Like my colleague says, there’s a group of botak Singaporeans who are pretty okay with CB measures being extended.
And they’re our NSFs in BMT.
Last month, when the Circuit Breaker was announced, recruits who had then just enlisted were sent home to do “home-based instructional material on basic skills and fitness development.”
And when the Circuit Breaker was extended until 1 June 2020, Mindef followed suit as well and about 3,400 recruits are placed on Home-Based Learning (HBL) where they can serve their NS in the comforts of their own homes.
And the best part of this arrangement?
That would be counted as their NS period.
So What Are They Doing At Home?
In true Singapore style, just because it’s a pandemic doesn’t mean that the world stops revolving.
For one, instead of waking up at 5.15am to go down to the company line for 5BX at 5.30am, this recruit wakes up at 6am, takes his temperature and goes to his computer to report his temperature via the SAF temperature-taking application.
Recruits have to submit their temperature readings twice a day, once at 7am and once more at 2pm.
Then, he gets to go back to sleep until 8am when he starts his physical training.
During physical training, he selects workouts to do from his HBL modules as well as videos on the Mindef Facebook page.
Then, after lunch, he goes back to his computer again to go through 3 hours 20 minutes of online lessons.
The recruits on HBL has to do an online quiz at the end of the day.
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IPPT Gold Standard
Another recruit was happy that he had managed to lose 10kg and wants to keep his performance up.
Other than HBL modules that he completes throughout the day, he also makes sure that he upkeep a personal training regime.
He wants to get gold in IPPT and lose another 4 to 5kg.
He keeps in close contact with his commanders via WhatsApp and says that this circuit breaker helps to bring him and his fellow soldiers closer together.
Soldiers Will Be Adjusted Back To Normal After CB Ends
Now, when 1 June comes and CB is (hopefully) lifted, is it straight back to normal for these recruits?
Yes.
When the soldiers are back, they will be placed under a “structured heat acclimatisation programme” which will help them adjust back to the training tempo safely.
BMTC is also revising the curriculum, and looking at how subsequent training and graduation dates will be adjusted.
“This progressive approach ensures that recruits train safely and confidently as they acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to graduate as newly-minted soldiers of the SAF.”
You jelly? I know I am.
For those who miss their RT or IPPT days, here’s a challenge that Mindef has pushed out on their Facebook:
Definitely not surprised that it’s pushups though.