Vocation is what you do after BMT, eg combat vocations like rifleman, signaller and non combat vocations like storeman, clerk etc etc
Most non combat vocations are stayout while combat vocations are stayin.
u don haf a choice in choosing ur own vocation ... unless u PES E .. den cfm everyday 8-5 ......
ur vocation means ur job title for the rest of ur NS life after BMT ...
sort of designates wat sort of dutie u'll be doing
stay in, stay out also depends on units, even if different units in the one same camp...
e.g. a clerk is to stay in in an active combat unit. e.g. 1 gds, 3 gds... whereas some pple in 7SIB get to stay out, but all these 3 units r in the same camp... bedok camp.
BMT, vocational course at military institutes, command schools... as long as u r on course, almost all r stay in... with weekend offs, unless u kena weekend duties...
after bmt, either u go command schools (sispec/ocs) (pes a/b), or to any random course assigned at respective military institutes in the bmt POP posting order. it's an order, so no more pick n choose...
after course, then post u to a unit in a camp, consider urself lucky if u post to somewhere near ur house... or even luckier if a combat vocationalist but posted to a 8-5 unit... which is stay out n also got the combat allowance. on top of basic ns rank allowance.
ur similiar thoughts friend in mind: http://armedforces.sgforums.com/forums/1390/topics/320211