NS Queries

[apacheapex]

Hi guys, I just received my enlistment letter and I have some questions that I hope the more experienced people can help me with.

1) I just got posted to Tekong. A few months ago, I went for the Vocational Assessment for Commandos. Naturally, I am a bit disappointed that I got rejected because I thought I did pretty decent for physical and quite well for the interview. The IQ test I was almost certain I did great. I can only think that it was my background (all indoor CCAs) and my PES status B1L1 that contributed to this. But, my more important question is, is the commandos really that great an option? I know that it is regarded as the most elite unit by some but in terms of opportunity to excel and get recognized, is it good? I have heard some people say that it is harder to get into OCS from commandos because it's a battle among the best. Hope someone can corroborate this?

2) What at least consoled me was the fact that my best friend was given the same enlistment date and same enlistment time as me? Does this mean we have a good chance of being in the same unit? I am really looking forward to a familiar face in the army.

Thanks guys. Sorry for the mountain of words

 

[reddevil0728]

Hi guys, I just received my enlistment letter and I have some questions that I hope the more experienced people can help me with.

1) I just got posted to Tekong. A few months ago, I went for the Vocational Assessment for Commandos. Naturally, I am a bit disappointed that I got rejected because I thought I did pretty decent for physical and quite well for the interview. The IQ test I was almost certain I did great. I can only think that it was my background (all indoor CCAs) and my PES status B1L1 that contributed to this. But, my more important question is, is the commandos really that great an option? I know that it is regarded as the most elite unit by some but in terms of opportunity to excel and get recognized, is it good? I have heard some people say that it is harder to get into OCS from commandos because it's a battle among the best. Hope someone can corroborate this?

2) What at least consoled me was the fact that my best friend was given the same enlistment date and same enlistment time as me? Does this mean we have a good chance of being in the same unit? I am really looking forward to a familiar face in the army.

Thanks guys. Sorry for the mountain of words

1)

How do you know you did "decent"/"Great", all these are subjective, it is your own opinion. To you is decent, to them it may not be. In addition, who said that doing well in those 2 areas is the criteria for being chosen to get into Commandos? I doubt anybody said that. Who knows maybe the criteria is they purposely want to take in those people who doesn't give a damn to torture them more? Well we will probably never know. There are people who doesn't even have CCA and PES B1L1 also get in, so probably that's not really a contribution at all?

If you want us to say NO just so that you will feel better at not being selected due to probably your ego or what not, I will patronise you and say NO.

Whether it is the "MOST" elite unit or not is subjective and who said you can't have the opportunity to excel and get recognised in other jobs you are being posted to? Is being recognised really such a bit deal? Good or not is to each his own.

Probably true, but probably we will never know the EXACT criteria.

2)

Got chance to be in the same company, after BMT is another matter. ok

 

[apacheapex]

NS

Hi, I hope I didn't come across as being too arrogant because that was certainly not my intention. I apologize if I appeared as though I was just trying to find excuses. Essentially, what I was trying to know was why the rejection, because in my opinion, I thought I did well. Also, the interviewing officer told me that he was quite impressed, hence my interpretation. I am glad you told me that there are people without CCA and PES B1L1 that got into commandos, because at least, I know I got rejected because people were truly better and not because of my background. Thank you for that!

Also, I do agree that recognition isn't the most important thing. However, I hope you understand that for my case, I am of a financially disadvantaged background and I really hope to get a scholarship to fulfill my dreams. Many of the scholarships expect good performance during army and therefore, I am concerned about the recognition. I hope you understand that. Please do not be mistaken that I am crazy over being the "best of the best" because I do understand and fully agree that in an army, people have different responsibilities and everyone is crucial to national defense.

Last but not least, thank you for replying my second question. I am very relieved and excited after seeing that.

Cheers!

1)

How do you know you did "decent"/"Great", all these are subjective, it is your own opinion. To you is decent, to them it may not be. In addition, who said that doing well in those 2 areas is the criteria for being chosen to get into Commandos? I doubt anybody said that. Who knows maybe the criteria is they purposely want to take in those people who doesn't give a damn to torture them more? Well we will probably never know. There are people who doesn't even have CCA and PES B1L1 also get in, so probably that's not really a contribution at all?

If you want us to say NO just so that you will feel better at not being selected due to probably your ego or what not, I will patronise you and say NO.

Whether it is the "MOST" elite unit or not is subjective and who said you can't have the opportunity to excel and get recognised in other jobs you are being posted to? Is being recognised really such a bit deal? Good or not is to each his own.

Probably true, but probably we will never know the EXACT criteria.

2)

Got chance to be in the same company, after BMT is another matter. ok

 

[reddevil0728]

Hi, I hope I didn't come across as being too arrogant because that was certainly not my intention. I apologize if I appeared as though I was just trying to find excuses. Essentially, what I was trying to know was why the rejection, because in my opinion, I thought I did well. Also, the interviewing officer told me that he was quite impressed, hence my interpretation. I am glad you told me that there are people without CCA and PES B1L1 that got into commandos, because at least, I know I got rejected because people were truly better and not because of my background. Thank you for that!

Also, I do agree that recognition isn't the most important thing. However, I hope you understand that for my case, I am of a financially disadvantaged background and I really hope to get a scholarship to fulfill my dreams. Many of the scholarships expect good performance during army and therefore, I am concerned about the recognition. I hope you understand that. Please do not be mistaken that I am crazy over being the "best of the best" because I do understand and fully agree that in an army, people have different responsibilities and everyone is crucial to national defense.

Last but not least, thank you for replying my second question. I am very relieved and excited after seeing that.

Cheers!

Unless we know what's the actual criteria, doing well in all those area may actually not be a good thing. That's what I am trying to say.

It doesn't matter whether you are a storeman or a clerk. It's still the military and without either of the 2 that I just mentioned (just quoting a few examples), how do soldiers fight without the the equipment they need which is handled by the storeman? What about the administrative work any organisation need to have, without clerks the organisation also cannot function. Who said you can't excel in those few errors and who knows maybe you get promoted to Corporal First Class? I think getting that rank is even harder than being an officer or specialist.

In addition, is not like you are not going into mono intake batch where you can't go to command school. I believe you have at least diploma or a levels? hence I believe you should be in leadership batch and you can still go into command school.

 

[apacheapex]

Help

Yep, I absolutely concur with your opinions. An army with commandos only is not an army. An army without the various components would not be able to function as well as it should. I am sorry if I appeared as though I was preaching otherwise.

I am sorry but I am not really sure what a mono intake is. I am not very informed about army stuff actually. My enlistment date is actually May 7 and I am in the midst of A Levels. What is the leadership batch? Because within my schools, there are people going in December, some in February, some in March, others in May. I didn't know that dates actually connotate something. Please advise.

Unless we know what's the actual criteria, doing well in all those area may actually not be a good thing. That's what I am trying to say.

It doesn't matter whether you are a storeman or a clerk. It's still the military and without either of the 2 that I just mentioned (just quoting a few examples), how do soldiers fight without the the equipment they need which is handled by the storeman? What about the administrative work any organisation need to have, without clerks the organisation also cannot function. Who said you can't excel in those few errors and who knows maybe you get promoted to Corporal First Class? I think getting that rank is even harder than being an officer or specialist.

In addition, is not like you are not going into mono intake batch where you can't go to command school. I believe you have at least diploma or a levels? hence I believe you should be in leadership batch and you can still go into command school.

 

[reddevil0728]

Yep, I absolutely concur with your opinions. An army with commandos only is not an army. An army without the various components would not be able to function as well as it should. I am sorry if I appeared as though I was preaching otherwise.

I am sorry but I am not really sure what a mono intake is. I am not very informed about army stuff actually. My enlistment date is actually May 7 and I am in the midst of A Levels. What is the leadership batch? Because within my schools, there are people going in December, some in February, some in March, others in May. I didn't know that dates actually connotate something. Please advise.

Mono intake usually refers to people who enlist directly into a UNIT and stay there for their entire 2 years.

Since you are doing A levels, you should be in leadership batch where you have the opportunity to go into Command school

 

[cjfalk]

Scholarships don't care that much about NS generally. If you have outstanding academic + CCA records, then you pass. Of course, getting into OCS and getting an award may help, but generally NS is not very important.

Enlist at the same time doesn't mean anything. Usually 2-3 companies enlist in the same time, each with 4 platoons and 4 sections each. So you and your friend probably won't end up in the same place - you mostly only see your section and maybe your platoon during BMT.

No one knows how they choose people for commandos so don't worry about it.

 

[kaixax555]

Hmmm...

1) I have gone for commando Vocation assessment before as well, dun really think physical really matters a lot... the written test (or something like that, dunno the exact name) is probably the main factor... SYSTEM decides whether you are suitable or not

2) If same day same time should be in same company, different timings in the same day are catered for different companies (for me 945 was for my coy, 1045 for cougar), so most probably you will see your friend in the company... same platoon and even section is a different matter altogether

 

[apacheapex]

Queries

Okay thanks guys for enlightening me!