after BSLC performance, and by cutting down the NS term. I do think that these initiatives are good ones, because by reducing the service term, it's easier to motivate the troops to do better.
What we need more is some opportunities for enlisted men to distinguish themselves and excel. Start some more badge markers (like the Expert Infantrymen Badge in the US), to make promotion based on performance rather than time based, and to allow excellent individuals to go for promotion courses for example.
Maybe stick everybody to PTEs, and only promote the capable to LCP and above, offering 3SG/OCT and a regular sign on to those motivated individuals. I doubt that those who sign on during BMT, or before that, are able to make an informed decision on what a regular's life is about. And if promotion is merit based, instead of time based, enlistees would undoubtedly treat the CB hole on their side with more pride. What's the diff btwn CPL and PTE anyway? Both do the same shit just diff pay!
To address the issue of professionalism, it is necessary to discuss the improvement morale of the enlistees. Enlisted men are the main body of the army, if you don't motivate them, why should they treat their uniform, or their service term with respect?