SAF Military Policeman
(As a disclosure, I am not able to reveal any sensitive information pertaining to the Singapore Armed Forces, SAF, as all servicemen are bound by the Official Secrets Act. Therefore, I will not be disclosing any description of 'prohibited places', codes, practices, tactics, military personnel or any information that can be of use by the enemies of our state. What I will be sharing is mostly what is written in my ORD transcript which was given to me after my two years of military service and is available to the public. The reason for me to write this is because recently, a friend of mine was talking about our times together in the army and I realised, my memory have been increasingly rusty. Also, I do hope that anyone reading this will appreciate our boys and girls serving the country and to give them the support and encouragement because truly, this is a life-changing moment for most of them.)
Just like most boys posted to the SAF, I reported to Pulau Tekong with absolutely no idea what the military life was going to be like. It would prove to be one of the toughest and life changing moments in my life. I won't delve too much into the Basic Military Training at Tekong as that isn't the point of me writing this today. But in a summary, I was posted to 4th Company (Knights) at Rocky Hill. I did gave my 100% every single day to the rigorous training and regimentation which led to times I felt like throwing in the towel. I was never as fit and strong as most of my peers but that never deterred me from giving my absolute best. 4th Company was one of the strictest companies in Tekong. Our phones were confiscated from the 2nd Week onward and we could only use the toilet on our bunk level (Back then I was staying on the sixth floor so we had to run up, use the toilet and get down in under 5 minutes every day). There were also minimal rests throughout and we even had a "Standby Universe" in the middle of the night. In army lingo, it meant the highest level of 'turnout' in which a soldier has to take every single thing out of their rooms and present it in perfect order in the parade square below. When I said every thing, I meant EVERY thing down that six bloody stories. That includes your bed. It didn't help that I was frequently quarreling with my ex over the phone late at night. (I sneaked in an extra phone which I hid in the ceiling above my bed) Regimentation wise was pretty tough to get accustomed to. I remembered not leaving a single dust behind the cupboards, not having a single crease in all my perfectly folded attire and to stifle your smile during inspections. These little skills would later be essential as a military policemen.
I graduated from 4th Company and was presented the 'Knights' Tab after completing the 24km Route March hoping to be posted to the Medical Corps or Signals Corps. I had opted out of Command School because back then, I had big commitments outside of camp. As it turns out, I was posted to Military Police Training School (MPTS).
As a heads up, I am not able to disclose the training information that we received during MPTS as that may breach the Official Secrets Act. In gist, there were a fair bit of physical training, which was not as tough as in Tekong and often, there were really long runs to get us all in good shape. There were self-defense courses as well which is essential because we would be handling rogue and ill-disciplined soldiers in the future. There is no Route Marches or Field Camps in MP but as replacement, there are other physically strenuous activities such as building 'monkey cages'. To those seeking to join the Military Police, be warned, it will be mentally draining. We had to memorise the SAF Act Chapter 295 (Singapore's military law book) and three other textbooks in the span of two months. There were many written and physical examinations also which can be pretty stressful because the results would affect in our posting and promotion. Regimentation is high in MPTS. We do scrub and polish our black boots until we see the reflections of our teeth on it and we burn away every single loose thread on our uniform. It takes a lot of discipline to get that polished boot effect but the results were very satisfying. Imagine raiding other camps, and the first thing the other soldiers tell you is how shiny your boots were. Much of our training is also focused on de-escalating any potential threat as well as to handle pressure from higher ranking officers.
Graduating from MPTS. I was posted to the Law Enforcement and Ceremonial Company (LECC) which is part of the Military Police Enforcement Unit. I was posted to a platoon that regularly conducted raids and therefore was known as the Wolfpack Raiders.
Again, in fear of breaching the Official Secrets Act, I will not be revealing details of the Operations that we conducted and especially how they are conducted. In brief, we would 'raid' any military bases belonging to the land, air and sea to ensure that no prohibited items are found within their confine. We do conduct exciting plainclothes operations such as nabbing soldiers who smoke in their uniforms in public spaces and intercept navy ships and military aircrafts. Each one of us in the Wolfpack Raiders had different duties and different approaches in carrying out our duties. I, for one, was a driver as well as section IC of the platoon. Others could be part of communications, or the seizure of prohibited items or to cordon off areas. Together, we work as a team to raid these military bases.
Personally, I was quite a carefree person on the job but when the situation calls for it, we had to really firm. Twice, I remembered unintentionally making two higher ranked soldiers burst into tears during an operation because they were obstructing my duties. We were not allowed to use any swear words or met out corporeal punishment as an enforcer of discipline, but some of my friends in the raiding company did. Basically, it wasn't necessary if you can still get the job done. During these raids, among the most common items we would confiscate are prohibited photos, gaming consoles, storage devices, chewing gum and contraband cigarettes. There were unusual ones too. In my 1.5 years in the raiding platoon, I had confiscated pornographic magazines, expensive contraband cigars, prohibited wine bottles, gaming devices that could record videos, sensitive documents lying around, pirated discs and a large, vegetable knife before. I have no idea why anyone would bring a vegetable into camp because its not like you would cook vegetables anyways. There was even one time a friend of mine found a 'dick pump'. Over the years, my responsibilities in the unit also grew and for the last six months in service I was entrusted the responsibility of being the Section I/C of Section 3. This position meant having to take charge of entire levels during raiding operations and having to make important calls such as managing the distribution of manpower.
Raiding however, was not our primary job in LECC despite it being arguably the 'highlight'. For most of our times, it was drills after drills under the blazing sun. The primary job in LECC was its ceremonial duties. This is where the legendary "one bang" that Military Policemen are known for comes from. That One Bang is the sound of all the soldier in formation bringing their foot down in unison with not one person slower than the other producing a sharp, loud and terrifying boom across the parade square. Imagine 72 men wearing plated boots (which amplifies the sound of our feet 100 times) producing that one bang. The drills are so perfectly executed, it is no wonder the Military Policemen contingent is always chosen as the Guards of Honour for any major parades. We were always made the Guard Of Honor for all official SAF ceremonies such as SAF day and Change in Command ceremonies but most importantly, to welcome foreign delegates from all around the world. During my time in LECC, I had the privilege to stand as close as one meter away from the biggest politicians in the world. Among the distinguished guests that we welcomed at the Istana or MinDef Headquarters were the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, former British Prime Minister David Cameron, Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, Chinese President Xi Jinping and many other royalties and politicians of whom I can't remember their names from countries such as Malaysia, Vietnam, Liechtenstein, Qatar, United States, India, Indonesia, France and many more. Therefore, our drills had to be top notch and whenever our "one bang" doesn't have that ringing precision or our hands were not of a certain angle, our OC would scold us and increase the number of drill practices.
The hardest part of being a ceremonial guardsmen however, is the standing. We had to endure standing under the blazing hot sun in hot and humid Singapore wearing two layers of clothes, clutching the rifle for at least an hour while waiting for the foreign delegates without moving a SINGLE inch. While in formation, you cannot shift your fingers or wipe your sweat. Sweat will be IN your eyes and your fingers will ache. The most hardest parade I would have to say, is SAF Day. Ask anyone in the contingent and they will tell you that it is not easy. It involves weeks of preparation and standing for hours at a time under the unforgiving sun. The rewards however, is unimaginable. During my time, I had the honour of performing the rare "Trooping of Colours" during one such SAF Day Parade which involves slow-marching through the ranks of soldiers and doing a diagonal march. There were many who had fallen out before because of the lack of blood circulation and that is why drinking up and having a good rest the day before is very important. I do look forward to the curry puffs at the Istana though. The highlight of my time as a ceremonial guardsmen would definitely be the day our late Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew passed away and I was deployed at 2am in the morning to NUS and the Istana to do the tafakur senjata, an honorary salute, typically given to a fallen soldier. There was so little rest in between and we spent three days with as little as an hour's worth of sleep in between to ensure that MM Lee had the best sendoff. At the Istana, I was stationed right in front of the main building where a Gurkha played the melancholic "Auld Lang Syne" from the rooftop behind. That day, as MM Lee's casket rolled past me with the sad music playing in the background, I remembered crying a little, thinking that we had truly lost the man who made Singapore what she is today.
There were many other memorable moments as a ceremonial guardsmen. One of which is the monthly Change of Guards ceremony in the middle of the city where we would march down in unison along Orchard Road to the tune of a marching band with hundreds of tourists snapping away photos. Here, the Old Guards would switch with the New Guards at the Istana gates and although its great since your friends and family can actually see how good your drills are, the marching can be really torturous especially for the New Guards. The New Guards had to march for at least 2 kilometers. Under the heat and weight of the rifle, it is no wonder we get two days of rest after the Change of Guards ceremony.
We were also trained to be anti-riot policemen. (You can actually see why our schedule can sometimes be very packed) I was Raider, Driver, Ceremonial Guardsmen and Anti-Riot police all rolled into one. There are perks of course as a military policemen. It is a stay-out unit. The only problem was that I lived in Pasir Ris, the other side of Singapore. This meant waking up at 5.30am to catch the first train from Pasir Ris MRT. Missing that, would mean missing out on First Parade and the punishment of having to sign an extra weekend duty. As an Anti-Riot Policemen, we had to be prepared for any riot that could possibly happen in the Detention Barracks next door. We were all placed in high alert during festive days, because the inmates would be allowed more freedom to also celebrate these days. If a riot breaks out during such celebration, we had to dress up into our full gear under five minutes. Needless to say, the training for anti-riot can be pretty brutal and most of the time, we would leave with bruises all over.
Sometimes, half of us would role play as rioters while the other half tries to quash the riot. We often do try to keep the training as realistic as possible and because of that there can be casualties. During one operation, I remembered someone from Platoon 1 being sent to the hospital after being whacked by a truncheon. The worst part about anti-riot however, is the uniform. If you haven't heard from an anti-rioter before, putting on the uniform is a challenge and it takes great skill to put on one without any assistance. Also, wearing the uniform is like putting on thick winter clothing. You literally cannot last more than 20 minutes inside of it or you will get a heatstroke. There was one training I remembered having to march up a staircase in formation with 'rioters' throwing furniture down on us. That was a truly memorable one. I was positioned as the second 'layer' of the formation which was a very lucky position. The two people in front of me, had to take the brunt because the 'rioters' would literally jump down the stairs and kick you right in your face except that you have this heavy transparent shield in front of you. As the 'second layer' I had to make sure the two men in front don't get thrown down the stairs. As a result, the poor duo would be squashed and in terrible pain throughout the ordeal. Danial, one of the greatest person I ever knew in my platoon happened to be one of the duo. There were tears in his eyes after that "staircase clearing" activity. There were many more memorable moments as an anti-rioter of course. There was one time we had to clear an 'abandoned' prison facility. It was all dark and scary and silent at first. In actual fact, the rioters had either barricaded their cells with their beds or hid in various places so we literally were ambushed every time we walked past a 'deserted' cell. The rioters were also using hoses so we got really wet for that one.
As I had mentioned before, each one of us military policemen have a different role to play. My role was first and foremost, the Section IC and secondly, as a driver. You may wonder why we need a driver but in truth, this is one of the most important jobs I had to do. I will probably write my experiences in driving school which I attended with another platoon mate, Muzafar in another blog. (You won't believe half the things that happened there) As a driver, our primary role was to drive our higher ranking commanders around during raiding operations. This meant leaving the camp earlier than the rest of the raiding platoon and having to memorise the route beforehand. It was our duty to ensure that the car is in working condition at all times which means having to wash it every week, and filling it up with petrol every other day. One role which not many people know about is that drivers were also given the honor of transporting our State Flag. This was the creme a la creme of all flags, the one and only flag that welcomes foreign dignitaries to Singapore and is brought out on very special occasions. It thus became our number one priority to protect the State Flag with our lives. There are many other jobs that I would love to write about such as Guard Duty and National Day but I think this should be enough for the day.
It is definitely an honor to serve as a military policeman. Training can be very tough sometimes and the regimentation would take some time in getting used to but it is a stay-out vocation. If you work in the weekends, you get off days in compensation. You get to see new camps every week and some operations are honestly quite so enjoyable. Oh and also, there is no field camp. If there is, it will be one or two days at most. I wouldn't say it is the best vocation to be in because there are many other postings in the military police. I was afraid of getting posted to the Silent Precision Drill Squad (SPDS) for one thing because these people work tirelessly under the sun almost every day. But if you enjoy performing overseas and impress everyone back home, SPDS is definitely a great place to be. Ultimately, it is up to the individual how he takes on his role during National Service. I hope this would give you a little idea of what it is like to be a military policeman in SAF.
Just like most boys posted to the SAF, I reported to Pulau Tekong with absolutely no idea what the military life was going to be like. It would prove to be one of the toughest and life changing moments in my life. I won't delve too much into the Basic Military Training at Tekong as that isn't the point of me writing this today. But in a summary, I was posted to 4th Company (Knights) at Rocky Hill. I did gave my 100% every single day to the rigorous training and regimentation which led to times I felt like throwing in the towel. I was never as fit and strong as most of my peers but that never deterred me from giving my absolute best. 4th Company was one of the strictest companies in Tekong. Our phones were confiscated from the 2nd Week onward and we could only use the toilet on our bunk level (Back then I was staying on the sixth floor so we had to run up, use the toilet and get down in under 5 minutes every day). There were also minimal rests throughout and we even had a "Standby Universe" in the middle of the night. In army lingo, it meant the highest level of 'turnout' in which a soldier has to take every single thing out of their rooms and present it in perfect order in the parade square below. When I said every thing, I meant EVERY thing down that six bloody stories. That includes your bed. It didn't help that I was frequently quarreling with my ex over the phone late at night. (I sneaked in an extra phone which I hid in the ceiling above my bed) Regimentation wise was pretty tough to get accustomed to. I remembered not leaving a single dust behind the cupboards, not having a single crease in all my perfectly folded attire and to stifle your smile during inspections. These little skills would later be essential as a military policemen.
I graduated from 4th Company and was presented the 'Knights' Tab after completing the 24km Route March hoping to be posted to the Medical Corps or Signals Corps. I had opted out of Command School because back then, I had big commitments outside of camp. As it turns out, I was posted to Military Police Training School (MPTS).
As a heads up, I am not able to disclose the training information that we received during MPTS as that may breach the Official Secrets Act. In gist, there were a fair bit of physical training, which was not as tough as in Tekong and often, there were really long runs to get us all in good shape. There were self-defense courses as well which is essential because we would be handling rogue and ill-disciplined soldiers in the future. There is no Route Marches or Field Camps in MP but as replacement, there are other physically strenuous activities such as building 'monkey cages'. To those seeking to join the Military Police, be warned, it will be mentally draining. We had to memorise the SAF Act Chapter 295 (Singapore's military law book) and three other textbooks in the span of two months. There were many written and physical examinations also which can be pretty stressful because the results would affect in our posting and promotion. Regimentation is high in MPTS. We do scrub and polish our black boots until we see the reflections of our teeth on it and we burn away every single loose thread on our uniform. It takes a lot of discipline to get that polished boot effect but the results were very satisfying. Imagine raiding other camps, and the first thing the other soldiers tell you is how shiny your boots were. Much of our training is also focused on de-escalating any potential threat as well as to handle pressure from higher ranking officers.
Graduating from MPTS. I was posted to the Law Enforcement and Ceremonial Company (LECC) which is part of the Military Police Enforcement Unit. I was posted to a platoon that regularly conducted raids and therefore was known as the Wolfpack Raiders.
Again, in fear of breaching the Official Secrets Act, I will not be revealing details of the Operations that we conducted and especially how they are conducted. In brief, we would 'raid' any military bases belonging to the land, air and sea to ensure that no prohibited items are found within their confine. We do conduct exciting plainclothes operations such as nabbing soldiers who smoke in their uniforms in public spaces and intercept navy ships and military aircrafts. Each one of us in the Wolfpack Raiders had different duties and different approaches in carrying out our duties. I, for one, was a driver as well as section IC of the platoon. Others could be part of communications, or the seizure of prohibited items or to cordon off areas. Together, we work as a team to raid these military bases.
Personally, I was quite a carefree person on the job but when the situation calls for it, we had to really firm. Twice, I remembered unintentionally making two higher ranked soldiers burst into tears during an operation because they were obstructing my duties. We were not allowed to use any swear words or met out corporeal punishment as an enforcer of discipline, but some of my friends in the raiding company did. Basically, it wasn't necessary if you can still get the job done. During these raids, among the most common items we would confiscate are prohibited photos, gaming consoles, storage devices, chewing gum and contraband cigarettes. There were unusual ones too. In my 1.5 years in the raiding platoon, I had confiscated pornographic magazines, expensive contraband cigars, prohibited wine bottles, gaming devices that could record videos, sensitive documents lying around, pirated discs and a large, vegetable knife before. I have no idea why anyone would bring a vegetable into camp because its not like you would cook vegetables anyways. There was even one time a friend of mine found a 'dick pump'. Over the years, my responsibilities in the unit also grew and for the last six months in service I was entrusted the responsibility of being the Section I/C of Section 3. This position meant having to take charge of entire levels during raiding operations and having to make important calls such as managing the distribution of manpower.
Raiding however, was not our primary job in LECC despite it being arguably the 'highlight'. For most of our times, it was drills after drills under the blazing sun. The primary job in LECC was its ceremonial duties. This is where the legendary "one bang" that Military Policemen are known for comes from. That One Bang is the sound of all the soldier in formation bringing their foot down in unison with not one person slower than the other producing a sharp, loud and terrifying boom across the parade square. Imagine 72 men wearing plated boots (which amplifies the sound of our feet 100 times) producing that one bang. The drills are so perfectly executed, it is no wonder the Military Policemen contingent is always chosen as the Guards of Honour for any major parades. We were always made the Guard Of Honor for all official SAF ceremonies such as SAF day and Change in Command ceremonies but most importantly, to welcome foreign delegates from all around the world. During my time in LECC, I had the privilege to stand as close as one meter away from the biggest politicians in the world. Among the distinguished guests that we welcomed at the Istana or MinDef Headquarters were the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, former British Prime Minister David Cameron, Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, Chinese President Xi Jinping and many other royalties and politicians of whom I can't remember their names from countries such as Malaysia, Vietnam, Liechtenstein, Qatar, United States, India, Indonesia, France and many more. Therefore, our drills had to be top notch and whenever our "one bang" doesn't have that ringing precision or our hands were not of a certain angle, our OC would scold us and increase the number of drill practices.
The hardest part of being a ceremonial guardsmen however, is the standing. We had to endure standing under the blazing hot sun in hot and humid Singapore wearing two layers of clothes, clutching the rifle for at least an hour while waiting for the foreign delegates without moving a SINGLE inch. While in formation, you cannot shift your fingers or wipe your sweat. Sweat will be IN your eyes and your fingers will ache. The most hardest parade I would have to say, is SAF Day. Ask anyone in the contingent and they will tell you that it is not easy. It involves weeks of preparation and standing for hours at a time under the unforgiving sun. The rewards however, is unimaginable. During my time, I had the honour of performing the rare "Trooping of Colours" during one such SAF Day Parade which involves slow-marching through the ranks of soldiers and doing a diagonal march. There were many who had fallen out before because of the lack of blood circulation and that is why drinking up and having a good rest the day before is very important. I do look forward to the curry puffs at the Istana though. The highlight of my time as a ceremonial guardsmen would definitely be the day our late Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew passed away and I was deployed at 2am in the morning to NUS and the Istana to do the tafakur senjata, an honorary salute, typically given to a fallen soldier. There was so little rest in between and we spent three days with as little as an hour's worth of sleep in between to ensure that MM Lee had the best sendoff. At the Istana, I was stationed right in front of the main building where a Gurkha played the melancholic "Auld Lang Syne" from the rooftop behind. That day, as MM Lee's casket rolled past me with the sad music playing in the background, I remembered crying a little, thinking that we had truly lost the man who made Singapore what she is today.
There were many other memorable moments as a ceremonial guardsmen. One of which is the monthly Change of Guards ceremony in the middle of the city where we would march down in unison along Orchard Road to the tune of a marching band with hundreds of tourists snapping away photos. Here, the Old Guards would switch with the New Guards at the Istana gates and although its great since your friends and family can actually see how good your drills are, the marching can be really torturous especially for the New Guards. The New Guards had to march for at least 2 kilometers. Under the heat and weight of the rifle, it is no wonder we get two days of rest after the Change of Guards ceremony.
We were also trained to be anti-riot policemen. (You can actually see why our schedule can sometimes be very packed) I was Raider, Driver, Ceremonial Guardsmen and Anti-Riot police all rolled into one. There are perks of course as a military policemen. It is a stay-out unit. The only problem was that I lived in Pasir Ris, the other side of Singapore. This meant waking up at 5.30am to catch the first train from Pasir Ris MRT. Missing that, would mean missing out on First Parade and the punishment of having to sign an extra weekend duty. As an Anti-Riot Policemen, we had to be prepared for any riot that could possibly happen in the Detention Barracks next door. We were all placed in high alert during festive days, because the inmates would be allowed more freedom to also celebrate these days. If a riot breaks out during such celebration, we had to dress up into our full gear under five minutes. Needless to say, the training for anti-riot can be pretty brutal and most of the time, we would leave with bruises all over.
Sometimes, half of us would role play as rioters while the other half tries to quash the riot. We often do try to keep the training as realistic as possible and because of that there can be casualties. During one operation, I remembered someone from Platoon 1 being sent to the hospital after being whacked by a truncheon. The worst part about anti-riot however, is the uniform. If you haven't heard from an anti-rioter before, putting on the uniform is a challenge and it takes great skill to put on one without any assistance. Also, wearing the uniform is like putting on thick winter clothing. You literally cannot last more than 20 minutes inside of it or you will get a heatstroke. There was one training I remembered having to march up a staircase in formation with 'rioters' throwing furniture down on us. That was a truly memorable one. I was positioned as the second 'layer' of the formation which was a very lucky position. The two people in front of me, had to take the brunt because the 'rioters' would literally jump down the stairs and kick you right in your face except that you have this heavy transparent shield in front of you. As the 'second layer' I had to make sure the two men in front don't get thrown down the stairs. As a result, the poor duo would be squashed and in terrible pain throughout the ordeal. Danial, one of the greatest person I ever knew in my platoon happened to be one of the duo. There were tears in his eyes after that "staircase clearing" activity. There were many more memorable moments as an anti-rioter of course. There was one time we had to clear an 'abandoned' prison facility. It was all dark and scary and silent at first. In actual fact, the rioters had either barricaded their cells with their beds or hid in various places so we literally were ambushed every time we walked past a 'deserted' cell. The rioters were also using hoses so we got really wet for that one.
As I had mentioned before, each one of us military policemen have a different role to play. My role was first and foremost, the Section IC and secondly, as a driver. You may wonder why we need a driver but in truth, this is one of the most important jobs I had to do. I will probably write my experiences in driving school which I attended with another platoon mate, Muzafar in another blog. (You won't believe half the things that happened there) As a driver, our primary role was to drive our higher ranking commanders around during raiding operations. This meant leaving the camp earlier than the rest of the raiding platoon and having to memorise the route beforehand. It was our duty to ensure that the car is in working condition at all times which means having to wash it every week, and filling it up with petrol every other day. One role which not many people know about is that drivers were also given the honor of transporting our State Flag. This was the creme a la creme of all flags, the one and only flag that welcomes foreign dignitaries to Singapore and is brought out on very special occasions. It thus became our number one priority to protect the State Flag with our lives. There are many other jobs that I would love to write about such as Guard Duty and National Day but I think this should be enough for the day.
It is definitely an honor to serve as a military policeman. Training can be very tough sometimes and the regimentation would take some time in getting used to but it is a stay-out vocation. If you work in the weekends, you get off days in compensation. You get to see new camps every week and some operations are honestly quite so enjoyable. Oh and also, there is no field camp. If there is, it will be one or two days at most. I wouldn't say it is the best vocation to be in because there are many other postings in the military police. I was afraid of getting posted to the Silent Precision Drill Squad (SPDS) for one thing because these people work tirelessly under the sun almost every day. But if you enjoy performing overseas and impress everyone back home, SPDS is definitely a great place to be. Ultimately, it is up to the individual how he takes on his role during National Service. I hope this would give you a little idea of what it is like to be a military policeman in SAF.
Comments
Post a Comment