Basic military training

Enlistment tips

Before enlistment

• Get a haircut prior to enlistment: you likely won't get much time to shower after the haircut in Tekong. Ask your barber for the "zero" cut, and remember to get it done not more than a day or two before enlistment. If your commanders think your hair is too long, you'll waste $2. While others are getting their hair cut, you can do whatever you want like use the toilet or start unpacking. Protip: make sure you are unable to pinch and pull your hair after the haircut. If you can, it's not short enough.
• If you still want to get your first haircut in Tekong, bring $2.
• Try to learn the difference between a sergeant and an officer.
• StarHub is usually the fastest service provider (for Tekong), followed by Singtel
• Your first book out will be with the bag you bring on Day 1 and the assault bag. A medium-sized backpack or duffel bag is enough.

Packing guide

• Washing powder/liquid detergent
• Febreeze: note that febreeze is not a replacement to washing clothes.
• Battery packs (around 40,000 mAh)
• Clothes hangers (at least 6-8) and clips
• Underwear (9 briefs, not boxers): bring extra if you don't like to wash. The darker the color, the better.
• Toilet rolls: around 2 for the confinement period
• Slippers
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• 2 in 1 soap (Adidas recommended) with face wash
• Deodorant
• Stationery items
  • Wipeable marker: makes it easier to clean the RAC card.
  • 2 extra black tape roles
  • Notebook (1 is provided)
• Prickly heat powder
• Coins (if they let you use the vending machines)
• Wet wipes/wet tissues (for area cleaning and boots polishing). Don't spend too much money on the expensive ones
• Shaver
• Instant kiwi (optional)
• Nail clipper
• Dark colored spectacles (and 1 spare if required)
• Black watch: Only bring your watch if it's a dark color. No white watches. The cheaper, the better.
• Two-dollar notes (if you want a haircut)
• One-dollar coins (if they let you use the vending machine)
• Extra snacks (no junk food): dinner is usually at 5 PM, so you'll get hungry by 9.
• Ziploc bags (around 10 small, medium, and large)

Other items include

• Education certificates
• Health booklet
• Face masks
• Marker pens
• Wallet with Pink IC
• Smartphone and earphones

BMT tips

Admin time

• Go for a shower either first, or last so you won't have to wait in line: If the line's already long, it might just be better to wait until your entire section is done. Until then, do other admin stuff: brush your teeth, defecate, fold your smart 4, and kiwi your boots.
• Take short showers and don't wear clothes in the cubicle: No more than 5 minutes unless you want your section mates to hate you.
• Don't shit in the shower
• Always keep at least one uniform in smart 4, this way you won't be too late if they call you down in smart 4
• Enter the first 2 numbers on your lock before leaving your bunk: This way, you can open your lock the fastest and be the first one to take a shower.
  • But never keep your locker unlocked. You never know when your PS (platoon seargeant) will check.
• Bring extra food to share: Make friends faster!

When you have time, remember to black tape everything including:

• equipment straps (especially your assault bag and LBS)
• rifle sling in case it breaks

Always keep extra black tape handy, and share with your buddies. They'll love you for this.

Area cleaning

• Use wet wipes
• Know that there is no way to "win": Even if you've cleaned every corner, your sergeants will find dust.
• Area cleaning on a day other than bookout day is usually admin time in disguise

Other tips

• Check out the page on commands if you're having trouble remembering them.
• Your sergeants are real people too: If they're shouting at you, remember that they've been trained to do so. They are most likely NSFs waiting to ORD too.
• DO NOT SIGN ON THE LINES

Garters and boots

Check this video from NCC to learn how to tie your boot laces. I only recommend tying them this way if you're doing physical activity, route marching, or going outfiel. Otherwise stuffing them behind your garters is enough.

How to be a good Platoon IC (for Blur Sotongs)

1. The different types of reporting strengths are

   • Total Strength (TS): Total number of chao recruits in your platoon no matter what happen to them (if they've RSI, or on status).
   • Current Strength (CS): Strength of those people in your platoon that is currently in the platoon. You basically exclude those who go RSI or doing something else e.g. recce group for IFC.
   • Participating Strength (PS): Strength of those unlucky recruits who will participate in the next activity (excluse all personnel on status unless it's something everyone can do, i.e. lecture).

2. Either be good at quick maths or ensure you know the strength even before they fall in. ie. number of rows, blank files and numbers behind that you should have. Better just fall the platoon in early then count yourself; easier.

3. Platoon includes IC also; don't forget yourself.

4. You better go regularly check strength, don't later your strength don't tally with what OIC get ah, then tio kan lanjiao liao.

5. Keep record of those CKKs (Chao Keng Kias) of those who are in status (Attn. B/C, excuses) + include duration (from date to date) Make sure list tally with OIC.

6. Unless your memory is great, carry a notebook and jot it down.

7. Berhenti is easy. When you wan berhenti your platoon, march faster (until you're basically part of front row), berhenti yourself and then quickly berhenti them. You do it correctly, you will be in middle of platoon when you finish.

8. As platoon IC, you are still part of the platoon. So, drills you also need shout the timing and shit.

9. When you give command, always remember to shout and make blardy sure everyone can hear clearly. But when you shout, don't shout when you damn close to your platoon. Don't make them go deaf.

10. Yes, commands are in Malay. Yes, damn difficult to say but no choice. Singapore was a Malay country then everyone else go colonise. Then they buay song so we say Malay is the language of army drills and official language of Singapore to sayang them a bit. Just practice la, is not that hard.

If you're having trouble remembering the commands, head over to the guide.

Tips for shouting commands

1. Drink a lot of water.

   Shouting will strain your throat especially if you did not breathe correctly. Better lubricate your throat by drinking a lot. That’s why as platoon IC, when they say “HALF WATER BOTTLE DRINK UP!” you drink more than half at least. Full if you can drink damn fast.

2. Breathe correctly.

   When you breathe. Breathe from your diaphragm. How to breathe from your diaphragm is you imagine your air going down your stomach. If you cannot visualize, lie down and breathe. You will automatically breathe from your diaphragm. Don’t forget that feeling.

   Your shoulders should not raise also. If they raise when you try to take a deep breath, that means you wrong liao.

3. Pauses.

   When you shout commands, a pause between the Climb and Finale ( say “1000” in your mind is long enough) will help drive the command into your platoon so that they dun blur and then you dun cock up and paiseh in front of your Sergeant. Helps with clarity as well.

4. Practice.

   Practice, practice, practice the commands. When you shout command, do not garble your words. It must be loud and clear. If you not confident about shouting the command correctly, make blardy sure you practice until you know how each and every syllable should sound like.

5. Get your intonation right.

   When you say the command always remember Start, Climb and Finale: _/\.

   Don't say it weirdly, your platoon will fuck up.

   You think about it, you ride one roller coaster then right out the gate it goes downhill already, everybody will kenna heart attack. Same principle here.

Examples

Your typical command got 3 stages.

1. Start (_)
2. Climb (/)
3. Finale (\)

The Start (_) is to tell your platoon what command is going to happen. That one, just say normally.

The Climb (/)is to let your platoon mentally prepare themselves and to let those blur sotongs know what they need to do. This is the part where you have to drag the command a bit to make sure everyone knows what the fuck they need to do.

The Finale (\) is where you say finish, the platoon will carry out the command. This is where you end the command and everybody do so you must bring it down sharp.

Typically, the first few words in the command will be the Start. The second last word in the command (the word before the final word) is your Climb. The final word will be your Finale.

So for example...

SQUAD! SEDI-A!
  _     /   \

Your SQUAD, can say normally, dunnid do anything special just say normally.

Your SEDI, have to be dragged for about 1 second, not too short that your platoon will miss but not too long that your Sergeant will fuck you for dragging. Just drag it for a moment (say “one thousand” in your head) can liao.

Your A, must be sharp. Bring it down sharp. What I mean is when you say “A”, say as if you brought the hammer down.

[BEGARAK KE-KIRI, KE-KIRI] PU SING!
         _                 /  \

For long commands, your Start can say fast as for most long commands, the starting part is just to give context and nuance. You see those NDP parade commander shout command damn long one is because longer the command, the nicer it sounds and the more wayang you can be for specifically stating what you should do but ultimately, the last few words are always standard.

So. For BEGARAK KE-KIRI, KE-KIRI, this is to basically let your platoon know what you want them to do so say normally and by normally, because you dunwan waste so much time say one command but no choice, your Sergeant say one, just say it a bit faster and get it over with.

By fast, I do not mean say to the point you trying to step Eminem.

For PU, drag. Again, mentally say “one thousand” in your head then continue with

SING, where you again, bring it down sharp like you whack that mosquito who try to suck your lanjiao for blood.

Field Camp

Field discipline

• Don't leave the trash around. Keep it in a plastic bag inside one of your LBS pouches. Don't be that one guy that gets the entire section in trouble for not cleaning up after eating. Pack extra black tape for this: you'll use it to securely tape your trash bags so don't leak in your bags/pouches.
• Maintain noise discipline. Don't anyhow shout.
• Walk faster.

Guarding your rifle

• At night, clip the sling to your uniform's belt holes. That way, if anyone tries to lift it, it won't come off because it's connected to you. Also hug it when you sleep.
• Make sure it's never more than a meter away from you.
• Do not disassemble your rifle and hide it. You will be charged if you lose any parts. The entire company may be called back outfield if anyone loses anything.

Body maintenance

There's enough time before sleeping for body maintenance. It may be around 2 hours.

• Scrub your back with the soap sponge or you'll get heat rashes. Help your buddies too if they ask.
• Remove your socks and powder your feet at night, but put on your boots (or at least your socks) before sleeping. Don't let the insects reach your feet!
• Sprinkle some powder into your socks then put them on.
• Always ensure that there are no insects inside your socks/boots and gloves before putting them on.

MREs and water

• Spicy MREs are usually better and more tasty than non-spicy MREs, with the pastas being the best.
• The fruitcakes/biscuits are known to cause you to shit, so eat with caution. There's also a rumor that the MREs cause slight constipation, and this isn't a bad thing.
• Fill your canteen at the end of the day before sleeping. May not have enough time to do this the next morning.
• Refill your canteen whenever you have the chance.

Shellscrape and sleeping

Day 2 is shellscrape-digging day. It's gonna be tough, but don't slack or give up, or they'll make you re-dig.

• Use your feet to push the ET blade deeper into the group, then pull our more dirt to dig faster.
• Lay out your gortex if you don't want to sleep on the muddy ground. It gets quite cold, so you may want to wear it at night.
• Wear your boots when you sleep along with your garters and socks to keep away the insects.

SIT test

• If you're not interested in going to command school, volunteer to be sentry.

After fieldcamp

2-3 (or more) of rifle cleaning, field pack cleaning, boots cleaning, washing of stores.

Hand Grenade

Hand grenade lasts around a day (half a day if you're lucky).

Close Quarter Battle

CQB is a 2-day, 1-night outfield.

Battle Inoculation Course

BIC is a short event that usually takes up less than half a day.

Route March

• Try to be in front of the platoon. You'll never have to run to catch up, and you'll get a better view of Singapore.

Passing-Out Parade

Learn the Infantry Song and BMT Roar.

To successfully pass out of BMT, the following are required:

• Pass 2 out of 3 of
  • IPPT (over 61 points)
  • BTP
  • Field camp
• 75% attendance (needs confirmation)

Hand grenade and BIC are not requirements to POP.

After POP, you get 5 days off (+4 counting weekends, so 9 days totally). These 5 days are deducted from your annual leave of 14 days. Posting orders will be available on the Friday after POP.

Videos

Hand Grenade

BTP

CQB

Fieldcamp

IFC (field discipline)

FCO (fire movement)

Tekan session