Perceptions About NCC...
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your teacher-officer was not right in pumping you guys because he is first and foremost a TEACHER bonded by MOE regulations on coporal punishment.........in fact teachers have to ensure that over-zeleous CLTs do not give coporal punishment........sounds silly for soldiers....well.........teachers and bounded left and right, up down.......hahaha
NCC is never the army its purpose is meant to develope character not soldiers. -
man... i remember those times... starching my uniform...!!!Originally posted by Moxie:Appendum: The NCC/Temasek Green days also saw an arguably stricter sense of military dress. The shirts had to be starched (sometimes overstarched to the extent that white streaks showed post-ironing) & tucked in, the belt buckles must be well-polished, the trousers suitably tailored if they're too loose, & the boots spit-shined. In fact, so prevalent was the fear of premature apparel wrinkling that the cadets preferred bringing them to school in hangers - & only wear them prior to forming up.
The desired effect was mostly cosmetic, but the resultant "kilat" impression also signal to the rest of the school - as well as the general public - how dedicated the cadets were on individual sense of discipline & decorum.
Of course, it's usually mothers who ended up ironing the uniforms ~lol~ but I think the emphasis on primp attire also permitted many bonding sessions between the different secondary batches on late-afternoon, post-ECA Saturdays. It's during those occasions that tips on personal maintainence were passed down - eg. lightly Kiwi-ing the boots after cleaning 'em - & ditto the more bawdy cadences/songs.
Thereafter everyone headed straight home. By contrast, nowadays you see occasional baggy-attired NCC cadets from neighborhood schools hanging out in town centers during the early evening.
but my mother didn't iron it for me... i had to do everything. back then it wasn't just kiwi your boots, it was POLISHING it... i loved the way i could see my teeth on my boots!
And I remember our footdrill was really really good! This year at the NDP, i saw the NCC and NPCC... footdrill, totally crap... can't even march smartly... -
Naturally, as an officer of the corp, I really hope that our guys could really stand proud in front of others... rightfully protraying NCC as the younger counterparts of SAF....
But based on the current situation, i think it would be hard to see it... NCC has really evolved throughout the years, it has become a CCA points generating machine, students joined NCC because of the higher CCA points that it offered, rather than the usual military passion that we older cadets are after... rather than the strong bonds and camaraderie in a platoon, people are fighting among each others for key appointments, backstabbing each other are common... where have the spirit of the olden days gone??
, furthermore, the famous tekaning that is seen on the older cadets are no longer there, commanders are encourage to instill discipline by talking them round... and leading by example... (which i think is only useful to a certain extent, corporal punishment should still be used to complement it). true, some of them may see u as an example, but wat about those hardcore?? I think this is naive, who gives a damn to ur rank if you have no practical power to punish them...
however, apart from the above, there are also a group of students that really join the corp due to the love for the military, the wanting to know more about the SAF... no offence, some of the words above has really done injustice to them...
overall, i don't deny the fact that what we learn is nothing compared to the NSFs, however, the spirit of some cadets should still be give credit... hope that u people would not juz laugh becos we are NCC... pls try to think deeper.... -
Some nice points raised in this thread; made for great reading. I salute the purported school cadets (if you're really who you claim you are) for your intellectualism.
At your age, I recall wanting to wear my NPCC uniform to a formal extended-family dinner! That's how (foolishly) passionate I was with the corps then; thank goodness my mum emphatically put her foot down on my misguidance .... -
i dun dislike ncc cadets. i only dislike those ncc instructors who show attitude to the trainees juz because they are of higher rank... fark up
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We are not condemning everyone in NCC, just the majority that seem t ohave this misguided pride in wearing their uniform outside CCA and yet do not wear it properly.Either get over i t or dress well.That's the point I'm trying to make.I could never care less about how your CO or the unit is run.Just do not disgrace the uniform we suffered for years in.We may hate it, but it still represents the years we have lost.It's a prickly issue here..so yeah.Originally posted by SpecOps87:Well,as a SSG in my unit,I can swear to you guys this.I lead by example,and on numerous occasions got into conflict with the friggin CO as he is WELFARE No.1,SLACKNESS No.2 type.
Why do I say I lead by example?I keep my hair short,no touching neck,no sideburns.No gel/cream so on during Parade.After parade,I keep my uniform on,but I have never ever worn it to look glam.But I wear it with pride,as I'm proud to don on the uniform of the Singapore Armed Forces.
So,to all NSF,Regulars and so on,please spare a thought for the CLTs and NCOs,as we try hard to keep to the SAF standards.But its now due to the CO and teacher officers inabilty and false perception of how we carry ourselves.To be real honest,a male 2LT. teacher officer who recently joined my unit was reminded by the CO that we are just a CCA and not a military unit when he scolded and pumped the cadets for draggin their boots,so tell me how can professionalism be practiced?
Pardon me,but I do have to agree that the current NCC is no longer holding on to the respect and digninty we use to wield.
**(Please note that NPCC cadets do not wear their uniforms outside school or Police Academy as they may be mistaken as SPF officers on duty when they are outside,so if anything happens,they will also kena.)** -
im from NCC and i admit that..i am over-ambitious sometimes..
and it gets to my head..and i become empty headed -
Originally posted by: Tvaddict
i dun dislike ncc cadets. i only dislike those ncc instructors who show attitude to the trainees juz because they are of higher rank... fark
I don't deny that there are reali instructors that gives a f***ing attitude juz because they are of a higher rank... however, I think that you are stereotyping here... (since you are typing here, so I believe u are a NSF), in a military organisation, there is a clear hierarchy system... although its true that commanders should mix well and understand his man, but you can't reali expect a commander to fool around with his man and treat them like his friend... a clear gap should still be maintained, so that the man would not climb over the commander... so this "gap" may be your misinterpretation. No offence, but i hope u understand... -
Now training end too late parents complain liao loh. One, two years back, when there was still no news of training the next day we want to sleep also afraid later telephone call come and we don't know. When we were informed of training the next day at about 10pm at night we also no choice have to prepare our uniform and I have to pass the information around even though I feel like sleeping. But sometimes also our fault for passing down the message too late through telephone and cadets are sleeping after we took over last year. My mother don't help me to iron my uniform since she forced me learn ironing and sewing since pri 4.
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i'm not talking about the gap here. i agree there muz be a line between men and commanders but my point is some of the ncc instructors simply have a i-have-a-higher-rank-so-i-can-do-whatever-i-like attitude. for example, telling the trainees to disappear within 10 secs this kind of stupid orders... i have personally seen it coz the ncc unit is in my camp...Originally posted by Prestroz: -
I partly agree with the above, from one point of view, the above order given may be stupid and unpractical, but from the other point of view, this may instill in them the sense of urgency that they needed (pls understand, the cadets are a bunch of kids, sometimes this kind of actions may be required)... seriouly, there's no clear right or wrong... however, i think that there is a clear reason for this type of behavior.... (in some case, this instructor may be tekaned and given the same treatment by their previous instructors, human are learning animals rite?? naturally they would take after their kind of behavior and show them this kind of attitude when they take control of their juniors...), i believe that this behavior does not only exist in NCC, i personally have also seen NSFs officers or specialist showing attitude and doing unpractical things to their man... one incident that i've personally withnessed is in Amoy Quee camp... i think is 20SA mono intake BMT, the whole platoon of recruits were knock down by the PS just because the man greeted him IC instead of Sergeant during Dari Kanan Bilang... seriously, i think that the SGT should explain to them about their mistakes first before, before knocking them down in a repeated mistakes... again unpractical measures....[/code]
Originally Posted By: TVaddict
i'm not talking about the gap here. i agree there muz be a line between men and commanders but my point is some of the ncc instructors simply have a i-have-a-higher-rank-so-i-can-do-whatever-i-like attitude. for example, telling the trainees to disappear within 10 secs this kind of stupid orders... i have personally seen it coz the ncc unit is in my camp... -
Sometimes, they have to resort to this action before the cadets will move fast. Some cadets just ignore your orders and continue sitting down and talking when you tell them to fall in.Originally posted by TVaddict:some of the ncc instructors simply have a i-have-a-higher-rank-so-i-can-do-whatever-i-like attitude. for example, telling the trainees to disappear within 10 secs this kind of stupid orders...
However, I agree that forcing cadets to dissappear within 10 seconds is kind of harsh because the 10 seconds is actually less than that when I timed with my watch and sometimes, this will cause some minor accidents to happen especially when they are tired. -
i think the point here is to punish for a reason, and to always explain the rationale of the punishment so that lessons are learnt. this can be done at any point in time.Originally posted by Prestroz:seriously, i think that the SGT should explain to them about their mistakes first before, before knocking them down in a repeated mistakes... again unpractical measures....[/code] -
the above example is only one of the many i came across... anyway i agree this kind of comdr also exist in ns. i think it all boils down to the character of the individual. having been tekanned b4 doesn't neccessarily makes one a sadist in return...
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Now this is one example of a doofus who was given the responsibility to lead a platoon.You are supposed to enlighten your men asap, not to delay their education.Telling them their mistake is much faster and more effective in fostering better bonds between commanders and soldiers than a useless piece of punishment that merely reinforces that gap that is hard enough to bridge already.This is the problem with many instructors and junior commanders.They tend not to think before they shoot off their motor-mouths.Lacking in brains all of a sudden when they don their No.4.If the army is to be a respected and effective force, such ineptitude must go.There can be no substitute for good leadership.Power is earned, so is respect.The only thing that comes for free is nothing.Originally posted by Prestroz:I partly agree with the above, from one point of view, the above order given may be stupid and unpractical, but from the other point of view, this may instill in them the sense of urgency that they needed (pls understand, the cadets are a bunch of kids, sometimes this kind of actions may be required)... seriouly, there's no clear right or wrong... however, i think that there is a clear reason for this type of behavior.... (in some case, this instructor may be tekaned and given the same treatment by their previous instructors, human are learning animals rite?? naturally they would take after their kind of behavior and show them this kind of attitude when they take control of their juniors...), i believe that this behavior does not only exist in NCC, i personally have also seen NSFs officers or specialist showing attitude and doing unpractical things to their man... one incident that i've personally withnessed is in Amoy Quee camp... i think is 20SA mono intake BMT, the whole platoon of recruits were knock down by the PS just because the man greeted him IC instead of Sergeant during Dari Kanan Bilang... seriously, i think that the SGT should explain to them about their mistakes first before, before knocking them down in a repeated mistakes... again unpractical measures....[/code] -
LazerLordz, Frankly I agree wif you, as a commander I think that it is important to lead by example... rather than just by punishing to get the message across to them... unreasonable punishment would only instill fear into them instead of respect... punishment like what wuming have said, should be supported with vaild reasons... to foster better relationship between commander and man, effective communication is essential, the commander should try to understand each and everyone of your man... be their best friend, mentor... when there is time to be serious, a commander must be serious, but when it's time to relax and play around, a commander should'nt be stern... In my point of view, to do the right thing at the right time is essential... just my thoughts though... guys pls share....
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In the past, NCC can be still considered a near-experience to SAF.
But now ah, I tell you, even as a ex-NCC cadet. I'll laugh also.
Old NCC have more "torturous" routines in the past, but now the new NCC is like boy scout training with a bit of military taste (the prob with too much welfare).
NCC is not even close to military cadet school compared to overseas.