My unit organized its 2013 Family Engagement Day this morning. Essentially, it is an event where the family and friends of servicemen are invited to his camp to understand more about the role he plays in National Service. As I did not bring any guests, I ended up as part of the workers' party...oops I mean the working party.
Call it cheapskate or stingy, every guest was given a goodie bag. But do you know what goodie bag is that? It's the accessory pack (the one with ultra-hard biscuits, super-sweet powdered beverages and low-quality tissue) that soldiers are given during outfield exercises.
I was thinking why not given them a couple of "tasty" combat rations too to complete the military look. You can see how budget the army is even when holding events that determine how it fairs in the eyes of civilians. Even a nice-looking pen (that lasts for only 3 days) would be regarded as a worthier gift.
Anyway, the usual wayang show whenever non-military personnel are present is up again today. The talks and presentations by the commanders were absolutely not 100% true and accurate. I do have experience of the certain topics mentioned during the talks and I just felt helpless watching the audience listening to (and maybe believing) what those in green have are saying.
However, it wasn't a failed show. The flow of events, service provided and time management were all commendable. Ample time was allocated for each sub-event and there was hardly any confusion in between the different areas. Those who ate lunch at the cookhouse also felt that the food was better than usual.
Prior to Family Engagement Day, we wereforced tasked to do a massive clean-up of our accommodations for obvious reasons. It was the toughest most thorough cleaning I ever did to my bunk and I could barely see any visible difference after spending more than six (unpaid) work hours on it.
I decided to think positively and view the cleaning as an annual spring cleaning. Our bunks looks very "unoriginal" today as all the bedsheets, pillow cases, blankets and the way they are placed are the same. Not to mention how flawless our windows were in such a dusty camp like Sungei Gedong.
If you wanna show what the army really is to parents, why not show them the real, authentic and honest side of it? And showing the real side doesn't include giving outfield food items to visitors!
Call it cheapskate or stingy, every guest was given a goodie bag. But do you know what goodie bag is that? It's the accessory pack (the one with ultra-hard biscuits, super-sweet powdered beverages and low-quality tissue) that soldiers are given during outfield exercises.
I was thinking why not given them a couple of "tasty" combat rations too to complete the military look. You can see how budget the army is even when holding events that determine how it fairs in the eyes of civilians. Even a nice-looking pen (that lasts for only 3 days) would be regarded as a worthier gift.
Anyway, the usual wayang show whenever non-military personnel are present is up again today. The talks and presentations by the commanders were absolutely not 100% true and accurate. I do have experience of the certain topics mentioned during the talks and I just felt helpless watching the audience listening to (and maybe believing) what those in green have are saying.
However, it wasn't a failed show. The flow of events, service provided and time management were all commendable. Ample time was allocated for each sub-event and there was hardly any confusion in between the different areas. Those who ate lunch at the cookhouse also felt that the food was better than usual.
Prior to Family Engagement Day, we were
I decided to think positively and view the cleaning as an annual spring cleaning. Our bunks looks very "unoriginal" today as all the bedsheets, pillow cases, blankets and the way they are placed are the same. Not to mention how flawless our windows were in such a dusty camp like Sungei Gedong.
If you wanna show what the army really is to parents, why not show them the real, authentic and honest side of it? And showing the real side doesn't include giving outfield food items to visitors!
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