A Short Story of a NSF Garang Driver Soldier Got Charged DB.
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Hello guys, i am going to share with you all a true story about a garang soldier
If you find my narration lengthy at any point of time, just don't read it, simple as that.
I ORDed earlier this year in March. I was serving in a Division MT line and my vocation was something like a transport supervisor/sect comm.
Under my charge, there was a driver, a malay. He was something like an outcast. All the other malays hated him and all the chinese (including myself shame to say) view him as a bit of a joke.
He was ridiculed because of his garangness. I believe most of you are familiar with the role of a driver and how a MT line functions. If a driver has a detail on a particular day, most likely the detail will take up half a day if not the whole day. Otherwise, if the driver is to stay in camp on that day, he will do washing of vehicles/servicing/maintenance etc. More likely or not, drivers without details will just lobo around and do nothing all day until RO. If nothing goes wrong, they will happily chalk up (way more) than 7000km and convert to Civi license upon ORDing. That is the life of a driver.
However, this malay i mentioned is a special breed . He was not content with being just a driver. There were a few things he requested that we being his superior, found it hard to answer. The first day he was posted here as a trainee driver, he was chatting with us. Seeing that all the specialists and clerks have a desk and their own computer in the various offices, he immediately requested for one for himself. Next he was pestering us with questions on how to convert to be an officer but still remain a driver by vocation. Needless to say, we were all 
and took special notice of this malay driver.
Later on, after passing his driver course, he "officially" became a driver of our MT line. He was even more disenchanted of how the role of a driver functions. He demanded/requested alot of things, some of which are :
1. He wanted to go for AirBorne course. (I am not even sure if that is possible. A LCP and a driver by vocation can go for AirBorne?
2. He wanted to go for Ranger course. (Heh.)
3. He wanted to be sent to OCS to be some sort of Officer of drivers (Not possible and the least of which being that he is only an ITE holder.)
He also wants to hit 20, 000km in mileage. If you work in MT line, you will know it is NOT POSSIBLE. Later on, after successfully being a CAT C driver and was deemed able to drive the LandRover and 5-Ton, he wanted to be orientated to drive the GP car. My Encik, who disliked him immensely rejected him outright. He bypassed chain of command and approached our Deputy Fleet Manager to orientate him. He was scolded harshly for that.
Disillusioned, he enter our office to complain to us all day. He will even creating fucking poems to express his disappointment towards the MT line. He would write thesis-long essays stating how he feel the MT line can be improved and he wanted to send it to the 1TPT CO
I even video recorded him on many counts when he was reciting one of his many poems about how "he feels like a bird in a cage" and "how everybody is blocking his route to greatness and how his talents are being wasted.
I will always remember him clearly for the times he told us specialists off for not being good commanders and attempting to motivate our men properly. There was one time he ticked me off personally. In his own words he said : "Sergeant, i don't like the way you rush home immediately after RO. To be a true soldier, you should not be afraid to work in camp til anytime and this will motivate your men too". He is one of those types that will come back to camp on Saturday and Sunday.
Needless to say, he was ridiculed and disliked by everybody partly because he was very condescending too. However, i find myself having some grudging respect for this character. Most NSF (myself included) have a sort of bo chup and bo hue attitude and mentality of a conscripted soldier. This malay driver dares to be different, that is what i respect about him
This story ends with a twist though. Later on, he and 11 other drivers went for a 3 weeks overseas exercise. Using his usual method of doing things his own way, he disabled the SWD (Speed Warning Device) of his landrover and drove 90-100km/h ... on a land rover (which is insane). The CO recommended him to be charged and he was sentenced to 14 days DB. The reason the driver gave was that he wanted to impress the CO and let the CO take note of his talent and how come he could drive a land rover (whose speed limit capped at 50km/h) at 100km/h without the SWD beeping. Guess his plan to impress backfired eh?
Just imagine, a person with so much great hopes and grandeur plans ended up with nothing but a prison record in his NS term. He probably also cannot convert his military license to civilian license when he ORD later this year too. Anyway, when he came out from DB, he really could not take the mental stress and disappointment of having entered DB. He was often seen muttering to himself all day. When anyone talked to him, he will just shake his head and refuse to say a word. Eventually, my encik recommended him to the SAF Psychiatrist ward.
I know some of my friends found it extremely amusing that he of all people ended up in DB, but really, i find it very pitiful. So here ends the story. Have you guys encountered anyone from your current/previous camp who was as garang as this malay driver? -
sry too long, +1
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This is not garang....but stupid
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i tink u dont know the meang of the word garang...
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garang rhymes with parang
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Oh really? Garang typically means fierce or gungho etc. In this case the character i mentioned fits both the description albeit a little loco. Maybe you are the one who don't know the meaning of garang?Originally posted by skeujin:i tink u dont know the meang of the word garang... -
all i can say is some mats are like this...
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in which part of your story was he garang?Originally posted by Kyoy:Oh really? Garang typically means fierce or gungho etc. In this case the character i mentioned fits both the description albeit a little loco. Maybe you are the one who don't know the meaning of garang?
dont mistake stupidity or disillusionment for being gung ho. -
Deputy Fleet Manager.
Poor chap. -
the bible says - to be a great person, you have to learn to be a great servant.
this guy has alot of drive and passion, but he doesn't know the meaning of servanthood, and following orders and instructions.
this person is not wise. period. -
In Malay, it literally means 'fierce'. In the SAF context, it can be taken to mean as siao-on, very on-the-ball, etc.Originally posted by skeujin:i tink u dont know the meang of the word garang...
I've read the passage and I guess that he is indeed garang in terms of going back to camp on weekends woluntarily and so on. Also, I can somewhat understand his frustration at not being able to do the things he wants to do (OCS, airborne, etc).
However, I draw the line at the things he does to get around his circumstances. Bypassing the chain of command to air his concerns is not garang; it is insubordination.
Disabling the speed limiting device is not garang; it is an act of foolhardiness which may end up getting himself and everyone else on board killed. Along with some pedestrians, if they're unlucky enough.
I can understand his frustration, for I myself wanted to get into armour and be a tankee but became an infantry medic instead. However, the best way to deal with it is to just suck it up and take it like a man. Not exactly the most glorious way to deal with the situation, but at least it'll keep you out of trouble. -
He was foolish and disillusioned but ALSO gung-ho/siao on. Nowhere does garang(ness) equates to intelligence. He may be stupid, he may be disillusioned, but from every angle my campmates look at him, he IS the personification of garangness. I don't mean things like breaking the law etc, but he is garang in some ways.Originally posted by skeujin:in which part of your story was he garang?
dont mistake stupidity or disillusionment for being gung ho.
Anyway, my point is not to debate about this and i can't edit the title to "A story about a disillusioned/stupid soldier" at this point.
Fudgester : That's right . I am just relating the events as it is, but i am by no means endorsing whatever law he broke as correct. My main point here is highlighting a true real life drama about the irony in which a NSF with so much grandeur plans about his NS life ending up in DB of all places. -
So my question is. WHY didn't he sign on in the first place? Someone should have told him, if he really wanted to change his posting in the Army, to go for Airborne, OCS etc.. his only way is to sign on.
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after reading, i know why he is not posted to sispec or ocs. i feel sorry for him but if he really want to do airborne, ranger or ocs, he should have perform in his BMT. but then, if he really go sispec or ocs, his men are going to have a hard time.
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Too ON liao, best way out for him is to sign on, but as he has already been into the DB, most proberly the SAF is gonna reject him
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oh comeon.....let him have some dreams..........though the things in list was a bit too much beyond his abilities....evertheless we shouldn't dampen his overall mood in this manner.............everyone has dreams........even other different races........its just not nice to impose too much of your views on others.........and i think you won't like it either if someone imposed their views forcefully on you.......
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want to be so on sign on la why be a NSF
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Driving a Landrover at the speed of 90-100 km/h is nothing.
I ever hit a top speed of 120km/h.
Also ever drive a Unimog/Fiat 3 tonner and hit a max of 90km/h in ROC before.
But I really respect him is that even he not on guard duty, he is willing to go back camp on weekends.
But one thing I have to say: SAF specs or regulars really got zho-gang de meh? All they know only eat sn*ke. I know how my old unit MTL function. All the same one lah. Anyone know this SAF indian MTL spec SSG Kuma? -
A little too garang for me...
Anyway got one time this guy ask me if I think that if everyone put in their effort into army like they do for their jobs/career, then the army is a much better place..
Make me want to laugh. I say if u pay me my actual job pay then of coz it is much better lor...
So hard to understand why people expect NSF to be so garang. Got chinese saying, 'pay one cent, get one cent of goods.' -
I drove a Unimog at around 80 before when i was on an exercise with the Signal peopleOriginally posted by Manager433:Driving a Landrover at the speed of 90-100 km/h is nothing.
I ever hit a top speed of 120km/h.
Also ever drive a Unimog/Fiat 3 tonner and hit a max of 90km/h in ROC before.
But I really respect him is that even he not on guard duty, he is willing to go back camp on weekends.
But one thing I have to say: SAF specs or regulars really got zho-gang de meh? All they know only eat sn*ke. I know how my old unit MTL function. All the same one lah. Anyone know this SAF indian MTL spec SSG Kuma? But i seriously dislike driving UniMogs.
Of course landrover can go beyond 90-100 if you take the SWD out of the equation. But the problem is, he was in a foreign country during an overseas ex and he i heard he was driving 100 in an area where there are actually people living in. I am guessing the CO is mad because of that.
To answer your last question : of course not ! All my transport Sup friends and i usually don't work. We arrow to the drivers, obviously But do not forget that the MTWO and all the regulars arrowed us in the first place. Also i probably know the Kuma you are talking about. May i know which MTL you were from? -
Got tattoo on both his arms and can speak hokkien very good one. Correct or not?Originally posted by Kyoy:I drove a Unimog at around 80 before when i was on an exercise with the Signal people But i seriously dislike driving UniMogs.
Of course landrover can go beyond 90-100 if you take the SWD out of the equation. But the problem is, he was in a foreign country during an overseas ex and he i heard he was driving 100 in an area where there are actually people living in. I am guessing the CO is mad because of that.
To answer your last question : of course not ! All my transport Sup friends and i usually don't work. We arrow to the drivers, obviously But do not forget that the MTWO and all the regulars arrowed us in the first place. Also i probably know the Kuma you are talking about. May i know which MTL you were from? -
So familiar.
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he shld do social work
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poor guy. lol.
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The indian guy or the malay guy?Originally posted by Patrik:So familiar.