Lately i've been feeling regretful and disappointed
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I really needed to write out my feelings about what i have felt about my eventual national service enlistment in 10 days.
Frankly speaking, i am quite disappointed in myself.
As you might know earlier from my earlier topic, i have a PES status of C1L3. That means i am a non-operationally fit serviceman who could only perform duties at bases only.
And i've been asking around about what type of vocations i would be most likely assigned to and i have grown to despise the single word: clerk.
Maybe i am being a little stupid , but i believe that i could be capable of doing something more. Something that would be worthwhile doing and decently challenging. I'd really like to learn how to handle a rifle and learn the basics of infantry movement but i don't think i'll go through such lessons during the course of my national service. Maybe i am feeling this way since i just don't think that office based jobs or desk bound jobs aren't what i like.
I talked to my friend who has signed up as a naval officer, he told me that the chances of me retaking my BMT under a different PES status would be very slim as alot of paper work is involved. He even told me to go through another medical examination to get it upgraded but there's too little time for that.
But i have no choice but to go through my modified BMT and give it my best effort, even though i would feel a little bad because i wouldn't be combat trained as a national serviceman.
So, as i promised i'll try to log onto the SAF forums and update all of you of my experiences and the experiences of other NS men while in my time in camp.
Sorry, i just need to voice it out, because i really feel this way. -
C1L3 also mus go thru field camp,range,everything what,onli that it wld not be as taxing as pes a or b.
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interesting ......
this is certainly different from the usual chaps who ask how they can get downgraded and such ....
as least you didn't ask what's the highest rank you can get as a PES C chap .... some people just want to wear stripes and bars without putting in the hard work ..... well ... good for you ... it's the sort of work ethic that would put you in good stead later in life ... good luck with your NS, I hope things work out for you ...
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Yep, PES C1L3 also must do weapon handling, etc, etc. So dude, cheer up, you still got to do wat the PES A/B are doing, it is just on a less demanding scale and the eventual non-combat vocational posting: which can be tech or service lines (not nesscary must die die be clerk mah
)
However, I must also say one thing: Comment only u have been through and tasted it. I have a fair bit of friends commenting wanting to be commandos, guards, officers, sign-on, etc, etc. 1 mth into BMT, they are already swearing how sucky the army is. Somehow the local version of the armed forces has burst their ideas/dreams of what their army life should be.
So go in, get a taste of what SAF is and in the near future you may be thinking "Getting PES C is not bad after all"
(I could be wrong, BTW ) -
PES C also will learn weapon handling. Can become a commander in Service Vocation too....
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i was a PES C clerk too.
i went for BMT twice. once at an artillery unit and then a recourse at SBMT.
i had to join my unit for Bn Exercise and overseas live firing.
not all PES C clerks are switch off. -
I advice u not to be too sad or feel despair. The MO give u PES C means that there is really some health issues that may bring harm to u if u choose to do those shiong thing in PESA/B. Why not go in the army experience the culture, training, etc........... first then make the comment. I noe of many frens who initially get PES C and they feel veri sad but after going thru BMT they felt lucky they did not get PES A/B. Dun be overwhelm by ur frens bravado comments abt PES A and chiong sua stuff. Go in and experience first..............
BTW: Medic like also accept PES C ppls -
u will be glad , that u are a clerk after seeing ppl leopard crawling around . :>
anyway your still part of de army . -
don't feel down. although u might not be posted to a combat vocation. there are other vocations other than clerk/storeman for PES C soldiers, like for instance technician and medic.
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pes c1l3 still need to do ippt too. so don't think it will be slack. i know of ppl who are physically damn fit, but bcuz of some physological prob, go to pes c or e.
then again, u hv not enlisted, i used to think that i will make the best of my 2 years and try to be happy inside, but lately, im getting sick of my office. the politics and such. just try to make the best out of a bad situation la. -
C1L3 can be combat medic leh not only clerk la
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Threadstarter, you want irony, how's about this.
PES C1L3 opens you up to vocations where you get to use your brains more than your brawn, not to mention even a possible higher security clearance.
It's not where you go, it's how you do your work there that matters.
Most likely, you'd be a combat medic or technical specialist in armament or automotive.
You could still make 3rd Sergeant but don't always think of the rank. -
i was once pes e, while all my peers were pes a or b. you can imagine how isolated and "oustanding" i felt. i couldnt understand a single thing they talked about when we were out. i had thoughts like you then too - that i'd rather be "normal".
well. luckily where i was serving as a clerk, the env was great - the people there were closely knit and treated me very well. i realised also that i do contribute my part as a clerk.
when i was eventually upgraded and went through the normal ns, all my friends have either ord-ed or were at advanced stages of ns.
i was grateful for the clerical stint i had - it really allowed me to see ns from an entirely different perspective. i was glad to be back to "normal" too, and appreciated that more.
the bottomline is - understand what really is bothering you - the desire to serve in a more physical setting, or the desire to be like most of the other people, including your peers?
also, dont ever belittle what you do, and instead aspire to learn as much as possible, and contribute in whatever ways you can. how your ns experience turns out to be is very much defined by your outlook and attitude towards it. the nation would very much appreciate your contribution in best of your abilities in your own capacity, whatever it may be. -
threadstarter:
now you see what the lau chiaus have to say, don't feel so bad about yourself eh ... there is no shame or dishonour in being a PES C support soldier if it's a genuine case, it's fate, karma, whatever eh ? ... as long as you're not a chao keng, it doesn't really matter, eh ? ...
the most important thing is that when we wear green, we are all SOLDIERS, something some people tend to forget sometimes, we all have a role to play, an in the modern army, support side chaps are just as important as the shooters at the front (the ratio of combat to support soldiers in most western militaries run from 1:9 to 1: 22, so there). In anycase, you most likely won't end up being a clerk, there are enough PES E chaps out there to cover all the clerky jobs, medic maybe ? or tech spec ? ... -
I wasn't feeling very gung ho or anything like that before I enlisted. I just thought I could go in with an open mind and told myself to have fun. And day ONE just destroyed all that. I swore I friggin hated the army there and then. So many of us were hoping for a clerk vocation.
As the rest have said, go through your bmt now, then you would know. Do you know there are many regulars(those who signed on) regret doing so?
haha it amazes me how all the pre-enlistees think like that, some even cannot wait to enlist.
My honest opinion is: Unless you sign on, the army is a complete waste of time. -
Should not worry. Everyone has a contribution to life , whatever and wherever.
Have you heard that for every combat soldier in the army, there are another 3 guys supporting him in some way ( admin, engineering, logistics, medical). So there many others like you. THere's a job to do and do your best and be proud of it. -
be thankful for what you have. so many people wanna be clerks but kena sai kangOriginally posted by Puutan:I really needed to write out my feelings about what i have felt about my eventual national service enlistment in 10 days.
Frankly speaking, i am quite disappointed in myself.
As you might know earlier from my earlier topic, i have a PES status of C1L3. That means i am a non-operationally fit serviceman who could only perform duties at bases only.
And i've been asking around about what type of vocations i would be most likely assigned to and i have grown to despise the single word: clerk.
Maybe i am being a little stupid , but i believe that i could be capable of doing something more. Something that would be worthwhile doing and decently challenging. I'd really like to learn how to handle a rifle and learn the basics of infantry movement but i don't think i'll go through such lessons during the course of my national service. Maybe i am feeling this way since i just don't think that office based jobs or desk bound jobs aren't what i like.
I talked to my friend who has signed up as a naval officer, he told me that the chances of me retaking my BMT under a different PES status would be very slim as alot of paper work is involved. He even told me to go through another medical examination to get it upgraded but there's too little time for that.
But i have no choice but to go through my modified BMT and give it my best effort, even though i would feel a little bad because i wouldn't be combat trained as a national serviceman.
So, as i promised i'll try to log onto the SAF forums and update all of you of my experiences and the experiences of other NS men while in my time in camp.
Sorry, i just need to voice it out, because i really feel this way.
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Clerk also will kena Sai Kang or maybe even more lor.
Well, if u capable you also can contribute quite abit. Some CO PA are like PSC scholars and stuff and actually they help out on alot of the planning. I know one even plan DO duty. lol
Go into NS le then say good or not. You might hate it to the core. PesC is for a reason one, if u peng during SoC, how they cover backside? -
i that time enlist also buay song being a clerk, but after working awhile i feel that every1 in SAF has a job and duty to do big or small nevermind, is wat u do and made ppl feel that its lucky that they have u. so everyone has a part to do and best ur best
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threadstarter, cheer up. it's how u value yrself, vocation and appointment.
think of it this way, i'm doing misc. admin for my whole branch. and i'm only the person doing it. if i don't do, the whole office can't function properly. not boasting off here, but sometimes when i'm on leave or off, office will call me and ask for info.
everyone has a part to play. we are working on the ground, the frontline. w/o us, our bosses can't promote. -
u can always request to medical board for upgrade...
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Well, I've got nothing much to say, for I believe that every one else has pretty much said what I wanted to say.
But just let me add on a little something: PES C or not, when you're in the SAF, every single person has a part to play. You may end up as a clerk who helps to plan duty rosters for the officers and the specs. You may end up as a service medic who helps save lives in a 24-hour medical center.
In any case, since you're not yet in the army, you're not really in a position to gauge how good or bad your experience is going to be. I've seen far too many people who aim of being rangers, snipers, commandos, etc only to get disillusioned during their BMT and hoping that they became clerks. Heck, I know of cases of fighting fit men who smash their little fingers with a hammer in the hope that they can get downgraded.
In the end, the grass is always greener on the other side. We have clerks who wish they can be chiong sua warriors, and we have chiong sua warriors who wish they can be clerks. No one ever gets completely satisfied.
So why think so negatively? Ever heard of the Pygmalion Effect? Your experience will be negative only if you want it to be. The best thing is to go into NS with an open mind. Since you're gonna be stuck in there for the next two years, you might as well make the most of it. -
i agree with fudgester's last paragraph above. that's the mindset i hope all future enlistees should have.
