{"id":26221,"date":"2024-04-15T10:00:52","date_gmt":"2024-04-15T02:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nsman.safra.sg\/?p=26221"},"modified":"2024-04-12T18:02:24","modified_gmt":"2024-04-12T10:02:24","slug":"lol-mondays-join-the-army-they-said-see-the-world-they-said","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nsman.safra.sg\/lol-mondays-join-the-army-they-said-see-the-world-they-said\/","title":{"rendered":"LOL Mondays: Join The Army, They Said. See The World, They Said."},"content":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s be honest, being in the military does allow you to see the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Well, at least some parts of it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Many of us would\u2019ve at some point in time, be it during our NSF days or during reservist, participated in training overseas. I don\u2019t know about you, but getting to travel was one of the highlights of my NS experience. I mean, come on \u2013 it\u2019s a free trip courtesy of the SAF!<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m sure many of you guys would have, like me, undergone survival training in the jungles of Brunei. To be honest, that wasn\u2019t my favourite overseas training experience. But it certainly was the most memorable.<\/span><\/p>\n

For those of you who haven\u2019t set foot in Bruneian jungles \u2013 that place is <\/span>terok<\/span><\/i>, especially when compared to what we have in Singapore.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Think dense vegetation filled with annoyingly prickly plants, giant centipedes the length of your arm, crocodile-filled rivers, and swarms of cicadas.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ah yes, the cicadas. They created so much noise it is impossible to forget the havoc they wreaked in camp.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

No, I\u2019m not just referring to the extremely loud noise the insects make. I\u2019m also talking about the many young men who screamed like little girls whenever they found a cicada on their bed or in their boots.<\/span><\/p>\n

And then there\u2019s the fact that the jungles of Brunei get pretty scary at night because the forest canopies are so dense they block out all light after sunset.<\/span><\/p>\n

I must admit it was quite disconcerting when I realised I could not see anything come nightfall. Yes, it gets so dark you cannot even see your own hands.<\/span><\/p>\n

In fact, I think I developed a phobia of the dark after that trip. For years, I slept with a night light switched on through the night.<\/span><\/p>\n

But I recently stopped doing that. I think I\u2019m more afraid of the electricity bill.<\/span><\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not all blood, sweat, and tears. The jungle became our classroom, teaching us the value of resilience, teamwork, and quick thinking \u2013 skills that will serve us well long after we\u2019ve bid farewell to the wilderness.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, the next time you encounter a Singaporean NSman who has braved the Brunei jungle, make sure to lend an ear to their tales of adventure. Behind every amusing anecdote lies a tale of resilience, personal growth, and the indomitable spirit of the Singaporean NSman.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s to the jungle warriors past and future \u2013 may your spirits stay high, your ponchos stay dry, and your adventures continue to mould you into the heroes you are destined to be!<\/span><\/p>\n

LOL Mondays is an ongoing series of slice-of-life stories from freelance writer and NSman Alywin Chew.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Want more fun articles like this, and other lifestyle content right in your inbox? Download the new SAFRA mobile app<\/a><\/span> and opt in for the eNSman Newsletter \u2013 you don’t need to be a SAFRA member to subscribe \u2013 and never miss another story!<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A free trip that comes with unexpected company.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":26223,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[863],"tags":[3657,793,1720,1476,446],"yoast_head":"\nLOL Mondays: Join the army, they said. See the world, they said.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Getting to travel was one of the highlights of my NS experience. I mean, come on \u2013 it\u2019s a free trip courtesy of the SAF!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"LOL Mondays: Join the army, they said. See the world, they said.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Getting to travel was one of the highlights of my NS experience. 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