Technical Recall

"Rush to wait, wait to rush."

That is perhaps the most famous phrase when one speaks of his time during National Service. That, and "do anything but don't get caught", of course.

But the former is very much evident when one takes a close look at the inner workings of the SAF.

I was recently instructed to report to my ex-unit for a "technical recall", something that most NS-men are aware will happen sooner or later. However, the way this was done has raised more than a few issues, some of which have perhaps been asked before and some undoubtedly unvoiced.

A friend of mine called me early Saturday morning telling me he had been recalled, and I, like many, would have been feeling privately gleeful that I had "escaped" the same fate as my handphone and house phones showed no calls missed or otherwise. My friend, who was actually in the midst of a Saturday class in his degree program, had to then rush home and get changed into his uniform and lug his Army equipment to the "Mobilisation centre" located not too close to his home.

Later, I did receive the same instructions and also followed suit. Now, I am not annoyed that I was recalled. It is very much expected that all NS-men are recalled sometime or other, but what irks me is the mixed messages that all of us received.

Asking around at the Mob Centre (because we had so much time to), we found that nearly everyone was told to report at different times, from 2pm to as late as 8pm. The ones who had made a herculean effort to rush down to the centre were, as you might expect, very aggravated, to say the least. Timings aside, all of us were told to "sit and wait for furthur instructions". This meant a few hundred grumbling twenty-somethings sitting on bare concrete in a poorly-ventilated vehicle shed. A large shed, but poor conditions nonetheless. Even asking the Regular Officers there (ranging from Lieutenant to Major) procured little reward, they were as baffled as we were regarding what was to happen.

In the end, we were released late into the night, a bunch of angry men with bulky eqquipment. Cab-drivers in the area might still be echoing "Wow, late book-out today huh?".

Now, the questions I would like to raise would be pertaining to such recalls and mobilisations in the future. My friend who I mentioned earlier, for example, had to leave in the middle of a class to get to the Mob Centre, fearing reprimandation should he arrive later than the stipulated timing. I know the SAF grants deferment should an NS-man studies overseas, but what of cases like his? There were also so many who clutched their tickets to Singapore vs Malaysia at the National Stadium as they tore at their (somewhat coloured) hair as the clock ticked.

Such situations like an NS-man being the best man at a friend's wedding, having a relative in hospital, etc would also have to be addressed. The last time anyone I knew asked about this, the blunt answer was "Unless YOU are hospitalised, you jolly well report."

Of course, I understand the government's and MINDEF's stance on national defence, and the military is an integral part of any nation's safety. I spent two years and four months as a soldier in the SAF, and it has left me a better man, and given me many joyful experiences that I can laugh about with my friends.

I also understand that an NS-man should always be ready to report to camp, such is the unexpectedness of any war or conflict that Singapore might be unfortunate enough to be involved in. But so much can be done to improve the core efficiency of the whole process.

The mindset of "wait to rush and rush to wait" is still predominant in the Army, especially, and hopefully can be rectified in the near future. Even a simple means of informing the men of the unit that there is a chance of being recalled at any given weekend would alleviate many of our concerns.