For anyone who’s worn green before, he’d know this after reading the headline: shit has hit the fan.
Anyone who’s been through NS would know that NS is like a court hearing: it’ll never be cancelled, what Ah Gong said is final and no one can siam it if not you’d be facing a judge.
And so even when we’ve no habit of using a phrase like “breaking news”, we’d use it here:
Breaking News: ICT & IPPT Now Cancelled Until 30 April & Might Extend If Needed
It’s now confirmed: your man who’s scheduled to go for a two-week paid chalet this month won’t be packing his green bag.
In an announcement by MINDEF, in-camp training (ICT) would be cancelled for people who need to attend them from now until 30 April 2020.
However, NSmen in units that perform island defence, like the protection of key installations, will still go on to ensure that we’d still stay protected. This could refer to units in 2nd People’s Defence Force (known to us as PDF and it has nothing to do with a file that we can’t amend) and Military Police, though you might need to check with your units.
While it’s scheduled to end on 30 April 2020, the “shutdown” of ICT could be extended, depending on the COVID-19 situation.
If you’ve not worn green before, you might want to check out this video we’ve done on the obligations of an NSman, and why NSmen are frowning instead of cheering with this news:
(Check out our YouTube channel for more informative and entertaining videos!)
In addition, all Fitness Conditioning Centres, which are for NSmen to take their IPPT, IPT or RT, would be closed as well until 30 April 2020.
In other words, if you’re like me who thinks you can get a Gold for IPPT this April, you can blame COVID-19.
In mid-February, the FCCs were closed as well until March, whereby it was opened with safe distancing measures.
And now, it’s closed again.
However, compared to the previous closure whereby NSmen would have to seek help from their units if their IPPT / RT window is within the period whereby the FCC was closed, this latest closure means that the usual IPPT requirements for NSmen would be waived.
Damn you COVID-19, for my entire life I know it’s only April 2020 that I can get a Gold man.
For NSFs, training would go on as usual although there would be health precautions and safe distancing measures.
Yesterday, it was also announced that there wouldn’t be any visitors for the latest enlistment intake in Tekong, which effectively means the complete disappearance of western meal on enlistment day.
And by the way, it’s also indicated that the “Ministry of Defence and the SAF remain committed in safeguarding the defence of Singapore while keeping our servicemen safe in the ongoing COVID-19 situation.”
Because mob and ops manning still exist.
