Sign On: Worth It? Wise? Outside No Good Job Prospect? How?
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Throughout my NSF period so far, i get to interact with alot of Regulars. Sometimes during causal conversation i do ask them about their life as a regular.
All the regulars i talked to regretted signing on n i mean all
There is none i talk to whom encourage me to sign on.
I remembered talking to a regular he mentioned that he sign on, hoping to go to a repsectable vocation like commando, in the end his interest was rejected n he was posted into another vocation. He told me life in SAF is screwed up. He is a SSG n he told me that in SAF high ranking personnels like WOs will push work to younger regulars while they do nothing. 8 to 5 job NO!! thats wad he said . He often worked until late n nvm when things cork up, high ranking personnels will look for ppl to push the blame to although they themselves are supposed to do. And who gets the blame, the younger regulars who were arrowed to do the job not the high ranking personnels. This cycle goes on n on, and in the end, the younger regulars suffer. A mistake u make n u r marked forever.
There are many other stories i hear from regulars whom i interact with. None express satisfaction in their job.
I still wonder why do ppl still express interest in signing on?
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i wonder why too.
maybe they dun believe it until they experience it -
Money
I still wonder why do ppl still express interest in signing on? [/b]
Or maybe love the country HHhahahahahaaa -
we need regulars who sign on for the love of our country but is there? These once enthusiastic ppl who sigh on hoping to get a vocation they can be proud off lose their enthusiasm to work once they have been in SAF long enough or when they are refused of the job they want.Originally posted by KenPlus:Money
Or maybe love the country HHhahahahahaaa -
I agree, all of the regulars i spoke with except one, which probably did it for the money. I know a LTA who paid 26k to tear his contract, but not many can afford to pay such a lump sum. So reconsider carefully before signing on.Originally posted by borntolive:All the regulars i talked to regretted signing on n i mean all There is none i talk to whom encourage me to sign on.
Even if you got into you dream vocation, i.e guards, commandos etc, can you be sure that you will never suffer any injuries due to training? You might have to serve out the remaining years of the contract sitting in front of an office desk.
The stupidest reason i ever heard, was from a regular, a friend of mine.
He signed on so that he have the money to buy a car. 5 years after serving finish his MTE (minimum term of engagement) he left the SAF with 0 job experience, $0.
No one will stop you from signing on, for the ladies my advice is DON'T. For the guys, finish your BMT and experience a few months of unit life first then consider signing on. Don't regret it like 2 of my close friends did!!
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This sounds and is stupid but that is what 2-3 of the newly sign on regulars posted to my side said. They just plan to serve 5 years and break contract. Don't know whats on the minds of these guys really.Originally posted by Don©:The stupidest reason i ever heard, was from a regular, a friend of mine.
He signed on so that he have the money to buy a car. 5 years after serving finish his MTE (minimum term of engagement) he left the SAF with 0 job experience, $0.
Anyway, i would say quite a number of people might sign on if their results are not too good and do not allow them to enter uni. Army pays the best for an A's cert or poly dip and even though they dun get the lump sum after the contact ends, they will get to keep the initial lump sum given when they sign on. -
maybe sign on spf is better
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The WOs have been through the cycle of junior ranks, and they have been treated that way. That's partly why they behave the same. The WOs did not get their ranks overnight, they went through the same shit, and survived.Originally posted by borntolive:He is a SSG n he told me that in SAF high ranking personnels like WOs will push work to younger regulars while they do nothing. 8 to 5 job NO!! thats wad he said . He often worked until late n nvm when things cork up, high ranking personnels will look for ppl to push the blame to although they themselves are supposed to do. And who gets the blame, the younger regulars who were arrowed to do the job not the high ranking personnels. This cycle goes on n on, and in the end, the younger regulars suffer. A mistake u make n u r marked forever.
But some WOs are different. They felt the injustice and make sure their juniors don't go through the same thing. -
Frankly, I can't comprehend the combat applicants' mindset too. Technical or logistics, yes. (Same goes for the other service branches & the paramilitary organizations.)
But with combat, I guess it has more to do with the immortality sentiments among the youthful, although today's generation also conceivably (pun) consists of some ex-"army brats". Perhaps they have prior romantic notions of the SAF as like the US Marine Corps or French Foreign Legion too. (If so, the more astute should aim to sign on with local elite forces -- any branch -- cuz the ethos they seek does exist with those small & professional units.)
As long as we're in peacetime -- & prospering -- the military remains an attractive career choice, particularly for officers or those well-qualified, with guaranteed job security, material benefits & the chance to recycle on later with GIC companies if they stick it out.
Yes, the first 6 years tend to be backbreaking with the operational demands at the BN level. But, thereafter, life does become more of an office-hours routine as you get promoted, posted on to the BDE or DIV or Formation HQ level, & can delegate down. That's the usual hierarchy structure of any military organization, what.
The other complaint mentioned in your post -- which IMO is the main alienating factor -- is the bureaucracy nature of the SAF, which isn't surprising since we aren't on a war footing. As such, it also partly operates as an mammoth administration bureau like any government agency, with the same propensity for organizational structures, red tape & office politics. Except it can be more regimented, being military. The combat-inclined regulars must live with the system, or quit altogether. -
Actually do regulars even get to choose where they want to go? If they r refused or not qualified for the vocation they want to enter/ can they cancel their decision to sign on?
For e.g if they only want to go prestigous vocations like Commandos, NDU etc do they get the chance to choose. N if declined can they cancel the bond? -
Thank god i didn't sign on!
I was almost brain washed to sign on wif the Air Force during BMT...
But for some reason they rejected my application...a blessing in disguise!
SAF...nothing but a wayang organisation! -
air force and navy is a different story, a far cry from army
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I would beg to differ on several issues mentioned by the original poster. Firstly, the situation he describes would occur regardless of the organization that he is in. Does that SSG think that such petty tyranny and politicking only occurs in the SAF? Besides, any assertion about a vicious cycle is pointless because in the civilian world, the first big mistake you made would get you fired anyway.Originally posted by borntolive:... He told me life in SAF is screwed up. He is a SSG n he told me that in SAF high ranking personnels like WOs will push work to younger regulars while they do nothing. 8 to 5 job NO!! thats wad he said . He often worked until late n nvm when things cork up, high ranking personnels will look for ppl to push the blame to although they themselves are supposed to do. And who gets the blame, the younger regulars who were arrowed to do the job not the high ranking personnels. This cycle goes on n on, and in the end, the younger regulars suffer. A mistake u make n u r marked forever.
There are many other stories i hear from regulars whom i interact with. None express satisfaction in their job.
I still wonder why do ppl still express interest in signing on?
Next, please remember that the SAF only has 1 Bn of CDO and 2 Bn of GDS. Not everybody wants to go there, and not everybody who can make it in will make it in. The ultimate goal of the SAF is to defend singapore, and to do so, it has to have competent people in EVERY vocation. While individual choice does play a part, organisational needs must triumph. This is the same in every company that you want to work for, except that in the case of commercial companies, if your needs don't match theirs, they just don't hire you. =)
Fact of the matter is, not everybody can tahan the long and shitty hours that are part and parcel of being in the military. The pay is getting better, and regardless of the pay, it is sufficient, and if no savings are made that is a fault of the individual and not the organisation.
Also, I would think that the military is NOT an attractive career for everybody when the economy is booming, as shown by the recent pay increases that were announced.
Yes, the airforce and the navy are different from the army--in that they are more glamorous. But the differences are getting smaller and ultimately you still need all three services to defend Singapore. -
Oh. I just ord last month and now working in the civilian world. My boss and collegues treat me very well and I will say they are 100 times better than the army peopleOriginally posted by edwin3060:I would beg to differ on several issues mentioned by the original poster. Firstly, the situation he describes would occur regardless of the organization that he is in. Does that SSG think that such petty tyranny and politicking only occurs in the SAF? Besides, any assertion about a vicious cycle is pointless because in the civilian world, the first big mistake you made would get you fired anyway.
Have you even worked in the civilian world before? If yes, could it be because you are a bastard so others be a bastard to you too? -
I use to have this mindset too.Originally posted by dkcx:This sounds and is stupid but that is what 2-3 of the newly sign on regulars posted to my side said. They just plan to serve 5 years and break contract. Don't know whats on the minds of these guys really.
Anyway, i would say quite a number of people might sign on if their results are not too good and do not allow them to enter uni. Army pays the best for an A's cert or poly dip and even though they dun get the lump sum after the contact ends, they will get to keep the initial lump sum given when they sign on.
I wanted to sign a 5 year contract. I feel it is worth it as the 5 year contract includes the 2 year nsf period so in effect you are only serving 3 years.
I never sign on in the end as my superiors think I cannot survive as a regular.
I have ord last month and now happily working in the civilian world.
Pay may be lower than being a regular but I am very happy