SAF: Soldiers Are Funny

With the advent of technology, the blurring of boundaries become more apparent and what used to be unthinkable or un-do-able suddenly becomes possible. A prime example would be the posting of army videos on the Internet. No, I'm not referring to those that showcase bravery and the like. I'm talking about those that shows the humorous and lighter side of the Singapore Armed Forces. To a certain extent, I'd say some of the videos quite exemplify the redundancy of the local conscription policy. Oh yes, to save you the effort of searching for the videos, you can get all of them here at a one stop link. Click here.

Upon getting wind of this matter, the Ministry of Defence chose to expressed its disdain over the MSM, or mainstream media, a catchphrase that is being used excessively for the wrong reasons recently. Whatever happened to the good ol' "newspapers" or "television"? Anyway, I found a particular part of the article to be interesting. Here it goes:

"Ms Indranee Rajah, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs, also criticised the people who posted these videos for their effect on the army's reputation.

'It is one thing to do silly things in the confines of a camp or barracks with no one to see you but your platoon mates. It is quite another thing to capture those acts of silliness in a permanent record and share them with the world at large, because it negatively affects the image of the SAF,' she said.

The bottom line, she said, is that NSmen need to discern for themselves what is appropriate for the Internet and what is not."

I couldn't help but to burst out in laughter when I read this. Man, this really made my day. Why? Read the last sentence again. Obviously, the NSmen have decided that they would like to share the clips of their funny moments and "discerned for themselves" that the clips are "appropriate for the Internet", thus posting them on Youtube for all to see. *guffaws* Is this statement really necessary? I think not.

Another point I want to point out (no pun intended) is the image of the SAF. Sure, every now and then you will see advertisements on the mainstream media, touting the Army to be the "decisive force" or the Airforce to be "like nothing on earth".

Frankly, with the commando dunking incident, the Navy RSS Courageous crashing in Singapore waters and unexplained collapses of servicemen (be it training or otherwise), I doubt the SAF has any image left, even if there was any to begin with, that is. The mainstream media often broadcasts the reckless and negligent mistakes of the SAF anyway; what's with a few clips showing moments of silliness? Surely they cannot do any more damage than the mainstream media has already does.

At the risk of being labeled a "partisan player" who "offers no solutions", allow me to suggest one. Hell, anyone out there can take credit for it, absolutely no need to quote me or whatsoever.

My suggestion is simple, really - nip the problem in the bud. Instead of blaming NSmen for filming clips or the ever-advancing technology, bar all handphones within military installations. This applies to all ranks. Well, OK, the generals can be exempted, so that if there are any more videos leaking out, at least the investigation team will know where to start and who to look for. And as any sane Singaporean would say, "Impose heavy fines and penalties (meaning jail term) for those who flout the rule!", I propose likewise too.

Alternatively, camera-less handphone can become a new standard issue item. One of the subsidiaries of Singapore Technologies can take charge of design and manufacture of this new-age handphone. Call it SARS21. Not to be confused with SAR21, the bullpup assault rifle. SARS21, or Singapore Actively-Remodeled System 21, will bring about the next revolution in the communication standards within the armed forces in the 21st century.

Featuring one-touch calling to various important numbers such as the SAF Helpline and the platoon sergeant's SARS21 set, SARS21 facilitates communication at all times, be it peacetime or wartime. For a nominal fee that can be deducted from their monthly salaries, erm, I meant allowances, the NSFs can personalize their SARS21 set in any colour (except that the colour must be in mud-green) as well as to be able to make personal calls to friends and families outside the installations.

Oh yes. Don't let Nokia, Sony Ericsson, LG, Siemens or any other major handphone makers into this contract. Hey, it's national security we're talking about here. Besides, why let outsiders earn the money when you can keep shuffling it among your left and right pockets? This is definitely another step towards uniformity within the uniformed armed forces.

PS. The initial title of this post was "SAF antics" but I found the current title to be more apt and hence, changed it. I had "Singaporeans Are Funny" in mind but Dear's suggestion of "Soldiers Are Funny" takes the cake.